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Tokyo Godfathers

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Tokyo Godfathers

2003

Drama

Adventure

1h 32m

Christmas. Snow is turning Tokyo into a white city. Somewhere in Shinjuku, there are three energetic homeless people: Gin (an alcoholic), Hana (an ex-drag queen) and Miyuki (a runaway girl). The holy night is about to witness a memorable encounter as they discover an abandoned baby girl in a pile of garbage bags. (Sony)

Directed by:

Satoshi Kon Shôgo Furuya

+1 more

Written by:

Satoshi Kon

Starring:

Akio Ôtsuka Shôzô Îzuka

Tôru Emori Aya Okamoto Yoshiaki Umegaki Yûsaku Yara

Seizô Katô Ryûji Saikachi Hiroya Ishimaru

Rikiya Koyama Kyôko Terase

Mamiko Noto

Genres:

Drama, Adventure, Animation

Country:

Japan

Languages:

English, Spanish, Japanese

More information at IMDb

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Your probable score

Tokyo Godfathers

2003

Drama

Adventure

1h 32m

Your probable score

Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Avg Percentile 66.04% from 1496 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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Mentaculus

Rated 22 Dec 2021

Every year I watch it as a lead up to Christmas and every year I’m somehow surprised and devestated by its economy, its buoyancy, its fantasy. It just represents the very best of the human experiment. The backstories inform but do not define the future the characters have in front of them. These are people found in a kind of misery yet find the highest beauty achievable. ‘Tis the season after all: “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace”.

Rated 22 Dec 2021

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Leonardis

Rated 05 Dec 2021

Relies heavily on coincidences, but I believe that was part of Kon’s points about Christmas miracles and our perception of them. I loved the leads, especially Hana. They were all likable and I found myself really rooting for each of them after hearing their backstories, which were all told smoothly. It has the grim nature of homelessness that’s hard to think about, but it’s also quite funny and enjoyable. Empathetic, sad, hilarious, raw, wholesome and beautifully animated.

Rated 05 Dec 2021

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Alex Watkins

Rated 27 Dec 2015

The weakest Satoshi Kon film is still an incredibly enjoyable ride. Its vibrant portrayal of the seedy, shady and obscure back-alleys of Tokyo alone would make it worthwhile, but its touching portrayal of a makeshift family unit who band together despite all the difficulties life throws at them gives it the necessary emotional heft, despite its narrative contrivances.

Rated 27 Dec 2015

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bakcheia

Rated 17 Jan 2012

This movie defines heart-warming in every way possible.

Rated 17 Jan 2012

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Nearphotison

Rated 24 Feb 2009

A touching and magical holiday film. Despite the overwhelming number of coincidences that drive the plot, it still is very human and heartwarming.

Rated 24 Feb 2009

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magdabag

Rated 12 Dec 2021

This movie is absolutely ridiculous, and I enjoyed every second of it. You can tell Kon really embraced the insanity, and had a ton of fun with this. Though this film is crazy and over-the-top, It still has a lot of heart, and great character moments. You learn to love all of these characters pretty quick, especially Hana, who is probably the best part of the movie. I would highly recommend this to any Kon fan, or anyone wanting a less traditional Christmas movie. I give 9 angry cats out of 10.

Rated 12 Dec 2021

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Melvin Smif

Rated 24 Apr 2009

A heartfelt dramedy that kept me interested from start to finish. The characters are all incredible, interesting, and fun to get to know. The slight sub plot of the baby bringing luck to its saviors is sweet. (this subplot also explains the coincidences some may have trouble accepting, there are some subtle supernatural things occuring all surrounding the child.)

Rated 24 Apr 2009

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nobamba

Rated 11 Dec 2021

It's entertaining, it's about the downtrodden with unreliable narrators, and I'll give the coincidences a pass since it's a holiday movie for a season of miracles (even pointed out in the intro). Reminded me of a mix of Shoplifters (thieving family living in a city's margins) and Le père Noël est une ordure (increasingly wacky characters/settings during Christmastime). I predicted the twist, but it was still well done. Fav scene: car chase in the end was an unexpected bit of excitement.

Rated 11 Dec 2021

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Ununnilium

Rated 22 Dec 2014

I was a bit leery about the setup, but no - this movie is about whole, multifaceted people and the relationships thereof. It left me bouncy.

Rated 22 Dec 2014

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Nathan S

Rated 06 Oct 2008

A touching little Christmas film from Satoshi Kon, with a wonderfully animated Tokyo and some interesting characters, though it's not as detailed a psychological profile as Kon's other work.

Rated 06 Oct 2008

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Space Pope

Rated 02 Jul 2013

Satoshi Kon takes a disparate group of characters made up of the sort of people society tends to ignore at best and destest at worse, and looks at them with an open-hearted sympathy that brings out the deep and unflinching humanity we all share. There are no villains in this film, just damaged people who have made harmful decisions out of a very human weakness. While the plot is driven by a string of coincidences and miracles, it never fails to be touching and uplifting.

Rated 02 Jul 2013

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PeaceAnarchy

Rated 09 Sep 2015

The three lead characters are interesting enough to make the film worthwhile, but the narrative feels like a very rote heartwarming christmas story with some random wackiness thrown in every so often.

Rated 09 Sep 2015

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KramYessev

Rated 03 Nov 2014

I love Kon, but hate heartwarming movies. WHAT DO I DO

Rated 03 Nov 2014

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zae

Rated 29 Dec 2020

Original rating (2007): 55. After 2nd watch (2011): 70. After 3rd watch (2020): 82. Think my expectations were off the first times I saw this. Being a decade older and with a decade more experience of living in Japan probably helps me enjoy this more now, too.

Rated 29 Dec 2020

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TheDenizen

Rated 14 Aug 2007

A group of homeless bums in Tokyo find an abandoned infant on the street and try to take care of her. It's OK, it's got good animation and voicework (the English dub is terrible, though) but it is trying really hard to be way more inspirational than it is.

Rated 14 Aug 2007

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Nepeta

Rated 22 Mar 2013

Maybe it's the huge pile of coincidences and Christmas miracle-esque occurrences, or maybe it's that the film delves into loads of little plot-lines without really drawing enough out of some of them, but for some reason it didn't wholly come together to me. Still it is fun and heart-warming and there is definitely a human element to the film that elevates its content for me.

Rated 22 Mar 2013

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VengefulKBM

Rated 24 Jul 2015

Highly disappointing compared to Satoshi Kon's other films. Absurdly stereotypical characters, who aren't all that likable or well-rounded, traipse through a thin and kind of unpleasant story, looking for an abandoned baby's parents. That's... pretty much it. It gets okay whenever interesting side characters like the Yakuza bosses and the drag club owner get involved, but they're only ever around for a short time before they're brushed off to the side by the script and never mentioned again.

Rated 24 Jul 2015

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Anomaly

Rated 27 Dec 2017

Just a flat out fun and uplifting holiday journey with great characters who have created their own temporary family. The animation has lots of nice touches, especially when it comes to the facial expressions.

Rated 27 Dec 2017

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Shadrik

Rated 21 Jun 2010

Kon is taking it simple this time. With interesting characters and beautiful animation he creates an enjoyable, heartwarming Christmas movie.

Rated 21 Jun 2010

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darkman

Rated 02 Feb 2008

Heartwarming christmas movie, great animation. But not for kids.

Rated 02 Feb 2008

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psim

Rated 14 Feb 2022

A fun Christmas movie that is very down to Earth by Satoshi Kon's standards, but not without some surreal moments.

Rated 14 Feb 2022

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Stain

Rated 25 Jul 2008

KInd of interesting to see an anime that doesn't feature any spaceships or giant robots. These guys wanted to do some sort of engaging human story, but this movie just ain't there. There's also a plot thread that develops then comes to a dead stop, like the editor stumbled over his own feet or the writer/director was using the wrong draft of the script

Rated 25 Jul 2008

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NathanBates

Rated 16 Feb 2022

An offbeat comedy masquerading as a drama. Three homeless misfits -- that you really couldn't believe would stay together more than fifteen minutes -- find a baby at Christmas and set out to return it to its parents. Once you start to see there's an improbable coincidence every five minutes or so, it starts to radiate a warmth that you weren't expecting.

Rated 16 Feb 2022

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Ceekay19

Rated 25 Oct 2020

Aged Man: "I always wanted to die drunk in a nice, old house. I'm halfway there."

Rated 25 Oct 2020

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thereeldeal

Rated 26 Dec 2014

Tokyo Godfathers bears the very distinctive honor of avoiding the pitfall at the end of every Satoshi Kon movie. The man has always had incredible concepts to his movies, but they've always been crippled by their short running times. Tokyo Godfathers is the single exception, a complete and satisfying adventure through a gorgeous 2D Tokyo that delivers the hope and miracles a Christmas classic should, while always feeling genuine through its comedic good nature and one baby's incredible luck.

Rated 26 Dec 2014

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eatbeans

Rated 01 Nov 2022

It's well done, but left me feeling sad and lonely.

Rated 01 Nov 2022

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KeyUtkan

Rated 31 Mar 2018

Heart-warming, suprrising, subliminal messages, ethics and cultural transitions... Its overaly very fine movie. But only problem is that movie is very less detailed. Back stories are shallowish and the reasons of the actions kinda sloppy. But ı understand after all this is about miracles, friendship, family and belief. So its understandable and loveable.. But at some scenes animations were really terrible...

Rated 31 Mar 2018

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HaileyS

Rated 19 May 2018

An anime for people who don't like anime!

Rated 19 May 2018

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Seethruskin

Rated 24 Jul 2022

Routinely called Kon’s worst, but I think that’s because this is, on its face, just a straight ahead, perhaps overly sentimental, movie. Aims the warmth and love of Millennium Actress towards human beings instead of film. If anything Perfect Blue is seeming more of the outlier.

Rated 24 Jul 2022

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peyrin

Rated 10 Mar 2020

Set against an unrelenting winter, Kon's most warm film brings the magical realism of his other works into everyday human interactions.

Rated 10 Mar 2020

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Scrib

Rated 08 Jun 2022

As with all of Satoshi Kon's movies, intricately woven, beautifully written and utterly mad. The story is laced with classic Kon humour, irony and coincidence. Everything connects, all is related, nothing is by chance. Just as Hana declares Kiyoko's luck, that she's a "gift from God", the truly uncanny happenings suggest the workings and guidance of a higher power (or a damn good writer).

Rated 08 Jun 2022

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SinnerMa

Rated 26 Apr 2022

Tho I couldn't get the emotional involvement many have this is still a good watch. Tho somewhat overly "nice" (homeless and on the skids rarely ends so well) you usually can forgive as you want this mismatched threesome to succeed in their crazy and hyper-kinetic quest. Animation varies from mediocre to excellent. The final 'miracle' is very well done. IMHO you're pretty miserable if you can't get a bit of enjoyment here... and it can be laugh out loud funny - rare in Japanese cinema IMO.

Rated 26 Apr 2022

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shinySinger

Rated 12 Sep 2020

everything happens really fast???

Rated 12 Sep 2020

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chadarnook

Rated 25 Dec 2021

Beautiful, original, magical, funny, queer.

Rated 25 Dec 2021

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alwayssummer

Rated 12 Dec 2020

201210 A story of human hearts breaking and healing centered around the desire to protect, love and be protected and loved. It sends a message of hope without being saccharine. Plot twists kept me guessing. I think it can be added to the Christmas canon.

Rated 12 Dec 2020

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lethias

Rated 26 Dec 2020

Visually very pleasing film. Great soundtrack (and Japanese Jingle Bells, nice). All the characters are likeable, raw and fun. And they work so well together. It's clearly not a straight heart-warming story as it has many sad moments (if you place them on a real street), but all is well put together that towards the end you really do feel a bit of that warmth (fantastic sequences ignored). Definitely a movie to recommend for December.

Rated 26 Dec 2020

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MCProust

Rated 10 Jan 2022

I find it very strange to read reviews bemoaning the contrivances of the plot when the film takes great pains (almost too much, in fact) to frame its story as one of transcendant salvation for its characters, an explicitly divine miracle in an otherwise anomic and cruel world. And even when at his most conventional, Kon always finds a way to subvert or bypass the expected presentation, weaving from one tone to another without impinging on the unicity of the whole.

Rated 10 Jan 2022

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metis

Rated 06 Aug 2021

7??????????????????

Rated 06 Aug 2021

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Kavu

Rated 28 Dec 2021

Feelgood movie where Christmas miracles take many forms, some more realistic than others.

Rated 28 Dec 2021

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Corbad

Rated 26 Dec 2021

A surprisingly wild ride involving far more melodrama than I expected for what, at face value, looked like a heartwarming found family dramedy. Trans commentary, mob bosses, immigrant crises, near death experiences, suicide, spousal abuse, divine intervention, familial pressure - it’s all here, with a healthy dash of what I expected: oddballs in platonic love traipsing all over Tokyo with a baby.

Rated 26 Dec 2021

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favery

Rated 25 Dec 2021

Felt too unfocused. Thread after story thread, eventually not leading anywhere particularly compelling.

Rated 25 Dec 2021

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War Machine

Rated 21 Dec 2021

Didntreallypayattentionforawhile+makethemgodfathers-herdad

Rated 21 Dec 2021

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Lady Moe

Rated 18 Oct 2011

A heartbreaking and, at the same time, heartwarming story of a group of misfits who find someone who truly needs them. Japan, once again, shows that animation should not be relegated to childrens' tales.

Rated 18 Oct 2011

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aus_hab_fan

Rated 14 Aug 2007

Good movie: some funny jokes, a nice plot, great animation.

Rated 14 Aug 2007

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Natzilla

Rated 19 Aug 2007

Heartwarming and hilarious.

Rated 19 Aug 2007

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lonelypanda

Rated 15 Apr 2008

Satoshi Kon's best film.

Rated 15 Apr 2008

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ofallpieces

Rated 01 Jun 2008

Surprisingly tender and gorgeous for what it is. I loved every minute.

Rated 01 Jun 2008

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TangVampire

Rated 03 Jun 2008

Good animation and an intriguing story. :>

Rated 03 Jun 2008

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Isobelmoon

Rated 16 Feb 2009

Not the best of anime, but quite touching.

Rated 16 Feb 2009

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JooJoo

Rated 14 May 2010

More coincidences then you can shake a stick at, and when it's not pulling the heartstrings, it's pulling the face off every character. A juvenile sort of fun and everything from Satoshi Kon is ridiculously well made - so it's recommendable if only on that merit.

Rated 14 May 2010

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Bown

Rated 25 Aug 2010

A little too much slapstick, and I'm not sure the exaggerated faces anime loves suit the story too well, but it's still a heart-warming flick with some especially beautiful sequences.

Rated 25 Aug 2010

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Leland

Rated 22 Dec 2010

Worst of Satoshi Kon.

Rated 22 Dec 2010

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SlantMag

Rated 31 Jan 2011

"When hope springs eternal, so does the film's color palette." - Ed Gonzalez

Rated 31 Jan 2011

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Red_Falcon_

Rated 12 Apr 2011

This movie never really drew me into the characters or the story.

Rated 12 Apr 2011

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Moribunny

Rated 09 May 2011

Quirky, but quirky is the norm for anime, and it just doesn't cut it when a film is otherwise so drab. Even the occasional slapstick, the dash of sappy melodrama and the hackneyed ledge-hanging ending don't really bring this to life.

Rated 09 May 2011

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helenaliebe

Rated 04 Aug 2011

Satoshi Kon's masterpiece.

Rated 04 Aug 2011

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jordanraiden

Rated 11 Sep 2017

8/8

Rated 11 Sep 2017

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hotsake

Rated 29 Jun 2012

I just finished watching this movie for something like the 10th time, and you know what, I still love it as much as the first time. I still smile and laugh at the same parts. This has become a regular Christmas movie that my wife and I watch at least twice during the holiday season.

Rated 29 Jun 2012

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damil

Rated 02 Nov 2012

Although it's from the same director, this film is nowhere near as dark and trippy as Perfect Blue (1997) or Paprika (2006). It's actually a really heartwarming Christmas tale. It has some amusing moments, pretty decent animation and characters you can really care about. I wouldn't really say it's quite for kids though. I very much liked the use of coincidence and the theme of serendipity throughout the movie. I recommend this to any anime fan.

Rated 02 Nov 2012

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glm01

Rated 13 Jan 2013

84.000

Rated 13 Jan 2013

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Trooth

Rated 28 Oct 2013

This has to be the best Japanese Christmas movie I've ever seen. I usually don't see much in anime that makes me laugh, but Satoshi Kon can be really funny when he wants to. This is a pretty old-fashioned kind of comedy too, like something from 19th or early 20th-century comedic literature. The plot is heavily fueled by big coincidences, which is a pretty old-fashioned staple. I was reminded several times of Charlie Chaplin's movie The Kid, both thematically and in specific plot elements.

Rated 28 Oct 2013

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AlienIndie

Rated 28 Oct 2013

Really hearwarming, and never boring, like many heartwarming films tend to be.

Rated 28 Oct 2013

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gcat

Rated 08 Nov 2013

Beautifully animated this is a magical film were the plot revolves around miracles. As you get to know our three leads you start to love them as the flawed humans they are. You wonder how you can laugh when the film tackles various human suffering. The new translation makes it even better. The dub is good, but not amazing. There are times the dub voice acting while adequate, at times doesn't quite hit the power of what is on the screen. Watching this is a Christmas tradition.

Rated 08 Nov 2013

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Chronicler

Rated 21 Mar 2014

A great dramedy, Tokyo Godfathers is, IMHO, Satoshi Kon's best film. Kon puts in a nice dose of social commentary which is unexpected but appreciated. The three main characters are interesting and have their own motivations and reason why they ended up on the streets which ends up resolving nicely for all three in the end. If you're a fan of anime, you should definitively check this film out.

Rated 21 Mar 2014

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Andyviews

Rated 17 Aug 2014

A racist, transphobic, fat-shaming, sappy-story-driven-by-bullshit-coincidences crap pile that takes advantage of societies poorest members to make a horrible Christmas story. I loved it. 5 out of 5 will watch during Christmas time if I don't feel like watching any of the other Christmas movies. Oh wait, Die Hard is much better and is the only Christmas movie you need to see.

Rated 17 Aug 2014

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