My two cents..
http://fatman-reviewing.blogspot.com/2010/06/tokyo-godfathers-2003.html
Satoshi Kon, you either admire his work for its unique art style and charming storytelling, dislike it for it's unfamiliarity and over-the-top presentation or you sit there completely puzzled, not sure what to think or how to feel about what you've just witnessed. Personally I believe that everybody, anime fan or not, should see Satoshi Kon's works at least once in their lifetime. Like the brilliant adventures crafted by Hayao Miyazaki, Kon's are wildly epic tales that take place from the perspective of every day people. Creatively mixing a feeling of realism and surrealism along with heavy eye candy, they always end up leaving you bewildered and delighted. Tokyo Godfathers is no exception to this.
The story begins on Christmas day and centers around three homeless Tokyo residents: Gin (voiced by Toru Emori) the pessimistic, ex-father figure who has a drinking problem. Miyuki (voiced by Aya Okamoto) the mentally unbalanced, teenage runaway & Hana(voiced by Yoshiaki Umegaki), the "wish-I-was-born-a-woman" type who yearns for the chance to become a mother. Hana feels as though God has granted his/her wish when the three stumble upon an abandoned baby amongst piles of trash on the streets. What is originally seen as a blessing turns into a whimsical and meandering adventure around the chilly streets of Tokyo to find the baby's mother; in hopes of getting some answers and some pseudo-closure.
First thing many people will notice is the art style. Satoshi's work is revered in the way that it is unique and borderline strange. Some audiences compare his visual perception of human beings to that of dolls and that it comes off quite creepily in his films. Though I agree with this I don't find it to be creepy but more mystifying. Like with his storytelling, the looks of his characters are so surreal and at the same time have a deep sense of realism to them, artistically. The character's facial features and movements are truly something to be appreciated when you consider the lack of dedication to detail that a lot of animated features are shying away from these days. Passed the characters you have beautiful backgrounds that highlight the scenic aspects of downtown Tokyo and the surrounding areas; as well as emphasizing on the cold, haunting underworld that seeps on its outskirts.
The storyline itself tends to slow down from time to time. None of these moments ever drag on for too long but were several instances where I thought something extra could have been added to make the stew feel more rich. Other than the occasional bumps in the road the story is compelling, interesting and makes you want to know more about the characters who feel very similar to real people. I'll admit they are a bit over the top and that the story does tend to jump around quite a bit, not to mention there are completely strange moments that might have you scratching your head but that's the beauty of Satoshi's movies; he makes it work. The jumping around, the wayward moments and the oddities seem to all blend together, making the adventure feel much more epic than it actually is. It's like taking the almost-wild tales of life and turning them into something far more important and extraordinary.
Overall this film was very enjoyable and definitely worth snagging off Netflix for a one time watch. It had beautiful art, likable characters and a very magical story. Personally, I'd recommend anything by Satoshi because even at the man's worse, he comes off entertaining.
"I haven’t seen this film but its going to be rubbish." - TiggerPromfit