I'm not much of a fan of anime movies (although this film honestly is making me reconsider it) so I didn't really have much expectations for Josee, the Tiger and the Fish. I had not much prior knowledge or reference aside from the fact it was based on an obscure Japanese novel and that it was animated by the famous studio Bones. This fact alone convinced me to give it a chance and go watch it on the cinema. And honestly, I definitely enjoyed this film and had a wonderful watch with it, to the point I'm considering even rewatching it before it gets taken off.

The first thing we notice about the movie with our eyes is the beautiful animation. The film opens with a breathtaking sequence using plenty of angles and visual effects that help us get immersed into the story and the overall feeling of it. Bones has a very high reputation among anime communities because of their smooth and fluid animation which can be seen in Mob Psycho 100, Space Dandy or here. Granted, compared to examples such as Your Name, it might not be as good and even be perceived as relatively mediocre. But for Josee, the animation is excellent enough and it is complemented nicely with the tone and color palette, which is mostly summer-ish and warm.

Then, we get introduced to the main characters: Tsuneo, a university student who loves scuba diving and aims to get a scholarship that will allow him to study Marine Biology in México. He works at a surf and scuba equipment store along with his two friends, Mai and Hayato. At first, he feels like a bland main character but eventually gets some interesting development after a key climactic scene. The other main character is Kumiko, who prefers to be called Josee. She is a wheelchair-bound young woman who is taken care of by her strict grandmother, who forbids her to go to the outside world on her own due to the potentially dangerous people there, metaphorically referred to as tigers. Josee on her early scenes might give one the impression of being a bossy and short-fused person but eventually we get a bigger exposition of her thoughts, dreams and frustrations giving us a better understanding of why she acts that way.

After Tsuneo reluctantly agrees to become Josee's carer due to money necessities (which Josee calls "her servant"), a platonic relationship starts to develop between the two of them that slowly becomes a romantic one. This relationship is beautifully portrayed, full of wholesome romantic scenes as well as some bickering there and there. Not everything is rosy in this film, though, and they both have to pass through hard situations. The story is at its core, quite simple and even feels generic for romcom standards. But the good characterization, themes and struggles (both inner and mutual) help execute it in a satisfactory way.

Some people might argue that the movie is too fast paced for what it should be and I can definitely see what they mean. While I believe the movie could probably have some more time to maybe flesh out some characters and aspects further or even expand on some themes, I think the pacing is good enough for the impact and what it aims to do. It even makes you consider that maybe not all romantic (and non-romantic) anime series need to take the amount of time they do in order to advance the story progress.

All in all, it's a movie that it's highly enjoyable and beautiful. I liked the themes of fighting for your dreams no matter what, facing obstacles and mutual dependency. I loved the gorgeous and wholesome visual art direction and animation as well as the cute relationship between Tsuneo and Josee. As a personal note, I also appreciate the fact the main characters are not your generic high school students but rather young adults in an adult world. A textbook seinen film and a nice refreshing.

Definitely worth a watch.