Tokyo Godfathers

One Christmas Eve, Hana, Gin, and Miyuki are rummaging for presents through heaps of garbage when they chance upon an abandoned baby in the cold winter night. Appalled at the pitiful sight, Hana's maternal instincts kick in and she insists on finding the baby's biological mother to demand an explanation. Naming the baby Kiyoko—meaning pure child—they begin their search using the possible clues left alongside her: a mysterious key and a single note. However, their plans are soon thrown into disarray as they get caught up in a series of unprecedented events.

Tokyo Godfathers follows the journey of the trio as they stick together through thick and thin, hoping to deliver Kiyoko to her true home, and find their very own Christmas miracle.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Hana Main

Umegaki, Yoshiaki Japanese

Miyuki Main

Okamoto, Aya Japanese

Gin Main

Emori, Toru Japanese

Old Man Supporting

Saikachi, Ryuuji Japanese

Taxi Driver Supporting

Yamadera, Kouichi Japanese

Cat Lady Supporting

Shibata, Rie Japanese

Kiyoko Supporting

Koorogi, Satomi Japanese

Kiyoko Supporting

Noto, Mamiko Japanese

Yasuo Supporting

Ishimaru, Hiroya Japanese

Okasan Supporting

Katou, Seizou Japanese

Kon, Satoshi Director, Script, Original Creator, Character Design

Mima, Masafumi Sound Director

Nobumoto, Keiko Script

Suzuki, Keiichi Theme Song Performance, Music

Reviews

Dec 24, 2023

yanoharuhito

Recommended

Tokyo Godfathers has become one of my favorite movies of all time, and my very favorite Christmas film.

As someone who was introduced to Satoshi Kon through Perfect Blue and therein figured his forte was horror, I was blown away by his work on this film. The comedy, sentiment, and action are all perfectly balanced and do not at all feel out of place. The dynamic characters feel very much like real people you could meet, while still being incredibly entertaining to watch (which is heavily due to the incredible animation!)

I think my very favorite thing about it was the exploration of family dynamics, and how ... one can find family in unexpected places. The main trio, by the end of the movie, have come to appreciate and love one another like kin, which I found to be incredibly heartwarming. Without spoiling, I can say that nearly everything in this movie is bound by/representative of some form of familial love. There is much to be said about this movie that I cannot contain within one review, so I can only urge you to watch and rewatch this film at least once. I think anyone can find something of value in it.

Happy holidays!

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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Dec 23, 2023

Alc-Mai_Sunny

Recommended

I'm honestly pleasantly surprised by this movie. The animation is consistently well made, the characters are all well rounded and is overall touching and magical. Everything is connected and has moments of deep self reflection for each of the characters. Its a great Christmas-y anime that gives a humorous experience despite the struggles the main cast deal with throughout the show. I love the way this movie portrays homelessness. It feels realistic, you struggle with the cast as they journey. Each of the characters truly do feel alive and human with the way they interact with eachother and their surroundings, as well of each of ... their wishes and dreams. Overall its a beautiful anime that pays tribute to the Christmas spirit while also combating the difficulties of being homeless.
(About the ending, vague, no explicit spoilers) I honestly wish there was more, which is the only reason why I rate it a 9/10. I love each of the characters, and I wish we could see them recovering their lives and finding home for themselves. Although it is mostly implied, I still want to see more! I love this movie, and I intend to rewatch it every Christmas as tradition.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Dec 25, 2023

Ciaran_Zagami

Mixed Feelings

I really wanna rate this film higher but to put it simply it starts overplaying its hand.

Feels like it really should not have been as long as it is and at some point the script just starts running out of material. Which is weird cause there's at least two whole plot lines that just get completely dropped by the end. Meanwhile for smaller scenes too many set ups are reused which leads to an overall feeling of exhaustion that brings down the end of the film significantly.

If I was rating just the first half or so I'd say it's a 9/10. But with how ... much it drags on it looses a lot of its energy.

Still a good film that I'd give a solid recommendation to if you don't mind a little Christmas shlock.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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	Poll: Tokyo Godfathers Episode 1 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 ) datsunvic - Nov 23, 2008	159 replies	by red_warszawa »» Nov 7, 10:41 AM
	Quick Question about the Story WAXCHUG - Jan 5, 2012	2 replies	by mangalicker94 »» Jul 18, 10:57 AM
	Tokyo Godfathers Discussion ( 1 2 ) Chelle - Jan 4, 2007	51 replies	by mangalicker94 »» Jul 18, 10:51 AM
	Coincidence, or something more? Fear_the_Reefer - Dec 19, 2014	2 replies	by ShadowUnown »» Jun 26, 1:53 PM
	whats the difference between the remastered and the original? LilBoOfficial - Sep 3, 2021	6 replies	by peterross »» Oct 12, 2023 8:47 PM

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