An extended promotional trailer has been released for Josee, The Tiger and the Fish (Joze to Tora to Sakana-tachi) that previews both the film’s insert and theme songs.
Having been delayed from its originally planned summer release (and after a well-received world premiere at Tokyo International Film Festival) Josee, The Tiger and the Fish is just weeks away from its Japanese cinema release on Christmas Day. Adapted from the 1985 short story of the same name, that also inspired a 2003 live-action film, the BONES anime adaptation has the potential to be something special.
This new trailer opens with the first meeting of Josee and Tsuneo on the hill as Josee is out of control in her wheelchair. The rest of the trailer follows their slow journey to being friends, and later lovers, that is expanded upon in the final film. Following that meeting, Tsuneo becomes a caretaker in her home to help Josee where he can, and this is how they get to know each other. Eventually, they go to places like fields to collect four-leaf clovers and to the ocean. The trailer emphasizes the differences between the dream-chasing Tsuneo and Josee, who feels held back and unable to reach even the simplest dreams of her own, something that leaves her feeling alone.
The animation quality is strong and the aforementioned musical features, ‘Ao no Waltz’ and ‘Shinkai’ by Eve, compliment the romance at the heart of the feature. How well their dynamic plays out will be key to the film’s success, but their relationship feels heartfelt and relatable in this trailer, which should hopefully transfer across to the final feature.
Josee, The Tiger and the Fish will release in Japanese cinemas on 25 December. You can find out more about this movie over on the film’s official website.