With my top 5 lists out of the way, it’s time to get into the meat of this month. Though I no longer have any of the Love Hina OVAs to review, since there were only 3 ever made. That doesn’t mean I want to stop reviewing anime during this month! To change things up, there will always be one Christmas/Holiday anime review for December! Picking a title out for this was a little tricky, but I wanted to go in a bizarre direction, and check out an OVA by a man who sadly left the world & his oddity behind. It’s ironic that I say that, as this is his least bizarre film ever. With that out of the way, bundle up in your warmest clothes, ponder a mystery or two, and check out my review for Tokyo Godfathers. Let’s begin!
Story/Setup
Taken from the back of the DVD case:
“In modern-day Tokyo, three homeless people's lives are changed forever when they discover a baby girl at a garbage dump on Christmas Eve. As the New Year fast approaches, these three forgotten members of society band together to solve the mystery of the abandoned child and the fate of her parents. Along the way, encounters with seemingly unrelated events and people force them to confront their own haunted pasts, as they learn to face their future, together.”
On the surface, Tokyo Godfathers appears to have a stereotypical story. 3 strangers with ruined pasts come together, there’s a problem that needs solving, and in the process of solving this problem, they find themselves & get redeemed. In a way that’s what the story is, but that would actually be doing the movie a big disservice: Satoshi Kon explored the concept of coincidence throughout the entirety, and how we’re all connected. Sometimes it’s through very obvious ways, but other times it’s through more subtle ways we’re connected. We’re all drawn to one another as time rolls on, and regardless of whether or not the encounters we come across were good, we still stay bound to one another (Regardless of communication).
Animation
Satoshi Kon was a man who knew how to create some of the most vivid, imaginative, and visual striking movies & shows in the realm of anime, and Tokyo Godfathers is no exception. Ironically, there’s no weird imagery in this movie. No over the top bizarre reality, nothing to screw with your head, etc. Everything is considerably more grounded in reality, and the color palet is more realistic also. This also adds to how grounded the movie is, and shows how versatile Kon is as a director.
Voice Acting
Tokyo Godfathers marks a first here on this blog, for it’s the first anime I’ve reviewed here that doesn’t have any dubbing involved. This presents something of a situation when watching: on one hand it preserves the authenticity & cultural aspects of the movie. There are some situations where a dub really can’t capture what the original voicework does, and even if it gets things right, there’s bound to be at least a screwup or two. On the other hand, for people with brain issues like myself, it’s annoying to try & read while there’s images moving across the screen. To give the movie credit, things don’t move by too quickly, so you do have some time to read the subtitles. Still, a dub would have been great, even if it does ruin a little bit of the flavor.
Characters
This is kind of a strange movie when it comes to it’s characters, but not necessarily in a bad way. There are hordes of minor characters all over the place. From the Yakuza gangsters, to the convenience store clerk, and even the police, everybody is interconnected in some way. Not only that, but they all add something to the story. However, it’s our three main characters that get the most time in the spotlight....along with one surprise.
First up is first off is the middle-aged alcoholic of the gang, Gin. It’s obvious that he’s a bitter man, but at the same time still has a caring side to him. He’s saving money her earns to pay off a big debt (Won’t spoil why), has something of a fatherly streak (Won’t spoil also), and can be outright pessimistic. Over the course of the movie, we see the negatives of his personality & character slowly peel off overtime, and we see just how kind he actually can be. He’s still pretty gruff, but it’s more towards people he knows & cares for.
Next up is my personal favorite of the trio, the former drag queen & trans woman Hana. I love the crap out of this beautiful person: they’re sassy, they know their place in the world, and having a really fun personality. Not only that, but Hana has a very motherly attitude once the baby comes into her life. Hana is often the one to hold her & take care of her, which in turn kind of spread to everybody else in the trio. At times Hana can be a little bit obnoxious, but more often than not it shows off how humorous & loving this drag queen is.
Finally, there’s the youngest of the group, the runaway & dependent Miyuki. Miyuki is a......acquired taste. At the start of the movie, she a brat, constantly acting out, and you kind of want to smack her. However, as the film plays on, she kind of softens up on her attitude. She’s still a snot, but Miyuki’s a snot in ways that are.....appropriate? It’s kind of hard to say, but by the end, you might just like her.
Now, we come to the surprise character, and that the Latino woman Miyuki meets near the halfway point of the movie. Upon getting kidnapped from a Yakuza wedding by a maid (Who turns out to be a Latino man in disguise, and is married to the woman), she’s taken to an apartment where this woman resides. Even without subtitles (The only time there isn’t any), you can understand what she’s talking about, and the two develop something of an odd friendship. Miyuki even opens up a little more about why she’s with the homeless, and it’s heartwarming in a way.
Availability & Pricing
Tokyo Godfathers is readily available over on Amazon. Despite having been out since 2003/2004, it’s had a re-release or two over the years. Depending on which new copy from which version you’re purchasing it from, it ranges from just barely under 10 dollars, to nearly 20 dollars for the most recent release. Used copes across each version are a little different, with prices that range from just under 7 dollars, to almost the same price as a new copy of the 2018 release. Definitely plenty of options to go around!
Overall Impression & Rating
Tokyo Godfathers is just a wonderful film. Equal parts funny, serious, and sad, it just goes to show how talented Satoshi Kon was as a storyteller. While it might only be subtitled, it still manages to convey it’s story to individuals like me with ease. If you’re looking to add some anime magic to your holidays this year or in years to come, this movie can easily fit the bill!
Tokyo Godfathers gets a 9 out of 10.
And that’s that for 2018 everybody. Certainly a more chaotic year when compared to 2017, and I’m sorry that I took so long to get this review out, so here’s hoping to a better future in 2019. See all of you next year, and have a great holiday in the meantime!
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