Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
At the age of 13, witches traditionally spend a year away from their homes. Kiki, a young witch whose only magical ability is to fly on a broomstick, is eager to start her independent adventure. She dreams of a big city by the sea, and eventually finds one.
Like all Miyazaki's films I've seen,
Kiki's Delivery Service is charming and naive. It's a recipe that doesn't always work with me, but here it feels right. I like how Kiki's adventures are, for the most part, very mundane, and they don't involve monsters and mortal danger. It's just work, everyday life and trying to find one's place in a new city.
That cozy storytelling comes to an end towards the end, though. I hate the loss of powers twist in almost everything, and it certainly doesn't work this time. The same applies to the zeppelin accident and the whole hero's journey that's centered around the event. The film would have been better without that.
The characters are a little weird. I was never really annoyed by Kiki or Tombo, but they don't always come out as likable either. Kiki has her magical power, and at times I feel that her whole self-image is built around that superiority. Only becoming the hero of the city makes her able to fit in. Tombo is a bit cocky brat, and I can't help the feeling that he originally wanted Kiki as a trophy of a sort. Maybe they're a good fit for each other.
The first three-quarters of the film was good, but the final act did lots of things wrong for me. The animation is good, Japanese voice-acting is always top-notch, and supporting characters are rather fun, especially Jiji. I think this is my third Miyazaki, and it ranks in the middle of the pack. He certainly seems to have a strong vision, and I respect that even if it doesn't perfectly align with my tastes.