After seeing Spirited Away when I was 10, Kiki’s Delivery Service was the first Ghibli movie I saw as an adult. Watching it again, about two years later, confirmed that it is still one of my favorite films. What’s not to love about this movie? Well, a couple things, but Kiki’s Delivery Service is like Breath of the Wild: both have some flaws, but everything that isn’t a flaw is so dang amazing that you really just forget about the flaws, which weren’t even really that bad in the first place.
THE GOOD I know I’ve said that basically every Ghibli movie I’ve reviewed is beautiful, but guys? This one’s really, really, really beautiful. And adorable, which is a distinct but also important quality. I would be happy to have basically any frame of this movie blown up and hung on the wall of my house. |
I also love the people in this movie. It’s funny, because not every character is likeable; in particular, the people to whom Kiki makes deliveries can kind of be jerks about it. But the characters who are likeable leave an impression; the old woman’s slightly creepy maid in particular is one of my favorite side characters in all of Studio Ghibli’s films. Kiki’s mom and dad are also fun characters—her mom in particular is a great example of how to fold exposition smoothly into a story.
THE BAD The voice acting in general is great, but the voice of Jiji, the cat, is a bit off. I think they leaned too hard into the snarky-ness? It could also just be too nasal. There are a couple of lines that he absolutely nails, but overall it’s a little disappointing. Kiki's Delivery Service could also benefit from a greater sense of Kiki losing her powers over time. Kiki’s Delivery Service, like many Ghibli films before it, suffers just a little from an indistinct narrative arc, and having the connection between her powers and her inspiration as more of a recurring element throughout the movie could have helped. THE THING I FOUND INTERESTING WATCHING IT A SECOND TIME “Kiki, where are we going to stay tonight?” Kiki’s Delivery Service is a remarkable children’s film in which the young heroine’s struggle isn’t with saving the world or falling in love, but simply with making ends meet and finding fulfillment as a working artist. |
“A working artist, you say? But it’s right there in the title that she runs a delivery service.” Sure, but the film is pretty explicit about Kiki’s magic being a metaphor for artistic inspiration. And by pretty explicit, I mean it just comes right out and literally has a character say “Yes! They are the same!”
What struck me the most this time around was Jiji’s line above. With 99% of his dialogue being pumped full of sarcasm, his quiet, honest question to Kiki — and Kiki’s lack of an answer — is more than a little heartbreaking. I’ve never had to ask this question, and seeing a little girl not only have to answer it, but be asked it by someone she’s responsible for … it’s not typical children’s movie fare. Throughout the movie, Kiki’s primary challenges relate to providing for herself and Jiji. She buys food and kitchenware for herself, comments on how expensive they are, looks longingly at pretty dresses she can’t afford, and literally works herself sick. She also struggles with losing her motivation when something she once did because she loved it becomes a rote work activity. However, this movie is even more remarkable for including all this and still remaining upbeat and optimistic. Kiki is taken in by the nicest baker in the world and finds good clients, and even makes friends in what seemed like an unfriendly city. The message to children (and adults) is that making a living and chasing your dreams is hard, but doable and rewarding. I can imagine this film preparing children for inevitable challenges in life, like living with a strict budget, being alone in a new town, or losing the inspiration that once drove you. If a kid sees this movie and believes that they can take on those challenges with Kiki’s passion and gumption, I don’t know what more a movie could ask for. Alternate Titles:
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