Film · 1989

Kiki’s Delivery Service

魔女の宅急便

Kiki rests in the grass with her red bow.

Kiki leaves home with her cat Jiji to train as a witch in a seaside town. She turns her ability to fly into a delivery business, but earning a living brings demands she has never faced. When self-doubt threatens her flying, she must find her footing in this unfamiliar place.

Young witches traditionally leave their families on a full-moon night to learn their craft. Kiki's move is an expected step into independence, even if she has little idea how it will work in practice. Jiji's company gives her somebody familiar to talk to while she begins making a life among strangers.

Kiki leans on a wooden window ledge with her hands folded while Jiji stands beside her. — Kiki’s plain witch’s dress, red bow and Jiji remain familiar as she finds a place in the new town. © 1989 Eiko Kadono/Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli, N

Miyazaki gave Kiki’s dark dress a meaning beyond witch tradition. In comments reproduced by Nippon TV, he described training as setting out in the plainest clothes, without dressing up, to find a place as oneself. Her recognisable bow and unadorned dress leave her looking young among the city’s new demands. Beside her, Jiji is a small, familiar presence in a world she still has to learn.

Standalone film · Approx. 102 min · one film

Hayao Miyazaki’s 1989 animated feature, released in Japan on 29 July 1989; excludes the live-action adaptation.

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