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Tokyo Godfathers

Play trailer 1:00 Poster for Tokyo Godfathers PG-13 Now Playing 1h 30m Comedy Drama Anime Play Trailer Watchlist
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92% Tomatometer 77 Reviews 91% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Middle-aged alcoholic Gin (Toru Emori), teenage runaway Miyuki (Aya Okamoto) and former drag queen Hana (Yoshiaki Umegaki) are a trio of homeless people surviving as a makeshift family on the streets of Tokyo. While rummaging in the trash for food on Christmas Eve, they stumble upon an abandoned newborn baby in a trash bin. With only a handful of clues to the baby's identity, the three misfits search the streets of Tokyo for help in returning the baby to its parents.
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Tokyo Godfathers

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Critics Consensus

Beautiful and substantive, Tokyo Godfathers adds a moving -- and somewhat unconventional -- entry to the animated Christmas canon.

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Critics Reviews

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Nick Schager The Daily Beast 02/02/2021
A modern animé classic fit for rediscovery by both adults and kids-not to mention a stirring celebration of inclusivity that remains ahead of its time. Go to Full Review
Chris Stuckmann ChrisStuckmann.com 12/28/2020
A
Tokyo Godfathers stands as an excellent anime film and a really fun Christmas movie. Go to Full Review
Joe Morgenstern Wall Street Journal 12/09/2013
In one sense the plot involves returning stolen goods to a thief, but Tokyo Godfathers is really about longing -- for family, for children, for parents and for the lost past. Go to Full Review
Rose Ho The Asian Cut Jul 31
3.5/5
There is a sense of dark tongue-in-cheek throughout the movie that helps ease this sense of increasing incredulity along. Go to Full Review
Chance Solem-Pfeifer Willamette Week Jan 22
Poignancy gives way to self-conscious sitcom shtick, which morphs into violent tension. It’s a balance so deft the movie elides subgenre altogether and just picks “a holiday classic to those who know.” Go to Full Review
Tim Brayton Alternate Ending 12/28/2022
4/5
Grotty, unpolished, but lovable humanity. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Jonathan J. @jonjondotcom1312 9h A treasure of a Christmas movie. See more @KtanBrik 5d Definetely not for children's brain. Awesome story, the miracle everyone needs. See more no o Sep 26 fantastic and amazing art See more Noe G May 17 Tokyo godfathers is an amazing Satoshi kon movie it has a great story. Amazing animation, and amazing characters. And yes, it’s a perfect Christmas movie. And my rating is a 10/10 See more Olivia T Feb 20 I will be needing a few weeks to recover from this movie. What a beautiful, beautiful Christmas story. We follow three homeless people through Tokyo on Christmas Eve, and we watch as they stumble upon a baby in a pile of trash. They soon become determined to get the baby back to it's parents, and are led on a wild goose chase. Throughout the movie, we get a glimpse of each character's tumultuous background, and we watch as loose ends are resolved. I will definitely be watching this every Christmas Eve. See more Insomniac X Feb 9 Quirky, sometimes harsh character drama about three friends trying to care for an abandoned infant while living on the street. Crisp animation and richly painted backdrops draw the audience in, while comic elements and a hopeful message help to soften the story's pervasive tragedy. The trio's efforts seem buoyed by divine intervention, as their newfound purpose leads them on a journey of reconciliation full of mysterious coincidences. Slow and steady pacing leads to a breathtaking finale. See more Read all reviews
Tokyo Godfathers

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Movie Info

Synopsis Middle-aged alcoholic Gin (Toru Emori), teenage runaway Miyuki (Aya Okamoto) and former drag queen Hana (Yoshiaki Umegaki) are a trio of homeless people surviving as a makeshift family on the streets of Tokyo. While rummaging in the trash for food on Christmas Eve, they stumble upon an abandoned newborn baby in a trash bin. With only a handful of clues to the baby's identity, the three misfits search the streets of Tokyo for help in returning the baby to its parents.
Director
Satoshi Kon
Producer
Masao Maruyama
Distributor
Sony Pictures Entertainment, Columbia Tristar, Samuel Goldwyn Company
Production Co
Mad House Company Ltd.
Rating
PG-13 (Thematic Elements|Some Sexual Material|Language|Violent Images)
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Anime
Original Language
Japanese
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 30, 2003, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 2, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$129.0K
Runtime
1h 30m
Sound Mix
Surround
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