Tokyo Godfathers, Satoshi Kon

Tokyo Godfathers is a 2003 anime comedy-drama film directed by Japanese director Satoshi Kon. One Christmas Eve in present-day Tokyo, three homeless people, Gin, a middle-aged alcoholic, Hana, a former drag queen, and Miyuki, a runaway girl, discover an abandoned newborn while looking through garbage. Deposited with the unnamed baby is a note asking the finder to take good care of her and a bag containing clues to the parent’s identity. The trio sets out to find the baby’s parents. The baby is named Kiyoko, literally meaning “pure child” as she is found on Christmas Eve.

Tokyo Godfathers was the third animated movie directed by Kon and the second which he both wrote and directed. Keiko Nobumoto, noted for being the creator of the Wolf’s Rain series and a head scriptwriter for Cowboy Bebop, co-wrote the script with Kon. Tokyo Godfathers received an Excellence Prize at the 2003 Japan Media Arts Festival.

A real heart warming story, full of great characterization. An real alternative Christmas story full of humanity. All the inner demons come out with this seemingly dysfunctional “family”. Despite all the tantrums and egos there’s a real bond between the characters, focus through the child, that is touching. It gives us the sense that humanity can found even in the harshest backgrouds. It gives us a sense of hope, echoed in Beethoven’s Ode To Joy.