Tokyo Godfathers

Satoshi Kon's idea of a Christmas movie starts with three homeless people who find a baby in the trash and ends with a wacky car chase. Along the way, Toyko Godfathers involves a mob wedding, a drag bar, and various pathological lies. That it works at all is a Christmas Miracle, that Ian and Joseph celebrate.

While dashing through the snow and ducking assassination attempts, this episode unpacks Kon's quirky family drama and its sometimes troubling representations of homeless, psychologically ill, LGBTQIA+ and Latino characters. Toyko Godfathers doesn't always succeed in its 'hard look' at social issues in economically depressed Japan, but that Kon was permitted to explore such themes at all was historic when it was released.

The film's big success is Hana, Kon's first outwardly trans character. Her face alone is a triumph of animation worth the cost of admission.

Analysis: 0:00
Recap: 10:49