'Tokyo Godfathers' Trailer Debuts The First English Dub For Satoshi Kon's Classic

In his short-lived career, Satoshi Kon released nothing but bonafide anime classics and Tokyo Godfathers is no exception. Often touted as the most accessible of the Perfect Blue and Paprika director's filmography, Tokyo Godfathers is a warm, Frank Capra-esque comedy that has flown under the radar in the Western hemisphere since its release in 2003. But 17 years later, Tokyo Godfathers is finally getting released in U.S. theaters with an official English-language dub. Watch the English dub trailer for Tokyo Godfathers below.

Tokyo Godfathers premiered in Japanese theaters in 2003 to critical raves and global acclaim. But it would take 17 years before Kon's classic film would be released in U.S. theaters with an English-language dub. The film was brought over for release in the U.S. in 2004 in only an English-subtitled format (the superior format, let's be honest), but an English dub was actually produced by the television station Animax Asia — a dub that has now been long lost.

But for those who have been wanting to see Kon's Christmas classic without those pesky subtitles, GKIDS and NYAV Post have produced a  new English-language dub starring the voices of Jon Avner (Just Cause 3), Victoria Grace (Mirai), and Shakina Nayfack (Transparent). Newly restored in 4K, Tokyo Godfathers hits select theaters next month for special fan preview screenings and a theatrical re-release. It's a release that has been a long time coming, and one that even those who aren't fans of Kon should check out — Tokyo Godfathers is the director's warmest film that manages to portray the seedy underbelly of Tokyo with a loving touch. While it's not as well known as his groundbreaking films like Paprika or Perfect Blue, neither does it have the audacity of Millennium Actress, it is a near-perfect film.

Here is the synopsis to Tokyo Godfathers:

In modern-day Tokyo, three homeless people's lives are changed forever when they discover a baby girl at a garbage dump on Christmas Eve. As the New Year fast approaches, these three forgotten members of society band together to solve the mystery of the abandoned child and the fate of her parents. Along the way, encounters with seemingly unrelated events and people force them to confront their own haunted pasts, as they learn to face their future, together. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Satoshi Kon (Perfect Blue, Paprika), written by Kon and Keiko Nobumoto (Cowboy Bebop) and featuring a whimsical score by Keiichi Suzuki, TOKYO GODFATHERS is a masterpiece by turns heartfelt, hilarious and highly original, a tale of hope and redemption in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

Tokyo Godfathers opens in U.S. theaters for Fathom Preview Screenings on March 9 and March 11 before it opens in New York and Los Angeles on March 13, 2020.