I hereby declare that I am on (another) mission to watch every Studio Ghibli film ever made. Hopefully I’ll be done by the time I get the chance to go to the Ghibli museum in Japan.
A while back, I wrote about my mission to watch every animated Disney film ever made which stems from my interest in animation. Another famous animation house is Studio Ghibli, best known for films like My Neighbour Totoro and Spirited Away. While I have seen most of the modern Disney movies, I have only seen one Studio Ghibli film, Spirited Away.
The reason why I wanted to start tackling this studio is because I visited the Studio Ghibli exhibition at the Art Science Museum last December. It was an exhibition showcasing scenes from a selection of their films. I had planned to watch the movies before going, but my plans fell through. The exhibition was mostly photo-ops, so it felt like a missed opportunity. I would probably have enjoyed it a lot more if I had seen the movies prior.
Review
Kiki’s Delivery Service is one of Studio Ghibli’s more popular works. It is a coming-of-age story about a witch who moves to a new town and starts up a delivery service.
The movie feels more like a ‘slice of life’ story rather than a plot-driven one. It follows Kiki, who turns 13 and moves to a new town as part of a growing-up tradition. She touches down in a bustling city, though not without running into some issues. Her arrival on a flying broomstick attracts the attention of a boy in the neighbourhood who is obsessed with aviation. She is taken in by a couple who own a bakery in exchange for helping out in the store. They encourage her to start a delivery service from their storefront. Kiki is navigating this new phase of life alongside her talking black cat Jiji.
The movie is warm and cosy, with a patience that modern movies often lack. The watercolour artwork is beautiful, rendering everyday scenes with a touch of nostalgia. It is a sweet and calming film about growing up that is suitable for all ages.
⚠️⚠️⚠️ SPOILER ALERT! ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Final Thoughts
It didn’t blow me away, but I think it’s something that I would watch when I need a comforting movie. My favourite character is either Jiji, or the random art student who lives in the forest.
The one thing that left me confused was why Jiji still wasn’t talking at the end of the movie even though Kiki’s flying powers were restored. I looked for answers online and netizens suspected that Jiji was an embodiment of Kiki’s inner self. After Kiki had fully grown-up, she didn’t need a talking cat anymore so Jiji stopped talking. What do you think?
Thanks for coming to film club! See you next time.
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Feature image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiki%27s_Delivery_Service