Japan is Confusing....

I found this movie very confusing. It is probably because of the cultural barrier, or maybe the fact that I sometimes get lost reading subtitles and not in the movie. But I found this film strange and hard to understand. However, with that being said, I still enjoyed what I got out of the film, so kudos to Hiroyuki.
Now, with what I did understand, I really did enjoy. The three spirits were genuinely funny and the film turned out to be a lot more emotional than I thought it would be. I can only imagine how this would be for a child who has actually lost a parent and wanted to communicate with them in heaven....
I found the animation to be stereotypical of Japan but also spot on in many instances. The fact that Mame had a giant tongue and a playful attitude helped him be a fan favorite, and when he began to cry it was almost unbearable for such a nice creature to do. Iwa was fun to see interact with and help develop Momo. I think that he was the most significant force that helped her jump into the water in the end. And Kawa, well he was grotesque but also fun.
The whole story seemed to be very well put together and it flowed very well. I was not dying for the credits to roll, but instead I wanted the mischievous group to stick with Momo longer. And I am glad that Momo developed in the way that she did with her mother. That bond helped the fact that her father had passed; she wasn't orphaned.
I really did like this movie, however I need to watch it again to understand more of what it means to Americans. I thoroughly like films like this where humor and emotions are used in just enough proportion to entertain and delight but keep the story meaningful. So, I am glad I saw this and I would gladly watch it again.