User Reviews

I used to believe that Anime was nothing but sex and violence -- stuff for grown-ups only. However, I take it back. And I owe it to this cute little gem called KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE that really turned me around for the better. It introduced me to arguably one of the greatest animators of all time, Hayao Miyazaki, who happens to be dubbed as the Walt Disney of Japan. Having since seen virtually ALL of his films, from THE CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO to SPIRITED AWAY (and eagerly awaiting HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE), I can see why he is such a highly acclaimed artist -- his works (and I mean every one of them) are a stroke of genius.

KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE may have been my first real exposure to Miyazaki, but this happens to be the director's fifth film, which was the highest grossing movie of its year in Japan. Adapted from a children's book by Eiko Kadono (recently released in America), the film is not a typical good-versus-evil conflicted, dysfunctional story but a gentle, character-driven story with endearing characters, beautiful artistry, and a strong, positive message about confidence and independence that are quite encouraging for all, from the youngest of children to the oldest at heart. (On a side note, it persuaded me to get some exercise! The "fat, fat, FAT!!!" line did it for me.) The story is about 13-year old Kiki, an adorable witch-in-training, who, on one moonlit night, leaves her hometown to seek her independence and fortune. She's accompanied by her wisecracking and hilarious pet black cat, Jiji, and a little wobbly when it comes to takeoffs and landings while maneuvering her broomstick. Kiki arrives at a luxurious town with an ocean view where she eventually finds work at a bakery run by the generous Osono and her silent, gruff husband. There, she starts a high-flying delivery service which opens up many new relationships for the budding witch -- including a friendly painter, Ursula, a kind old woman, Madame, and a boy named Tombo, who dreams of flying.

The above synopsis may sound dull, but KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE certainly is not. It is a joy to watch from start to finish as we see Kiki slowly grow up and learn to have faith in herself, especially when her powers begin to fade away toward the end of the movie. It's engrossing enough to keep one's attention and there are a number of tear-jerking moments that make it more than just a movie. This is a characteristic you'll only be able to find in Miyazaki, and KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE "delivers" a wonderful movie which shows that movies don't have to be about overcoming evil or action-packed or angst-ridden to be entertaining.

The movie was originally dubbed into English by Carl Macek of Streamline Pictures. I have not seen that version, but this Disney dub features an all-star cast who do a truly excellent job with their roles. Thirteen-year-old Kirsten Dunst is perfect as Kiki, eliciting just the right touch of cuteness, spunkiness, independence, and poignancy to her role. The other actors, which include Debbie Reynolds (Madame), Tress MacNeille - of Tiny Toons and Animaniacs fame - (Osono), Jeanane Garofolo (Ursula), and Matthew Lawrence (Tombo), give similarly superb performances. Of the actors, however, it is the late Phil Hartman's witty, sarcastic take on Jiji that steals the show. I understand that some folks were offended at Hartman's performance and added-in lines, but if you have no such issues, then this is only extra icing on the cake -- especially when he does it so well. I swear, I just cannot get enough laughs every time I hear his lines. "First, don't panic! Second, don't panic! And third, did I mention not to panic?!?" The opening and ending songs were replaced by two gorgeous, rollicking numbers from Sydney Forest, but even they seem to suit the story wonderfully. In fact, I find myself bouncing to them every time they pop up over the opening and closing credits of the show. For you purists, the Japanese language track features the original songs (though there is a continuous debate about the subtitles being inaccurate, that's a very minor complaint) and credit presentation.

All in all, KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE is a gem that should not be missed and deserves to be well-known in America as it is in Japan. I highly -- and I do mean VERY HIGHLY -- recommend it.

It is hard to find any faults with this film, which isn't surprising given that it was made by Hayao Miyazaki. The film is beautiful from start to finish and suitable for all ages; there is no violence or offensive language, there isn't even a villain. The only character that isn't nice is an ungrateful child.

While it might sound excessively sweet it never feels that way. Likewise the plot might sound a bit boring it is in fact utterly enchanting.

The film starts with Kiki leaving home with her cat Jiji for a year's witch training that must be done somewhere that there are no other witches. The problem for Kiki is that she can't cast spells or make potions, her only skill is being able to fly so when she gets to a city she starts up a delivery service. The film shows her delivering various items and making friends along the way in particular a baker who lends Kiki a spare room, Ursula, an artist and Tombo a boy who admires Kiki but whom she initially isn't too keen on.

Later on she begins to lose what skills she has and starts to worry that she will never get them back but when they are needed she finds she can fly once more.

This review is based on the Japanese version with English subtitles, as I've not watched the English dub I can't say if it is as good.

We want ourselves, even all children, to grow in this environment. Growth is not easy for everyone, will be frustrated, will doubt, will lose the original friends, such as Kiki 's cat left her, but in addition to personal self-adjustment and adaptation, growth A harmonious external environment is needed to tolerate this pain, so that the connection between individuals and society can be smoothly transitioned. From this perspective, Miyazaki portrays an ideal world for the growing people. This world seems to be able to tolerate all the setbacks and hardships ...

The misfortune of Hayao Miyazaki's "Kiki Delivery's Service" is its release the same year than Walt Disney's "Little Mermaid". Disney Renaissance wasn't definitely established and Miyazaki wasn't totally unknown, his "Nausicaa" and "My Neigbor Totoro" pleased both audiences and critics although their commercial success was notable at best, but there's something of a 'missed opportunity' in Kiki.

Indeed, everyone praised "Princess Mononoke" and "Spirited Away" as Miyazaki's greatest achievements but to put it simply, the 1989 offering of Stuido Ghibli is nothing short of masterful. It might not play in the same league of escapist fantasy than the story of a little mermaid who dreams to discover the world of humans, but this is a field Miyazaki isn't interested in. He doesn't explore a witch story to satisfy some enthusiastic craving for magic and special effects, his maturity flies over predictability. And what Miyazaki accomplishes is a little miracle: a witch story set in a realistic environment, with a set of rules and limitations Kiki must either obey or overcome, and fantasy as a set-up but not an excuse for plot contrivances.

"Kiki Delivery Service" can in fact be regarded as a reverse "Spirited Away". While the 2001 journey involved a 'normal' girl evolving in a fantasy universe, Kiki is a 13-year old trainee witch who must find her place in the real world. Her age is obviously a nod to adolescence (the most suitable life chapter for a coming-of-age story) where Kiki will fit in the tough 'normality' of the world and learn the value of hard work, independence and interactions with kids of her age, especially Tombo, a geeky little boy passionate about aviation and Kiki's flying skills. By the way, her magical broom is the only concession made to fantasy archetypes, otherwise, Kiki is as 'limited' and 'normal' than any girl.

And that's precisely what makes her evolution so captivating. Kiki looks like a living archetype with the broom, the black dress she must be wearing, not to mention the black cat, a funny little sidekick named Jiji, but at the same time, she has many 'average girl' attitudes, she hates her dress and wears a big pink bow as an accessory. She's not even your typical anguish outsider, she comes from a very loving family and everyone celebrates her departure from the village to discover the world, as a ritual for every witch at the age of 13. Miyazaki intended to make Kiki the embodiment of little Tokyo girls in transitional phase, looking for emancipation.

And it doesn't take a Harvard philosophy degree to see in her flying, less a magical power than a real metaphor of girls' emancipation over the burdens of tradition. It might even symbolize Miyazaki's own emancipation from the usual archetypes of animation as his story features no villain, it doesn't overplay the magical elements, Kiki doesn't go to some sorcerer's school à la Harry Potter, but she'll learn to accommodate her powers with a real place in the world by providing a delivery service for a gentle pregnant baker named Osono... and many other things. There's a mix of escapism and realism that could have been a real revolution if it wasn't for thunder-stealer Disney. Yet, the more I saw Kiki (four times in the same weekend) the more old- fashioned "Little Mermaid" appeared.

Indeed, Ariel starts as a girl who wants to get off the sea, but once she (literally) sets the foot in human world, her quest turns into a romance with Prince Eric. Kiki might be younger than Ariel, but what Miyazaki offers us is all the steps between childhood and youth: finding your path, your role, your place and gaining enough self-esteem to open yourself to people. The arrival in the city contains many interesting elements such as Kiki's enthusiasm being immediately spoiled by people's carelessness and a policeman's anger. But once Tombo approaches her, she's shown as capable of rejection and their relationship will take time to build.

And as usual in Miyazaki's world, like in all the anime I grew up, there are many scenes that (on a script level) shows nothing "special", scenes involving Kiki buying furniture, giving money, asking for receipt, scenes where she goes to the bathroom, scenes that have no other intent than setting the story in realistic world and highlighting the maturity of Ghibli studios over Disney, where even static moments are hypnotic. Time is also capital in the way it can affect Kiki's self-confidence and undermine her power. Miyazaki took liberties with the original story was made of little episodes and needed stronger ordeals for Kiki, and what worse for a witch than losing the ability to fly?

That moment is paralleled with a similar story that happened to her friend, a young painter named Ursula, who went through an artist block, and realized it helped her to put in more discipline in her work, to find herself, her voice and style. Losing the ability to fly and communicate with her cat will cause Kiki to lose confidence, but it will also help her to overcome her own personal demons and be able to fit within the others, by staying true to herself and in the process, save Tombo during the film's climax. And in this time where female power is evoked, it's interesting to note that the heroine is a female and she's the one who ends up saving the boy, I don't know if she was meant to be feminist but she genuinely is.

If there's ever a world I would associate with "Kiki Delivery Service", it's emancipation, Kiki discovering the world, overcoming her demons and Miyazaki showing that even in the most banal settings, he could draw the most beautiful and poetic stories, proving that Japan wasn't just the land of the rising sun but of a rising awareness of what animation should stand for: beautiful, mesmerizing but respecting people's intelligence, adults and kids.

KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE is another well-regarded classic from Japan's Studio Ghibli, the purveyors of the finest animation on Earth. This one tells the simple but oddly moving story of a 13 year old witch striving with responsibility and the need to grow up in a world largely devoid of magic. It reminds one of classic fantasy literature like that written by J.K. Rowling and Terry Pratchett, but is more refined and carefully-constructed than either of those authors. Truth be told, this is a simple story and one that's well told. Kiki herself has a depth of characterisation very rarely seen in this genre which makes this a worthy watch for kids and adults alike. I love the way the plot is grounded in reality and the magical elements are sparingly used. Kiki's relationship with her pet cat Jiji is very well portrayed and things build to a suitably grand and exciting disaster-fused climax. It's a film really worth watching in high definition, where the quality of the animation and in particular the colours are stunning.

Kiki, a teenage witch-in-training, has reached the age of 13. According to tradition, all witches of that age must leave home for one year, so that they can learn how to live on their own. Kiki, along with her talking cat Jiji, fly away to live in the seaside town of Koriko. After starting her own delivery service (using her broom as the delivery vehicle), Kiki must learn how to deal with her new life, especially after she loses the power to fly.

The movie overall is another fine example of Miyazaki's work and has a very strong message within it.

If you are looking for a really good studio ghibli movie to watch I highly recommend this.