Tokyo Godfathers Movie Discussion

Off-Topic
#1

This is a discussion page for Tokyo Godfathers, which we recently watched at the latest Kaza Movie Night.

I don’t think I got a chance to hear everyone’s opinions of it for the Saturday showing since we immediately went over to Pepe’s New Year sing-a-thon, so let’s get some discussion going now!

You may discuss anything that happened in the movie without using spoiler tags but remember to tag references to all outside works with an appropriate [spoiler].

What would you rate this movie?

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0 voters

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#2

I will start it with only a few words… This move was exceptionally great!

It was forceful as hell and full of coincidences building up. And I think that it made this show interesting to watch.
I basically couldn’t avert my eyes from the screen. Events were rapidly unfoldign before my eyes and pace was getting faster and faster with every minute.
It had some serious themes, actually quite a lot of them implemented in the story, still it had an amasing sarcastically ironic humour.
I should mention seiyuu’s work… it was amazing! Characters felt alive. Drunk rants, screams, conversations… all of it was full of life.

This is one of those shows that so ridiculous and forced that they are just simply masterpieces.
I’ve loved it and this is probably one of the best anime movies I’ve ever seen.
Would watch again. 11/10.

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#3

This was my second time watching Tokyo Godfathers. It was still amazing to watch the characters and each of their own situation that carried them through the rough times they had together. You could see how the story transitions so well with each scene being as realistic when things are getting hectic and crazy at times. One of my most enjoyable films I’ve seen for quite a long time.

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#4

If I had to describe the movie in one word it would be “enjoyable.” Its just a fun ride from start to finish.

The art feels a bit dated since the movie came out in 2003, but it holds up really well and the animation is some of the best I’ve ever seen. This movie does a perfect job at having its characters slide between looking serious/realistic and goofy/accentuated seamlessly.

All of the sound direction is awesome too. The voice acting was great, yes, but I also noticed how perfectly the music fit with the scene. Re-watch the chase seen near the end, the music doesn’t really pop out at you, but it complements the scene so well. I can’t imagine listening to this soundtrack for fun because all of the tracks seem to be designed with one specific scene in mind.

But my favorite part of the movie was the humor. There were a lot of times when the entire voice chat just broke down laughing, and with good reason. The jokes are well timed and quick. They don’t waste large amounts of time setting up jokes, and once a joke is over they move right on to the next thing.

I can see some people having complaints with how convenient some parts are, but that was the point. There’s a scene at the beginning of the movie were Hana is walking with Kiyoko and stops to talk to Gin and Miuuki, then a second later a scooter crashes right where Hana would have been. This is an early point where the movie is telling you “this is going to be convenient”. And it does work because the movie is trying to have a “Christmas Miracle” vibe.

5/5

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#5

That was fucking amazing! Satoshi Kon was the boss of visual story telling in anime. I am definitely watching Paprika and Perfect Blue as soon as I can. Anyone who says this story is convenient is thinking inside a box which this film is clearly far outside. To explain my thinking, I’d like to bring up the distinction between plot and narrative: plot is the story being told while narrative is how it’s being told. The reason some stories are called convenient is because there’s either not enough foreshadowing or suspension of disbelief. This is where that distinction is important; the plot of Tokyo Godfathers may lack foreshadowing, but the narrative weighs up for it more than enough. When we were watching, Pepe called out a woman in the background about to commit suicide. As you know, this turns out to be the woman the protagonists have been searching for up to that point. There’s no reason for why they should randomly pass each other by in the streets, so this plot point isn’t foreshadowed at all. However, the film makes us aware of the woman a full 10 seconds before the characters save her. It was clear to me early on that everything shown or told is relevant, so those 10 seconds we’re given already firmly plants this woman in our minds as an important character, and the entire film is like this. If you don’t believe me, let’s imagine if the film was shot like trash.

  • Start at some medium shot of Hana holding the baby.
  • Use some audio cue to cut to a wider shot with both Hana and the woman.
  • The woman starts talking about how it’s her baby etc.

Now the woman comes literally out of nowhere to both the characters and audience: this is convenient story telling. In film, and especially cell animation, it’s not a question of if something will be important but how and when. The director put this thing in the frame, so obviously it’s there for a reason. Therefore, simply having an object in the frame instills the idea in us that it can and will do something; it’s foreshadowing without a single word of exposition.

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#6

It really was a fun movie. I’m actually not an expert in the technical aspects so I can’t really go into detail, just this overall notion that I liked the movie.[quote=“Arete, post:4, topic:3614”]
I can see some people having complaints with how convenient some parts are, but that was the point.
[/quote]
I wanna underline that. It was evident from the beginning that this movie is going to embrace lucky coincidences. And most would be accepting of those coincidences. I mean, let’s be real: If three homeless people would find an abandoned child, how likely would it be that the three actually find the mother on their own? And yet, we as viewers obviously want to see them succeed, so we’re most likely going to accept those coincidences.

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#7

I thought it was a pretty good movie. It’s definitely a feelgood movie in a bit of a weird way - the characters are downtrodden as hell and they’ve all got issues but it still manages a sort of vibe you’d expect a Christmas movie to have. Given the context and general tone of the movie the extreme prevalence of coincidence was obviously intentional and I think contributed to the feelgood tone, so I’m largely ok with it.

I’m definitely second’ing that the humor was the best part of the movie. The incredibly frank way the main trio addressed each other was highly entertaining and endearing, and of course caused a lot of hilarious moments too. The characters just disparaged each other in such a real way but you could always see how tight knit they were.

I’m giving it a 4/5. I didn’t necessarily think it was an absolutely amazing movie, but definitely highly entertaining and worth a watch.

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#8

This movie is weird, weird in the most fun way possible. What I do like about it is despite how wacky the whole thing is, it feels rather… grounded in reality. Poverty makes a genuine weight of the story, and so are the main characters, the homeless people’s inner turmoils, and they go on without being reduced to pointless melodrama. It’s great.

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#9

This movie was a joy all throughout. Heck, I can’t even remember the last time I genuinely enjoyed watching something as much as I enjoyed this movie. It’s crazy! Shit happens in whatever way possible! Foreign assasin attacking a yakuza? Check. Suddenly finding your daughter in a hospital? Check. A gust of wind carrying you safely to the ground? Check!

And that’s exactly what makes it just so entertaining. Everyone agrees that this show was convenience after convenience, but I have to say that the movie simply just wouldn’t have worked out as well without those conveniences. @HeliosAlpha probably explains why those conveniences worked out so well in a much better way than I could have, and I agree wholeheartedly. And with this movie, sometimes you just had to kick back, relax, and let the grand narrative take you on the wildest ride of your life.

…except that’s something I’m incapable of doing. Because while watching the movie I was focused on one subtle, yet important part, which I just found very interesting. Practically everything that happens pushes Miyuki, our little runaway girl, on a path towards personal growth. I think, more than the other characters at least, Miyuki being homeless was a personal choice. The movie shows us that she was wrong, and despite her estranged relationship with her own father, her reason for stabbing him was no more than angst building up (because her dad never actually did get rid of Angel… maybe).

And I feel that, as the movie goes by, she slowly starts to realize it. Having to take care of Kiyoko makes her realize the importance of parenthood in bringing up a child. Seeing Gin’s relationship with his own daughter makes her realize that a parent/child relationship isn’t as shallow as she thought. Seeing Hana’s own struggles makes her realize the importance of her own life. And by the end, I think everyone agrees that she’s ready to make amends with her father… Which is why I love how they just cut the movie as she sees him; because we already know where it’s going, and that’s good :yukismil:

I’m sure there are many more themes and character growths all throughout the story, but I think that’s the one that stuck to me the most while watching it.

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#10

I think the themes are really easy to pinpoint because they’re right there in the title.
Tokyo: Life and society
God: Religious and angelic imagery is very prevalent along with all the miracles.
Fathers: Parenthood and family relations.

It’s not just Miyuki but all three of the main characters who are given a chance at redemption at the end. As you said, Miyuki was always able to go home; she just needed to find the resolve. Hana thought she’d lost her place at the club, but the hostess welcomed her with open arms. Gin talked things over with his daughter. The only issue remaining is their economic standings: enter a huge lottery win. Everything wrapped up nicely with a fancy bow.

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