Thomas’s review published on Letterboxd:
The tragicomedy “Tokyo Godfathers” might be the most conventional and straightforward of Satoshi Kon´s feature films, but it´s still full of surprising twists and thematic as well as emotional depth. It follows three homeless social outsiders, alcoholic Gin, drag queen Hana, and teenage runaway Miyuki, who find an abandoned baby and set out to find its parents. The following journey is characterized by strange situations, wild coincidences, and hidden ties between supposed strangers and explores themes such as identity, home, family, love, chance vs fate, responsibility, regret, redemption, compassion, self-discovery, society, human connection, and finding your place in the world. The film features Kon´s trademark art style, absurd humor, insightful social commentary, interesting symbolism, and lots of warmth, tenderness, and sincere pathos. I also love the winter Tokyo setting. It´s a strange film but not nearly as surreal and bizarre as Kon´s other movies. Heart and soul of the film are the idiosyncratic, flawed, loveable, and lived-in characters. Gin, Hana, and Miyuki are all well-developed and close to my heart. I always enjoy spending my time with this gang of misfits, which isn´t surprising, since “found family” is one of my favorite story tropes. All in all, “Tokyo Godfathers” is a charming, festive, and uplifting humanist cult film.
