User Reviews

This strikes me as a movie you will either accept whole-heartedly or trash whole-heartedly. It is shamelessly sentimental and is built on a series of absurd coincidences, but the amazing thing is it all works. The coincidences could feel like a shameless plot device but instead there is just a sense of wonderful magic, as though somehow the foundling the movie is built around lives an oddly charmed existence that transforms the lives of those around it.

The movie does a wonderful job of making its characters both broad but human. This is not one of those cheesy movies that make homeless people seem ultimately wiser and nobler than the rest of us, but while they are all deeply flawed they all have a redeeming warmth.

The movie is both very funny and very touching, and is really about the miracle of love in a world of harsh realities. If you're not willing to totally suspend your disbelief and give in to the movie's blatant flouting of all concepts of reality then you'll probably hate it, but if you want a charming fable this is a great choice.

I honestly did not know what to expecting going into a viewing Tokyo Godfathers at the 2003 San Diego Asian Film Festival. It is the third film from Satoshi Kon, whose Perfect Blue was a creepy film that I liked and I am still awaiting to view Millennium Actress. Right from the start, Tokyo Godfathers was among the funniest animated features I had ever seen.

The film quickly draw comparisons to Three Men and a Baby as well as the idea of the three wise men. Three homeless folk with different, and perhaps strange, personalities find an abandoned baby on Christmas and make it their mission to find its parents. And right from the start, the three end up on these crazy adventures that is nothing short of funny.

Kon and fellow screen writer Keiko Nobumoto create a very witty film that at least provides endless laughter, even in moments that would normally be intense. At the same time, the provide a touching story of three people with nothing but the clothing on their bodies going out of their way to find the child's home.

If you get the chance, Tokyo Godfathers makes for the perfect holiday feature for everyone to watch. It is highly recommended and I hope the Academy takes serious consideration when viewing this film as it is among the eleven eligible for being nominated for next year's Best Animated Feature category.

Having suffered through the painfully pretentious and shallow, pseudo-Lynchian mess of Perfect Blue, I was understandably skeptical about watching another film by Satoshi Kon (I have not yet seen Millennium Actress, but am now quite intrigued to do so). Tokyo Godfathers (a title which at first struck me as belonging most probably to a pseudo-psychological mafia thriller) was not only a pleasant surprise; it was the best anime feature I've seen in many years, probably since Ghost in the Shell, excluding anything by Hayao Miyazaki. Like the classic Grave of the Fireflies, Tokyo Godfathers struck me as unusual in the fact that it draws much from European cinema – English, Irish, German or Italian – while most commercial anime features try to mimic American film-making. But while Grave of the Fireflies was painfully sad and bleak, Tokyo Godfathers is irresistibly charming, and manages to be funny and incredibly touching at once like few anime films – few animated films, at that – ever achieve.

Tokyo Godfathers is remarkably non-violent, as pacifistic perhaps as Miyazaki's films. You won't find any grand futuristic structures or fantastical creatures here; in fact, the animation may seem crude at first. But the characters are where the film really hits its mark. Kon triumphs, like in his excellent series Paranoia Agent, by not succumbing to the accepted prototypes and standards of how characters should look in an anime film; the lead characters in the film are all gorgeously ugly, in a way that even Miyazaki had not yet dared to do. Even the child character, Miyuki, is chubby, and not cute and beautiful in the way little girls 'should' be, by the unwritten laws of anime. Thus, Kon's characters are believable and true to life; they are three anti-heroes, outcasts from society, each running away from their pasts. Especially charming is Hana (AKA 'Uncle Bag'), the golden-hearted transvestite, who supplies much of the film's comic relief but also some of its most touching moments.

Tokyo Godfathers – despite some far-fetched but amusing plot twists and coincidences – is at its core a very simple story, a beautiful little story about family, love and friendship. Few anime films are so unpretending; and thus, few anime films manage to be so strong. Watch Tokyo Godfathers; you'll laugh, you'll cry. And believe you me, ten minutes into it you'll forget it was ever animated.

At first glance, I wasn't sure if I would like this movie. The "miracles DO happen on Christmas" cliché is very boring and I typically don't enjoy movies that employ it, but this is a very different kind of Christmas movie.

We are given three homeless characters with complex personalities and backgrounds, who are as endearing as they are repellent. They take up the task of caring for a baby they found in the trash, and trying to bring it back to its mother. We learn the secrets that made these people homeless, we learn about the workings of human shame and desperation, and we learn that "miracles DO happen on Christmas." But in the least cheesy way possible!

The plot is very slow-moving, but still, it is interesting and very carefully laid out. This would be a very compelling live-action movie, but the use of animation adds so much visual interest, particularly the expressive (and sometimes hideous!!) face of Hana, the gangly transvestite. The choice of music is unique and very fitting: the song played during a walking-around-the-city montage is reminiscent of Clockwork Orange.

Interesting and careful story, complex and realistic story, tremendous visual appeal and excellent music. I guess this movie pretty much has it all!

No spoilers - you just have to see it. Satoshi Kon continues his directorial success with Tokyo Godfathers. Like Perfect Blue and Millennium actress, TG wows the watcher immediately with the attention to detail. The scenes are exquisitely painted - when it is snowing you can almost smell it and feel the stillness. And the characters expressions convey emotions expertly by subtlety or caricature as occasion demands. Leave behind your Hollywood ideas of what a movie or worse, a cartoon should be. And then go see his previous two films as well. Satoshi Kon's films are true works of art.

Satoshi Kon's animation films are increasingly impressive with each new release. This movie is not only a technical masterpiece of the Japanese animation style, but can also rival a good independent live-action film in its storytelling. The film's plot also doubles as a social commentary about life on the fringe in Tokyo (not only the homeless but also cultural minority and the mentally disabled), from both the inside and the outside looking in. As a Westerner, I was astonished at how the homeless characters adapted to Japanese traditional practices for their survival.

The story of "Tokyo Godfathers" is much more compelling and heartwarming than Kon's previous films, "Perfect Blue" and "Milennium Actress", but the signature semi-realistic drawing style from his other films is still prominent. The discrepancies in movement between each character in the action sequences is particularly phenomenal. The backgrounds are intricate and perfectly painted. Note the art direction of the background buildings in some scenes to add even more connotation to the plot - sometimes they are more than what they seem!

Kon is the next Miyazaki, and I predict that he will continue to bring Japanese animation films to the international foreground years to come.

This is a Christmas story told from a different perspective, that is strangely familiar. The story revolves around 3 homeless people (a middle aged man name Gin, a homosexual cross-dresser name Hana, and a teenage girl named Miyuki) who discover a newborn baby in the garbage. The events follow the three as they decided what to do with the baby, trying to find the parents, dealing with their own pasts,etc (Christmas seems to be an introspective time - along with all holidays). After the first 30 minutes of the movie, everything becomes strangely predictable yet still moving and meaningful. The movie is laced with "coincidences" and tons of Christmas references. It touches on numerous subjects including family, guilt, redemption,etc. Satoshi Kon delivers another beautiful looking movie with a humanistic storyline. And in true Satoshi Kon fashion adds a touch of the bizarre to shake up the traditional story. This movie will be added to my Christmas holiday viewing list, which gets me into the XMAS spirit.

-Celluloid Rehab

Satoshi Kon's atypical holiday tale deals with our three main vagabonds and a choice deeply affecting them. Despite what level in life you find yourself, humans share similar basic emotions or feelings. For Gin, Hana, and the less than cheery Miyuki, an unexpected find makes them confront their past whether they like it or not. Memories flow bringing times of happiness, regret, pain, and questions of what could've been. There's a great character richness in this darker, grimier side of Tokyo, but Kon also manages to put in lots of random, humorous events especially by cameos from minor citizens. Plus, how could you not laugh with Hana's feminine wiles and that manly voice! There's a strong sense of karma here with "what goes around comes around". Doing nice things and you most likely will be rewarded. However, turn your back or refusing to help someone in need may come back to haunt you when you are stuck with no one to turn to. Hey, maybe it's never too late to learn a lesson, no matter how much it hurts.

Satoshi Kon's not presenting an Aesop's fable here, but like in life, sometimes doing a good deed is the best reward in itself.

Tokyo Godfathers, a 2003 Japanese anime from well known director Satoshi Kon (Paprika, Millennium Actress), is about an unlikely trio of homeless people that finds a baby abandoned on Christmas eve. Although the obvious inspiration for this story is John Ford's similarly titled 1948 Western Three Godfathers, the coincidence filled novels of Charles Dickens are an even greater influence. Like Dickens, Kon is interested in the lives of the poverty stricken. Also, Kon's film is just as full of incredulity straining coincidences and plot twists as well known Dickens novels such as Great Expectations. There are also some similarities to Dickens' Christmas Carol including numerous flashbacks and a character encountering what seems to be a future version of himself who offers him a second chance.

Satoshi Kon's film is more than just a pastiche of his influences, however, he brings his own unique sensibilities to the table. For one thing, neither Dickens nor Ford would have dreamed of focusing a story on a transvestite who desperately wants to be a mother. The animation is always well done and it manages to draw just as much focus as the frenetically outlandish plot twists and turns. These narrative elements include chance encounters with figures from each of the three godfathers' pasts, an encounter with a yakuza boss and his would be assassin who only speaks Spanish, and a visit to a gender bending night club.

Tokyo Godfathers does an excellent job of presenting its characters realistically and it even manages to be fair about some of their less savory actions. The film also comes close to working on an emotional level: there are some genuinely heart-warming moments but they are presented so quickly that their impact is lessened. Ultimately, this film has a few too many unlikely plot contrivances that go by a little too fast for it to be a great one but it works well enough often enough to make the film better than average.

What do you think when you pass a homeless person? I know things that I have thought in the past are:

They are drug addicts Veterans who have been wronged Good-for-nothing bums "Tokyo Godfathers" was co-directed by Satoshi Kon, "Millenium Actress" and "Paprika," and Shogo Furuya, Animator Director of "Millenium Actress" and "Spirited Away." It deals with three hobos who find a baby abandoned in the trash bins and the mishaps and adventures they have in trying to find the baby's mother. The three of them are as different as you can imagine. One is a man, a girl, and a transvestite. We discover their stories and dreams during the search, and how the baby brings them all luck and hope in different ways.

I think that all parents should sit down with their children and watch this movie. It will teach them that you shouldn't be so quick to label people and be judgmental about their lives. Also, that they always have a chance to turn things around. Everyone is going to make mistakes in life because as we all know, no one is perfect. The people who don't give up and try to make up for these mishaps are the ones who are the real winners. This movie represents this and makes you feel positive that you can always be reborn. As that saying goes, "You can sleep when you're dead."

Another reason that I loved the film is that it showed that if someone really loves you, he/she will always forgive you. In the end, life is about second chances and forgiveness. You will not hold grudges for the rest of your life when you love because as another of my favorite saying goes, "Love is never having to say you're sorry."

The movie showed great life lessons in a way that children and adults alike could enjoy. My children and I laughed throughout the movie and never wondered when it would be over. It's definitely a movie that I would add to my collection of treasured films.

In continuing my trip into the late Satoshi Kon's all-too-small body of work (four feature films as director and one television series that is MUCH too hard to track down), I now come across this film, 2003's Tokyo Godfathers, which I unfortunately missed when it was first released and was actually the first time I had heard of the director.

I was happy to finally come across a copy and pop it in... only to find that it was not at all what I was expecting from the director of such mind-benders as Perfect Blue and Paprika. This is both good and not-so-good. It's certainly not a bad film, nor one that is distasteful. It's a sentimental piece of pap that has the ambition to the Japanese anime answer to It's a Wonderful Life: a Christmas story that is not necessarily all about Christmas that has supernatural (or "miracle") overtones, and goes sometimes into dark places.

The short of it: three homeless people, one a bearded guy with a family that he left behind, a transvestite who insists on being called a woman's name and is so flamboyant as to make Harvey Fierstein jealous, and a young runaway girl whose father is a cop. They come across a baby abandoned in a dump where they dwell at night, and decide to take it to the police... well, not unanimously anyway, the transvestite wants to hold on to it and mother it. But they come across some hijinks and problems along the way, including the woman who comes back to find the baby again.

I could go on about the plot, but it should only be the short of it not so that I'll reveal anything so surprising, but there is TOO much to try and reveal in a plot synopsis. Like many anime films and series I can think of (on the action-side Dragonball Z and on the more adult side Princess Mononoke), the story can get complicated, if not impossible to follow. In this case though it's a holiday family film (yes, family film, despite its dark corridors its meant for ma and pa and the kids sitting around the fire), and in the last fifteen minutes or so complications, coincidences and/or contrivances get piled on, leading up to a big chase scene up a building.

This would all be fine if the film itself didn't become so sentimental. It's hard to take that in Hollywood movies, but with Kon, and he has the best intentions believe me, it becomes a tale so squishy that you can feel it slipping from your fingers. It is pap, but not the kind of enjoyable pap that the original John Ford entertainer 3 Godfathers was back in 1948 (same premise, three men and a baby, but with the Duke in one of his best performances, but I digress it's good). Here the characters end up being more of service to Kon's 'Wonderful Life' tale, yet this does come after some time developing them. We get back-story, and later some contradiction to the back-story, and some visual aids such as a flashback to the transvestite's story as a singer who got in to a big fight with a heckler.

Sure, the film has beautiful animation. Kon is one of the forerunners of Miyazaki as one of the greats in his time of modern anime in Japan, changing the game and surprising at many turns. At the least Tokyo Godfathers is pretty to look at, a kind of urban fairy tale with lots of snow and harder-edged buildings and grit, with some blasts of big humor and some deserved heart. If only the story didn't sink into its sappy moments so much - though for some this will be just the thing that will take them in, and I can't blame them. Perhaps it's the Grinch in me.

I was able to see "Tôkyô Godfathers" at its premiere in New York. Sadly, the film was not added to the IMDb until months later, so I've had to sit on my comments for some time.

I'm a big fan of director Satoshi Kon. Both of his previous films feature stories and issues not normally seen in animated films. "Godfathers" continues this happy trend and goes even further by covering subjects not normally associated with Japan, period. Homelessness, immigrants, and homosexuality all play key elements in this tale.

Perhaps the biggest difference here is the comedy, something Kon's previous films did not approach. "Perfect Blue" was a dark thriller and "Sennen Joyû" was more of a tearjerker. "Godfathers" is played for laughs, which for me weakened the movie a little bit. Some of the more outrageous moments made the other theatergoers crack up, but I felt it was a little too silly at times.

While I would describe "Tôkyô Godfathers" as the weakest of Kon's three films to date, that's hardly a knock since his first two are among my favorites. "Godfathers" was just missing something, but I still openly recommend it to anyone, regardless of your disposition towards anime.

Homeless , violence of activists and murder committed by illegal immigrant of dark skin (Brazilian ? ) ......

Director Satoshi Kon has concocted a little wonder of an animated film, a character based ensemble action comedy about thwarted families, homelessness in Tokyo and strange twists of fate. A loose knit trio of homeless companions (an alcoholic ex-bike rider, a teenage fugitive runaway and a castoff drag queen) find a baby on top of a trash heap at Christmas, and find themselves caring for the child while hunting down her parents. Warm, funny and as action-packed as many an anime (with hilarious action set pieces), this one's a charmer. Sure, it's always possible to do these kind of things in live action (more or less) but thank God we have a filmmaker of Kon's vision applying his ample animation skills to stories like this. It ain't all cardfighters, bounty hunters and grim vampire killers. Sometimes, it's people, too. (not that there are anything wrong with cardfighters, bounty hunters and grim vampire killers... well, o.k., maybe cardfighters)

"Tokyo Godfathers" is a kind story about three homeless people - an alcoholic Jin, a transgender Hana and a runaway homeless girl Miyuki, who found a newborn child in the garbage. The movie doesn't withhold from showing all the unpleasantness of homeless life - a lot of broken characters, violence, madness, drugs, alcoholism and other nasty stuff. Yes, and the main characters are far from the usual heroes, knights and princesses - "the lowest of society", "garbage", "outcasts", as they say about themselves. All of them ended up on the street because of various, not very good, deeds, and all of them have their shortcomings. That's what makes them interesting.

But, as strange as it sounds, "Tokyo Godfathers" really feels like fairy tale. It's unusual and very touching. There is no clear confrontation between good and evil, and no downright negative evil characters. The main characters - these strange, unpleasant, rude and dirty people become more understanding and empathetic, eventually learning the true value of a family.

This is an excellent example of an anime, which can be recommended to everyone, even if they aren't huge fans of Japanese animation.

I've had to work on Christmas day four times in five years. So you can imagine that while I'm totally and advocate for merriment and good will towards man, I do have a bit of a humbug up my butt when it comes to the season. Your memories of Christmas might entail opening presents by the tree, mine has to deal with you and your family in the afternoon, trying to find the best combination of food items that will keep your kids happy and your wallet full (can't happen by the way). Then as you leave, I have to clean up the mess. Yet "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is still a beautiful song and there are plenty of movies that warm the cockles of my heart when the holidays come around.

I can go through the gambit of classic holiday films, each of which conjures memories. One of the few traditions my family had was watching A Christmas Story (1983) on Christmas Day. While many appreciate or rather celebrate holiday snark with neo-classics like Bad Santa (2003), National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) is still a staple of holiday cynicism for yours truly. And of course for unbridled Christmas spirit you can't go wrong with the occasionally corny Love Actually (2003) or the genuine Joyeux Noel (2005).

I didn't think it would be possible to surprise when it came to Christmas films but I recently sat down to watch Tokyo Godfathers (2003) and had my inner pessimist silenced for a an hour an a half. The movie sets up our three protagonists: Gin, a cynical hard drinking loner, Hana, an interminably happy transvestite and Miyuki, a teenage runaway. All three live on the streets of Tokyo and scrounge up a living collecting bottles and making the rounds to the soup kitchens. On Christmas Eve while rummaging they find a baby in a garbage heap. Gin wants to go straight to the police while Hana wants to keep it. The three ultimately decide to find the parents and go on an adventure across the city involving crime syndicates, burlesque clubs and fateful coincidences.

Throughout the night, we as the audience slowly discover the reasons for the trio's current state. They are lost souls redeemed by their mission and each must come face to face with their myriad of issues. We sympathize with their loneliness and revel in their joy when the mismatched heroes become a makeshift family. All while of course enjoying the arguments, the fights and the jests. It is after all an animated movie.

The hand-drawn animation of Tokyo Godfathers is incredibly well detailed. The visage of a bustling city with so many moving parts is something to admire in a live action movie. In an animated movie, the detail is a downright miracle that likely took years, or an army of animators to make. The fact that principle story takes place in Tokyo's neon evenings creates a contemporary setting that is almost never seen in the works of Hayao Miyazaki who creates his own, new worlds instead of expanding the old. The effect is elating.

In fact, outside of Hayao Miyazaki, I'm not too familiar with anime as a subgenre of animation. I am appreciative of their contributions to animation and storytelling in general and I applaud any cartoons that introduce adult themes. Still, the cultural differences are a bit to overcome when you consider Americans have a slightly different definition of spirits and a skewed impression of what's funny. Still there are very few anime movies or shows that I have seen and don't at least place value in.

Tokyo Godfathers is in my opinion, a valuable cultural masterpiece. Despite adult subject matter, it is a luminous film for family audiences that has more to say about the good of human nature than say A Christmas Story, Bad Santa or even It's a Wonderful Life (1946). Unlike those films, which drown you in nostalgia or confounds with snark, Tokyo Godfather brings you into a bleak world to show you how much light there is if you only look.

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Take Three Fathers, demote them to homeless people, multiply by 100, make it anime and you get the wonderful Tokyo Godfathers. At first I thought the animation was not great, the story was about Christmas, homeless people, drags, what could I like about it? Everything!

If this would have been a Hollywood movie it still would have been great. It actually doesn't feel Japanese at all. It's an action comedy that lets you feeling good about yourself, not depressed :)

Looking back at the movie, now that I've seen it, the almost caricaturesque animation completes the very well thought script, the good music and the basic plot.

It is definitely worth the watch. I highly recommend it.

For me, Satoshi Kon's best film is Paprika. That said, all of his films are ones to be highly recommended, they Paprika especially can have a tendency to be challenging, which can delight or alienate viewers, but they are gorgeously animated, compelling and I think very unique. Tokyo Godfathers is not quite as good as Paprika but it is a truly beautiful film and of Kon's work I'd go as far to say that it also is his most accessible. The animation is beautiful and detailed if in a different way to the more surrealistic styles of Perfect Blue and Paprika, here very intricate with very expressive character design, and very fitting with the film's tone. The music is memorable and beautifully composed, complimenting the story perfectly. The dialogue is thoughtful with some humorous touches, matching the nature of the story that is full of charm and pathos- bringing some optimism and hope into a cold world and society- without ever feeling mawkish or dull. The story is slow-folding but in a deliberate sense. The characters are full of emotions and we identify with them no matter the flaws, in short they are very true to life, none of the idealistic stereotypes I've seen all too often. Hanna is the one that stood out to me the most. The voice acting is as dynamic as you'd expect, more so in the Japanese dub rather than the English. All in all, beautiful and highly recommended. 9/10 Bethany Cox

This different from the other anime I know so far.

This takes place in Modern day Tokyo. The story is about 3 homeless people. One is a girl who ran away from home. The other is Gin, a drunk gambler who once had a family. And the other is Hana(Uncle Bag), a Transsexual.

These 3 UN predictable heroes find an abandon baby at the dump.

Hana finds this a great moment to have (Her) own child but the other 2 know that no one can be that heartless in abandoning a child.

So they must go on a quest in tracking down the baby's parents.

Only it won't be easy as Tokyo is one big city and there's danger where ever you look. Specially when it's Christmas time and every one else is at home enjoying their Christmas while our trio is risking their lives for one baby.

The movie isn't dubbed like other anime. Just Japanese and subtitles. Which is fine since that way people wouldn't argue about the differences between Dub and sub.

The humor in it is mild, there's violence, plenty of adult theme, and a couple of visible view of the female breast. So as you might already can tell it's an anime for mature audiences. So try to keep this away from 13 and under.

But I highly recommend it to die hard Anime and Japan fans. The story is different from what you'll experience and it does end with a somewhat happy ending in a way. Rent it and see it for yourself.

An unlikely triumvirate of homeless folks discover an abandoned baby whilst scavenging through the rubbish of their downtown Tokyo district. What to do? Well this trio - a drag queen who has seen better days, one who has a bit of a penchant for the gin and the young runaway girl "Miyuki" set out to try and repatriate this Christmas baby - come what may! They don't have much to go on, but determine to painstakingly follow what little clues they have in the hope that they can identify the mother of this pitiful bundle. Along the way, we find ourselves in a semi-comical environment as the three make progress - almost despite themselves. Confused, yes? Muddled? Yes, that too - but the sum of the three individuals proves to be worth far more than the value of each part. They function as a team because they shouldn't - and that is where much of the humour and the potency of the drama comes from. The animation is stylish and the hues and shades are particularly effective at illustrating their environment and at complimenting the humorous elements of their detective work. For some, 2022 attitudes may show up some of the character cracks that would have been groundbreaking at the start of this new millennium, but given it was made when it was - it tackles quite a few issues with a candour - and vivacity - that all works well to create an entertaining, charming and at times just a little thought-provoking animation.

This is a beautifully drawn Japanese anime. On Christmas Eve, three homeless vagrants finds a baby. Then a night of adventure begins. There are Japanese mobsters, lots of family drama, lot of interconnected coincidences.

If there was one big problem for me, there are way too many coincidental run-ins that it gets too mind-numbing after awhile. As for the characters, we have three distinct and well drawn characters. They are all damaged in their own way, and we see how their friendships help save each other. This one is a definite recommend not just for the beautiful animation.

This is an undeniably entertaining Japanimation. Three homeless protagonists, a man, a male transvestite, and a teenager girl, are lovable both as individuals and as a team. The story progresses unpredictably with an energetic fast tempo (though it relies on coincidences too much and several mysteries are unresolved; for example, what happened to the Latin American guy who shoots the groom at the wedding?). The film consists of a lot of good ingredients, such as innocent laughter and family dramas.

After the film is over, however, no feeling is left, amazingly. The reason may be that the content does not root on Japanese culture-- either traditional, contemporary, or youth. The end title, on which rock band Moonriders sings nonsense on the melody of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, may confirm the emptiness in the audience mind.