Kiki's Delivery Service Recommended

Director
Hayao Miyazaki
Production
Nippon TV, Studio Ghibli, Tokuma Shoten
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Film
Running time
102 mins
Year
1989

Kiki's Delivery Service

By Adam Cook
19th May 04

Released in 1989, Kiki's Delivery Service was the third feature film to be produced by Hayao Miyazaki under the Studio Ghibli banner. The movie is based on the children's literature written by Eiko Kadono and tells the story of a young witch (Kiki) who after reaching the age of 13 must leave her home for a year to gain independence and greater knowledge in witchcraft. Her travelling companion is her cynical black cat called Jiji. They set off searching for the ideal location to call home and settle in a seaside town called Koriko where they make new friends with a baker, an artist and a young aviation enthusiast by the name of Tombo.

At the core of Kiki's Delivery Service is the journey that everyone takes into becoming an adult. The way in which this journey manifests itself in the movie is by the means of Kiki starting up her own delivery service (hence the title) and the way in which her character grows after each delivery is completed. This concept of character growth being represented through hard work is later explored in Miyazaki's other movie Spirited Away and the idea of youth partaking in hard tasks is clearly important for Miyazaki to express. Kiki is a young teenager and the film perfectly captures the mood of being that age. The desire to gain greater independence whilst also fearing possible change, the concerns of finding somewhere to fit in, and the immense boredom that can occur at that age (even if you have magical abilities). This is possibly the films greatest asset. The spirit of being a teenager is delicately realised albeit that we see it manifest itself in a girl that possesses a very unique gift.
Relationships in the film are formed and some slightly weakened by the characters transition and growth. Whilst Kiki grows closer to Tombo and the bakery owner Osono, her relationship with her long time friend Jiji is strained. At the beginning of the film Kiki has the ability to understand what her cat is saying, but as the film progresses they drift apart and the communication breaks down. This is a lovely way to show how, in this time of transition new friends can be made, but the relationship you have with older friends may not always be the same.
What separates this film from most other movies is the fact that very little happens. There are no antagonists in the film; the conflict arises from the inner struggle that Kiki faces and her transition towards adult hood. Equally, barring the end scene, there is very little action to speak of. The film is much more interested in focussing on the characters rather than providing numerous action sequences. Some people will prefer this refreshing view, yet others may easily be bored by the lack of obvious action. I am caught between the two however. Whilst the film is refreshing to watch, and the characters development is fulfilling, the slow paced nature of the story is on occasion boring. Whilst it captures the feeling of immense boredom that teenagers can go through I am unsure if that is particularly enjoyable to watch.
The fact the film places a great emphasis on the everyday scenarios that people can go through the audience feels greater empathy for Kiki. Barring her ability to fly, she is like any other girl of that age. This is a very effective way in getting an audience to care about the characters they are watching and the film manages to pull this off perfectly.

My reviews of Miyazaki's films probably gets a little dull when I get to the animation as I constantly praise his work, and this film is no different. Kiki's Delivery Service is perhaps one of his most normal movies. The setting and the characters are very ordinary and familiar. Jiji the talking cat is the only odd character, and even his design stays faithful to the looks of an ordinary feline. It is this familiarity that makes Kiki's Delivery Service the most accessible Miyazaki movie as the audience does not have to contend with a bombardment of strange characters. The visuals are very impressive throughout, from the opening shot of Kiki lying in a field with the breeze blowing individual blades of grass, to the sense of scale as she flies high above her new home. All these elements are captured perfectly. The city itself is reminiscent of a number of European cities from Paris, Rome and Amsterdam. This European feel is extended to the dress of the characters and the cars that they drive. The setting appears to be an alternative 1950's with black and white TV, old Citroen cars and the use of airships as a means of air travel.
The colours throughout the film are vibrant and bring back memories of summer holidays. In fact the city of Koriko is reminiscent of seaside holiday destinations. There are very few dark moments in the film. The occasional change in mood is often signalled by a change in the weather and the introduction of torrential rain and storms. This is a good signal that Kiki's character is facing a challenge.

The musical score is an eclectic mix of traditional film scores and accordion music that resembles a more Parisian style. The opening song is a popular 1970's Yumi Arai song, although I believe the English dub has a different song. Like all of Joe Hisaishi's scores, they accompany the images rather than stand out. He seems to understand that music is not separate to the images but is an integral part in aiding the visuals to tell the story.

Kiki's Delivery Service is a slow moving yet touching movie that captures the sense of adolescence. The film can at times become tedious to watch as there is very little that happens, but it is the sort of film that gets under your skin and is very successful at making the audience feel for the characters. It is an enjoyable film that whilst not as good as other Studio Ghibli films, should still be recognised as an entertaining and heart warming family movie.

-- Adam Cook 19th May 04

Kiki's Delivery Service Images