I am not what you would call an anime fan. I have watched several anime movies over the past few years but none of them have really captured my imagination or attention. I usually end up shutting off the DVD player and saying to myself, “Well, that was okay.”

For the most part, I have found that the films let me down.

I am not sure what it is about anime that does not really speak to me. Some of the themes explored are interesting but the drawing and animation style seems to turn me off. I like the classical style of animation a lot better.

Last week, I signed out a movie from the public library called “Tokyo Godfathers.” I was pleasantly surprised about this movie. I think it is the first anime movie I have seen where I cared about the characters. It drew me in to the storyline as the writing was quite good.

The story is about three homeless people who find an abandoned baby around Christmas time. It was an interesting movie because there really wasn’t any need for it to be animated. This story could have been told with live actors and sets. There wasn’t anything fantastic about it that would lend itself to animation.

It is something to see now that the medium doesn’t necessarily dictate content. Comic books aren’t just about superheroes anymore. Anime isn’t just about robots or fighting. A good story could be told in any format and I think we, as a culture, are more open to this idea now.

I recommend this movie to anyone who likes dramas. I found it to be a bit mature because it deals with homelessness, homosexuality, and the responsibilities of family life. But it was very well done and a pleasant surprise to watch.