Critic Rating
(read reviews)User Rating
Director
Hiroyuki Okiura
Cast
Karen Miyama,
Toshiyuki Nishida,
Yuka,
Takeo Ogawa
Genre
Comedy,
Fantasy,
Animation,
Drama,
Family
Clinging to a mysterious unfinished letter written by her recently deceased father, young Momo moves with her mother from bustling Tokyo to the remote Japanese island of Shio. As she settles into island life, Momo notices bizarre occurrences cropping up around her and traces them back to an unusual source: three troublesome imps.
The New York Times by Jeannette Catsoulis
Enveloped in a sweetness that buffers the depths of its emotions, Hiroyuki Okiura’s A Letter to Momo explores the stains of loss and regret on a personality too young to articulate them.
Los Angeles Times by Kenneth Turan
Physical beauty and fearless adventure, silly comedy and sensitive emotions, filmmaker Hiroyuki Okiura brings a facility for all of them to the table.
Variety by Peter Debruge
The story distinguishes itself from other anime offerings through its attention to both visual and emotional realism.
RogerEbert.com by Brian Tallerico
Overall, Okiura stays very focused on Momo’s emotional journey, which is smart. It’s not as fantastical as “Spirited Away” or many other films about children who encounter the supernatural upon being forced to deal with death, as Momo always stays front and center. The final moments of her journey out of despair are powerfully emotional.
Village Voice by Sherilyn Connelly
The bickering goblins make a boffo comedy team, and while there's a recurring fart joke, it borders on classy. That's the power of good anime.
Chicago Sun-Times by Bill Stamets
Writer-director Hiroyuki Okiura, however, does not match the high expectations for story and design set by other Japanese animators.
Boston Globe by Peter Keough
Though it touches on the usual themes of youthful innocence and imagination challenged by misfortune, and on occasion achieves moments of supremely subtle, sublimely exquisite detail, “Momo” strains when it comes to evoking whimsy and magic.
Slant Magazine by Wes Greene
It offers a realistic portrayal of Momo's emotional state, but this comes at the expense of a deeper exploration into both the story's lush supernatural landscape and its inhabitants.
Washington Post by Ann Hornaday
A Letter to Momo is unquestionably lovely to look at, but viewers may not be able to shake the feeling that they’ve seen much of it before, and done better.
New York Post by Kyle Smith
A comic adventure that suffers from a dearth of both laughs and thrills.
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