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A Letter to Momo
I just finished watching A Letter to Momo, a really lovely anime movie that kind of had a Ghibli feel to it: the main character Momo looked as though she could have been designed by Miyazaki, and I wasn't really surprised to discover in the "making of" dvd featurette that there were a few former Ghibli animators working on it. The remote country setting combined with a few playful supernatural creatures is also somewhat Ghilbi-esque, although the setting and Momo's struggle to adapt to small-town life also reminded me a lot of Wolf Children.
After the death of Momo's father, Momo's mother has decided to move them from Tokyo back to her hometown on a remote island. Momo is unhappy to be leaving her home and friends, on top of coping with the loss of her father. She had a fight with him before he died, and after his death, she found a letter in his desk with only the words "Dear Momo" written on it. She carries it around with her as a keepsake as she wrestles with her guilt and wonders what her father wanted to tell her.
Not long after arriving at her new home, Momo encounters three mischievous yokai ("goblins" in the English translation) that only she is able to see. At first terrified, and then annoyed by them, they become friends and help to ease her grief. But although they seem like nothing more than (mostly) harmless pranksters and thieves, it turns out that they have a certain duty to carry out, and that they may have a connection to Momo's father...
The film is a beautiful combination of realism (physically, the beautifully detailed landscapes and backgrounds; and emotionally, the grief of Momo and her mother) and fantasy (the yokai, wonderfully vivid in both appearance and personality)--somewhat like Totoro, although Momo's yokai are a bit more earthy and crude than the cuddly Totoro, and the theme is a bit more mature. But I think it will definitely appeal to Ghibli fans, and I highly recommend it. It's been on my "to watch" list for several months, and now I wish I hadn't waited to long to see it.
After the death of Momo's father, Momo's mother has decided to move them from Tokyo back to her hometown on a remote island. Momo is unhappy to be leaving her home and friends, on top of coping with the loss of her father. She had a fight with him before he died, and after his death, she found a letter in his desk with only the words "Dear Momo" written on it. She carries it around with her as a keepsake as she wrestles with her guilt and wonders what her father wanted to tell her.
Not long after arriving at her new home, Momo encounters three mischievous yokai ("goblins" in the English translation) that only she is able to see. At first terrified, and then annoyed by them, they become friends and help to ease her grief. But although they seem like nothing more than (mostly) harmless pranksters and thieves, it turns out that they have a certain duty to carry out, and that they may have a connection to Momo's father...
The film is a beautiful combination of realism (physically, the beautifully detailed landscapes and backgrounds; and emotionally, the grief of Momo and her mother) and fantasy (the yokai, wonderfully vivid in both appearance and personality)--somewhat like Totoro, although Momo's yokai are a bit more earthy and crude than the cuddly Totoro, and the theme is a bit more mature. But I think it will definitely appeal to Ghibli fans, and I highly recommend it. It's been on my "to watch" list for several months, and now I wish I hadn't waited to long to see it.