Momo, Girl God of Death
People around the world perceive death and what lies beyond in myriad ways. Some believe in rebirth, life after death, roaming the mortal realm as ghosts and phantasms, returning to earth, heaven, or hell, an absolute end, nothingness, and so on. This is a question that perhaps doesn’t even need a definitive answer, because it’s nearly impossible to verify scientifically and logically. Some regions even believe in Death Gods who come to people at the end of their lives to reap their souls and guide them to the next destination, with many iterations across cultures. The core point, however, remains that this being is not evil, and death is simply an unskippable event in all life.
“Momo, Girl God of Death," also known as “Shinigami no Ballad.” “Shinigami no Ballad: Momo the Girl God of Death," or simply “Shinigami's Ballad," is a 6-episode TV Anime series that aired from the 3rd of March until the 7th of April in Spring 2006. It was produced by Pony Canyon and Jinnan Studio, licensed by Maiden Japan, and brought to life by Studios Group TAC and Ginga Ya. The main staff behind it includes Ishiguro Tatsuya, Kawando Kenjirou, and Hasegawa Yasuo as Producers, and Mochizuki Tomomi as Director, Sound Director, Episode Director, and on Storyboard. The 24-minute series features Drama, Supernatural, and Psychological themes, and is rated PG-13 for teenagers 13 years or older.
The anime is based on the light novel of the same title, which ran for 12 volumes from June 10th, 2003, until April 10th, 2009, by author Hasegawa K-ske and artist Nanakusa. While Seven Seas Entertainment planned to publish the first two novels in English from the 18th of March until the 8th of July in 2008, the license was suspended due to low sales. A manga series of the same title ran for three volumes from May 24th, 2005, to February 10th, 2007, and was targeted at the Shoujo demographic. This was the work of the same author, but by the artist Asuka Izumi, which was serialized in LaLa and LaLa DX. This was published in English via CMX from the 9th of June 2009 until the 9th of February 2010.
The series centers around a girl draped in white who goes by the name "Momo." In her tiny hands, she wields a blunt yet gleaming scythe, and accompanying her, akin to her shadow, is a bat-winged black cat named "Daniel." Her enigmatic existence parallels that of a “Death God” or "Shinigami," as she carries with her the souls of humans, and the very instant this white God of Death touches the hearts of humans, the world is certain to be filled with both kindness and grief.
The Story department is simple and impactful; despite being only 6 episodes long, they make sure the message gets across. The narrative follows a self-contained episodic format where Momo simply watches over a different person going through rough times and attempts to help them realize why they shouldn’t end it all. She helps them see why they should keep living and emphasizes the good things they already have, as humans often underappreciate or forget their blessings and focus on the negatives. This makes for a unique and beautiful tale that shows how much of a difference the smallest things can make. The pacing is intentionally slow, which can feel sluggish for some audiences, as there’s no massive overarching story for them to rush to finish. Occasionally, there is too little action to keep the ball rolling, which I found to be an issue because the show would’ve greatly benefited from it. The entire vibe is mellow, calm, and peaceful throughout, kicking things off with the beautifully crafted first three episodes. All the tales portrayed are well-executed with a side of mystery to them, although they can't deliver the full extent of it within a mere 20-ish minutes.
The latter three episodes are not quite as enthralling, though, because there’s an overload of corniness and cheesiness for some reason, which also ends up quite bland and predictable. By the finale of the final episode, it was actually sad to let this show go, and I would very much have loved to see more of Momo’s well-directed adventures as a Shinigami. Despite the limited time, I didn’t feel anything was left out of the stories told, and I really respect this level of expert writing, where nothing is left undone. Also, this show is not dramatic, but it is quite emotional and can easily get you to shed a tear or two on occasion.
Each episode introduces us to a fresh group of characters beyond Momo and Daniel. Momo herself has a very gentle and caring personality that drives her to help her “clients” live their lives to the fullest or move on with fewer regrets, while also fulfilling her duties to carry away their souls. To this end, she does meddle in human affairs to varying degrees while remaining kind and peaceful overall. Although she is the protagonist, her appearances are limited; however, she leaves a lasting impact when she does appear. She’s also very sensitive; despite being a Shinigami so accustomed to death, she is often seen weeping at the end of some episodes and even appearing before people who aren’t even scheduled to die. Daniel is Momo's familiar who remains very apathetic towards humanity but doesn’t miss the chance to tease people either. All the episodic characters possess personalities attuned to their situations and the episode’s overall flow but lack distinctive traits that clearly set them apart from the next episode's supporting cast. As characters, they are not memorable or intriguing, but their respective stories are. Maybe that's just me, but this cast does seem more grounded and realistic in that regard.
The Art and Animation department is pretty standard, and I didn’t see anything particularly memorable here. The character designs are simple, neat, and adorable, which just works for a show like this. The animation is decent as well, but the limited action didn’t give it a chance to shine. Everything is crafted with simplicity in mind, and it fits the show's vibe quite well while also offering a degree of uniqueness. Make no mistake: the artwork is beautiful and calming, serving as visual drivers that deliver the impact of the stories told.
The Sounds and Music department is the same, with nothing special to speak of. The Opening theme is "No One" by KOY, and the Ending theme is "White Messenger" by KOY, both of which are decent, slow pieces that suit the show well but were easily skippable after 1-2 runs. The Opening and Ending visuals are sequenced very neatly, though, so props to that. The OSTs suit each scene and tale well and set up a very relaxed atmosphere, with instrumental choices largely featuring pianos, violins, keyboards, and the like. There were a few exceptions where the audio style seemed out of sync with the atmosphere, but it won’t really affect the experience. The sound effects, while limited in number, are well-timed and executed when necessary. Voice Acting is excellent across the board, and each character’s voice suits them well.
Overall, “Momo, Girl God of Death” is a short, simple anime that tells mini-stories about different human characters going through difficult times and getting through them, whether or not it ends in death, and serves as a reminder to stop and remember all the good things they already have. Do not go into this expecting a massive, overarching story or action, because you will find neither; they are not the point of this show. It’s about learning something about life while being charming and heartwarming enough to keep watching—unless, of course, you find yourself falling asleep at some point. This is not a show you’ll regret watching if you make it to the end, as it calmly addresses something as tragic and complex as death itself, reminding one and all to value life and live to the fullest because we never know when our time is up.
