The inland sea is just how I remember it.
Here. In case you're thirsty.
It's beautiful out there, don't you think?
Come to think of it,
the last time I was here was just before you were born.
Did you know that?
Hey, I think that's Shio Island right over there.
You see it? Momo, look.
If you look behind that big island straight ahead,
you can see it peeking out.
Right.
A LETTER TO MOMO
PRODUCERS: MITSUHISA lSHIKAWA, HIROYUKI IKEDA,
SHIGERU WATANABE, KAZUYA HAMANA
KEY ANIMATION SUPERVISOR: MASASHI ANDO
ART DIRECTOR: HIROSHI ONO
ANIMATION DIRECTOR: NAOKO KUSUMI
COLOR DESIGNER: NOBUKO MIZUTA
ART DESIGNER: TAKASHI WATABE
VEHICLE DESIGNER: TOSHIO KAWAGUCHI
ADDITIONAL ANIMATION SUPERVISOR: TOSHIYUKI INOUE
"WELCOME TO SHIO ISLAND"
CG DIRECTOR: KAZUHIRO NISHIKAWA PHOTOGRAPHY: KOJI TANAKA
SOUND DIRECTOR: KAZUHIRO WAKABAYASHI
FILM EDITOR: JUNICHI UEMATSU
MUSIC: MINA KUBOTA
CO-PRODUCERS: KEIKO MATSUSHITA, MOTOKI MUKAICHI,
MARIKO NOGUCHI, ARIMASA OKADA
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY HIROYUKI OKIURA
It hasn't changed one bit.
It's old.
That's what makes it special.
- Ikuko. - Auntie.
Long time no see.
I've been bad about keeping in touch.
I'm so sorry.
You look great. How are you doing?
Your uncle and I have been taking it easy these days.
Oh, your furniture arrived already,
but take your time unpacking.
Sorry for the trouble.
It was no trouble.
The movers did all the heavy lifting.
I even had them haul out some of our old junk.
Well, I'm still sorry I wasn't around to help you out.
Thank you for letting us stay here.
This is Momo.
Momo. Aren't you a pretty young lady?
Just like your mother.
Momo.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you as well.
Come in and make yourself comfortable.
This is your new home now.
Of course. Thank you.
- Which one is ours? - This one.
Uncle and Auntie live in the other house.
What's the story with that big new bridge?
It looks like it's going to be enormous.
- Yup, it opens in September. - That makes traveling easier.
I wonder if it's ultimately a good thing.
It means more people will pass through here.
I just hope they don't mess up the island.
You have a point.
Oh, are you still having those asthma attacks?
Don't worry. I have it under control.
You can smoke if you want.
Hey, Momo, when your mom was a little girl,
she'd stay with us, 'cause the ocean air
was good for her asthma.
Bet you didn't know that.
You said you wanted to work right away,
but what are you going to do with your condo in Tokyo?
I already sold it.
I suppose I could've rented it to someone,
but didn't want the extra headache.
I see.
Yeah, best to keep things simple.
Besides, it'll be a nice change of pace
having the two of you around.
Everyone else here is boring.
Most of our neighbors on the island are our age,
so we welcome young people around here.
I'm flattered you consider me a young person.
Of course.
We're much older than you, if not any wiser.
You have mail.
Oh, oh, lkuko?
No way. Koichi?
It's been forever.
I heard you were coming back.
I'm glad I ran into you. You look amazing.
Hey, I heard you started your own business.
No. I gave that up quite a while ago.
I didn't like being my own boss.
I'm much happier doing this.
That's Momo.
Koichi.
This mail here isn't mine. It's next door's.
You keep mixing them up.
Oh, no. That means I gave them your mail.
What was your business again?
He ran a delivery service.
OK, I'll get it right. See you in a bit.
He hasn't changed at all. So funny.
Is the clock broken?
Yeah, it just suddenly stopped sometime this spring.
I took it to the shop, but they couldn't fix it.
We were so used to having it up there
that I guess we never got around to taking it down.
Oh, Spring, huh?
If it bothers you, you can get rid of it.
Momo dear,
would you help me carry something?
We have to go above.
Above?
The attic's practically in the clouds.
Come on up.
Told you it was high.
I know. It's a disaster, isn't it?
It's my own fault.
I don't like to throw anything away.
Momo, grab that bag and bring it over here.
Thank you very much.
Oh, you've got quite the eye.
Go ahead, open it.
Flip through it.
It's spooky but interesting.
It's a very old picture book.
Your great-uncle's father collected them.
I have boxes of them if you want to see some more.
That one you're reading happens to be very rare.
If you like it, you can come up here and read them
any time you want.
Glad I didn't have to make two trips.
Careful going down.
It's so high, I feel like the air's thinner up here.
What? Are you serious?
It shouldn't be a surprise.
I told you I'd be taking nursing classes.
Yeah, I know, but
I thought it didn't start until the 15th.
No, it's the 5th.
Wait that's tomorrow. I almost missed my first day.
That would've been bad.
What am I supposed to do all day all alone ?
Well, there's all this unpacking,
and since your old school is letting you
submit assignments remotely,
you have homework to do.
That's not what I meant, Mom.
Go take a bath.
I'll find the shampoo and bring it in to you, OK?
DEAR MOMO...
Daddy.
You know what? Forget it.
You're selfish, and you're a liar.
I don't care if you come back.
VIENNA BOYS' CHOIR TICKET
I'm sorry. I don't understand. What happened to the ship?
I see.
What about my husband?
He was aboard that ship. Is he OK?
I understand. Thank you.
DEAR MOMO
What were you going to write?
What was it?
OK, let's go.
And that's it, last one on the list.
Mom, are there no supermarkets here?
And no malls, either.
No way.
Just pick one already. Hurry. Everyone's waiting.
It's a lot of stuff, but I think the two of us can manage.
That boy over there is about your age.
You should go and talk to him.
Mom, no.
Hey. You single?
So, Yota, does your family grow citrus, too?
Yes.
We just moved here.
Glad we were able to meet someone Mama's age.
She doesn't know anybody yet.
Yota! Over here!
Yota, would you mind introducing her
to the rest of your friends?
- Sure. - Go on.
They're--
I'll see you around. Come on, Umi.
Come visit anytime.
Thank you.
I made you some rice balls,
and there's also a few puddings in the fridge.
Why can't I just go with you?
Are you kidding me? You'd be bored out of your mind.
Besides, the phone guy's supposed to come today,
remember?
Fine.
See you tonight.
I think I'm going crazy.
OK. Let's hit the kitchen.
Would you let your mom know that
the installation charge will appear
on next month's bill?
Or I suppose you could just give her a call.
Well, have a great day.
It's already super awesome.
I left it open.
We should check out what's in the fridge.
We're gonna have to wait till Momo leaves.
Momo!
You'll never believe it.
I only made, like, four mistakes today.
Pretty cool, right?
Or not cool.
Sorry.
LORD SUGAWARA NO MICHIZANE MEMORIAL STONE
I'm just seeing things. I must be.
Oh, no. Where am I?
What are you doing? You OK?
If you ever get lost again, just head towards the sea.
This road circles around the entire island.
Follow it, and it'll take you home.
See something?
Your house is that way. I live in that direction.
Do you wanna see straw boats?
No one's here.
My grandpa's making the boats.
He must've stepped out or something.
See this?
This is what they look like when they're finished.
It's pretty awesome, huh?
He makes them for the Miyajima Festival.
They'd put them out to sea, and then...
then...
My grandpa's better at explaining it.
That's cool. I probably should get back.
I told my mom I'd meet her at the ferry.
Thanks for your help.
I gotta go.
Hey, Momo, hold up. Wanna go diving tomorrow?
I'm going with some friends.
Grandpa, where the heck were you?
I really could've used your help just now.
Fine, I'll check it for you.
When did you become such a scaredy-cat?
You left the door open.
Yeah. I was running for my life. Just go check.
I'm going.
How hard is it to remember to lock the door?
Seriously.
Do you want us to get robbed?
Hurry UP-
Sorry. I mean please?
Momo, what happened? Are you OK?
Something-- something licked my leg.
Huh? I don't see anything.
It's there. It's right there.
There's nothing there.
That's why I ran out of here so fast.
You don't have to make excuses.
Just lock the door behind you next time.
What about the puddings?
You think I ate three puddings by myself?
I'm not mad that you ate all the puddings.
There's definitely something weird here.
There isn't.
- Is too. - Stop it.
I've had enough of this nonsense.
What now?
Hey, can we go back to Tokyo?
There's nowhere to stay there.
We'll just find a new place.
You'll get used to it here, promise.
Now hurry up and eat.
Spit it out.
It's just, that's not fair.
Leaving Tokyo and moving here, that was your choice, not mine.
Of course the choice was mine, and I did ask.
You said you didn't care.
I just think I should get a say, is all.
Can we please just go back to Tokyo already?
I'm going crazy here.
Eating three puddings in one day
is not a sign that you're going crazy.
- I didn't eat them. - Then who did?
Why don't you believe me?
Since Yota invited you, I think you should go,
meet people, but if not,
start unpacking your things, and do your homework,
and don't skip breakfast,
oh, and Auntie said she'd make lunch for you.
OK, bye.
Hey, wait.
Oh, no. lkuko just left.
Mame, you're supposed to be watching her.
- Get going. - But I'm hungry.
Come on. You'll find more food in town than here.
Wait, where's Momo?
Her Highness is probably still sleeping.
If I don't eat something right now,
I'm gonna eat one of you.
Not if I eat you first.
I'm so hungry, after I eat you, I'll eat myself.
Is that a new dance?
I hope not.
Bad joke.
This is Momo. She's totally weird, but cool.
- Say hi. - Heyo.
- Weird's awesome. - Nice to meet you.
Finally, another girl in the group.
This is great. There were too many boys.
Oh, right.
Last one in's a rotten egg.
It may seem high, but don't be scared.
Try not to think about it. Just jump.
Geronimo!
Tidal wave!
Death from above!
Water's great.
It's nothing. Just watch me.
Whatcha waiting for up there?
It's fun, promise.
Yeah. Do it.
Nice one.
You can do it.
- Bet you can't catch me. - Come on. It's fun.
Is she coming?
Don't think!
- Got you. - He totally got you.
Hey, hey, come on, guys.
Hey, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop-
You guys are ganging up on me.
Take that.
Hey, where are you going?
Sorry
This sucks.
If there's one thing I don't miss about this place
it's the weather.
I find thunder and lightning very, very frightening.
Plus, I just hate feeling like I wet my pants.
You don't wear pants,
and your frog-like body
appears to be quite water resistant.
Frogs are lame.
Plus, their talking sounds like farts.
Farts?
Wow, the sky really let it rip.
What I don't get is,
why do we have to fend for ourselves down here?
I mean, seriously, what's the point?
Punishment, remember?
They need to get over it.
Oops. I landed on Mama's lap.
Oh, no.
I think she sees us.
We're so screwed.
The orchard was ransacked again.
The police are useless, as usual.
We need to get rid of those wild boars.
Are you OK?
I brought you some lemon cake. It's homemade.
Made from our own lemons.
That's my father's.
He liked that kind of stuff.
He said they were originally gods,
guardians, but they were turned into goblins
as punishment for breaking the divine laws.
Is that true?
You know, my father said he'd seen a few with his own eyes.
He used to tell me all about it when I was a little kid.
I didn't believe him, but it still gave me nightmares.
What's the matter? Aren't you gonna eat it?
I will if you won't.
Uncle, I think I saw one.
Oh, and there's one more thing.
My father told me to never ever tell a single soul about it
or something terrible would happen.
Too late now.
It's just as well.
He was prone to making up all kinds of stories.
So he was probably just pulling my leg.
I mean, if you really take a closer look at those images,
they don't actually look that scary.
They just look weird,
almost funny if you ask me.
Why are you still here, Mame?
We told you to follow lkuko to lmabari.
This oughta be good.
I chased a butterfly and got hit by a car.
- I'm shocked. - Butterfly.
That's him in the center, your great-grandfather.
They're always there, watching over us.
It's like they're staring straight through me,
judging me,
I feel like I need to be on my best behavior.
If, by some crazy chance, I saw a goblin,
what should I do?
Don't show them any fear.
Otherwise, they'll swallow your soul.
They're always hungry, and they feed on souls,
fear, and anything else that's lying around.
Stand your ground and stare them down.
They'll run away.
My father said they're actually cowards.
I wonder if it's true, though.
I don't wanna have to stare down a goblin.
Oh, please, oh please, don't let them show up again.
"I'm going to the orchard to help out.
"I left you a few rice balls for lunch.
"P.S. I'm expecting a package this afternoon,
"so stay home.
"Thank you."
Stay home?
Home alone again.
Your idea is never gonna work.
But it is the master plan.
The hamster-kitten was a master plan, too, remember?
Do the plan.
Rice balls.
Where?
I know what you guys are,
and I'm not going to let you swallow my soul.
You are dreaming.
Hey, what about your master plan?
Oh, master plan.
We three are goblins who were vanquished
by Lord Sugawara.
We had been sealed away
in that picture book in the attic.
Since you freed us,
you are now forever cursed with feeding us
sandwiches.
Sandwiches? Wait.
I thought we were sent from up above to get--
I am the one they call lwa.
The frog man is Kawa,
and the tiny little snake monkey is Mame.
As you can see, we're just regular guys.
So there's nothing to worry about.
Stay away.
Hey, watch it.
Don't you know brooms are dangerous?
TRAVEL PASS
No! Don't break it.
That's our travel pass. It's super important.
If you break it, we can't get back,
and we'll be stuck here starving forever.
Why are you telling her everything?
What's wrong with you? Give it back to us.
No! Stop. Please. Don't do it, I beg you, please.
Don't do it.
All right, all right, you win.
We will do anything you tell us to.
OK. What would you like us to do?
Anything you want, you just name it.
I might have something.
How about I give this magic wand to you?
That's my pen.
Just kidding.
Hang on, I have other stuff.
Magical fruit?
I'll tell you what I want. I want you to leave my house.
That's impossible.
We surrender!
Abort mission.
OK, we'll leave now, but we have one request first,
that you give our travel pass back, pretty please?
OK. You can borrow it for now.
What?
OK, OK. We're leaving now. Just don't break it, please.
But it's uncanny how she knew I'm so afraid of brooms.
For a second, I thought she might be a witch,
but witches don't wear jean shorts.
But that brat can see us, so maybe she is a witch,
just a witch who's a brat?
Oh, wait. I think I know why.
When we dropped down into this world,
we must've accidentally touched Momo.
I'm fairly certain that's the reason why she can see us.
Man, oh, man, do I miss the old days.
When a human used to sass us,
we'd just kick 'em in the buttocks.
Those were the days.
All right, enough moping.
A young maiden's heart is fickle.
I'm sure she'll let us back in the house now.
I'm sure she will.
Are you nuts?
Thank you.
You've been pushing yourself so hard.
Maybe you should take some time off.
Yeah, I know,
but focusing on work keeps my mind occupied,
and I'm gonna have to move on with my life
sooner or later.
So it might as well be sooner than later.
Not to mention,
we can't keep being a pain in your butt forever.
Oh, stop it now. We enjoy having you around.
Kazuo was one of those rare good men.
You must miss him.
Yeah. Working helps me cope with it.
Like they say, "Plow to reach heaven."
Guess it's true.
These terraced fields are amazing.
We don't have enough flat farm lands here.
So our ancestors made those terraces.
Are you OK?
The tea went down the wrong pipe.
I was afraid your asthma attacks were starting again.
No, thank God.
That was scary.
Maybe you should switch to coffee.
Finally. Now I can go to the bathroom.
It's occupied.
I'm so sorry.
What are you doing? I told you to leave.
We can't. We'll get in trouble if we do.
That's not my problem.
No way.
Itchy butt.
You know, if you break that, we'll never be able to leave,
and you'll be stuck with us forever.
You really are a monster.
Hey, let go, you mutant.
Here, eat.
So you're the thieves.
Yum.
Fine! You win. You can stay, but no more stealing.
Oh, man,
the house is haunted by goblins,
Mom's gone all the time,
and I still have to do my homework.
They were telling the truth.
Momo, you upstairs?
Oh, you're back.
There you are. I picked up some snacks for us.
Come and have some.
She can't even see it.
UMI
I'm gonna visit your dad later.
What're you talking about? My dad died at sea.
Do you look more like your father or mother?
I don't know. Look at his photo on the family altar.
Why are you asking me all this, anyway?
I have absolutely no idea.
Why did I ask that?
I tend to forget things.
OK. Coast is clear.
Momo?
I left without saying good-bye, and I'm sorry.
Oh, that's OK.
You didn't have to come over just for that.
Hi, Momo.
Hi, Umi.
Hey, awesome. You found my raincoat.
How did you know it was mine?
Your name's written on it.
Who are you?
Just ignore her.
Umi can get a little weird sometimes.
Umi, stop being creepy.
Well, my work here is done. I better go.
This is a reminder that there is a General Assembly meeting
today at the community center
to discuss the school preparations.
Hope to see you all there.
Great-Aunt and Uncle will make you lunch later, OK?
Well, I'm off.
OK.
Why was it asking about Dad?
Well, one man's custard is another man's pudding.
Yeah. Oh, by the way, something got in my fields again.
What a mess.
- Wild boars? - Yeah, most likely.
I just wanted some wieners.
Hey, are you getting used to the island?
If you have any questions,
I know a delivery man you could ask.
OK.
So, your mom's at school today?
Yeah.
Was there anything else?
Well, nothing that I can think of.
- I'll see you around, then. - Cheers.
- I'm going first. - Hey, wait.
Not bad.
Move over.
Yota, I'm diving in head first.
- That's gross. - You're gross. Hey...
You're welcome!
What an amazing dive.
Are you insane? That wasn't a dive.
You pushed me.
You're lucky I didn't drown, you freak.
Encore!
Another excellent dive.
This isn't funny.
You promised me, no more stealing.
If you're hungry, catch some fish.
Fish makes me gassy. Trust me, it's not pretty.
I'm going to the store.
Oh, you sneaky little scoundrel.
What? She offered.
Don't let him take advantage of you, dear.
He's cheap. Make sure he pays you.
OK, I will.
Uncle...
do you know if there's a place on the island where
someone could eat if they didn't have money?
- Are you still hungry? - No, that's not what I meant.
I mean like something that grows in the wild.
Your best bet would be to go fishing.
They can't stand fish.
I mean, let's say they didn't like fish.
There's probably wild veggies in the mountains.
This food better be worth all this hiking.
Please stop saying the word "food."
It's driving me crazy.
I haven't had a meal in three days.
You ate my breakfast.
Breakfast isn't a meal.
I can feel my stomach eating itself.
Hey, wait up. Wait. Can we ride on this thing?
Don't touch that. We'll get in trouble.
What? "We'll get in trouble."
Listen up, sassy pants.
Big old stinky mouth here used to be so strong,
he could swallow every person in a village in one breath.
Like this. See?
He looked like a giant vacuum cleaner
He could just suck 'em up.
Sucked out your guts. Good stuff.
Glory days, they pass you by.
So if you wanna keep your guts, let's ride.
How long do we have to ride this?
Man, this thing moves slow. Are we there yet?
We're looking for wild plants, so past the fields.
I'm working up a pretty good appetite,
so these plants better be good.
Sure.
You know what? Your hair does look like a nest.
Who asked you?
- Do you see that? - Wild boars, oh, yummy.
Come back. Wait.
I got two!
- They're really mad. - You think?
- Keep running. - Don't look back.
Hey.
Unbelievable.
Wait up, you jerks.
They're rabid.
- Oh, no. Here they come. - Hurry.
They're just babies. You can have more.
I knew we'd get away. They're no match for us.
You two were gonna leave me there all alone.
I can't wait to gobble you up.
Yes, yes, I'm just drooling thinking about it.
You can't. They're babies. What's wrong with you?
No. Look.
They don't give up, do they?
You're gonna have to let them go.
I'm eating the pig.
You have to.
OK. Time for me to be a hero.
Nice going.
Look out! Boars, twelve o'clock!
Kawa, use your special attack.
It's so bad.
That was awesome.
I think I'm gonna throw up.
Inhaled too much poison gas.
Gonna pass out.
They're back!
Kawa, hit 'em again. Hurry.
I'm outta gas.
I could actually go for some fish now.
The boars must've eaten all the wild vegetables.
I hate boars.
This sucks. We were so close to having a feast.
Oh, wow.
You have to take a look at this.
It's the most beautiful thing ever.
- You can't eat the view. - You can't eat the view.
Well, that's busted. Guess we're walking.
- What? - What? We'll never make it.
I'm so weak now, I could have a heart attack at any second.
Oh, there it goes.
Just leave us here to waste away.
Well, I would, but I'm kind of afraid of the dark.
It's too late. My vision's going
- Help me. - Hurting. Oh, the pain.
By divine grace, we've been healed.
Yes. It's a miracle.
How long are you gonna keep playing that card?
Oh, my back.
Mom, I'm home.
There you are.
You're back.
You got dirty.
Yeah.
That little witch.
She thinks just 'cause she has our travel pass,
she can boss us around like common slaves.
Well, we'd do the same thing if we were her.
I bought you some snacks with my allowance.
I'll buy some more later. just stay out of the fridge, OK?
Eat up.
You should've just fed us in the first place.
It would've been a lot easier.
- Where were you? - Bathroom.
Hey, Mom, did Dad love the sea?
You know what? I was thinking.
The island isn't that bad, after all.
You know what occurred to me?
We've been doing this work for a very long time now.
Tell me about it.
And to think, there's a chance it won't ever end.
If only we hadn't slacked off and maybe--
What's past is past.
Oh, yeah, don't forget,
we have to send our report to the big guys upstairs.
We have to turn in a report?
We always turn in a report.
Our job is to report on how Momo and lkuko are doing.
Hold on, I thought we were here 'cause
we were vanquished by Lord Sugar-Wuga or something
and then sealed in that book for, like, infinity.
We just made that up because we couldn't
tell Momo the truth, remember?
I've got it.
Mame will write the report to help him remember
what our job description is, OK?
How brilliant.
DEAR MOMO
Hey, Umi.
I have a secret.
We're going diving today. It'll be just Yota and me.
You should come with us. It's going to be fun.
See you there.
Momo, lunch is ready.
Coming.
Sounds good. I'll meet you in an hour.
Great. Meet you at the bridge.
I don't know how to read or write.
- Man, I'm burning up. - Yeah, it's real hot today.
Oh, before I forget,
have you noticed anything out of the ordinary lately?
I've been getting reports about young ladies' bags
and hats that've gone missing,
and the orchards and fields are still being ransacked.
So do me a favor. Keep your eyes peeled, will you?
Hey, Koichi, have you heard a single word I just said?
Yeah.
I don't know why I bother.
Why am I going so slow?
Ikuko.
He'll just assume the heat got to him.
Mame?
You in here?
Where are you?
"Dear Momo."
He was supposed to be reporting on Momo, not to her.
This report seems light.
DEAR MOMO
MOMO IS...
That's better.
MOMO IS FINE AND IKUKO, TOO.
Not to toot my own horn,
but this might be my finest work yet.
I completed the report already. Now it is time to dance.
REPORT
What are you doing,
and why are you dressed like that?
Make no noise.
This ritual requires absolute silence.
You should dance with us.
No. I don't even know what you're doing.
Momo will dance.
Are you deaf? I said no.
Please will you dance?
Absolutely not.
Pretty, pretty, pretty please?
Hey.
- What's wrong with you? - You're doing the dance wrong.
Watch.
Like this. And this.
From the top.
REPORT
So cool.
Where'd it disappear to?
It went, oh--
We sent it to Lord Sugawara,
yeah, you know, the spirit we mentioned before.
He wants to know how we're doing since
he's stuck up there and can't see us.
We said we're running around, having a grand time.
What a great cover.
You can send letters to dead people?
- I guess we can. - Really?
Don't listen to him. He doesn't know.
I have a letter I want you to send to my dad.
Wait here, OK?
Oh, boy, we're in big trouble now.
A letter?
I left it right on my desk in my bedroom. I know I did.
Your desk?
I have no idea where it would be, no idea at all.
You sure?
What about you? Have you seen it?
What do I do?
I don't think she's coming. Should we go and get her?
Nah. Let's wait a bit longer.
It has to be around here somewhere.
Where could it be?
Yota and Umi!
The typhoon will bring about a heavy storm surge
as it travels north along the coast.
By this evening, it is expected to reach Fuchu
and the Shikoku Islands.
I guess I'm lucky I don't have school today.
I might as well catch up on some cleaning.
How about you?
Are you finished with your homework yet?
You should probably work on it tonight
since you can't go out.
Are you listening?
Yeah.
DEAR DAD
Momo, have you seen my small hand mirror?
Can't you knock?
But your door was wide open.
About my mirror...
I don't know. Last I saw, it was lying on your dresser.
That's odd
I don't mean to brag or anything,
but I get handsomer every passing minute.
It's obviously my inner beauty shining through.
Let me see.
Hello there, handsome.
Since the two of them are stuck at home,
our job today is infinitely easier.
I feel like a pretty girl.
This is better than nothing,
but we need protein, or we'll never feel full.
I think they come back.
I'm hungry again.
That's it.
How many times have I told you? Absolutely no stealing.
What are you doing with that?
Hold your horsies.
All I did was borrow it. That's all.
What do you want with it? That's not just any mirror.
My father gave that to my mother as a present.
So you can't have it.
Give it back right now.
Calm down.
Stop it. You're overreacting.
Give it back, or else.
Momo, are you OK?
What is all this?
Did you hurt yourself?
I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to, but I broke your hand mirror.
This isn't about the mirror.
I want you to tell me the truth now.
Have you been stealing?
I haven't. This isn't what it looks like, I swear.
Then care to explain to me how all of this got here?
But, Mom, I--
I'm waiting, Momo.
Momo?
You wouldn't believe me if I told you the truth.
Goblins live here.
They're always hungry, and so they steal.
Momo, stop lying to me.
But I'm telling the truth.
Momo!
I am not lying to you.
All right, then. Then where are these goblins?
They're over there.
No, they're not.
Yes, they are.
They're not.
You can't see them.
Mom, you've changed.
What?
You've been different ever since Dad died.
Don't change the subject.
What do you care? You're never home.
It's like you can't stand to be around me.
Just leave me alone.
And what's worse is that it's obvious
you forgot about Dad.
Where are you going?
We're not finished here, young lady.
What happened to you yesterday?
We waited for you.
I'm sorry.
It's OK. I get it.
I couldn't dive until I was eleven.
Don't feel bad. You'll be able to do it.
The festival's almost here.
I don't know about you, but I'm excited.
All our dads take the straw boats out to sea.
It's actually pretty cool.
My dad, he's dead.
Cheer up, little human.
Yeah, I used to fight with my mom all the time.
You're not helping.
Besides, the fight was your fault.
You know...
right before my dad died, we had a fight.
When my parents first met, on one of their first dates,
my dad took my mom to go see the Vienna Boys' Choir.
On their anniversary this year,
the Choir was performing in Tokyo.
I told my mom about it.
I asked her to buy three tickets to the show...
and then I asked my dad to keep that day open for me.
I didn't tell him why, because I--
I wanted it to be a surprise.
On that day, he suddenly had to leave.
Hey, I'm sorry.
I'll be back next week. We can hang out then.
It has to be tonight. Don't go.
This is very important research.
I have to, Momo.
There are too many people counting on me.
Fine, then go.
Hey, forgive me?
Forgive me?
Please, please?
Forget it.
You're selfish, and you're a liar.
I don't care if you come back.
VIENNA BOYS' CHOIR TICKET
DEAR MOMO
I don't know why I said those things to him.
I beg your forgiveness.
I didn't know how important the letter was.
I sent it up there by mistake. You have to believe me.
Wait. What do you mean, you sent it?
UP Where?
I don't just mean the attic.
I'm talking about "up there" up there.
Hey, Dad, is that boat gonna be OK?
Yeah.
Yota.
Have either of you seen Momo?
I saw her at the beach earlier, but that was hours ago.
Thank you.
Hey, wait. I may have said something to upset her.
Are you OK? You shouldn't be out here.
We'll get you some help.
You might not believe this, but a long time ago,
we used to be really bad dudes,
but then one day,
our boss became fed up with our shenanigans.
He decided to take away our handsome bodies
and with them, all our awesome powers.
Now we're just errand boys who take orders from above.
And cursed to always be hungry.
Sometimes it really sucks to be immortal.
Why don't you ask Lord Sugawara for help?
'Cause he doesn't exist.
What? He doesn't?
Do you not have a brain?
He's gotta be playing dumb, right?
He's lucky he can forget.
Listen, Momo, the truth is,
after a person has died, they can't go above right away.
It's like a waiting period,
and during that time,
the spirits of those who have died just kind of
wander around the earth.
Then when they are transitioning
to that place up there,
they can't watch over their loved ones.
So we do it for them.
That's our job as guardians, and that's why we've come here,
but once your father gets there,
he can watch over you again, and our job will be done, see?
Anyway, your father should get there tomorrow.
Tomorrow can't come soon enough.
No offense, but you've been
one of our more difficult assignments.
We're expressly forbidden to intervene in human's lives.
I'd say more, but we have sworn to absolute secrecy.
It's very serious.
Hey, blabbermouth, it's a little late for that.
So then my dad is--
Momo, is that you?
Thank goodness I found you.
Your mom's really sick. Hurry up and hop on the back.
Come on.
What happened?
Oh, there you are.
I'm here.
Momo, I'm glad you're safe.
Are you all right? I didn't mean to make you worry.
Did you call for help?
We tried, but there's only one doctor in these parts.
The doctor in Mitsuko had a house call.
'Cause of the storm, they're stranded on another island.
You're soaking wet. Why don't you change?
I'm fine.
Mitsuko's sister's calling them right now.
Hopefully, she'll be able to get through.
I'm afraid I don't have good news.
Unfortunately, they can't launch a boat or helicopter
until the storm dies down.
That's why I've always said
we need more than one doctor in this area.
So what do we do now?
Well, we'd still need a qualified medical professional
to administer oxygen or give her a muscle relaxer.
The inhaler only does so much,
and she's not supposed to use it that often.
Help her.
Ikuko.
There, there. Try to relax.
It'll be OK.
The bridge. What about the bridge?
Well, it's technically completed, I guess,
but it's not open to the public,
and with the typhoon, it's too risky, bad idea.
So what now?
We just sit around and do nothing?
Don't worry.
The doctor will be here as soon as the storm dies down.
But what if that takes too long?
All we can do is wait.
The best thing is to try to keep your mother calm.
Poor thing. She's been through so much lately.
It's too much for one to take,
and she's kept it bottled inside.
It can't be good for her health.
I was wrong. She hasn't forgotten.
My mom's having trouble breathing
and needs a doctor right away.
I need your help crossing the bridge.
That's impossible.
I told you that we are forbidden to interfere
with the lives of humans.
I'm begging you.
No way. We're in enough trouble already as it is.
You have any idea what kind of punishment
they'd give us for that?
I didn't want to have to resort to this.
Even if you break the pass,
I'm sorry, but we still can't help you.
He's telling the truth.
And we'll be gone by tomorrow, anyways.
So you might as well put that away, OK?
You're nothing but a bunch of cowards.
I'll do it myself.
Momo?
Koichi, go after her.
Right.
Where are you going?
Wait. Momo.
The bike. Take the bike.
- Good idea. - I'll run after her.
The keys.
I was only thinking of myself.
I never thought of what she was going through.
You shouldn't be out here. Let's go back.
You can't stop me.
Are you crazy? It's too dangerous.
I don't care. I have to help my mom.
What if you drown? How's that going to help her?
Calm down.
Now let's go back.
No, I can't.
Right before my dad died, I had a huge fight with him.
Today, I said some terrible things to my mom.
So I have to go.
I have to save her or die trying.
Momo.
Come on. Can't you help her?
Me?
She's gonna do it with or without you.
So you might as well help.
Well, what's it gonna be?
Yota.
They're both just kids, and yet they're so brave.
Why can't I?
I have to confess, I care about your mom.
So let's save her!
Yota, wish us luck.
Yeah! Go, Momo! Don't give up!
What if we broke the rule?
The last guys who did were cursed to eat
their own feet every morning for eternity.
The punishments are always food based.
Man, that sucks.
I don't wanna end up like that.
But if lkuko or Momo dies,
what do you think they will do to us?
Good point. Well, if it's of natural causes we're OK.
Anything else would mean we'd failed our jobs as guardians
and we'd be forced to eat our own heads.
In the worse case scenario, if both of them die--
Wait a second.
If they die because of something we failed to do--
You're right.
But if the reason we have to break the rule
is because we're saving Momo,
then all we're really guilty of is
carrying out our duties as guardians, am I right?
And so we should be able to escape any punishment.
You're a genius.
Hey wait, wait.
Your plan only works if we succeed in helping her.
What powers do we have?
You can run super fast
and all I can do is make smelly farts.
What good are farts in a storm?
But we have friends.
NO TRESPASSING
OK. Here we go.
Ready.
Make sure you're holding on tight!
Hold on!
- Are you OK? - Let's keep going.
No use. It's stuck.
My mom.
Hey. Dad!
I need your help to save Mom!
Momo!
lwa. Kawa. Mame. You came. You actually came.
Hang on.
We'll shield you from the storm so you can go faster.
Here we come.
What just happened? The rain.
Now's our chance. Let's go.
This is bananas.
Snap out of it.
Alright, I'm on.
Hey. Wake up.
lwa.
Riding a scooter can't be that much different
than a dragon, right?
Here we go.
Not bad, huh?
I see the other island.
Hang on. This is the final stretch.
Thank you. Wait here 'till we get back.
I hate the rain. This sucks. We'll be here waiting for you.
I've gotta run home for a minute,
but I'll be right back.
Thank goodness. You're still here.
Thank you.
My mom's going to be OK now, and it's all thanks to you.
No need for thanks.
We were just doing our jobs as guardians.
And saving our butts from punishment at the same time.
Before you go, I have a favor to ask.
I wrote a letter.
Could you deliver it to my dad for me?
Unfortunately, that's against the rules, too.
Hey, wait. I can never remember the rules.
So maybe I can deliver it for you?
I really envy this idiot sometimes.
So long. I'm always gonna wonder how your liver tastes.
And I'm always going to wonder
how that delivery guy tasted.
And I'm always--
What was I saying?
What's in those bags?
Don't. Let go. It's just my recycling.
Never mind.
I don't know why I expected anything different from you.
Off you go.
Well, then, thank you for the generous parting gifts.
Is there maybe a chance you'll come back to visit?
I don't think you'd like that very much.
I mean, unless you want a loved one to die.
Oh, right.
Bye.
Dear Dad,
I'm doing well.
I wanted to apologize
for all the horrible things I said to you.
I didn't mean them. I hope you forgive me.
The goblins who were sent here to watch me saved Mom.
So if you see them, please thank them for me,
although, come to think of it,
they might look different now.
Mom and I miss you a lot,
but we'll do the best that we can to make you proud.
Thank you for watching over us.
We'll try not to do anything to make you worry.
Dad, you're the best. I love you.
Momo.
You know that letter you found?
Well, I think I know what your dad wanted to write to you.
Really?
I have a feeling he wanted to say that he was sorry.
You think so?
I know so.
Funny thing about your dad,
he could always write an excellent research paper,
but if he had to write down his feelings,
he'd have trouble finding the words.
Maybe he was just too sensitive to others' feelings.
Your dad would've liked this.
He really did love the ocean.
Momo, I'm sorry for slapping you.
It was wrong of me, and I should've--
It was my fault.
I was being insensitive.
Well, you've been through so much lately.
I know, but I'm still sorry.
I guess I was wrong.
I thought I had to put on a good face and look strong,
pretend to be happy to help you cope,
but it just made both of us feel more alone.
It's OK.
Let's make a deal.
I want us to be more open and honest with each other, 'K?
Sure, but I'm moody and a teenager.
What else is new?
One more thing.
Thank you, Momo.
Wow, that's so cool.
Go, Dad. Push hard.
Nice. That went far.
Hey, Momo.
Hey.
What time is it?
That was so cool. That was so much fun.
I know.
Well, shall we go?
Mom.
DEAR MOMO
I don't believe it.
Is there something written on it?
"I'm already proud of you.
"Please take care of your mother.
"I'll always watch over you.
"Dad."
Now it's gone.
Momo.
Mom.
I had a feeling, just like him, too,
short and to the point.
Hey, Momo,
where's your weird friend?
He had to go back.
You still scared?
Come on. I just rode through a killer storm.
Heads up.
Thank you.
Cool. Nice jump.
You did it. You really got guts.
Welcome to our little private pond.
Just don't ever dive head first, OK,
or your swimsuit will come off.
No, seriously.
JAPANESE VOICE CAST
MOMO: KAREN MIYAMA
IKUKO: YUKA
UNCLE: YOSHISADA SAKAGUCHI AUNTIE: IKUKO TANI
KOICHI: GOKI OGAWA KAZUO: DAIZABURO ARAKAWA
YOTA: KOTA FUJII UMI: KAZUKI HASHIMOTO
MAME: CHO
KAWA: KOICHI YAMADERA
lWA: TOSHIYUKI NISHIDA
THEME SONG: "URUWASHI MAHOROBA" BY YUKO HARA
PRESENTED BY "A LETTER TO MOMO" FILM PARTNERS
ANIMATION PRODUCTION: PRODUCTION I.G
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY HIROYUKI OKIURA
(c) "A LETTER TO MOMO" FILM PARTNERS