Tokyo Godfathers (Review)
Tokyo Godfathers is About the Family that Finds You.
From Satoshi Kon, the man who brought us Paprika and Paranoia Agent and the head scriptwriter of Cowboy Bebop comes something completely different in Tokyo Grandfathers. Despite the fact that it’s a far cry from anything the men have worked on previously, it maintains a key thematic element in its focus on coincidences. The film takes a deep look at the people of Tokyo and all the strings that tie them together as the three homeless protagonists embark on an adventure when a newborn child falls into their laps.
As I mentioned the film’s protagonists are three homeless people trying to survive the harsh holiday season in Tokyo, which I think is absolutely brilliant. The trio is made up of rough father figure Gin (Tôru Emori), cross-dressing mother figure Hana (Yoshiaki Umegaki) and tomboyish Miyuki (Aya Okamoto). Despite the fact that these three seem like they’re at each other’s throats every other minute, they are the very definition of a family unit, which just brings up another element seen throughout the film. As much as the characters spend reminiscing about their pasts, the fact is that Tokyo Godfathers is more about the family you find than the family you choose. Of course, all three characters secretly yearn to be back with their families, but something keeps them from reaching back out to them, a mutual sense of shame that they all share. That being said, it’s in their self-imposed exile (an odd choice since most homeless people aren’t homeless by choice) that these three have found each other.
The most interesting thing about Tokyo Godfathers though is that despite the fact that these characters all seem overly familiar with each other, they really know nothing about each other, so much of the film is about them finally finding the courage to admit their past mistakes out loud. It’s very much a movie about the trio seeking redemption from their past sins, but these sins are only sins from each character’s own perspective, which stirs up a lot of large-scale ethical dilemmas, but that’s a conversation for another day.
Tokyo Godfathers is very much a character-driven drama. However, it’s not just about the three main characters. Threads are created throughout the film as they encounter, mob bosses, contract killers, drag queens and even the police. All these characters though seem to have connections with each other and despite getting separated from each other time and time again; fate always brings the three back together through the people they meet. It’s an age-old philosophical plot device, but Tokyo Godfathers goes about it in such a way that it seems almost effortless and more driven by destiny than the hands of a screenwriter.
Despite the fact that there is such tremendous depth to Tokyo Grandfathers, it’s really a fun movie to watch because it blends comedy and emotionality so well. The two elements come together perfectly to create beautiful pacing that actively engages the audience, no matter how many times they see it. Of course, this could also be because of the tremendous animation in the movie.
Tokyo Godfathers features some truly brilliant animation that shows a great deal of care and thought put into every single frame. Everything from the way the characters walk to the details in the background speak volumes. It’s truly a film that shows great care in really emphasizing all aspects of this beautiful story. Altogether, it’s one of the best, most well-rounded anime features I’ve had the pleasure of viewing.
