Tokyo Godfathers

Today I watched Tokyo Godfathers, from Kon Satoshi, the director behind Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress and Paranoia Agent. And while I’ve really enjoyed all of those works, I think this is the one I’ve found most striking and enjoyed the most.

The story is simple and down-to-earth: three homeless residents of Tokyo who are closer than they care to admit have their lives profoundly changed when they find an abandoned baby and decide to take it back to its mother.

The three characters, who don’t really fit the term ‘Godfathers’ (derived from an old Western movie the plot riffs upon called ‘Three Godfathers’, also remade by John Ford), are an acerbic drunkard with a painful past, an unconvincing and rather grotesque transsexual (as usual ‘okama’ being a very difficult word to translate, especially without sounding more hateful than is appropriate) and a teenaged girl who is pitched perfectly as flawed, prickly and yet sympathetic all through her growth during the film. It plays out like a more mature, more heartfelt version of the episode of Paranoia Agent with the misfit members of the suicide club – and that was an excellent episode.

Beautiful Madhouse artwork, especially in the backgrounds, some superb, mature pacing and quirky characters make a meandering plot extremely gripping and never does the film get dull. As usual, Kon Satoshi explores some of the darker and more disturbing areas of Japanese society not often dealt with in anime, from immigrant ghettoes and child-snatchers to horrible teenagers who get their kicks hunting down and beating up defenceless old tramps, and shines brief spotlights on things like Christmas traditions, runaways and the dangers of gambling.

Normally, coincidence in plotting annoys me, but in this comedy it was not only acceptable, but an integral part of the plot because it was exaggerated to the point it became integral. Ultimately, the darkness and maturity of the tone were only spice to the sweetness and fun of the comedy and feel-good revelatory moments, making for true richness.

Everything Kon Satoshi has done I have been extremely impressed by. Must check out Paprika too…