Hello Internet, this is George Brian Harvey, otherwise know as ‘The Autistic Blogger’. Today’s post will be a review. Last time I took a look at Jacqueline Wilson’s book ‘Lily Alone’, and gave my thoughts on how well it presented issues like young carers and child neglect. This time I will be doing something similar. But instead of a book, I’ll be taking a look at a movie – more specifically an anime.
Japanese animation is one of the most creative and influential forms of media I’ve ever experienced. Ever since seeing ‘Spirited Away’ I’ve been hooked on the way they tell unique stories and express universal morals with their narratives. There’s nothing I like more than watching an English dub of a Japanese movie, or TV series, to learn valuable lessons, and get inspiration for my own writing. Here are my thoughts on one of the best movies, created by one of the best anime companies in existence. Enjoy:
Of all the Studio Ghibli films out there, this one is a personal favourite of mine. Not only is ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’ a beautiful piece of animation with a charming and heartfelt story, but it’s messages of independence, and maturity, are very influential to people both young and old. In fact, critics consider this one of Hayao Miyazaki’s greatest works. It was the highest-grossing Japanese film of 1989 and one of only three Studio Ghibli films to receive a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes (the other two being ‘Only Yesterday’ and ‘The Tale of Princess Kaguya’). So what is it about this spin on the fantasy of witches that makes it an animated classic. Let’s start with the story.
The story is about Kiki, a 13-year-old witch, who leaves home to live alone for a year as part of her training. Along with her talking black cat Jiji, she arrives in Kiriko, a city by the sea, where she decides to stay and become the local witch. After a shaky start, she befriends a friendly baker named Osono and decides to start a flying delivery service to earn a living (since flying is all she can really to do). Along the way, she makes new friends and comes to learn more about who she is as person.
As mentioned above, the story emphasises a lot on independence and maturity, and it’s what I love most about the film. From the very beginning, we’re taken on a personal journey with Kiki, which allows us to see just how she develops from a child into adulthood. The opening has her (literally and figuratively) flying the nest, and leaving the comfort of her family and friends behind. In her early days, she struggles to find her feet, since she’s inexperienced of how the world works. But with the help of some friendly people, she’s able to find accommodation and even works a job to support herself. After that Kiki takes control of her life by starting her own business and getting to know more about the people she encounters – she even comes to like people she was initially hateful or cautious towards. There are still mistakes she makes along the way, but they’re all a part of the learning-curb, which helps her to grow as a person. The best part is, she’s not alone. In moments of self-doubt she has friends to support her every step of the way – just like somebody would in real life.
Because of the overall theme of growth and independence, ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’ appeals to all audiences. Teenagers and adults can relate to Kiki’s experiences, because they’ve all gone through similar issues at some point in their own lives. And children can enjoy the film, whilst being taught the values of independence. In fact, that’s what makes ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’ so great as a children’s movie: kids everywhere can learn from Kiki’s example and see her as a role model for their own personal development. There’s even a scene in the end credits where Kiki spots a little girl walking by with her mother and she’s dressed up like Kiki – broom and all. If that’s not a sign of a true role model, I don’t know what is.
Kiki is yet another example of a strong female lead in a Studio Ghibli feature. She’s relatable by how she acts like a typical teenage girl (e.g. wishing she had prettier clothes and disliking boys), but she also has a strong desire to take command of her own life and be independent without becoming rebellious. This makes her similar to other Ghibli heroines like Chihiro, San and Nausicaa (‘Spirited Away’, ‘Princess Mononoke’ and ‘Valley of the Wind’, respectively). Plus, Jiji is a lovable side-kick, who’s always a pleasure to listen to because of how funny he is.
Speaking of Jiji, he actually represents the immature side of Kiki in the film. Think about it: he’s Kiki’s one true connection to her life back home, where things were always easy for her; he’s less enthusiastic about Kiki going on her journey and even tries to discourage her from leaving home early or staying in Kiriko. Plus, although he makes snide remarks, he’s really the one person/pet Kiki can speak to at first. It’s only later that Kiki makes new friends and so needs Jiji, and the comfort of home, less and less. In fact, this is represented perfectly through a major event in the story (spoiler alert). At one point Kiki loses her ability to speak to Jiji, so he just sounds like a regular cat. In the original (Japanese) dub this loss is permanent and Kiki never understands Jiji again. Some people might find that upsetting, but since Jiji represents the immature side of Kiki, the message by the end of the film is that Kiki has matured beyond the need to speak to her cat. The English dub did change this slightly by adding a line at the end that implies Kiki is once again able to understand Jiji – they obviously wanted to keep things happy for the kids.
Another thing worth mentioning about this film is some of the actors who took part in it. Many of them have voiced characters in other Studio Ghibli films, including Pamela Adlon, Tress MacNeille and Debi Derryberry. But the most recognisable voices, in my opinion, are Kirsten Dunst as Kiki and Phil Hartman as Jiji. Sadly, this was one of Hartman’s last voice roles before his death in 1998. Along with ‘Small Soldiers’ (another movie staring Kirsten Dunst) and 1998’s ‘Buster & Chauncey’s Silent Night’, this film was dedicated to him.
In addition to the message of independence, there are a couple of other reasons I like this film, too. In several parts of the story, Kiki encounters a young, amateur painter named Ursula, who teaches her about motivation and self-confidence. She explains how there are days when she could paint all day until she “fell asleep right at [her] easel,” but other days when she couldn’t draw anything at all. She tells Kiki that whenever days like this occur, it’s important to just take a break, enjoy yourself and not think about the problem. It’s no use trying to force yourself to do better, as that will just cause you self-doubt and make you hate the thing you once loved. It’s all about finding the right inspiration. Once you’ve taken the time to discover what your purpose for working really is, you’ll come to love it even more and be able to return to it with more energy and motivation than you ever did before. I find this so enlightening as an amateur writer that whenever I get writer’s block I watch this film – and ‘Whisper of the Heart’ (1995) – to get my confidence back.
Another good thing about the story is its unique twist on the genre. Usually stories involving witches are dark tales that either have wicked women trying to cause harm to others, or misunderstood characters who are feared and hated because of what they are. In ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’, however, it’s clear that the characters live in a world where people gladly accept the existence of witches and see them for the good people they are. This ultimately makes the story more child-friendly and keeps the focus on Kiki as a person, rather than a witch.
In conclusion, ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’ is a Studio Ghibli film I would honestly recommend to everyone. The messages behind its narrative are some of the most influential I’ve ever experienced, and they’re something anybody can understand and relate to. With everything I’ve had to say you can tell just how passionate I am about this movie. It’s truly a masterpiece of Japanese animation that’s up there with the likes of ‘Spirited Away’ (2001) and ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ (2004).
If you enjoyed this review, then please check out some of the other things I’ve written for this blog. Leave me a comment to let me know what you think, or ask any questions. And keep an eye out for the next post Plus, you can follow the link below to my Amazon page to see some of the other things I’ve reviewed over the years. I hope you enjoy them. Stay tuned.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/pdp/profile/A2AR00PMKLC1TG/ref=cm_cr_dp_pdp
(Image courtesy of: http://collider.com/shimizu-takashi-kikis-delivery-service/)
The Autistic Blogger 