Shuichi Okita¡¯s latest film, ¡°The Fish Tale,¡± is a heartwarming story about a lovable outsider, based on the autobiography of Sakana-kun, a TV personality known for his encyclopedic knowledge of fish (his stage name translates as ¡°Fish Guy¡±). The director¡¯s previous films such as ¡°A Story of Yonosuke¡± (2013) and ¡°Mori, The Artist¡¯s Habitat¡± (2018) feature similarly oddball protagonists, but ¡°The Fish Tale¡± differs in that its titular character, Meebo, is a male protagonist played by actresses.
Taking on the role of Meebo as a young adult is the single-named actress Non, who first rose to national stardom portraying a teen who aspires to become a shellfish diver in the 2013 NHK morning drama, ¡°Amachan.¡± Beyond this sea-centric connection, Non exudes a natural vivaciousness that makes her ideal for the role of an eternal enthusiast.
We first meet Meebo as a child (Mizuki Nishimura) who becomes enthralled with fish during a trip to an aquarium and even more so when his understanding mother gives him a fish encyclopedia. Meebo reads the book from cover to cover and tirelessly draws aquatic creatures in class, his favorite being the octopus.
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