SPOILER ALERT: the following article contains massive spoilers, including the ending. If you have not yet seen the movie, proceed at your own risk, or better, come back to this article later!
Tsuneo is a university student and Josee is a young girl who has rarely gone out of the house by herself due to her being unable to walk. The two meet when Tsuneo finds Josee’s grandmother taking her out for an evening walk.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Josee, the Tiger and the Fish Video Summary
Josee, the Tiger and the Fish Plot Summary and Synopsis
Tsuneo Suzukawa is 22 years old college student living in a small apartment in Osaka, Japan. His passion is sea and diving, so he works at a diving shop. Mai Ninomiya, a girl he works with, is secretly in love with him.
Tsuneo is in constant need of money as a student and wants to take one more part-time job on his summer break from college.
One night Tsuneo meets Kumiko, a disabled girl in a wheelchair, who lives with her grandmother. Kumiko is quite ill-tempered. Tsuneo tries to be nice to her, but she makes it clear she doesn’t like him.
It is revealed that Tsuneo is planning to study abroad, in Mexico City, after graduating, but he needs money to pay for it.
Kumiko’s grandmother hires Tsuneo to look after Kumiko and do everything she asks him, such as kneeling as long as he can, or count meshes in tatami mats. Kumiko asks Tsuneo to call her Josee.
Tsuneo learns that Josee loves the sea as much as he does. She asks him to take her to the sea but almost changes her mind halfway because of rude people everywhere. She calls them tigers.
They go to the sea and Josee is fascinated. Tsuneo tells her about his passion.
Josee tells Tsuneo that grandmother takes a nap between 1 and 3 pm, and the duo decides to use this time to go elsewhere. They go to the pier, to park, to the cinema, and aquarium. Josee draws the fish they saw in an aquarium.
One day Josee demands Tsuneo takes her to the Ferris wheel. It is revealed he is afraid of heights.
Josee’s grandmother knows of their trips but doesn’t say anything.
It is revealed that Josee is a fan of Françoise Sagan and took her name ‘Josee’ out of one of Sagan’s books – ‘Wonderful Clouds’. Though her favorite book is ‘Those Without Shadows’. She befriends a librarian, Kana.
Tsuneo takes Josee to the diving shop and she meets Mai. Josee is upset seeing young girls of her age with no physical disadvantages and asks Tsuneo to leave. Back at home, she asks grandmother to fire Tsuneo.
In October Tsuneo is granted a scholarship to study abroad. He must leave in 6 months. It is revealed that Josee is in love with Tsuneo.
Tsuneo gives Josee a figure of Clarion angelfish as a present. He tells her that his parents are divorced. He almost tells her he is leaving for Mexico next year but stops.
Josee tells Tsuneo she wants to become a professional illustrator.
Josee’s grandmother dies.
Mai visits Josee and asks her to let Tsuneo free. She also tells that Tsuneo pities Josee because of her condition.
Tsuneo visits Josee and learns that she found a job in the office and got rid of all her drawings. He takes her to the sea. On their way back Josee’s wheelchair is stuck, and Tsuneo is hit by a car.
He is alive, but his right leg and left arm are badly injured. A doctor informs that he may never fully recover. The scholarship is canceled.
Mai visits Tsuneo in hospital and confesses her feelings to him. Then she goes to Josee and tells her that Tsuneo gave up his dream.
Josee decides to help Tsuneo to believe in his dream once again. She comes up with a fairy tale about him saving her and illustrates it.
Tsuneo perks up and starts going to rehab so that to heal the leg. Josee regularly visits him to check for his progress.
Tsuneo is permitted to leave the hospital on Dec. 24. He asks Josee to meet him, but she never does, nor she answers his phone calls.
He takes a taxi to her house. It is empty and Josee’s belongings are packed. She is nowhere to be found.
Josee, the Tiger and the Fish Ending
It is revealed that she went to the zoo so that to face a tiger by herself, now when Tsuneo is not going to be around to help her.
On her way back home, the wheelchair slips on the ice, and Josee falls, but Tsuneo gets just in time to save her.
He says that he loves her, and she confesses that she loves him too. They kiss.
Josee, the Tiger and the Fish Mid-Credits Scene
Tsuneo boards the plane and goes to Mexico. They text each other. Josee becomes an illustrator.
Josee, the Tiger and the Fish Post-Credits Scene
Tsuneo goes to Osaka on a spring break to surprise Josee. She is happy to see him.
The Ending Explained
Josee and Tsuneo are in love and happy to be together. It is not clear though, how are they going to maintain the relationship so far away from each other.
Cooncel Rating
A nice melodramatic feature which brings up serious topics with ease and innocence.
Source: © Cooncel.com.
Title: Josee, the Tiger and the Fish / Joze to Tora to Sakanatachi
US Release Date: July 12, 2021
Starring: Taishi Nakagawa, Kaya Kiyohara, Yume Miyamoto, Kazuyuki Okitsu, Lynn, Chiemi Matsutera, Shintarō Moriyama, Lily
Directed by: Kotaro Tamura
Written by: Sayaka Kuwamura
Synopsis: Tsuneo is a university student and Josee is a young girl who has rarely gone out of the house by herself due to her being unable to walk. The two meet when Tsuneo finds Josee’s grandmother taking her out for an evening walk.