Kiki is an enterprising young girl who must follow tradition to become a full-fledged witch. Venturing
out with only her chatty black cat, Jiji, Kiki flies off for the adventure of a lifetime. Landing in a
far-off city, she sets up a high-flying delivery service and begins a wonderful experience of
independence and responsibility as she finds her place in the world.
(Source: Disney)
To set expectations correctly, this review is being written under a subjective lens and mainly enjoyment. If you come to expect opinions from a very critical sense, wrong place. A lot of people online come to expect reviews as such, this review ain’t gonna be like that. I just like to talk about anime I enjoy. And so this review is about such things. Sorry if this ain't what you're looking for. I’ll try to keep spoilers to a minimum! ---------- Majo no Takkyuubin or Kiki’s Delivery Service is a movie produced by Studio Ghibli with the movie being directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Released in the Summer of 1989. Now I’m watching this movie 31 years later, lol. Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. Gonna give it a 8/10. This movie is its own standalone film without a lot of typical anime tropes and japanese tropes. With a setting based outside of Japan with barely any connection to Japan, it is a rarity of me to see such a story told in anime. There is always that awkward push of japanese connection with the main character being related to Japan or the culture is very Japanese or some sort of awkward connection that makes the world feel not believably outside Japan. But no, instead this story is about Kiki and her world. To me, this is a plus. It’s a focus on doing its own thing and it does it well. It decides to build its own world and with Ghibli at the helm being masters at it, you can expect a really great setting and world they built. It’s not an action-packed story. It was never meant to be like that. It’s described as a coming of age story and it’s a goddamn enjoyable one. But I don’t think it should just be described as a coming of age story, it should be described as a slice of life with coming of age elements. Maybe they’re the same thing, lol. I just found that there were nice slices of life moments in the movie and nice character moments. Plot does not have a lot of focus but that’s not the main point, it’s more about the journey of the characters. While preceding events do build-up to thematic messages, it is best to take this movie with its own pace. Never felt like it dragged for me and every moment always mattered to me. Well, except certain points. You know how Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki have their own story tropes? Like I mentioned how they’re great at world-building. They’re also sometimes more conservative with technology or certain behaviours for technologies. There’s also always that huge climax. For a slice of movie like this, this can be sometimes seen as unnecessary. Though, I just laughed at certain moments saying `Hey, Hayao Miyazaki.` Sometimes this can be negative for some people, but it’s a Ghibli movie, you should sort of expect some of it haha. Regardless, the thematic movies are quite profound for coming of age and topnotch. Well-done to Hayao Miyazaki for presenting the multiple threads. Even with such things, it’s still an enjoyable film to pick up in this life we call quarantine. Seeing the bustling streets and people without the fear of going out nowadays is refreshing. It’s honestly a nice pick-me-up movie considering the current situation we’re in. And even if we aren’t in lockdown, the movie does a great job of just being wholesome with its people while also showing the realities of such things… if that makes sense. It never feels dull or feels empty with its presentation. With Kiki being an adorable protagonist with her cat, the dialogue is funny, endearing, sad, and wholesome. A character with good depth and growth. Hell, a lot of the characters felt unique and their own. Though, if you’ve seen a lot of 80s/90s anime, maybe you disagree lol. I have never been one to watch many 80s/90s anime that much hence my comment on that. Special note - I watched this movie in English Dub first. This was a great English dub for me. Props to the English ADR - Jack Fletcher! The voice actors really killed it and I can tell they really got into these characters. I’m confident that if I watched it again in subtitles, I would have an enjoyable experience too. The English dub never felt phoned in, I laughed at the comedic moments in the English dub which really showed how expressive these voice actors put into their lines. So subs or dubs can work. If you want original intention - subs as always. Still, put this on English dub if you want to test the waters, I hope you can enjoy it as much as I did. The animation is everything you can expect from Ghibli. Stellar with great character movements and expressions. You can come to expect good animation from how meticulously detailed Hayao Miyazaki is towards how people move and its world. Music is again top-notch from Joe Hayashi. A classic of songs that I’ve always heard while trying to study for schooling. Apparently they switched in the Opening song in English, it felt weird initially but it wasn’t that bad. Regardless, music choices were always great. And I believe I covered most of it on what I thought about the movie. A little bit of spoilers below. Favourite characters go to Kiki and Jiji. Favourite scene goes to Osono taking in Kiki. That was quite an endearing moment. That’s all, thanks for reading my review. If you liked the soundtrack, listen to the orchestra version from Joe Hisaishi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4LrW5f4dyc
Miyazaki’s fourth directorial effort comes as an adaptation of the children’s novel by the same name. He was working on a different feature during the making of Kiki, and it was relegated to a different director and animation team. However, when Miyazaki viewed a draft of the film he was displeased and swiftly took control of production. Kiki’s Delivery Service is about a young witch in training going through the typical, yet critical period of pre-adolescent learning. Kiki as per the traditions of witches in her world packs her broomstick, radio, and cynical cat Jiji on what she hopes is an idyllic journey to self-actualization. She's portrayed as wandering and socially inexperienced, making her one of the many young, spry Ghibli girls on the cusp of adolescence. Kiki, like many excitable young boys and girls, wants to live in a romanticized city with a beautiful view of the sea. She has her idealized view of the witch fantasy and she is adamant about materializing it. Her first encounter with the city is a candid reality check, she stumbles on her broomstick and almost crashes into an alien, 20th-century European setting, starkly contrasting her rural village. This contrast is a staple in Miyazaki's films, the interactions between myths, old worlds, and nature with modernism, technology, and industry. She is stopped by a police officer who inquires about her parents and her residence, Kiki runs away in fear and settles next to a bakery. A woman who had just left that bakery forgets her baby's pacifier and the owner, Osono, rushes to return it but the woman is many miles away by that point. Kiki offers to use her flying powers to return the pacifier and in return Osono hires her for the delivery service. Immediately we are introduced to a far more down-to-earth and realistic presentation of the city. Kiki has to work, clean, and make connections with kids her age to establish her presence and fulfill the purpose of her training. The romantic and picturesque visualization is shattered for a far more pragmatic one. Moreover, Kiki's self-actualization does not just come in the form of meeting her financial and basic needs, but through social flourishing. Kiki meets a young boy named Tombo. He is almost just as excitable as she but Kiki has a snotty and introverted attitude when interacting with anyone her age. She is put off by Tombo’s casual introduction, befitting of a city boy. This is yet another idealization that is broken when Kiki’s first encounter with a boy her age is not in line with her aestheticized worldview. After many trials and tribulations, Kiki begins to open up to Tombo, and their relationship blossoms. The film caps off with an exciting spectacle, as Kiki experiences her lowest point in the loss of her flying magic, a representation of her festering self-doubt and insecurity. However, shortly after meeting the free-spirited artist Ursula she reacquires it and saves Tombo from a dirigible crash. The ending is grand and spectacular which slightly contrasts with the economical and realistic picture the movie paints of Kiki's growth. However, it remains consistent with the themes of the film, that self-actualization leads to the manifestation of personal dreams. Ans it's earned when considering the struggles, and emotional development she achieves on her short yet arduous journey of self-discovery.
INTRO
I’ve watched a few Ghibli films and more specifically Hayao Miyazaki films such as Mononoke and while
I must say that on a technical and story level I truly appreciate the craft and detail that goes into
each and every film seriously everything from the color palette choices and the beautiful backgrounds
so I'm not gonna obsess over the technical minutia like the detail of every background despite it
being seconds of it being shown.
To tell you the truth this felt like my first real Ghibli experience the one countless people grew up
with as children hell when I was in middle school I worked in the office as an attendant and one of
the office staff there was a huge Totoro fan her office was lined with every conceivable merch of
Totoro
she has ended up lending me her DVD of Totoro and I honestly didn't know to watch it not that I
thought it was boring but just because the style had never appealed to me at the time
needless to say, I regret it immensely till the day I die that I did not dive into Ghibli's world
sooner
STORY
Kiki is about a young witch named Kiki at the age of 13 per a witch’s tradition she travels on a
pilgrimage to another city and sets up a sort of residence there in order to train her magic
independently she ends up moving to an island city similar to San Francisco (with its port island
appearance and even the cable cars) and decides to set up a delivery service since flying is her one
talent as a witch
One thing to always note about any Ghibli film is the animations but specifically its in the ways they
use it to give Kiki a sort of staggering shifting movement whenever she’s riding on a broom
which really helps sell her inexperience as a witch and it makes her flight seem authentic as she can
get swayed by breaths of wind or downtrodden by rain and the way her clothes ripple with the gusts all
of it makes the whole flight feel wondrous and alive
If there’s something I incredibly love about this film is the way it brings every character to life
and not just from movement but personality the husband baker who is silent but expressive and even
shows off his pan spinning skills to impress Jiji the cat and clearly shows concern for Kiki whenever
she's late as he's looking out the window
Even the inhuman animal characters have degree's of personality from the old, weary, yet kind family
dog to the roost of birds that lives with the artist
The Clocktower caretaker who greets Kiki when she first arrives or the policeman who can be taciturn
but grateful each character pops back in and this works to help bring the town and the world alive
Similar to how in Durarara the giant cast brings life and personality to the urban streets of
Ikebukuro district as the people are what make these communities feel alive.
the same is being done here and the reason it works so well is that its a city and you don’t have to
force encounters so characters can naturally reappear in the story and like I said it makes the city
feel alive like a community and cast of characters personifying the heart of the town.
the nature of the film is one of getting caught up in the work and wear without the passion or
direction of where to go and often when you force one end without the other it can lead to
unsatisfactory results which leave you with less and less confidence over time which starts spiral
into a mess of depression.
The point of where I am right now is a depressing slump my confidence is sunken beyond levels you
can’t imagine I have schizophrenic moments holed up in my room and every time I hear a noise I freak
out and I can barely approach people.
What caused this was a constant push from myself to advance my future forcefully pushing relentlessly
without stopping even though I had no motivation it was forced misery to live up to a standard that
was set by my expectations of what I perceived people wanted me to do and most importantly because I
just did it without thinking why I did it as well.
In a Shellnut Kiki, at 13 years old, is now finally ready to embark on the traditional rite of passage for witches everywhere. With only her familiar for company, she'll set out for a year of training away from home to hone her skills and take the first steps towards entering the adult world. However, the crowded city proves a drastic change from the rural setting she grew up in and Kiki must face the differences between her expectations and reality. Strong Points It's a pleasant coming of age story that's perfectly suitable for families, especially those with children around their early teens. Weak Points The story is heavily de-emphasised in favor of mere events. Elaboration This movies marks the second in a style that's different to the first two from Ghibli (and very different from Grave of the Fireflies). Both this and My Neighbor Totoro forgo all their complexity for a smooth experience and strong aesthetic. This movie is not quite as popular as Totoro is, but the slightly older protagonist makes it rather more approachable to people from outside the target demographic so I personally see them as being rather equal. We also see the resurrection of Ghibli's Achilles heel with the ending being shoved into the final few minutes with no detailed resolution whatsoever. It's fine, really, since in the end it doesn't really matter to the quality of the movie and it's not like anything was lost, but it makes you wonder what exactly the last hour has been building up to. As with the others, it's all about the worldbuilding and the experiences of the characters. Overall just a neat watch. I personally liked it a bit better than Totoro because the cat is funny and I can relate to a teen better than a ten year-old. ~!Ahem, now if you'll pardon me allow me to rant a bit about this girl during the movie. You see, one of the little stories that Kiki goes through involves this really nice old lady who's just a complete darling. Her oven is broken and she accepts Kiki's offer of help and together they have this whole montage of Kiki just being really nice and helping around. The old maid is super wholesome too and she's super excited to meet a real live witch for the first time. All in all, super wholesome. Anyways, the whole reason this is going on is because the old lady is making this herring pot pie for her grand-daughter and since her oven was broken she couldn't cook it but -oh wait- Kiki knows how to use a fire oven, problem solved. She rushes off to make this delivery, laden with hot baked goods and a generous payment for services rendered but when she gets there the grand daughter is really spiteful and overall very unwholesome. Oblivious to all the effort and great bonding moments that had been had she merely discards the pot pie as a worthless trifle and truly her character is very detestable and I think at this point I've managed to hit the character minimum so I can just post this thanks.!~
As a child, I probably watched the English version of this over 100 times. "Soaring" and "I'm Gonna Fly" are precious songs to me, to the extent I felt I'd tear up if I heard them again, and I did. I remember my mother would constantly quote Osono's lines about the pacifier. As odd as it may be to admit, Kiki is a childhood influence of mine; the first character in an anime I looked up to. She partly helped shape my personality as a child, and is a big reason why I talk the way I do to this day. As this child, I was completely changed by the world of Kiki's Delivery Service, and the purity of it's cast and personalities. Somewhere, my old VHS copy is still there, though I cannot play it anymore. Now, I got the chance to sit down and finally take a look at the original Japanese version of this after all these years. The differences are surprising. Sitting down and watching this film again after all these years felt like sitting down during a reunion with an old friend. As much as I appreciate it, I was making fun of it also while watching it. I was treating this film more like a friend, as embarrassing as that is. Still, the differences are many, as I could not help but notice, considering that the film had been burned into my memory from all those years of watching it. The original is much more quieter. Maybe the Western attention span is that bad it needs more noise in dubs. The kids mention disco's, drink coffee, and at some point Kiki threatens her broom with death. Most surprising of all, is what the English version does with Jiji. Because of my bias, I can't give this anything lower than a 10. I was too immersed and connected emotionally with it, and still am, that I can't go any lower. Still, all 10 out of 10's feel biased anyways. Thinking about it now, Kiki's journey of leaving home at 13 to become a successful and independent witch feels a lot more dangerous. This could easily have turned into a dark story, as the fortune teller witch said: a lot can go wrong. Kiki is essentially throwing herself out into the wild city life as a minor and practically homeless. The city she happens to find appears to never have had a witch. She gets crushed that she doesn't feel she belongs, and the thought of failure and starting over in a new city felt hard for her to accept. It's not for certain, though it's implied by Bertha that witches are unfamiliar and more like legends there. Considering that, it's not surprising how everyone is shocked or scared to see Kiki for the most part. Seen as an anomaly, and asking permission to stay by asking random people for some odd reason, she gets outcasted. It gets even more ridiculous. She almost causes a bloody multi-vehicle car accident, evades arrest on broom, and becomes a fugitive. Sitting alone eating a sandwich she took, with her cat, and little money, the situation felt hopeless. If not for Osono, what could have happened? She's not Yabuki Joe, who could probably adapt to a jungle if he had to, though that unsettling feeling of isolation and hopelessness felt harsh to watch. Not being used to the city life, Kiki even almost gets run over by a car, as she is not used to looking both ways. All she could do at the moment was window shop and wish about material possessions that seemed impossible for her to acquire, and feel frustrated by the stylish clothes of the street kids because she still had not accepted and embraced her weirdness. She meets a kid named Tombo that seemed as if he was an obsessed stalker that is into witches, though he actually means well. Kiki gets upset with him seeing as though she is very formal, and he isn't. Not only that, he was showing her off as something cool rather than human. After a few more frustrating interactions, she does decide to go to a party of his, despite that she was mad at him. Was she being nice? She was already talking about boyfriends, and looking out the window bored looking a bit envious of the couples passing by the bakery. Why not give him a chance? Regardless, it's also a good way to make friends since she had barely any at all at the time. Then there is Osono, pulling strings in the background for Tombo. It's interesting now, considering Ubereats exists, that she takes up a flying delivery service. Hopefully this doesn't inspire someone to try to revive and probably ruin this film by modernizing it. The music is elegant and invokes emotions in me. Maybe the main theme repeats too much in the songs, though I was and still am charmed by it. Listening to the bittersweet end of "On a Clear Day..." fills me with elegance and makes my mind dance. To me, that's Kiki's theme song. I close my eyes, as it reminds me of my childhood and takes me into the world of this film with imagination. Then I have to pinch myself and remind myself to stop taking cartoons so seriously. Eventually, Kiki begins to lose confidence and direction in her life. Despite her and Tombo start to bond, she could not accept his friends because the one rich snobby one was among the group. Not only that, she was going through a depressive state; a sort of writers block, though with flying. All she needed was a reason to get her powers back, and she finds something out of misfortune that aids her in this way. My only complaint is that there is very little closure in the end, despite there is an epilogue. I was left with a wide gap of emptiness from the lack of it. It doesn't feel like it reaches a meaningful conclusion. Not everything needs an answer, though you would think the climax of the film would lead to something more overtly intimate. Despite it all, this film will always stay with me and in my heart. It's become more than a part of my life, but a part of me.
_Kiki's Delivery Service_ is a lighthearted coming-of-age story revolving around Kiki, as she discovers more of the world outside of the rural town she grew up in. While it has a very simple plot, there's something unique about the setting, theming, and pacing that all seem to really work together in telling this story. It reveals a clear dichotomy between rural and city life, the magical and the mundane, and selfless and the selfish, all of which seem to add to Kiki growing into her own as she strives to be independent in an unknown place. Visually, it's beautiful. The backgrounds are colorful and gorgeous. Kiki's and Jiji's designs are simple, yet dark and distinct, which is really effective in showing how they contrast with the colorful, modern world around them. Characters are expressive and dynamically animated. I loved the various character interactions, especially when little bits of personality are given to the supporting characters. It made the world feel more lived in and the characters more believable. The slow pacing and lighthearted nature of everything make this a very nice, chill watch; however, I feel that the pacing of the latter third of the film ruins the experience a bit. Spoilers below regarding that. ~!Towards the latter part of the film, Kiki is confronted with her magical powers weakening. Frankly, it feels like a plot device that comes seemingly from out of the blue and is used as a conflict for the sake of there being a conflict. It doesn’t help that the main explanation for why this happens is essentially because "Kiki’s having an off-day." All that said, I don’t have much issue with it. The problem with the pacing occurs once a second, larger conflict comes along to coincide with Kiki’s weakened magic: an airship is swept away by strong winds, causing it to crash into a clock tower, with Tombo, a boy Kiki recently befriended, dangling from the airship by a rope, holding on for dear life. Predictably, Kiki regains enough of her magic in this time of need, saves Tombo, and everyone celebrates. While this sequence of events does make for a grand, final spectacle to cap the film off, once the spectacle is over, the movie just sort of... ends. While we get to see moments of the cast's lives in a brief denouement before the credits, the way the movie ended was jarring, especially when compared to the slower pacing of everything that preceded. It felt like the movie had a big disastrous conflict just for the sake of having a big conflict.!~ Overall, issues of pacing aside, I would definitely recommend _Kiki’s Delivery Service_. I didn't grow up on Studio Ghibli films, and even at the time of this writing, there’s plenty I still haven’t seen, but even in spite of that, I don't think you need to have any kind of familiarity or nostalgia with Ghibli films in order to enjoy this one. Of the Miyazaki films I've seen, this one is my favorite, for being such a fun watch. While some of his other works have grander plots and more profound themes, this one was fun, through and through.
The age of thirteen is an important one in the life of an apprentice witch, because it means she’s ready to take the next step in her training... She must say goodbye to her family, strike out on her own, and find a way to use her magic to support herself for one year before she can return home a full fledged witch. This assignment can leave many apprentice witches feeling nervous, but for Kiki, she can’t strike out on her own fast enough. Eager to prove herself in the big city, she takes up residence in the attic of a bakery, and opens her own delivery service, using her developing proficiency for flying to transport goods between customers, marvelling at the wonders around her, and meeting all sorts of exciting new people! However, as the reality of the working world begins to set in, and she faces complication after complication while struggling to bring in more work for herself, the magic of her situation soon fades, leaving her wondering if the choices she made for herself were really the right ones. Will Kiki be able to turn things around, or is this once peppy young witch destined for failure? I shouldn’t even have to say this, especially since we’re talking about a Studio Ghibli movie, but the visuals in this film are absolutely immaculate. I wouldn’t go as far as to say every movie that’s ever come out of this studio has been perfect in that regard, but even their worst projects never looked cheap, although your feelings on the visual style of each title may differ. Kiki’s Delivery Service, as far as I can tell, looks flawless. Character movement is graceful and lively, and there are no frozen extras in the background, making every location in the story feel alive and organic. Speaking of locations, the big town that Kiki settled in was apparently based on a similar seaside community in Switzerland, and the level of detail that went into every single individual building and even occasionally into their interiors are kind of awe inspiring. The town feels warm and welcome, and in some spots, you can just feel the pleasant sea breeze blowing through the air. This little extra attention to detail can show in some easy to miss spots... Take, for example, the fact that when you look at Tombo’s bike, you can clearly see that he diverted the chain that previously connected between the gears of his tires to the propeller, so when he pumps his legs he actually is making it spin, which is the real force that’s moving them forward. What’s way more noticeable, and for all the right reasons, is the flying animation, which may actually be some of the best isolated animation work that Miyazaki has ever done. From the way the flaps of Kiki’s dress flap with the wind moving through them, to the biological details of geese soaring in formation, to the perfectly captured weight of Kiki’s broom as she sometimes perfectly controls it, and sometimes struggles to KEEP control of it. There are flying scenes throughout the movie that you get to enjoy, and there’s nothing repetitive about them, as she bounces between trees, soars freely through the atmosphere, and dodged and weaves between live traffic on the street, it’s not just fun to watch, but it feels like it was also fun to animate. The character designs are also extremely easy on the eyes, melding cartoony anime faces with realistic body proportions, and while I’ve said similar things about anime in the past, the juxtaposition here honestly feels a lot smoother and more consistent than other Ghibli titles that I’ve seen. Their faces, especially Kiki’s, are expressive and can convey a wide range of emotion with minimal changes. It’s important to note that like most Ghibli movies, there’s an element of “growing up” in this story, and while the time period it covers is too brief for Kiki to go through any real physical changes, you can still see a noticeable amount of growth in her face, as she matures from a bright eyed and excitable young kid to a young adult with a more mature understanding of the world around her. It’s also just as important, albeit more subtle, that while the town she’s working in is a visual wonder, it still feels both rustic and realistic enough that while Kiki matures, you can feel her gradually adapting to her slightly more dreary surroundings. As for the English dub... Well, there are three of them, and while the Streamline dub is rare enough that you’re probably never going to have a chance to watch it in your lifetime, there are two widely available versions of the Disney dub, and despite being mostly the same, they still offer largely different experiences. Before we get into those differences, though, what do they have in common? First, Kirsten Dunst is an absolute joy as Kiki. Out of all the mainstream Hollywood starlets who have headlined a Ghibli dub, she’s easily one of the best of them, arguably the best over-all out of the child stars. This is partially due to her having a decent amount of prior acting experience, but I don’t think there’s any other quantifier for it, she just pulls off an outstanding performance. She’s bright, says her lines loudly and clearly with perfect diction, and she keeps a pitch perfect sense of tone between Kiki’s cheerful and sincere beginnings, her indignation over Tombo, and her ennui later in the film. The rest of the cast capably fill out the roles... Janeane Garofalo plays a role pretty much any actress could have taken, but she still makes it her own. There are a couple of career voice actors peppered in with all of the big Hollywood names, such as Jeff Bennet, Pamela Adlon and Debi Derryberry. One particularly strange choice they made, that’s a bit of a mixed bag in and of itself, was casting Saturday Night Live legend Phil Hartman as the cat Gigi. Now, in Japan, as we’ve discussed previously, there are certain animals that will usually be voiced by a male or female actor based on that animal's basic sound, regardless of the character’s actual gender. Most wolves, even females, are played by men. Most cats, male and female, are played by women. This is because a cat’s meow, objectively speaking, has a feminine register. So, in Japanese, Gigi the male cat was played by a woman, so if you’re jumping from one track to the other with no prior knowledge of this, the change can be kinda jarring. Personally, I do believe this was a good change, at least in theory. Gigi may sound distinctly different, but in my opinion, he was kind of a boring character in the sub. He didn’t have much personality, he just rode alongside Kiki, giving her occasional advice and direction, and just generally worrying about shit. In the dub, however, Phil is able to portray all of this, but with a nagging, passive aggressive edge that might not make the character any more likeable, but he does give him more of a noticeable presence and defined personality throughout the movie. I also wouldn’t blame you for enjoying his performance purely for the nostalgia of it, since this was one of the last projects that Phil Hartman worked on before his untimely passing. He has chemistry with Kirsten, at least in a purely ‘uncle-niece’ kind of way that a mentor like him would usually have, so they do work well together. I should also mention, before I move onto the writing, that Matthew Lawrence plays Tombo, Kiki’s friend/kind of love interest, and he surprisingly doesn’t sound too old for the role, he actually fits the age of adolescence rather nicely. Acting aside, if you've seen both the subbed and dubbed versions of this film, you’ll probably be aware that the dub features a heavy amount of rewrites, especially in regards to line reads that were added in where there was nothing but silence before. Some of this is pretty benign... Ursula saying “I know this guy” to take the stranger danger element out of a hitchhiking scene... And I’m not gonna lie, the extra material they gave Kirsten Dunst goes a long way towards establishing and endearing her character to the audience. She gives a lot more vocal reactions to what’s going on around her in her flying scenes, and she offers more commentary on the sights of the town, which works amazingly with her status as a fish out of water. The problem is, these extra lines are not nearly as beneficial to Gigi. He nagged Kiki enough to not become too annoying in the sub, but in the dub, he will not shut up during what are supposed to be quiet moments in the story, and almost none of his added material is funny or charming. There’s only one time it ever directly harms the movie, but that’s also a pretty huge spoiler, so we’re just going to have to talk about that later. Anyway, the third dub is another version of the Disney dub, with a couple of the more egregious lines removed, old sound effects restored, and the original sub soundtrack also restored in place of the pop songs that Disney originally replaced it with. If you can find it, that’s the version I’d recommend. Kiki’s Delivery Service is a special movie to a lot of people, especially among those who were around when it was released in the states. Moving back a little further, though, it was also special to Studio Ghibli, as it was their first real financial success. They had experienced critical success before, with Kiki being their fifth movie, but Kiki was the first that could really be described as a blockbuster, as it was by far the most successful Japanese movie of 1989. Jumping back ahead, when Disney made their original deal with Ghibli in the late nineties, Kiki was one of the first three they decided to redub(after the streamline dubs were already a thing) and out of that first batch, Kiki was by far the most popular. Released stateside in 1998, Kiki was the VHS you saw displayed proudly on store shelves, hell, this was how it became the first Studio Ghibli movie I ever heard of. I would even go as far as to say that, as popular as this film was, it probably set the stage for Spirited Away to become the monster smash hit that it was, turning Ghibli into a household name and ushering in a cultural demand for the entire Ghibli catalogue. So what was it about Kiki’s Delivery service that touched the hearts of so many people? Well, we’ll get the obvious out of the way first... Kiki is extremely likeable. There are elements of Miyazaki’s writing style that I’ve never liked, but he has a definite knack for writing children, and I have it on good authority that for a crotchety old man, he’s unusually good at writing young girls. Kiki is friendly and cheerful, optimistic and sincere, with positive qualities that make her feel endearing without coming across as a Mary-Sue, and negative qualities that make her feel imperfect without coming off like a brat. You want her to succeed. You want to root for her. Sure, there are a few people she interacts with that you might not like very much... A snobby older witch who’s just finishing her training, and a couple of children who act ungrateful for the gifts that Kiki’s been hired to deliver... But none of them are portrayed negatively enough to feel genuinely awful, they just feel like real kids that we happened to look in on at a bad moment. The focus of the story is Kiki, and the main component that makes her story so engaging is that her character arc, particularly in the second half, appeals in very different... But equally substantial... Ways to both kids and adults. For kids, Kiki’s story is that of an adolescent, transitioning from the innocence of childhood to the very first stages of burgeoning adulthood. This is an important age, where she’s going through some potentially scary changes that she can’t come back from. This is something every child is destined to go through, and I think even the younger kids who haven’t tasted this change yet themselves can still recognize it when they see it. This feeling of change and transition also appeals to adults, particularly those of us who have entered the working world, and have had to face the inevitable discovery of what it means to find the thing you want to dedicate your life to, only to wind up doing the same thing day in and day out with minimal success. It’s true that most people never manage to translate their actual passions into their dream job, but Kiki not only does exactly this, she has the kind of cool fantasy job that a kid would want to have... And yet, she still faces the same struggles that the rest of us do. She struggles to find customers. She bends over backwards to succeed at every little job that she’s able to pick up, even as the hours cruelly tick by. She sacrifices her personal life to overcome unforeseen obstacles, just to wind up face to face with a rude customer who doesn’t give a shit. I’ll bet you anything that at some point in your life, you drifted off on the job and started fantasizing about how much better life would be if you had just gotten that dream job you wanted when you were a kid... Except Kiki DID get that job, and she’s dealing with the same bullshit that you are. Eventually, she was always going to experience burnout. Or, more appropriately, the magic was always going to fade, both literally and figuratively. It doesn’t take a genius media analyst to see the metaphor here, it’s called out pretty blatantly by Ursula during Kiki’s dry spell, but it’s still a fairly powerful one... There are some things that, once lost, you can never get back. The innocence of childhood, the luster of a brand new endeavor. But the magic in your heart? The passion surrounding your interests? You can find those again, provided you’re willing to make some compromises. You can also kind of apply this message to Miyazaki himself, as he just seems like the kind of man who suffers creative burnout from time to time, and while this is all purely speculation on my part, it has always felt to me that he put a lot of himself into his movies, at least through the eighties and nineties. He really did have a knack for taking his personal experiences and presenting them in a relatable way to general audiences. More importantly, all of this is featured in a movie that’s fun and easy to watch, paced so well that the time just flies by, feeling at least a half an hour shorter than it actually is.. The tone is lighthearted from beginning to end, and despite the fact that it is largely a slice of life anime, it never gets boring, as there’s never anything pointless or uninteresting happening in the story. It’s delightful, gratifying entertainment, with enough substance and emotional resonance to make it feel just as special every time you watch it. I should warn you, though, this movie does tend to feel oddly inappropriate at times. You do see Kiki in her underwear on a pretty constant basis, and while there’s nothing particularly revealing about them... They’re just an undershirt and big poofy bloomers... This is an anime we’re talking about, and upskirt pantyshots are always going to have a scandalous edge to them. There’s a scene where cows lick her bare feet, which I wouldn’t be talking about if I hadn’t seen that shot taken out of context a few too many times on Deviantart. It’s not too hard to see all of this as innocent and harmless cultural differences, like the bath scene in My Neighbor Totoro, but there is one glaring moment I can’t ignore. After Kiki’s artist friend offers to draw her, Gigi reacts by saying “Naked?” Which is just a really weird place to take that conversation. I initially thought they came up with that in the dub as a reference to Titanic, since the dub was released in 1998, but nope, it’s in the sub, too. I don’t know why they included that line, but it really hasn’t aged well. Parental guidance suggested. And since we are hitting a slightly negative note, I guess it’s time to address that issue with the dub that I mentioned earlier, huh? Like I said before, there are going to be some spoilers here, so skip this paragraph if you haven’t seen the movie. Towards the end of the second act, Kiki loses two things... Her ability to fly, and her ability to talk to Gigi. Towards the end, she regains her flight, which represents the passion that she had to relearn and recontextualize, but she can no longer hear Gigi, which represents the childhood she’s leaving behind. Personally, I think the more practical explanation is that losing Gigi was like losing her training wheels, so she could learn to fly on her own, but I digress. In the original Disney dub, I’m guessing they thought that twist was sad, so they added the line “Kiki, can you hear me?” at the end, and I’m pretty sure everybody hated it, as it disrespected and shat all over the original intention of the ending, but thankfully, this issue has been addressed in more recent releases. Speaking of more recent releases, the Disney releases of this movie are all out of print, but they’re not that difficult to find. I would still personally recommend the Gkids version, which fixed a lot of issues with the Disney dub. The original novel that inspired the movie, which I didn’t know about until just yesterday, is actually available in English as of 2021, written by Eko Kadono and published by Yearling. The live action adaptation, no I did not stutter, is not available stateside. As much as I’ve sung its praises throughout this review, I don’t consider Kiki’s Delivery Service to necessarily be one of Studio Ghibli’s best films. There are other titles in the studio’s history that are deeper, better animated, more exciting, etc. Where Kiki’s stands out among its peers is that, in my opinion, it’s the most timeless Ghibli movie. It’s a story that can be enjoyed by anyone, of any age, of any gender, and of any culture, with almost no alienating elements holding it back. Despite the few little inappropriate snags I mentioned earlier, it’s also aged extremely well, and that’s considering the fact that Ghibli movies have a reputation for aging well in general. Even among the most iconic Ghibli masterpieces, there are films that certain audiences won’t understand the meaning of, or that certain people will find boring, or that are likely to get nitpicked into oblivion by anyone who isn’t blinded by the magic, but Kiki’s is accessible to everyone. It offers emotionally resonant, yet still mutually exclusive experiences for both children and adults, and it pulls off both in a manner that only becomes stronger with time. I give Kiki’s Delivery Service an 8/10.
~~~img220(https://i.imgur.com/k37Z30T.png) Not that it has much to do with the review itself but figured it was worth pointing out, this was the first anime film I’ve ever watched. Not that I recall much of what that experience was like as I was in diapers and barely a year old, and it was through a VHS, which I’m sure my family is still in possession of. Anyways, it goes without saying that this film is a classic in every sense of the word. Being a Ghibli film directed by Miyazaki, this should go without saying. But what exactly makes this film such a classic and is it without any flaws? Firstly, we follow a thirteen year old witch named Kiki. Embarking on an expedition to a new town, along with her cat Jiji, to hone her witch-craft in. A right of passage every young witch must take. During her training, Kiki has a lot of growing up to do and fast as she’s presented with the harsh realities of the outside world. A story, while on a surface level seems fairly simple, is surprisingly presented with tons of both elegance and nuance. The way Kiki see’s the world initially is very naive, giving her cat the ability to converse with her and all. But through thick and thin, Kiki endures everything from feeling like an outcast, having self-confidence issues, enduring people who are impolite, dealing with people who are too polite, envy, a cold, and even having to save someone’s life on more than one occasion, we see her blossom into a fine young woman over the course of the film. Coming into this film I was expecting it to be a quirky, family romp. And while it’s filled with quirky moments throughout, I was astonished with how soothing and atmospheric the movie presents itself. Remarkably, the film is able to seamlessly mesh elements of healing (Iyashikei) with the childlike innocence of experiencing a foreign world. So much so that I consider this film an Iyashikei that the whole family can get behind. The backgrounds, being inspired by towns in Sweden, are quite possibly the most beautiful backgrounds I’ve seen in all of anime. Notable examples include: Vibrant small mill-towns coated with long, soft, green grass swaying against a nice summer breeze. Buildings reminiscent of old Italy with streets flooded with pedestrians and small shops. And forests with trees and foliage so thick that you can suffocate in. Combine that with the sweet and bubbly signature animation of Ghibli and you’ve got yourself a film where every scene is an aesthetic that can be proudly framed in your household. img220(https://i.imgur.com/yGNLWEH.gif) My favorite scene that I feel captures the vibe of the film perfectly, aside from the opening and closing sequences, is when Kiki and Tombo get on a bike together for the first time and they go from paddling around town to racing down a street on a hill with oncoming traffic. I love this scene because it’s simply an amalgamation of everything I love about the film. The orchestral music and consoling visuals pacify a scene that most other studios would turn into an intense action sequence, into a majestic and tranquil experience despite their predicament. Which could prove fatal given they’re not careful. The sequence ends with some ambiguity as well: Did Kiki use her magic to make Tombo's bike fly? Or did Tombo successfully manage to create the world’s first hovering bike by simplifying putting a propeller on the front? You decide, but personally, I think it’s both. The initial glide was likely from Tombo’s propeller plus the acceleration from their initial descent, and when their lives were at stake with an oncoming vehicle, Kiki unknowingly used her magic to save them. It’s in this scene that I’m able to appreciate the beauty not only of the world, but Kiki and Tombo’s childlike friendship. As well as the whimsy in their reactions both during and after the sequence. It’s not long after this scene that we are shown Kiki in a predicament where she temporarily loses her powers after succumbing to an amalgamation of negative emotions and self-doubt. It’s here that she embarks on a minitrip with her friend Ursula (with the face of a bird and an affinity towards drawing them) to discover that it’s normal to have moments of despair and low self-esteem. And that she’ll find herself coming out of that lull in no time, and probably when she least expects it. I think this is an excellent message in this coming of age story. Nobody is safe from bad days and low points in our lives, it’s inevitable. What we can do is turn those into learning experiences about ourselves and what we can do to overcome them, and even on our road to recovery there will still be bumps on that road. Much like how Kiki still struggles with her confidence in her abilities after getting them back. It’s a timeless message about it being okay to fall down, as long as you don’t give up! And that’s what makes this film so beautiful, is that throughout all of her struggles, Kiki perseveres and comes out on top. Making the town that abhorred her so much her bitch and becoming a young woman who doesn’t need to rely on others (or a decisive cat for that matter) because she’s already proved her worth to herself. img220(https://i.imgur.com/Bioy3rr.gif) With that tangent out of the way, were there any downsides to this film? I’ve spent this entire essay gushing about how much I loved it, and dammit I could write a book detailing how much I love each little scene from baker’s husband showing off his skills to both Jiji (twirling some pans with bread) and Kiki (baking a bread loaf that says “Kiki’s Delivery Service” to be plastered at their front window), most of the little girls being little dips, any scene where Kiki is with the grandma (particularly that scene where the grandma secretly bakes her a cake), the adorable dog that takes care of Jiji after he’s been lost, and the wind physics plus Kiki bouncing around from building to building like a pinball while getting ready for take off. I could go on and on. Aside from the usual nitpicks I have regarding Ghibli films like wanting more, and wanting it to be longer, there’s not much to complain about. Sure, being an Iyashikei it can have slow parts. Or that the dialogue between characters can sound a little stilted and awkward at times, but that’s understandable given that Kiki’s an accurate depiction of a hormonal and confused teenage girl. I suppose aside from it being slow, the complaint I have with it has to do with the English dub. It’s not terrible, but it alters the personalities of character’s a bit. Namely Jiji, who I felt was, while still judgemental, was more elegant and concise in what they were saying in the original dub vs. the sub where he (and a few other characters) come off as more prude and brash. Not that it’s a bad thing, it’s a personal preference. This was the first anime film I’ve ever watched. Not that I recall much of what that experience was like as I was in diapers and barely a year old. Anyways, it goes without saying that this film is a classic in every sense of the word. Being a Ghibli film directed by Miyazaki, that goes without saying. But what exactly makes this film such a classic and is it without any flaws? In short, the combination of the film nailing what it’s like to be a teenager taking on your own for the first time and how it presents itself makes this film utterly timeless. The only gripe I have being the drawbacks of the English dub is hardly much of a criticism and is more of a nitpick. Watch this movie, if you aren’t at least cracking a smirk while holding a tear back while doing so, then you have no soul. img220(https://i.imgur.com/0QTl9wR.gif)~~~
# ~~~**Kiki’s Delivery Service**~~~
~~~ ━━━━━━━━ ꕤ ━━━━━━━━~~~
Jumping headfirst into another classic Studio Ghibli film, “[Kiki’s Delivery
Service](https://anilist.co/anime/512/Kikis-Delivery-Service/)". We’re transported to a less
fantastical world where the existence of magic resides solely in witches and to an inferior extent,
the world around them. Using common elements fixated in the real world, Miyazaki captures the realism
of big city vs rural life and the uncomfortable disconnect between the societal patterns of both.
Never failing to capture the parallels in human behavior as humankind has a tendency to lie on polar
rationalities. Being that some are more accepting of the differences one may hold and welcome the
change of pace to their daily lives and vice versa. Throughout “Kiki’s Delivery Service” we as the
audience witness the growth of character both literal and metaphorical as our titular young Witch
comes into her own.
~~~img350(https://media1.tenor.com/m/h7bv699ghgcAAAAC/kikis-delivery-service-ghibli.gif)~~~
~~~**Magical Realism**~~~
My favorite aspect of this movie is its ability to immerse a nonfiction and fictional reality into one
functional existence. Architectural structures from clock towers in bustling cities to simplistic
country residences found in more rural communities. Technological innovation such as planes, trains,
and automobiles subsist and take on a veritable form, unburdened by magical influence. The sole
state-of-being for witches within the story is to live for themselves. Unattached from the inner
mechanics of the world but rather taking on a lesser intrusive role as public servants. Be that a
fortune teller, potion crafter, or delivery woman, we see a few instances of the functions a witch
plays within the community they choose to occupy.
~~~img350(https://media1.tenor.com/m/FeOUQtKEZU0AAAAd/kikis-delivery-service-anime.gif)~~~
~~~**A Witches Training**~~~
A plot detail that struck me within the first quarter of the movie was this “Leaving the nest”
mentality. We frame Kiki’s departure from home as a short spat wherein she’ll be away for a singular
year to master her craft. However, prior to her less than stellar ascendance into the clear night sky,
a small and forgettable conversation transpires. The gist of which leads us to presume the mother
settled down in the town she’d descended to for training long ago, after meeting her husband. In
essence meaning she either never returned home for further training or did so and returned to the
place she’d grounded her roots in.
I don’t believe it’s too beyond the realm of reality to say Kiki and Tombo are boyfriend and
girlfriend by the end of our film. If not very very good friends I’m not shipping
them. Diving back into the topic of concern, it’s all but too coincidental that both her
and Jiji find romance and will debatably follow a similar path as the mother once had.
~~~img250(https://media1.tenor.com/m/Q_vqifnteowAAAAC/kikisdelivery-majonotakkyubin.gif)~~~
Kiki foreshadows this point when she and Jiji discuss postponing training for another month. The
argument being that Kiki might find a boyfriend during that allotted time and be further withheld from
her journey. This is especially prevalent as her main issue up until the latter half is believing that
“Being a witch is all she has”, honing in on one identifying trait, ultimately damaging her psyche.
~~~**Overcoming Insecurities**~~~
Throughout the straight-laced narrative “Kiki’s Delivery Service” follows, we grow with our ever
inquisitive lead as she plays femme fatale with her own emotions. Whether conscious of these lingering
doubts and subconscious thoughts, we all undertake a series of trials and tribulations to grow into
the mold we find ourselves in. Kiki is no different as she struggles with the highest highs and the
lowest lows of the inner self. Feeling overwhelming confidence and passion in her staple stamp as an
up-in-coming witch, garnering and mustering the courage to venture into the world beyond what she’s
known/ the training she’s received thus far. Oftentimes the crippling absoluteness of desire and the
distance needing traveled to our dreams becomes a roadblock in itself. Finding herself in an
unfamiliar place, allured by an accidental set of misfortunate circumstances. These factors present a
grim shadow of ambiguity / apprehension and sow the seed of reluctance, taking place where trust,
conviction, and the novelty of new tidings should be.
~~~img350(https://media1.tenor.com/m/kpTOIPhR2kEAAAAC/kikis-delivery-service-kiki.gif)~~~
By way of hiccups and road bumps, these unwelcomed realizations form an ostensible notion of failure
when in all actually it is the conception of personal improvement on oneself. Let bygones be bygones
and learn from the moments of disastrous maturation for there is a collateral beauty in the pain of
finding your own truth. On this winding road of turbulent emotions Kiki loses herself, a self held
within the fragile glass canon of idealism. This false ideal being that all she had was her heritage
and abilities as a witch, nothing more, nothing less.
So consumed by this plaguing thought, masquerading as one of her truths, fueling an internal monologue
of falsities, she loses her ability to fly. Mentally stalling herself via her damaged psyche Kiki must
remember what it means to be more than a cookie cutter, run of the mill, fit into a box type of
character. She has living, breathing emotions with aspirations to become something more, something
more than a witch, someone comfortable in their own skin.
~~~img350(https://media1.tenor.com/m/yltjYVWx89gAAAAC/miyazaki-animation.gif)~~~
Decompressing and stepping away from her daily life, Kiki eventually comes to terms with the self she
longs to be. Leading to our gradual moment of truth when she takes flight not on her mothers broom,
not on her own broom, but an old wooden sweeper. Proving that she doesn’t need the predominant
semblances of witchhood, she can do anything and more by setting her sights on what she wants.
~~~**Conclusion**~~~
~~~img350(https://media1.tenor.com/m/QGUzjSX0oB4AAAAC/laughing-laugh.gif)~~~
After ruminating on my feelings regarding “Kiki’s Delivery Service'', I’ve come to realize this movie
isn’t meant to be ostensively deep. Ghibli prides itself on the wonder and imagination it imbues into
it’s animations. The movie is a very straight arrow in terms of dialogue, meaning, and general
archetypal structure. A simple “coming of age” story wrapped up nicely in a bow about a young girl and
her journey of self doubt and the metamorphosis of adolescent adulthood. All in all it’s impossible
not to watch “Kiki’s Delivery Service'' without a smile shining on your face, so I urge anyone yet to
experience this Studio Ghibli film to make the time and get ready for a wonderfall of joy.