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Kiki, along with Castle in the Sky,
marks the first wave of the Studio Ghibli invasion into the UK, and
if anything was ever going to widen the appeal of anime in this country,
this is undoubtedly it.
Based on the children's book by Eiko Kadono and released in 1989,
the story follows the exploits of coming-of-age witch kiki (voiced
by a 13 year old Kirsten Dunst) and her first real steps into the
wider world. As a witch she is bound to leave her home in her 13th
year and find a place in the world where she can practice her craft.
Kiki's strength lies in the simplicity of its story - there are no
monsters, insurmountable obstacles or gunfights, just a beautiful
observation of the struggles we all make as we begin our ascent into
adulthood.
The story follows our heroine as she journeys away from her home and
into her new life in the city, where she deals with the new and unfamiliar,
something anyone watching can relate to. Joining her on this adventure
is her cat, Jiji (voiced by Phil Hartman of Simpson's fame) who injects
much of the comedic element, and his presence as Kiki's friend and
companion is reminiscent of Lyra's Pantalaimon in Phillip Pullman's
His Dark Materials trilogy.
In terms of production values, the screengrabs don't really do this
justice. Though the character designs are simple enough, the animation
is fluid and skilfully directed, especially the flight scenes. Even
the movement of the characters exudes a charm and expression of personality
that any Disney film would be proud of. The music is also of a high
quality - fans of the film will note that the original J-pop score
has been replaced by an American equivalent, but its still of a high
quality.
Of the 2 current releases by Buena Vista, this is by far my favourite.
The warmth and charm of the story make this a perfect winter treat
for the kids, setting the tone for a hearty Christmas and an optimistic
look forward to the new year.
9/10 - An absolute gem.
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If you want to find out more about Kiki's Delivery Service, the studio
behind it and their other releases, take a look at Miyazaki Movies
- we wrote it y'know ^_^