Kiki's Delivery Service

8 reviews - 36.0 total score (Explanation of the rating system)
avg. score: (4.5)

8. Chris

Kiki's Delivery Service is one of the cuter movies I've ever seen, and it's actually the only rated G movie I own now! :-D Basically, the movie is about Kiki, who is a young witch. As is tradition, when witches reach a certain age, they must go live on their own and learn the ways of the world. All the story is really about is how Kiki grows and learns on her own, and it is fantastic. The dub acting is some of the best dubbing I've ever heard. Phil Hartman does a wonderful job as Jiji, and really helps make this movie for me. I highly recommend it to kids of all ages (4 to 84).

7. Marshal of Manga

Kiki has come of age, and it's time for her to test herself for a year away from home, where her ability to cope and survive may grant her the status of a fully matured witch.

She approaches a large city, where there are always opportunities for discovery, friendship, and of course, business (it's about a delivery service after all).

This title is as atmospheric as the medium through which Kiki flies, and the seemingly ordinary things that Kiki does sparkle with a magic and charm that matches Kiki's witchcraft and cuteness.

More than the importance of being independent and good-hearted, this anime is about seeing the goodness in people and giving oneself the inspiration to achieve what is at first ordinary, but which later blossoms into the extraordinary.

With music and animation that is on par with the best of Ghibli (which, on average, is breathtakingly good), this is great for bringing the family together, and extracting the best from everyone.

Verdict: A movie that makes you feel a better human being for experiencing it, Kiki's Delivery Service is like the aerial version of Whisper of the Heart.

6. Olmanek

If you've been a follower of Disney over the years you may have noticed that there has been, in the last 40 or so years, an entire lack of stories which really captivate, there is the occasional masterpiece but it's not like the original days of Disney where every film became a classic, but that can also be attributed to the fact that all they really did was animate already famous children stories. Studio Ghibli has a strength that I believe not even Disney had in its heyday, not to mention that all their stories are original works. Kiki's Delivery Service is just a beautiful, picturesque, magical, charming, idyllic, heart-warming, movie. just to use a few descriptions.

Our young witch Kiki is now 13 and when a witch turns 13 they have to go and live on their own for a year, if they wish to continue being a witch. She sets off on her broom with her black cat Jiji and after some fortunate accidents ends up in a town by the sea, and there you have the premise, it's simple, but allows for a lot.

The story is set in a clearly Italian environment, as I said a city by the sea, old wooden fishing ships, beautiful clock towers, stone cobbled streets, white stone walled houses, roofs of all olours and old fashioned cars and trams, it's just plain picturesque. The detail that goes into the scenery or rather background is something Ghibli prides itself on, and something which they take great care of, from the crashing and swaying of the waves, to the ivy crawling along the walls and the subtle sparkle in the lake, the carvings of the bark, the shapes of the clouds and the shadows of them rolling over the ground, even to the invisible wind and how the flowers bend, the amount of detail is something to behold, the scenery has it's own life-force, it's always stirring, which creates this wonderful spirited atmosphere. Even the still background scenery is something to behold, as it has all been painted, each and every scene looks exquisite, which makes just admiring the landscape an infinitely pleasant thing.

The extra characters, the towns-folk, are in their hundreds, and amazingly they are all constantly moving, none are ever stationary, and the fluid natural way Ghibli animates movement of any sort really makes this something to look out for. Joe Hisaishi, a personal favourite of mine, is responsible for the music in this movie, he has worked on various other Ghibli projects and other anime and movie projects over the years, the music is, I find, very fitting, adding extra layers to the scenes and situations and putting things into context. Just admiring the production qualities of this movie would be enough to consider it a masterpiece, but for me its real strength lies elsewhere.

There are no great conflicts in the story, Kiki comes to terms with her magic and herself and the town, there's not much action but it doesn't need it, it has plenty of magic and charm and beauty to make up for it, though I admit I was even cheering along near the end when there was a bit, plus, a lot of the simple things in the movie, feel nostalgic in an odd way, like remembering a childhood dream.

Despite all its technical strengths, the main reason I love this movie, is because it feels like a kids movie, and though so many spend so much time arguing that anime is not a kids thing, perhaps it should be remembered that children's movies are the one's most loved. This movie makes me feel like a child, and so I come to love it like a child would, if anyone remembers how it felt back when you were very little to watch your favourite movie, then you'd understand that there are very few things more enjoyable, and could understand why I think this movie is just perfect.

5. Yogi

This movie is extremely simplistic, a children’s movie. Yet, it has an air of charm and beauty to it which is very hard to describe. There is no real plot here, and just some minor conflicts throughout the show. The story if about the characters, their interactions with each other, and the quest of Kiki to grow up and come into her own. The atmosphere is perfect, combining aspects from various cultures and time periods into what feels like the perfect idyllic seaside town. It’s charming, it’s innocent, it’s not gut-wrenchingly cute or an insult to your intelligence, what more could you ask for?

4. Dreamer

Kiki is a little witch that has reached 13 and according to the rules, she must go in an adventure. Accompanied by her cat Jiji, she flew on her broom searching for a city to settle on and be dependent on her self... Studio Ghibli's and Hayao Miyazaki's anime always impressed me and this is no exception. Everything is gently saying it's beautiful.. the animation is always top notch and I have not seen such charming and vibrate colors like these. The story flows nicely throughout without any violence or extreme measures of other anime... Watch this anime as a break from other anime and you won't regret it a bit. One final note, if you want subtitles, you better get the International Japanese DVD because Disney won't release any Miyazaki's DVD with Japanese dialogue anymore.

3. weasl

A rare treat in the world of anime, Kiki's is a slow paced slice of life style anime that simply leaves you warm and fuzzy inside when it's all over. The story follows Kiki, a witch having come of age, must now venture out into the world in search of a city to live in. She arrives in a port town where she takes up a delivery service in order to better serve the people of the town, as well as to gain funds to live off of. The story has no real end goal though, with the majority of the time spent following Kiki as she makes her deliveries, and meets the townsfolk. The pacing is extremely well done throughout this however, so even with the lack of action or a griping storyline, I never became bored. As with most Studio Ghibli pieces, this is a classic of the genre.

2. bremmi

As with most Studio Ghibli titles, Kiki has become a classic that almost everyone enjoys. The movie involves Kiki, a young witch, who must set out on her own to establish her craft in a town away from her friends and family. But Kiki soon learns that we often take things for granted and only truly come to appreciate them when they're gone. What I like about this movie is that Kiki really has no conflict in her life except with herself - there aren't any monsters or demons chasing after her. This makes the movie very pleasant to watch and enjoy.

1. Tempy

Kiki's Delivery Service is another beautiful anime from Ghibli Studios. Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, Kiki's Delivery Service tells the story of Kiki, a young witch who, as tradition demands it, sets off on her own. She settles down in a large town and starts a delivery service in a bakery. The movie feels like a relaxing walk in the park, as most of the time we just follow Kiki around delivering stuff and interacting with other characters. There are various opportunities for more drama and conflict, yet the movie never goes that way, which is fine, as the character interaction is wonderful and lighthearted. There are no bad guys to defeat, no childhood traumas to overcome, but like walks in the parks, it's not the destination that counts, but the actual journey.