Funimation Josee The Tiger And The Fish

Okay, let's talk Josee, the Tiger and the Fish. The anime film that made everyone cry, right? I watched it. I felt... things. But did I ugly-cry? Nope. Am I a monster? Maybe.

Don't get me wrong. It's a beautiful movie. The animation is stunning. The music tugs at your heartstrings. But sometimes, I think it's just a tad overrated.

Is it too perfect?

Hear me out. Josee feels meticulously crafted. Every scene is designed to elicit a specific emotion. It’s almost too good at pulling those emotional levers.

We've got the disability representation. We've got the struggling artist. We've got the bittersweet romance. It's like they checked off all the boxes for a tear-jerker masterpiece.

And look, I love checking boxes! But sometimes, things feel a little too… curated. Like they were trying really, really hard to make us feel a certain way. Did it worked on you? It kind of worked on me!

The Lovable Jerk Factor

Tsuneo, our male lead, is... complicated. He starts off pretty self-centered. Dreams of scuba diving are great, but Josee kind of becomes a means to an end, doesn't she?

He definitely grows as a person. I'm not denying that. But early Tsuneo? Kind of a jerk. A lovable jerk, sure, but still... a jerk. Funimation packaged him well, though!

And Josee herself? Spiky. Understandably so, given her circumstances. But sometimes her abrasiveness felt, well, abrasive.

The Hype Train

Maybe my issue isn't with the movie itself. Maybe it's with the overwhelming praise it received. The hype train was chugging along at full speed! It can be hard to appreciate something when everyone's telling you how amazing it is.

It's like when that one song is everywhere. You can't escape it! Even if it’s a good song, you get sick of it. Is Josee the "Despacito" of anime films? Possibly.

And social media didn't help. Everyone posting about sobbing uncontrollably. I felt like I was missing out on some profound emotional experience. Turns out, I just have a slightly above-average tolerance for sad anime movies. My bad.

The Unpopular Opinion Corner

So, here it is: My unpopular opinion. Josee, the Tiger and the Fish is good. Very good, even. But maybe not as life-changingly amazing as everyone says.

It's a beautifully animated, emotionally resonant film. But it also feels a little calculated. A little too perfect. A little too… much.

Maybe I’m just a cynical grump. Maybe I need to watch it again. But for now, I'm sticking to my guns. Josee is great, but it's not the anime holy grail some make it out to be.

And hey, that's okay! We can all have different opinions. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go watch something really, really silly. Like, cat videos on repeat silly. No more intense emotions for today, please!