Audience reviews
19 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
Tuls
Family dramas containing occasional use of fantastical/supernatural elements can be recognized as a genre in themselves, particularly honed by the brilliant minds over at Studio Ghibli, who are arguably the best at tackling such themes. Okiura tries his hand at the genre with Momo e no Tegami, which appears heavily inspired by Miyazaki’s works, and it’s apparent that he intends to amalgamate his motifs and imagination in a way that can’t be cast aside as mere replication. The plot isn’t something we haven’t seen several times before, but execution can redeem even the most mundane stories; however, I struggle to ascertain any semblance of originality due to the film’s heavy reliance on cliches and conveniences for plot progression and thematic accomplishment. Loss of a parent can be absurdl…
Read at the sourceEvenWeirder
A Letter to Momo is a sweet coming of age story where a child becomes introverted and frozen by grief over the death of her father. She is visited by 3 spirits to overcome this pain, become social again, and move on in her life.
This feels like a long lost Studio Ghibli film, as it has a similar to vibe to their chill films like Whisper of the Heart, Only Yesterday, Totoro, etc. The animation is also a similar style to Ghibli in that it has great detail on the facial expressions of the characters and the backgrounds. The story is like a fairy tale that kids could enjoy and get attached to, even if the subject matter can be emotional at times.
You do care for the main character as everyone around her attempts to help her recover. She is also adjusting socially to a new environment that al…
Read at the sourceblushinggeek
I always enjoy supernatural stories and I am especially interested in Japanese folktales or anything youkai, *wink. Although A Letter to Momo doesn’t center more on that aspect, just seeing those three troublesome youkai is enough to pique my attention, *wink.
A Letter to Momo
When this movie started, the first thing I noticed was the animation. I love that it instantly reminds me of my fun childhood memories in the countryside. You could say that the animation alone already gave that fun rural vibe which fits perfectly in this movie’s setting. Definitely a big plus for me!
As I mentioned above, A Letter to Momo isn’t more on the youkai aspect but they played a big role in this story. As per synopsis, Momo and her mother moved to the countryside (more accurately to be called an island) a…
Read at the sourcegiraffenanime
Let's do a quick review for a short yet sweet movie, shall we?
Story; Three unusual droplets fall from the sky, accidentally onto Momo Miyaura's head on the way the way to the remote island's in Seto Inland Sea. After the unexpected death of her father, Momo and her mother look for a new start on an island with fresh air and sea for days. Although it as supposed to be relaxing, Momo's mom has to over work herself and their accommodations seem to be haunted by three creepy Guardians. You get to watch this young girls summer pass by in the flash, get closer to the island dwellers and learn that adults also have emotions. Art; Stunning. The sea, lights, the captivating mountain top and the spirits of the land. Absolutely beautiful. Sound; Suited the film, but nothing caught my ear. Character…
Read at the sourceNoitora33
A Letter to Momo is one of the most stand-alone anime movies and yet it was a total letdown for me. The anime was very lengthy. The story was filled with unnecessary details. The three demons were extremely ugly. But that is not even the point. The point is that they were extremely annoying. The animation was average. I have seen way better way many times.
The playing was so slow the 2-hour duration was very hard to pass, at least the first 1.5 hours. I definitely got some 'Spirited Away' vibes from the film. But in quality, it wasn't even close.
I won't recommend this anime.
Read at the sourceNeil1998
Think My Neighbor Totoro meets When Marnie Was There but just not as captivating as the aforementioned films and a bit too by the book for its own good. There are several elements about A Letter to Momo that feels clichéd and familiar which isn't necessarily a bad thing but the problem is that the film doesn't do anything to add to these particular tropes that hasn't already been done before. That being said I can't really find anything about it that I really dislike either though the pacing can be really slow especially at the start. Though I have to be honest, I didn't care about the three Yōkai who are essentially the Totoro-esque mascot characters. I did not find them all that funny or endearing whatsoever. In fact, after a while they just got really annoying to watch. In the end, A Le…
Read at the sourcecici_LPS
This film has all the pomp of Ghibli but none of the substance.
My biggest complaint personally was the three goblins. They were pretty much your run-of-the-mill Disney-style comic-relief caricatures, and I honestly just found them annoying to no end. Even aside from that they were kind of just bland and unfunny.
There's also the climax. It's rather shoe-horned in, and comes mostly out of nowhere. It also is essentially just one massive plot-hole. Without giving to much away, it's immediately immediately clear to anyone with half brain cell that the plan the characters are attempting, has a huge flaw. I was interested to see how they would overcome this flaw, and well basically they just sweep it under the rug. Half way through the climax, the screen fades to black, and the film cuts to…
Read at the sourceKeiMiyashiro
I really like the characters from the movie. I don't get too emotional at movies but this made me happy and satisfied. I do not mean to compare but if i were to judge, this must get recognition than any other. I hope people stop from watching only what's trending. And I hope that they will find this movie because its really good!
I like this movie because of the characters since they are so funny matching up with their character designs hahaha! Because of them, I forgot that the movie was a "drama". HAHAHA ITS SO CUTE!
Well I might not help you so please disregard this review, Im just here to tell you that this movie have some good characters HAHAHAHAH!
For the story it's also good!I did not expect things to flow like that, that's why the movie really got me. The lesson is also good e…
Read at the sourceAh-hey-go
A Letter to Momo is a surprisingly quiet and humane movie. You look at the box and its got these three obnoxious monsters in this weird fun pose and then you watch it and a generational divide is immediately established in the film, as Momo is brought to a part of Japan where kids her own age appear exceptionally rare, and this isolation is farther reinforced by her first encounter with any inhabitants of the island. Her grandparents, while no doubt beloved, could never take the place of any friends she might have once had before she came here. This is something that her mother is no doubt aware of, as once they find somebody the same age as Momo, she immediately forces them together, much to the disgust of Momo. Her mother’s actions, while well intended, only lead to Momo feeling even mor…
Read at the sourceTammyS29
Story 6/10: The story was okay. It dragged in bits and sometimes felt rushed, especially at the scene were Momo is trying to save her mom. Did they explain how the Dad die? I think I missed that part. A few tear-jerking moments and funny bits.
Art 7/10: The animation was nice. It looked realistic and the facial movements were so life like.
Sound 6/10: I liked the ending theme.
Character 6/10: Momo was THE blandest character every. I know she was coming to terms with her Dad's death, but she had no likable qualities, maybe up until the end. She just went along her day with mostly a monotonous posture. Her development happened at the very end when she finally found her peace. Not much is known about the other characters. I did like the three Goblins, especially the forgetful on. He was v…
Read at the sourceEvanLoh
Pros:
1. Heartwarming family story, reminded me of Ghibli movies and Wolf Children
2. Great ED theme
Cons:
1. Plot may be quite cliche
2. Need time to get used to the art and animation
A Letter to Momo is a movie I stumbled upon coincidence. I never heard anything about it. After reading some reviews on MAL, I decided to check it out and surprisingly I do like it.
Now if you also haven't heard of this movie before, it's one of your typical family drama movies but mixed with Youkai or spirits in English. Now is this movie worth watching, I'd say yes, but it definitely isn't the best movie out there, or even near that, but it's still a good movie with a satisfying conclusion.
The main thing that stood out the most in this movie is the characters. Each character is enjoyable to foll…
Read at the sourceSidewinder51
Rate a 10
English Dubbed
Wonders on earth are almost infinite, The most common wonder of them all is the afterlife. Most deaths always end on a sad note and have long or short term negative effects. This was a beautiful sentiment that it doesn't have to be that way. I suggest having some tissues handy.
Story
I can't think of any thing i did not like from start to finish. All actions made sence and the best part they were not predicable. Not many movies can capture emotions from me.
Art
Matched the story. Transitions were smooth. Sound -nothing negative. Found the voice characters to be all good picks.
Character
No matter who the character was given the great background each one had you could not help appreciating them all.
Enjoyment
This Movie will be a favorite of mine for a while. T…
Read at the sourcefloecity
ももへのてがみ is follows a girl who moves to the seaside with her mother after the death of her father.
Shortly after her arrival, she meets 3 strange gods that were sent as guardians to watch over her & her mother.
[STORY]: 7
It's an lively story with an interesting take on gods & spirits.
My problem with this story is that the comedic take on it is a little TOO comedic. There are ways to make a story lighthearted & funny without making is outrageous & I just think it was a little too much.
I'll explain more in the characters section.
The story is WAY too predictable & it's a little annoying how I was able to predict everything.
It's cliche & overall, the story just does TOO much in a bad way in many areas.
[ART]: 8
I quite enjoyed the art. It's not fantastic, but the characters were well…
Read at the sourceKD7BWB
Come Lion Tamers! I have been lucky enough to find one more anime I like!
"A Letter to Momo" - 2011, 2-Hrs.
This is a 2-hour movie of very high quality. For those of you who enjoy anime movies, you're in for a treat!
But first I want to talk about the production as a whole, and mention the production company. I'm amazed how many anime I've watched from this talented company.
'Production I.G.' has made dozens of high quality stories and has contributed to the production of other peoples' works as well. Just a few of the 297 Movies and Series they've been involved with:
Attack on Titan, Psycho-Pass, Ghost in the Shell, Usagi Drop, xxxHOLiC, Blood: The Last Vampire; and many others.
The artwork is very flat, with sometimes a slightly enhanced parallax for a great 2.5d effect, the color…
Read at the sourceBeebopJazzAttack
It is very hard to deal with the death of a loved one. It's even harder to watch a child loose a parent at such a young age and the spouse, even though they must move on. Knows now that the person they married, they dedicated their love to is gone. This painful reminder sets up our story for the young Momo and her mother. Leaving Tokyo after the sudden death of her father, Momo and mom move out to a big island where the grandparents live. Now they must adjust to a new life, as Momo has difficulties with this, her mother fits in pretty quick, looking for job and even meeting an old friend. But it's harder for Momo. Losing her father so suddenly and him leaving a mysterious letter that only reads: "Dear Momo" she is trying to find her place in this new home. But things suddenly change drasti…
Read at the sourcegwern
An attempt at an all-ages family film dealing with childhood traumas (in this case, the loss of a parent) with fantasy/supernatural entities as acoping mechanism; very Ghibliesque, particularly similar to _My Neighbor Totoro_ in using the device of a move to the remote countryside (an island) to live in an old-fashioned building and encountering folkoric creatures. Sounds promising, yet I was disappointed.
The basic trouble with _Momo_ is that it executes well on *none* of these aspects. Momo herself is an ultra-bland character who cannot stand any comparison with Ghibli heroines like Sen or Shizuku. The island setting is woefully underused throughout the movie (except for the pig-chasing scene). The architecture and backgrounds are accurate but again, bland. The music is unmemorable and…
Read at the sourceDandey
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 some reason 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…
Read at the sourcenaegero
So this is my first review on an anime movie.
I really enjoyed this movie. It has a brilliant story and I actually thought it was a Studio Ghibli movie.
The movie basically had everything: a great stroy, great characters and a drawing style (?!) I really enjoyed.
There was just one thing that I kinda disliked about the movie and that was Momo's character in the beginning. Otherwise everything was pretty perfect.
A total 9 for me, I'd recommend Momo e no Tegami to everyone who likes Studio Ghibli movies and movies that have a really nice and touching storyline without being too deep.
A movie that I would rewatch!
Read at the source8thSin
"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…
Read at the source