Tokyo Godfathers

Play trailer

1:00

Tokyo Godfathers

PG-13

Released Aug 30, 2003

1h 30m

Comedy

Drama

Anime

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

78 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.

Critics Consensus

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

Read Critics Reviews

Nick Schager

The Daily Beast

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.

Feb 2, 2021

Full Review

Chris Stuckmann

ChrisStuckmann.com

Tokyo Godfathers stands as an excellent anime film and a really fun Christmas movie.

Rated: A

Dec 28, 2020

Full Review

Joe Morgenstern

Wall Street Journal

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.

Dec 9, 2013

Full Review

Rose Ho

The Asian Cut

There is a sense of dark tongue-in-cheek throughout the movie that helps ease this sense of increasing incredulity along.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jul 31, 2025

Full Review

Chance Solem-Pfeifer

Willamette Week

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.”

Jan 22, 2025

Full Review

Tim Brayton

Alternate Ending

Grotty, unpolished, but lovable humanity.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 28, 2022

Full Review

Read all reviews

Noe G

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

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/17/25

Full Review

Olivia T

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.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/20/25

Full Review

Insomniac X

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.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/09/25

Full Review

Sarah G

A wild ride from start to finish. Intense, funny, heartwarming, and bizarre. There were a few plot elements that could use a little more explanation (I'm looking at you, Miyuki's plot), but overall it was enthralling.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/25/25

Full Review

red g

This is a film that perfectly combines humor and drama, showing truly deep characters that evolve throughout the story. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry. You will enjoy it 100%!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/19/25

Full Review

Gustavo R

3 Homeless people find an abandoned little baby girl and they make it their mission to find and confront the mother. This story happens around Christmas and new years making it a perfect season movie. Beautiful story. Great voice acting. And the animation, superb and it’s full of twists and turns. One of my all time favorites 🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿/5 on Prime

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/12/25

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Satoshi Kon

Director

Yoshiaki Umegaki

Hana

Aya Okamoto

Miyuki

Toru Emori

Gin

Shinichi Kobayashi

Executive Producer

Taro Maki

Executive Producer

Tokyo Godfathers: Re-Release Trailer

1:00

View more videos

View more photos

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: Columbia Tristar, Sony Pictures Entertainment, 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