Fish Story (2009) User Reviews

"Fish Story" - Intertwining stories over the course of 60 years

[ChungMo · 8/10 · 17 January 2010]

Smart and witty movie about how a forgotten punk rock song (with a mystery within the song) links the lives of several characters who mostly never meet each other. The elements include, of course, a failed punk rock band in the late 1970's, a meek college student in the 1980's, a doomsday cult in 1999, a ferry hijacking in 2009, and a trio of people in a used record shop in a deserted city awaiting a comet strike in 2012. Plus some flashbacks to post WW2 Japan. Much of the movie revolves around the idea of a "champion of justice"

The movie is paced with a natural style so despite the sci-fi aspect the whole film is very low key. Virtually no special effects. That's not to say that there are no hidden pleasures, especially during the ferry hijacking which has excellent action scenes. The film is well-shot, well-acted and well-written. The music is good as well.

An unexpected little gem.

New Wavish Comedy

[crossbow0106 · 8/10 · 27 June 2009]

This story is about a comet which is due to hit the earth in a matter of hours and how a song from 1975 called "Fish Story" will save the world in 2012. How? Thats part of the fun in watching the film. The film has some comedic moments in that you have references to superhero(ine) series from Japan, as well as other cultural mores. You see what appears to be a series of unconnected events somehow gel. The song itself is a proto punk song, recorded before the Sex Pistols, and its actually a good song. The acting goes all over the map, as there are flashbacks with disparate characters, but it is pretty much all good. Whatever the ending, you have to stay for it to see how things tie together. The world could come to an end (Japan would be pretty much submerged) if the comet hit, so just watch. It has a kind of new wavish sensibility, especially the scenes with the band who recorded "Fish Story". Not perfect, it drags slightly at times, but its worthwhile. I recommend it.

What did I just watch?

[Leofwine_draca · 8/10 · 27 April 2013]

I have to say, FISH STORY is a very strange film. It's a Japanese apocalyptic tale featuring four separate story lines that are woven together in such a way that'll have you scratching your head and trying to figure out how they all intertwine. It's all very low key, with zero sci-fi elements and an extremely slow pacing that's doubtless to put off plenty of viewers expecting something more, well, energetic.

However, something about this kept me watching. It's the sense of whimsy, perhaps, or the sheer long-winded shaggy-doggedness of the storytelling. The fact that the production values are high, the script is very funny, and the actors nail the characters, too. About halfway through, I relaxed a little when I realised I was enjoying what I was watching, and then I started having fun.

Things get better right up until the big reveal at the ending, which is so stupendously good that I can say, right here and right now, that FISH STORY features one of my favourite endings in a film, full stop. It's that good; a tremendous resolution, like that of THE SIXTH SENSE, that turns the whole film around and makes you realise that, actually, this is a great little film; unique and uniquely entertaining with it.

What if I told you that a song would save the world...

[Koyama22 · 10/10 · 10 April 2010]

In short: Fish Story will take you on a wild, improbable ride that will leave you smiling once the credits begin. It is a film that rewards multiple viewings as it will leave you thinking and desiring to watch it again almost immediately. Great acting and an incredibly well put together set of events leads to a movie that definitely should be seen. My favorite film of 2009 so far.

If you haven't seen Fish Story yet, you may want to stop reading this review after this paragraph. There aren't spoilers in my review, but it is one of those movies that is best viewed with no preconceived ideas about the plot. Watch the film and enjoy the twists and turns that the story takes. It is a ride that most will undoubtedly enjoy.

Fish Story is about a punk band named Gekirin that recorded a single called "Fish Story" in 1975, a year before the Sex Pistols popularized punk music. Despite knowing that their music won't sell, Gekirin and their supportive producer decide to record this song knowing that one day it will impact the life of at least one person. The film jumps around different time periods ranging from 1975 to 2012, where a meteor is on a collision course for Earth. Going through the movie, the viewer is shown different stories without knowing what is going on or how they factor in to the main narrative.

Each part of the film is captivating, despite the fact that we don't really know what is going on in the film as a whole. Every new story reveals a piece to the puzzle and when they all come together at the end you'll feel like jumping up, running outside, and telling everyone that they NEED to watch Fish Story. Then you'll want to watch it again. This movie has one of the most satisfying endings that I have ever experienced.

I love the cast in this film. Acting was solid, but no award-winning performances. I particularly enjoyed Omori Nao, who played the producer that discovered Gekirin as well as a music shop owner whose store is open despite the pending destruction of Earth. I also thought Kora Kengo, playing Gekirin's singer, and Moriyama Mirai, playing a guy trained since birth to be a "champion of justice" (his action sequences were really cool) stood out. Based on a novel by Isaka Kotaro and adapted by Hayashi Tamio, Fish Story has a great script. Also, the cinematography is good (though certainly not groundbreaking) as well as the directing. Music is great, especially the song "Fish Story" which was written specially for the film.

I can't really name many faults with this film other than it was a little bit draggy in some spots. Also, some may not enjoy the girl's (Tabe Mikako) overenthusiastic acting but I found that it fit her character. The film was just under two hours, but I felt that length was not a problem.

Fish Story jumps around to different genre's (thriller, martial arts action, comedy, music documentary, etc) which I think keeps the movie incredibly engaging, constantly changing up the pace. During my second viewing, I couldn't help but think that I would enjoy watching a film that just took any one of the multiple stories presented and made it feature-length. All of them are that interesting. Having each individual story in the span of a single film, though, is what helps make Fish Story a magical experience. From beginning to end, you will be engaged and entertained. I advise everyone to see Fish Story.

--John Kincaid @ jkfilmjapan.wordpress.com/

A Nutshell Review: Fish Story

[DICK STEEL · 10/10 · 20 August 2010]

What the Fish!!! So I'd thought that it'll be somewhat of a chore to sit through almost two hours late into what's left of a Friday night with Fish Story, directed by Yoshihiro Nakamura and based on the novel by Kotaro Isaka. But I was utterly blown away, leaving me feet tapping and head bobbing all the way through to the end credits roll, and a smile plastered on my face all the way home. It's an Armageddon film done with pizazz and creative flair, and not to mention that dash of comedy and great music, that I'd feel is a hard act for the rest of the festival lineup to keep within touch for the Audience Choice. I know it's still early in the festival, but Fish Story has established itself as one of the best films I've watched this year, and one of the rare few that will likely give you that familiar fuzzy feeling after you've sat through an awesome film.

The story unveils itself in non-linear fashion, and somewhat like Sandcastle, has a little lingering mystery - a punk rock song that contains a minute's silence - to what it actually all means, which comes altogether as a climax when everything gets to show hand. It tackles that wonderment of how events in the past will inevitably shape what's to come in the future, even if it doesn't make sense in the present. And Nakamura takes this premise, and through the narrative structure enables the audience to experience just that. We're brought from timeline to timeline that at the point of presentation the scenes seem disparate to one another and don't make much sense, but contains enough in their individual segments to entertain.

Hinging on a song called Fish Story that's performed by a punk rock band called Gekirin, it's amazing just what this one song can do to carry the entire film, not only because it sounds great (those not into punk rock, I'd think you'd find it hard not to enjoy this, especially when the cast members go into overdrive in their performance), but has an intriguing story on how it got produced, that forms the bulk of the film. Like most songs that seem fated to fade into obscurity without proper promotional or marketing power or fans to ensure some longevity, or worst, a band that's being condemned as talentless and to be let go by their record company, little do the band members know that one day this song will just about save humankind.

And in that respect, with Japanese fantasy/sci-fi stories in a similar mould such as the Twentieth Century Boys trilogy, Fish Story tackles the same doomsday scenario, and that plot element of a song of hope yet unfulfilled and unexplained, in a succinct fashion that doesn't meander unnecessarily. Spanning almost 40 years, we're treated to one off stories such as a timid driver (Gaku Hamada, resembling a youthful looking Jackie Chan with that hairdo he spots) who finds some resolve to stand up for himself and for others after being told of a prophecy about saving the world, and another tale where a young cook onboard a ferry saving a schoolgirl (Mikako Tabe) and other passengers from gun totting hijackers. They're as disparate as they can get, and if you're wondering just what's going on when you see recurring characters or instances in each, I'd say to enjoy the moments crafted, from a tinge of horror to an all out action-adventure, before the payload at the end truly hits you.

All these and more, based upon the single introduction set in the year 2012, where the world is threatened by a comet on a collision course for Earth, and a group of strangers gathering in a niche music shop. It's 5 hours to impact, and the shopkeeper whips out the rare Fish Story vinyl record for them all to give a listen to, thinking that it's quite futile to head toward Mount Fuji to avoid an impending tsunami scenario, and of course hoping for a miracle to come from a country that on one hand is not expected, and on the other totally plausible for the maths and science experts it produces.

There are references to other Japanese icons such as Godzilla and Go-Rangers, and for fans of Hollywood films, you'll probably be able to identify the oh-so-funny references and cheeky dissing of films from The Karate Kid (not the Jackie Chan version though), and Michael Bay's Armageddon, in fact "quoting" the what-if scenario of having the nuclear bombs on the comet, but yet to be exploded because, well, of what happened to Bruce Willis. Some stories are played out in tongue-in-cheek fashion, and they complement one another really well, which of course makes the finale all the more fun, especially when everything starts to make sense, and goes the full circle.

My loneliness is a fish...

[goto-kazoku-4 · 8 September 2013]

In 1975, an unpopular punk band releases Fish Story. In 1982, a young man saves a young woman from a strange man. He listened to Fish Story before he saves. In 2009, a high school girl and chef meet on a ship. The ship is seajacked. In 2012, the limit of earth is 5 hours because of a comet. At a music shop, 2 men listen to Fish Story.

I am a fan of the original author of this film. I like coincidence which he writes. I had read the original book once before I watched the film. The story crosses several date. Therefore film is easier to understand than book. I was caught up in the scene which the story was related to the end. I could clear my head. The song, " if my loneliness is a fish…", is not far from my head. I think that the author is good at writing daily lives. I recommend everyone to watch the other films of the writer.

Punk music that saves the world

[klausming · 10/10 · 10 September 2013]

Japan 112m, Colour Director: Yoshihiro Nakamura; Cast: Vincent Giry, Gaku Hamada, Atsushi Itô, Kengo Kôra, Mirai Moriyama, Yoshihiro Nagata, Nao Ohmori, Mikako Tabe, Ken'ichi Takitô

It is 2012 and the world is about to end. An obscure Japanese punk song entitled Fish Story is possibly the only thing standing in the way of total annihilation of all life on the planet. The song, which includes a mysterious minute long break where the guitar solo should be, is cleverly interwoven into a number of intriguing stories throughout seven decades of seemingly disconnected events. As the end draws near, the stories are drawn together in spectacular fashion in the film's closing minutes. A brilliantly written, intelligent and charming multi-genre film, Fish Story is a tall tale brimming with fun, warmth and comedy that you will surely want to watch again, and again (Klaus Ming July 2013).

Frustratingly close to being great... it just never clicked for me

[Jeremy_Urquhart · 6/10 · 27 December 2021]

Has a story that spans five different decades and about as many genres, too - action, comedy, music, thriller, and even sci-fi.

As it was all over the place, maybe it's natural that I'm a little mixed on it. It has a low-budget charm to it, sort of like Sion Sono's films, but like with that director sometimes, I found Fish Story occasionally looked distractingly cheap, with sitcom-esque lighting and some fairly flat cinematography (at times).

Some sequences work better than others. I'd say the only one that didn't really work for me was the section near the end focusing on the band who made the titular song. It dragged a bit, and I was also a little sick of the tune by then, to be honest.

But negativity aside, the premise is fun, and the other segments were largely enjoyable. Not in love with how it looked or the song in the end (you hear it so much!) but the film gets points for how unique and carefree it is in its attitude.

Can definitely see why it's become something of a cult movie, but I couldn't quite find myself loving it.

Outstandingly Dull

[AirPlant · 2/10 · 3 May 2010]

Fish story –Back in the 70's proto-punk band 'Gekirin' records a single album that no one buys. They split up and go their separate ways, their seminal work destined for the scrapheap of musical history until fate plays a hand in rekindling the fire of rebellion. This is not a great movie. It's not even a good movie. It's not even a bad movie; shot through with tantalising flashes of brilliance. It is a very dull movie. Scenes which should in all sanity last a few seconds are pointlessly extended to the point where even the actors look embarrassed. The dialogue is appallingly dull –I can only suppose that the editor gave the actors the stuff he cut out; so consistent is the flat, monotonous character of the script. The acting is strange – as if the actors are constantly thinking of something else -Presumably, how long till they can escape; as will the audience.

I do not work for a film company I am not paid to write reviews

If this film were a fish, it would be a big-hearted delightful fish

[LunarPoise · 8/10 · 20 August 2011]

A comet hurtles towards Earth, and Tokyo is abandoned as people head to high ground. A cynical one-time guru comes across two otaku, a record shop owner and his customer, who believe an obscure seventies song, Fish Story, will save the world. Many years earlier, a timid young man laments his inability to stand up for himself. Some years after that, a narcoleptic high school girl finds herself trapped on a hijacked ship, where a pastry chef is her best hope for a champion for justice.

Director Nakamura fashions a likable, engaging human drama here, but deserves most credit for the naturalistic performances he elicits from his actors. Too often Japanese films are sunk by TV-style mugging from the principles, but here, there is a subtlety and nuanced portrayal evident throughout the ensemble cast. In the band, leader Atsushi Ito and Vocal Kengo Kora have betrayal and remorse to deal with between them. The tension is played out in a series of looks and never over-cooked. Kiyohiko Shibukawa as the drummer takes a while to speak, but when he does, it is with reason and tact. It would be so easy to have proto-punk band members sink into spats and histrionics. These portrayals resonate and convince. Gaku Hamada is especially effective as the meek friend who loses the girl (a spooky, sexy Mai Takahashi) to his overpowering alpha-male 'friend.' His tormenting of himself in the car after that particular episode is tragic and comic in equal degree, and proves the trigger to his redemption.

The portmanteau structure is an over-used trope these days and detracts from the drama here. However, the film succinctly ties it all up at the end, and visually too - the lack of expository dialogue here as compared to other J-cinema is refreshing. A wonderful soundtrack tops it all off, the best use of a song for thematic purpose since Gimme Heaven. "Summer Days" is now the anthem to my August.

Saving the world with a smile

[paul2001sw-1 · 8/10 · 27 September 2014]

A punk song with some very obscure lyrics ends up saving the world: a fishy story indeed, and in the beginning, I was afraid that 'Fish Story' would turn out as one of those wilfully bizarre Japanese films which seem to be driven by nothing more than the director's desire to make something odd, no matter how little sense it makes. But the idiosyncratic charm of Yoshihiro Nakamura's movie soon grows on you. An odd combination of low budget movie, comic book story and sci-fi, set over 40 years, it nonetheless feels surprisingly unforced, and the longer I watched it, the larger the smile on my face. I even liked the song.

A Review of "Fish Story"

[cledorurun · 21 October 2013]

The characters of this movie each lives in different generations of Japan. The members of an unsalable band named "Gekirin", a timid collage student, a high school girl who is caught up in sea-jack. First their stories each go on without any connection, however, facing the world's end, their stories starts to link.

First, the structure of story is full of surprise. For a long time I like the original novel before watching this film. Sometimes movies which based on novels betray the original fans, this movie do not. The casts each suit the characters (especially I like Masashi!) and the song which"Gekirin" performs is taken charge of Kazuyoshi Saito and more than just a movie sound.

This movie describes an imaginary miracle but shows us the importance of taking an action actively. When I am puzzled with something, the scene of Masashi always inspires me with courage.

Brilliant!

[ElNapalmo · 10/10 · 12 September 2019]

Brilliant! A series of unrelated characters and events, spanning 34 years, following some kind of butterfly effect allied to the seven degrees of separation, that end in saving the world from a comet. That final sequence is priceless.

Not really a story about fish

[dorit-eliyahu · 10/10 · 14 November 2014]

I am not the type of person to like Armageddon movies, but I truly enjoyed Fish Story. Though this movie is about how the end of the world is near, there are so many twists and unexpected turns of events, that I was fully immersed in the film for the two hours it played. And like other reviewers, by the end of it, a huge smile has been smeared on my face by the time the credits started rolling.

In this unique Japanese apocalyptic story, the world is going to end by meteor strike. But somehow, a punk song called Fish Story, with a mysterious a minute of silence in it, might just offer the salvation the whole world has despaired from expecting. To find out whether it will, and how, four seemingly separate tales need to be told. But don't worry, writer and director Yoshihiro Nakamura does a great job: the four tales are all entertaining on their own, and when I realized how they are connected, I was not disappointed at all. The unfolding events, though weird and unusual, made complete sense, and none of the plot twists seemed contrived in the least.

There aren't many downsides to this movie, and the only thing I would complain about is some scenes with slower pacing. But I enjoyed it so much that I still remember it fondly, many months later, as an extremely well-done, unique, and entertaining film.

"Mangatique" in the bad sense of the word

[tpgill-968-71722 · 3/10 · 4 February 2011]

I came to this movie with high expectations since I had heard it loudly praised. Alas -- Ozu, Kurosawa and Mizoguchi must be spinning in their graves. Each of them had more talent in his little finger than the entire staff and cast of this profoundly silly movie. We are supposed to be impressed by the way the 4 stories are twined together at the end -- in fact, all we get is a handful of mini-films, each of them fairly ridiculous, cobbled together by a flimsy plot device. Everyone acts like a plank -- they might as well be reading from scripts sometimes. And the characters are cardboard cut-outs who appear to have stepped off the page of a cheap manga. Look at the exaggerated poses in the martial arts scene for instance. The old man in the record shop gloating because the human race has no chance of survival was especially irritating, and the moment when he got punched in the face was a rare highlight. This is sophistication? This is avant-garde? This is life-affirming humanist cinema? Lord save us all.

music saves the world.

[vladiator · 8/10 · 23 November 2013]

Fish Story mixes end-of-the world sci-fi scenario with rock band "mockumentary" and action-packed drama. If you like the movies about music, such as High Fidelity, This Is Spinal Tap, The Blues Brothers, you would appreciate this film which tells elaborate story about how the music saves the world.

The title song makes viewing very energetic and enjoyable. The official Trailer does not give this movie full justice but instead contains too many spoilers. However, I recommend to watch the video clip with the main song of this movie, available on YouTube (search for qGzIOs4jjVk string), and if you like that video clip, you'd love this movie. I watched it on on Netflix streaming, but I don't think it is available there anymore.

Exciting

[FounHUGO · 10/10 · 26 February 2019]

Ideals, beliefs, philosophy, stories, actors, performances, settings, art, directors, editing... especially theme music and its related ones - all of which are among the best movies I have ever seen.

Still reminisce on this movie

[georgiaboy206 · 9/10 · 26 December 2021]

I saw this movie years ago, and I revisit it in my mind every so often. I love it. The movie is well directed with it being greater in whole than its individual parts.

Glad I found it..

[sheepnumber34 · 9/10 · 24 December 2019]

So nice to watch a different film..

So many stories in the world, everyone wants to tell them the same way..

Great story, title is irrelevant really on the grand scheme.. funny, heartwarming, clever, well acted and most enjoyable! Sweet.

Yep

[rdoyle29 · 8/10 · 24 December 2022]

In 1975, an obscure Japanese proto-punk band record the seemingly meaningless titular song with a mysterious silent part in the middle.

In the early 80's, three college buddies listen to music that's supposed to have a supernatural component. They listen to this song, and the moment of silence leads to a violent encounter that changes one of their lives.

In the early 2000's, a high school girl on a ferry meets a waiter whose father trained him to be a Champion of Justice. This comes in handy when terrorists take over the ferry.

In 2009, three men hang out in a record store listening to this song waiting for a comet to collide with the Earth and cause the destruction of the human race.

This film, based on a novel by Kôtarô Isaka whose novel "Bullet Train" was adapted this year, jumps around before these 4 storylines, eventually revealing how this obscure punk song will save mankind.

This is a pretty amazing flick.