Move Over, Home Alone: Tokyo Godfathers Is the Best Christmas Movie You've Never Heard Of

When thinking about the best Christmas movies, it comes to mind the blockbusters that remain classics to this day, such as Home Alone and Jingle All the Way, while among the animated options, hits such as The Nightmare Before Christmas and Klaus stand out. However, what many viewers don’t know is that although there aren’t many anime movies or series related to these holidays, there is a fun and heartwarming film to enjoy at Christmas directed by none other than the acclaimed director Satoshi Kon and by the same writer of Cowboy Bebop.

Far from the psychological approach of his acclaimed films Perfect Blue and Millennium Actress, Satoshi Kon created his more realistic and underrated work Tokyo Godfathers more than 20 years ago. The film is not only full of the holiday spirit with a touch of magical realism, but also has become the Japanese equivalent of Home Alone, being featured every year in cinemas and having an impeccable balance between touching and hilarious scenes that makes Tokyo Godfathers the perfect Christmas classic that more people should know and revisit every year.

Tokyo Godfathers Is a Groundbreaking Film About Unconventional Heroes in the Holiday Season

With incredible animation and beautiful composition that was way ahead of its time making it still feel fresh, Tokyo Godfathers is an underrated anime film that revolves around three homeless people: Gin, an alcoholic man; Hana, a trans woman; and Miyuki, a runaway girl who finds an abandoned baby girl in a dumpster on Christmas Eve. The bickering trio experiences a series of unlikely coincidences and fantastical deus ex machina that can be considered little miracles during the tortuous quest to find little Kiyoko's parents' whereabouts.

Despite not being the typical protagonists, flawless and well-put-together Gin, Hana, and Miyuki are a great representation of complex and human characters, each with their own circumstances and struggles, but who willingly engage in actions full of heroism driven by their desire to find Kiyoko a place to belong and their attempts to escape their own past.

Moreover, the encounter with the baby is the catalyst that leads the protagonists to face their problems and reconcile with themselves while proving that they are better people than they thought they were, which conveys the true selfless sense of Christmas of doing things for others without expecting something in return. Also, the film showcases the weakening of family ties, unemployment, exclusion, social failure, the discrimination against homeless people, and the perspective of those who become invisible to society, in addition to having a frenetic and hilarious rhythm that makes the audience laugh despite the difficult topics it covers.

Like Home Alone, Tokyo Godfathers Is an Atypical Christmas Film

Both Films Are Standout Stories About Family, Feeling Abandoned and Value Others

While many people have often debated whether Home Alone is a Christmas movie, as its plot might have worked even if it was set at any other time of the year, it has become a certified classic not just for its ornaments and decorations but for its message of family and its sense of humor that helps viewers forget about their worries for a little bit and have a good time, which is the same case for Tokyo Godfathers, as that is the reason behind the film’s setting, according to an interview published by The Austin Chronicle with Satoshi Kon:

I am an animation writer/creator. I wanted to send my message to viewers throughout this feature, to make them feel relieved from their troubles, worries, and discontentment from everyday life by using the 'homeless' characters who are socially disadvantaged people that are living their lives vitally and lively with warm and kind hearts.

Likewise, while Home Alone entertains viewers with a little kid defending his house, delving into Kevin McCallister's loneliness as he was forgotten by his parents and on his relief after they reunite again, Tokyo Godfathers takes a step ahead, becoming not only a funny story, but a self-discovery journey as this homeless trio goes through many amusing situations while trying to protect Kiyoko, which forces them to acknowledge their own feelings of abandonment while also discovering an improvised family based in mutual care that transgress blood bonds.

Furthermore, even though the characters in Tokyo Godfathers aren’t particularly interested in the symbolic values of the date and the film showcases unique displays of figures like angels, Santa Claus, and even a fairy godmother, it's the perfect demonstration of solidarity in tune with the meaning of the holidays. This way, Satoshi Kon's most underrated work delivers through a unique fellowship, tolerance, humanity, and awareness of the less fortunate that makes Tokyo Godfathers not only appropriate to watch at this time of the year, but also a better viewing experience than Home Alone and deserving of the title of the best Christmas movie.

Source: The Austin Chronicle.