A touching and life-affirming tale from one of Japan's finest animators.
Iconic director Satoshi Kon became famous at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries for his deep psychological dramas that plunge the viewer into the abyss of the unconscious. Mirages on the edge of reality, sleep and cinematography were central to his work.
Satoshi Kon Inspired Many Western Masters
A gifted storyteller and dreamer, Kon wove unforgettable images into his stories, rivalling giants Hayao Miyazaki and Katsuhiro Otomo in their expressiveness.
Paprika inspired Christopher Nolan to make Inception, and Perfect Blue inspired Darren Aronofsky to make Black Swan. The master, who died too early, wasted no time on trivialities, remaining a great artist with his own distinctive style to the end.
Standing out from the rest of the animator's filmography, Tokyo Godfathers seems like a classic Christmas story, a parable straight out of the pages of Charles Dickens.
What Is Tokyo Godfathers About?
Three homeless people – Gin, Hana and Miyuki – live on the streets of Tokyo. They no longer want anything from life, and it passes them by indifferently, piling one grey day on top of the next.
But one Christmas Eve, the trio finds a lost newborn girl on the street. And forgotten human feelings awaken in the fallen tramps.
They decide to find the baby's parents at all costs, not knowing that by becoming her guardian angels, they will touch the miracle of Christmas and get a chance to change their own lives.
Tokyo Godfathers Is an Atypical Work for Both Satoshi Kon and Anime as a Whole
Tokyo Godfathers deals with acute social issues: poverty, domestic violence, teenage cruelty. At the same time, it is a surprisingly kind film, full of gentle irony.
The director tried to get away from the usual anime stereotypes as much as possible, and not just in the plot.
He invited actors who had never done voice work before to play the main roles, and for the soundtrack he turned to the leader of the Moonriders group, Keiichi Suzuki, who also had no experience in anime.
The result is a film that is atypical not only for anime, but also for Kon's work: this is the only one of his films where reality is almost not blurred, and the characters serve as the driving force instead of images and plots.
Tokyo Godfathers Is a Perfect Choice for Christmas
Take all the signs of a dysfunctional family and put them on screen, and you get the characters of Tokyo Godfathers.
But that is precisely the charm of this unjustly forgotten animation by Japanese master Satoshi Kon. No matter how many mistakes you have made in life or this year, the main thing is your good intentions. Well, and finding kindred spirits.
Perfect for the festive season, Tokyo Godfathers is a perfect addition to the classic film collection. After all, it's not often that a Christmas anime hits the screen, especially one so kind and touching.