Of all of Hayao Miyazaki's films from Studio Ghibli, which one is his best? "Castle in the Sky?" "Spirited Away?" "Princess Mononoke?" There is no right answer, but I often hear people quote "Kiki's Delivery Service" as their personal favorite.... "Kiki's Delivery Service?" Really? Ok, that isn't fair. It's a great film, like all of Ghilbi's work. But it's also heavily grounded in reality. While it is technically about a young witch on a broomstick with a talking cat, I would really consider it a fantasy film. It is a coming-of-age story of Kiki learning to live on her own in a new town, composing herself at 13 years of age to be pleasent and friendly to strangers (most without magic abilities), and earning her keep at her first job to earn money for food and rent. It doesn't sound all that exciting on paper. But Miyazaki has a knack for making everyday chores seem engaging, and using a witch as a fish-out-of-water is a good device (the original story would be adapted multiple times after Ghibli's film as well). It was also a first Ghibli movie for many viewers, being one of the first that Disney would release for English audiences years after Japan. The story is straightforward, but it tends to continue on without any direction in particular. Kiki is eager to move out of her parents' home, as any teenager would, but just barely able to ride a broom off into the night. Her worrisome cat and familiar Jiji makes for a good conversation and comic relief, even if Kiki does sometimes tire of his whining. After initially having trouble fitting in to the new town she finds (it's a bustling European-inspired city at a time when automobiles and zepplins and all the rage), she finds a kind baker that agrees to rent her spare attic in exchange for help delivering some of her goods and assiting with the shop. Being able to ride a broom gives Kiki a unique advantage to delivering packages across town quickly, and so she sets up her business as the town's local parcel service. She has to learn how to deal with new work, scheduling herself, cleaning her own clothes and cooking, taking care of herself when sick, etc. You know, life. A handful of colorful characters Kiki meets give her some new perspectives on life, including Tombo, a local boy with a fascination for flight, trying to become friends with Kiki despite her intentions.
The film remains memorable because of the cast of characters. Otherwise, it is admirable for Kiki herself, a likable and hardworking girl that still has room to grow over the course of the movie. Keep in mind that the fact that she is a witch has very little to do with the story, and it could very easily be rewritten without that detail. But sometimes a story that rings true for us and remains ever relevant in its simple and realistic themes is important. While it can drag a little, it remains as timeless as ever because of those themes. Otherwise, this isn't Ghibli's best or worst production, still keeping impressive detail on animating even simple things, but on par with the films made in its early period. I rather enjoyed the English dub (there are technically two, but I refer to Disney's 1998 version), with Kristen Dunst and Phil Hartman doing a repsectable job as Kiki and Jiji respectively (I was surprised to read that Phil died in a marital dispute shortly after his role here). There isn't all that much to say about "Kiki's Delivery Service." It is undoubtably a classic, one of a handful of films that still sells plenty of Ghibli merchandise every year. Your personal taste will determine if it is your favorite. Even if it isn't, I would recommend it to my friends and family, knowing it could likely be theirs.