Anime hit in Taiwan looks at bright side of disabled life

在台灣大受歡迎的動畫著眼殘疾生活

Japanese blockbuster 'Josee, the Tiger and the Fish' released in Taiwan Jan. 20


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Japanese anime film "Josee, the Tiger and the Fish" has been a big hit in Taiwan since it was released on Jan. 20.

Produced by the animation studio Bones, the film is directed by Tamura Kotaro and is an adaptation of novelist Tanabe Seiko's short love story. It has become a big hit in Taiwan after it was released on Jan. 20, according to promotions company Cai Chang International.

According to the company's press release, the film made more than NT$2 million in ticket receipts in two weeks, with some audience members watching it up to 20 times. It also won the Japan Academy Film Prize in the category of Outstanding Animation.

In addition, animators and graphic designers from Taiwan's Studio5 were involved in the production for six months, according to Cai Chang. It was quite challenging to begin with and the professionalism of the Japanese filmmakers was inspiring.

Animator Luo Zhao-ming (羅昭明) said he spend a lot of time observing how fish and marine creatures swim, in order to make the underwater scenes more lifelike. "Even though the image only shows for one second, Bones doesn't overlook it," said Luo.

The film's story centers on the love between a disabled teenage girl, Josee, and a college boy who is majoring in marine biology. Instead of portraying the miseries of being disabled, the director conveys the positive side of life.

Tamura Kotaro said he had asked disabled people whether they would go to watch a film if the main characters had disabilities, but the answer was a firm "no!" The reason being, these types of films focus on negatives of being disabled and are not good to watch," explained Tamura, adding this is why he decided to look at the bright side of disabled life.

Hsiao-en (小恩), who has to use a wheelchair after hurting his spine, shared his thoughts about the film on a Facebook page titled "小恩的輪椅 Life." "The way people saw me have changed after watching the film as they have become more empathetic."