Joze to Tora to Sakana Tachi

Recently I stumbled upon quite a few movies that I like. The title of this post is the name of one, which literally means "Josee, the Tiger and the Fish". A good review can be found here, and below is the trailer...



The basic story revolves around a romance between a young college student and a girl who is handicaped. The narrative is very low-key, and you do not need a box of tissues while watching this, despite the plot that seems to promise tear jerking scenes. Instead, this film is largely a uplifting tale that ultimately breaks your heart from the inside, and will leave you quitetly devastated. It is a honest study of humans, a depiction of the cruelty of reality, and it makes viewers ponder about themselves.

At a shallower level, this movie boasts a cast of top young stars in Japan today. Satoshi Tsumabuki was in the acclaimed "Waterboys", "Dororo", and even "Tokyo Drift" (he's the guy who shouted 'Go', and let the car race begin...remember?). Chizuru Ikewaki was in "Strawberry Cheesecake". It's also interesting to see Juri Ueno in her early years here playing a supporting role. She'd later appear as lead in "Swing Girls" and "Rainbow Song".