The Ghibli Novice: Kiki's Delivery Service

Sometime back, I asked friends to ask me about movies and I'd tell you if I had seen them or not. Among the list of things I hadn't seen was the catalog of Studio Ghibli, a Japanese animation studio specializing in traditional animation. The films are noted for good design and fluid motion.

With the launch of HBO Max, who offer the catalog, I decided it was time to check it out. Kiki's Delivery Service was not their first film, but I watched it first as I'd been curious about it, plus a number of friends highlighted it as a favorite.

Kiki is a young witch. For her, magic exists in a matter of fact fashion: she can fly on a broom and talk to her cat Jiji. This is really the extent of her magic powers we see in the film.

The film begins as Kiki leaves her family at age thirteen to begin a life in a city. While the people are surprised to see a witch flying around, they don't seem to be afraid of her. When a woman leaves a pacifier for her baby at a bakery, Kiki delivers it to return it. The owner of the bakery suggests Kiki begin a delivery service on her broom and offers her room and board if she minds the bakery every now and then.

During Kiki's time in the city, she makes several friends, including a boy named Tombo who she develops feelings for. One day, she finds herself unable to speak to Jiji and unable to fly her broom. What is blocking Kiki's magic?

The story is about Kiki maturing. In the beginning, she is very reactive. It is not her idea to begin the delivery service, it's suggested to her. Her service of course is a reaction to what people want. Towards the end of the film, we see her acting proactively. It's a deceptively simple story that actually has a lot of character development going on.

Anyway, yeah, I found it a good movie. It does a lot of things you don't expect to see in other animated films like taking longer on visual scenes, which are wonderfully designed and animated.