After a Christmas Day release in Japan, Studio Bones' Josee, the Tiger and the Fish is finally coming to North American cinemas with English dub and subtitle screenings offered from July 12-14. Funimation celebrated the news with a new subtitled trailer.
Josee, the Tiger and the Fish (Joze to Tora to Sakana-tachi) is based on a novel of the same name from award-winning author Seiko Tanabe. A 2003 live-action film was also helmed by award-winning director Isshin Inudo. The anime film was originally slated for release this summer but was delayed due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
Kotaro Tamura (Noragami) directed the film from a script adapted by Sayaka Kuwamura (Strobe Edge). Character designs were handled by loundraw (I want to eat your pancreas). J-pop vocaloid singer Eve provided the theme song for the film, " "Ao no Waltz" (Blue Waltz)."
If you've been keeping up with the news on AnimeMojo, The Annecy International Animation Film Festival is underway in France and GKids and Funimation are waging an acquisition war of sorts for coveted anime films. GKids just announced plans to release Belle and The Deer King while Funimation acquired distribution rights for Josee.
A youth romantic drama with themes of growing up, the story focuses on college student Tsuneo and dreamer Josee, who lives her life stuck in a wheelchair. Josee—named after the heroine in Françoise Sagan's Wonderful Clouds—spends most of her days reading and painting until by chance she encounters Tsuneo, and decides it's time to face the real world.