Christmas-themed films and episodes are a staple throughout the month of December for their heartwarming nature of providing comfort and laughter during the colder months. This time of year, studios are eager to pump out as much content as possible that's filled to the brim with holiday spirit. While this provides an abundance of cinema to warm frozen hearts, it also poses a challenge for creators fighting to stand out among such a vast subgenre. Even in anime, where there is no shortage of Christmas or winter-themed content, the prospect of creating something with enough feel-good vibes and holiday joy to encourage audiences to re-watch every year is a daunting task.
And yet, the late Satoshi Kon certainly made his mark with the 2003 film Tokyo Godfathers. Diverging from his usual tone in filmmaking, this comedy-drama is an original and thrilling take of a Christmas tale which, after all these years, still holds up and is definitely worthy of being called a Christmas classic.
The narrative follows three homeless characters: a middle-aged alcoholic named Gin, a runaway teenaged girl named Miyuki and a former drag queen and transgender woman named Hana. The three form a ragtag group and makeshift family trying to survive out on the streets. On Christmas Eve night, the three discover a newborn baby in the garbage, abandoned, but left with a miscellaneous key and a note to care for the baby.
Hana names the baby Kiyoko, and the three embark on an adventure to find the baby's parents and to demand an explanation for the abandoned child. Along the way, they find themselves wrapped up in a series of outlandish events that test the bonds of their companionship and force each character to face their pasts, reflecting on the circumstances that led them to become homeless.
While Kon is known for showcasing rather dark and twisted premises -- as in the cases of Perfect Blue and Paranoia Agent -- Tokyo Godfathers is a more straightforward film that manages to be dramatic, comedic and above all, charmingly heartwarming, all at the same time. It even steps away from more fantastical elements to be completely rooted in a modern-day Tokyo. The only remnants of an external or supernatural force reside in the peculiar incidents that Hana believes to be Christmas miracles, and which only add to the magic of a Christmas film.
However, Tokyo Godfathers is still a Satoshi Kon film and thus isn't too straightforward. Alongside the sentimentality, there are plenty of wild twists and turns to keep audiences on the edge of their seats, waiting expectantly for what will come next. The absurdity in the obstacles making up their adventure is thrilling as it is shocking. It's not an easy feat to keep surprising the audience with unpredictable events while still keeping these events believable, but Kon manages to do just that.
Within this crazy journey of eccentric characters, the film is not afraid to present the genuine struggles these characters face for being homeless, both in terms of treatment from others and how they deal with their own circumstances. Oftentimes, they are ignored and viewed separately from the city and society. For this reason, the homeless form their own community, and we see the three main characters find comfort and stability in that and each other.
There is a scene where Gin is beaten by a group of teenagers simply because they found it entertaining and presumably because no one really cares about a homeless man. Hana is at one point hospitalized because the poor nutrition and arduous lifestyle of being on the streets have weakened her immune system. This is an example of how curable and common illnesses can be fatal to the homeless due to their weaker immune systems. Finally, Miyuki receives no mercy for being a youth, and her lack of experience in the real world makes her dependent on Gin and Hana to survive.
Kon's impeccable ability to balance comedy with darker subject matter is what creates the scenes necessary to properly flesh out these characters. Gin, stubborn and with a terrible habit of lying, is also caring and protective toward his makeshift family. Hana's flair for dramatics is wildly entertaining, while her strong maternal instinct and sacrificial nature is as heartwarming as it is heartbreaking. Miyuki's bravery in the face of adversity is commendable, as she firmly believes she has more freedom in life being homeless despite the dangers continuously presented to her. Through a madly adventurous story, it is the characters that breathe so much life and heart into this film, bringing out the best -- and sometimes worst -- in each other.
Kon is internationally renowned, and for good reason. With mystifying themes and exquisite artistry in his filmmaking, Tokyo Godfathers is just one of his many successes. For its uplifting themes of found family, love and forgiveness, this film retains its impact and should definitely be part of any Christmas movie line-up.
