8thSin

"A Letter to Momo" had reportedly taken the director Okiura Hiroyuki 7 years to produce. Allow me to be the first to say, the time and effort spent on perfecting this film have not gone to waste. I was fortunate enough to watch this latest masterpiece at the 2011 TIFF screening. The art/animation in this movie is top-notch. Production I.G. with assistance from P.A. Works, Studio Pierrot, and CG by Dandelion resulted in stunning visual quality down to the tiniest details. What I especially liked, was the amount of attention paid to body language and gestures. There's so much information to be gleaned from visuals alone,and that's what I find most interesting about Japanese films. There was also this action sequence near the end that just blew me away. I don't want to spoil, but I have not seen such breathtaking hand-drawn animation since watching "Tonari no Totoro" in the late '80s. The story begins with the protagonist, Momo, moving to a small fictional island named Shiojima with her mother. Their new house appears to be haunted, and she feels absolutely miserable about moving out of Tokyo. Being a city girl that she is, Momo struggles to adjust to the country life. Instead of playing with the local kids, she eventually befriends three Youkai in her house - Iwa, Kawa, and Mame. Momo begins to appreciate the life on the island, and come to realize the meaning of his late father's unfinished letter to her. The character development in this movie is absolutely phenomenal. It begins with a light comedy, but through numerous adventures and mishaps on the island, we slowly learn about her past. The transition from comedy to drama is seamless, and it really makes you to care about the protagonist by the end... This film has what I call magic, something Ghibli films of late desperately lack. Although the local kids were severely underused in this movie, I think the three Youkai were the true supporting cast. Their chemistry with the protagonist was excellent, and the humor just comes naturally. Mame's character was especially funny in a quirky way. One can easily tell how much thought and planning has been put into this film just by watching the impeccable timing at which Mame's character was used as comedic relief every single time. Every piece of music appears to be fully orchestrated, especially the violins stood out to build tension in action scenes. Momo's voice acting by child actress and seiyuu Miyama Karen was a perfect fit, as well as the three Youkai. "A Letter to Momo" is almost like a homage to Studio Ghibli's kids movies - "My Neighbor Totoro", "Spirited Away", and "Ponyo". It sticks to the tried and tested formula of supernatural spirits that only interacts with kids, and somewhat predictable plot development. However, the producers have managed to merge various elements from all those films into an exciting original story. "A Letter to Momo" is a magical crowd- pleaser with great pacing and a heartwarming story. It's a solid movie that anime and movie fans should not miss. Possibly the best all-ages anime movie since "Spirited Away" (2001).

Dandey

A letter to Momo has comfortably been sitting in my 'plan to watch' list for quite a few years now. I'm disappointed that i've left this little masterpiece alone for such a long time, however, glad it has since migrated to my completed list. In my eyes, this film could truly hold it's own against some of the most recognized Ghibli films. This film, in short, is about a young protagonist named Momo who moves towns with her mother after the death of her father. It's not long until she discovers that the new house she has moved into includes three Youkai that for somereason are only visible to her. Learning that these three characters aren't leaving any time soon, she befriends them, making life in this new town bearable. Although not entirely necessary, the character development for the protagonist was extremely refreshing. The detailed depth that Momo received not only helped fans and viewers relate/understand her greater, it played a big part in how the supporting characters in relation to Momo were perceived. The artwork in this film was outstanding. It doesn't take long at all to realize the effort and time that went into creating such a visually appealing film. A letter to Momo could have been a silent film and it still would have succeeded due to the amount of body language and emotional features that was included. You are able to tell exactly what each character are thinking at all times, simply from looking at them. There really isn't a lot to say about the sound aspect of this film. The sountrack was wonderful and enhanced the overall feel of the film in every scene. A lot of the music was instrumental and every piece was performed well. Every main and supporting voice actors suited their roles perfectly. A letter to Momo is simple, but done exceptionally well. It's truly a shame that its popularity is so low because it is without a doubt one of the most brilliant anime films of the decade. Although having never watched this, it had such a nostalgic feeling throughout the entire movie. I would recommend all ages to give it a try. 9/10