You can currently watch a very good anime for free in the ZDF media library. In it, we follow a colorful group of homeless individuals through the cold winter nights of Tokyo.
What anime is this? Tokyo Godfathers was released in 2003 and is directed by master director Satoshi Kon. Other well-known works by him include Perfect Blue and Paprika, which have gained cult status and inspired Western films like Inception.
Tokyo Godfathers is also worth a recommendation, but differs from the two mentioned animes in that it tells a grounded and mostly realistic story. The plot is loosely based on the film 3 Godfathers by American director John Ford from 1948.
For Satoshi Kon’s version, the scenario has been relocated to Tokyo and set during Christmas time. Unlike in the original, the protagonists are not cattle thieves, but homeless individuals.
A strange trio
What is Tokyo Godfathers about? The anime focuses on three characters, each living on the streets for different reasons. There is Gin, an alcoholic with a tendency toward impatience and easily triggered outbursts.
His tirades often target the girl Miyuki, who ran away from home after attacking her father with a knife. The third member of the group is the drag queen Hana, who is the most flamboyant character of the three.
The trio finds a baby in the trash on Christmas Eve and decides to find its parents, who likely abandoned the child. Their search takes the three homeless individuals to various places in Tokyo, leading them to encounter different characters and realities, and keeping a few surprises until the very end.
What makes the anime so good? Tokyo Godfathers feels quite calm in comparison to Paprika or Perfect Blue. There are only a few instances of supernatural or dreamlike elements. Much more, Satoshi Kon focuses on the completely real fate of his protagonists.
The three characters, with their individual backgrounds, address important, socially critical themes. Hana is a trans woman who chose life on the street out of shame and regularly puts herself down verbally. She is an unusual protagonist for the year 2003 and feels mostly convincing; however, one must still overlook some stereotypes and clichés to enjoy the film fully.
Gin was addicted to gambling and deeply in debt, leading him to distance himself from his family. Miyuki is also plagued by guilt for having severely injured her father. Additionally, themes such as the desire for parenthood or the disparity between poverty and wealth are explored.
Seeing a comparatively realistic depiction of three homeless individuals in an anime is quite rare, and Tokyo Godfathers does well to narrate the story with a good mix of seriousness, humor, and eccentricity. While the anime is generally presented calmly, it surprises now and then with action-packed scenes and twists in the plot.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the anime has a critic rating of 92% based on 77 reviews, and over 10,000 users give it a total of 91%. It’s good that Tokyo Godfathers can still be watched in the ZDF media library until December 13, 2025.
Now it’s your turn: Are you fans of Satoshi Kon and perhaps have already seen the anime and have your own opinion about it? Feel free to write it in the comments. This film can wrap up the current year well, but there are also highlights waiting for you in the next year: 7 animes that will make 2026 one of the best years for fans.
