Tokyo Godfathers

Note: This review contains spoilers for Tokyo Godfathers

Satoshi Kon, arguably one of Japan’s greatest anime film directors, was an absolute master of his craft, taking full advantage of hand-drawn animation by seamlessly blending fantasy and reality in ways that only that medium can. However, even though he had primarily directed dramas and psychological thrillers, in the case of Paranoia Agent even tackling various societal issues, his third feature, 2003’s Tokyo Godfathers, stands out from the rest of catalogue. Not only does it downplay the blending of fantasy and reality, it’s actually his most grounded work and, taking inspiration from the 1948 film 3 Godfathers, is more sentimental and uplifting. Despite this contrast with other works, however, Satoshi Kon never lost his unique touch and made a film worthy of adding to a Christmas rotation.

On Christmas Eve, three homeless people—a middle-aged alcoholic named Gin (Jon Avner), a trans woman named Hana (Shakina Nayfack) and a teenage runaway named Miyuki (Victoria Grace)—discover an abandoned newborn (Kari Wahlgren) while searching through garbage. On the baby is a note asking to take care of her, as well as a key that leads to clues about the parents’ identity. The trio decide to search for the newborn’s parents, though in the meantime Hana has named the baby Kiyoko (based on the Japanese translation of "Silent Night" literally meaning "pure child"). During their search, however, the trio end up confronting their haunted pasts and learn how to face their future together.

Hana (Shakina Nayfack, left), Miyuki (Victoria Grace, center) and
Gin (Jon Avner, right) discover an abandoned newborn in the garbage.

Where Satoshi Kon’s other works seamlessly blend fantasy and reality, Tokyo Godfathers has no fantasy elements and instead tells a comparatively more grounded and realistic story. In contrast to the protagonists of his other work, the main trio are members of the homeless community, which doesn’t usually get that much attention in anime. Although I can’t speak on how accurately it portrays Japan’s homelessness issues, the trio do have more universal experiences, such as a scene where Gin and another homeless man who had just passed away are randomly attacked by juveniles who take joy in kicking them while they’re down. The trio also live with each other as a sort of found family and although they regularly argue over their differing opinions, especially on how to handle their search for Kiyoko’s parents, it’s clear that they genuinely care about each other’s wellbeing.

Apart from their differing personalities and backgrounds, each of the main trio have a haunting past that has brought them to their current circumstances. As they learn more about Kiyoko’s parents and go where each new lead takes them, they each end up confronting different elements of their past, both directly through physical means or indirectly through information that acts as a dark reflection of who they were. Although these elements are confronted through a feature-length string of coincidences, these coincidences help each of them develop enough to finally gain closure and overcome their pasts so they can live a brighter future together. At the same time, the coincidences seen throughout tie into the theme of Christmas miracles and a small touch of religion. Though Christmas is not usually celebrated as a religious holiday in Japan, the main trio are seen attending a sermon with others at the beginning of the film, even if they only did so with the promise of a meal. Additionally, as the trio experience coincidences that turn their luck around, they suspect that Kiyoko is under the protection of God.

One coincidence that doubles as a comedic twist on the film's themes.

Personally, I didn’t mind the string of coincidences, as they helped the trio find meaningful closure in their lives and led to a satisfying conclusion where everything works out in the end (a type of ending I always appreciate when done right). I also liked that the film simply acknowledged religion without making any hard statement, as the presence of Christianity isn’t really as important to the story as the presence of Christmas miracles. Hana’s identity is also handled very well, especially for a film from 2003, as she’s a fully fleshed-out character who just happens to be trans.

As expected from Satoshi Kon, Tokyo Godfathers has top notch animation that has aged very well, due in part to its combination of realistic environments and stylized characters. While perhaps not to the same extent as his other films, the medium is still pushed and played with in certain scenes. Similarly, the voice acting in the GKIDS dub is incredible, with great delivery that helps the audience get emotionally invested in the characters.

While perhaps more sentimental than what Satoshi Kon fans may be used to, Tokyo Godfathers is a worthy addition to his filmography. Even if you’ve never seen one of Kon’s works, however, it’s still a great Christmas film that any adult can watch over the holidays.