Kiki's Delivery Service

Trust us, that's not a sign that the movie is boring.

It's one of our oldest customs that when a witch turns thirteen she has to leave home for a year to begin her training.

—Kiki's Mother

Kiki's Delivery Service (Majo no Takkyubin / 魔女の宅急便 in Japan) is a 1989 Hayao Miyazaki film from Studio Ghibli based rather loosely on an illustrated novel by Eiko Kadono. Kiki is a witch who has just recently turned 13, which means it's time for her to strike out on her own. Heading "south towards the ocean" she soon finds a town that does not yet have a resident witch of their own and tries to establish herself, only to be lost in the sights and wonders the big city has to offer. As she tries to cope with city life it's pretty clear that her witch powers still need some fine tuning. She quickly befriends a baker who temporarily employs her to make a delivery, which Kiki makes using the only power she has -- flight, via broom. Inspired by her initial success, she establishes an independent delivery service in the attic of the baker's shop. As time goes on and her business gains success, she continues to refine her magical skills and befriends a young boy from a local aviation enthusiasts' club. Despite the magical setting, however, Kiki's real adventures mainly revolve around the trials and tribulations of a normal adolescence.

The setting of Kiki's Delivery Service is intentionally ill-defined, a Europe where WWII apparently never happened that was inspired by Napoli, Lisbon, Stockholm and Paris. A very laid-back, Slice of Life animated movie, it nonetheless is thoroughly enjoyable and gorgeously executed -- and unlike many Slice of Life works, actually manages to have an exciting, action-packed climax at the end. It also depicts more people laughing out of sheer delight than any other film of recent memory.

This was Disney's first effort at localization, nearly 9 years after the movie first came out. They produced a dub with some celebrity voices (including Kirsten Dunst and Phil Hartman in his last voice acting role ever), with additional pieces of music (mostly piano solos, as provided by Paul Chihara). The opening and ending theme songs -- two iconic Japanese pop songs from the 1960s -- were also replaced for the dub with two "American pop"-style songs by Sydney Forest. This release of the film sold over a million copies on VHS and a later bilingual DVD was met with similar success, cementing the film's popularity in the U.S. A 2010 re-release of the film removed much of the ad-libbed Phil Hartman dialog (in particular, a controversial line added to the end of the film) and also reverted the musical track to the Japanese songs and music.

Interestingly, the film might have been never produced at all owing to Yamato Transport Co. Ltd's objection to the use of their copyrighted term "Takkyuubin" -- which Kadono had appropriated without permission -- along with their black cat trademark. (Takkyuubin was the term Yamato Transport coined for their guaranteed overnight delivery service and the logo is a black cat carrying a kitten.) Miyazaki cleverly solved the problem by convincing the company to sponsor the film. Presumably Yamato was pleased by the resulting bonanza of free publicity.

Another little-known fact is the alternate dub produced by Carl Macek and commissioned by Japan Airlines for in-flight entertainment. Unlike Macek's similar dub of Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro the Streamline Pictures version was never licensed for official release in the North American market. One last thing, the film's opening theme, "Rouge no Dengon" ("Lipstick Message") was later used in the 2022 film Suzume, in another scene of the main character travelling.

Tropes used in Kiki's Delivery Service include:

It's made by a company called "Studio Ghibli". Of course it's going to have Ghibli Hills.

All Witches Have Cats: All witches have a cat as a guide and mentor. Kiki's personal cat is the usual black variety. Played with in the sense that the ability to talk to cats represents childhood immaturity, and once Kiki has come of age, she loses the ability to talk to Jiji, as she no longer needs a helping hand while navigating the world.
All There in the Manual: Some things from the book--like why Kiki's mother hung bells in the trees around their house--are never explained in the film.
- When Kiki lifts off, she clumsily loses control of her broom and flies into the tree, ringing the bells. A neighbour on the ground remarks "I'm going to miss hearing those bells", indicating that because of Kiki's poor flying ability, she crashes into the bells a lot. This implies that the bells were put up so her parents could keep track of how many times she crashes into the tree. The novel confirms that the bells are put up to remind Kiki when she gets distracted on her broom.
- The name of the town Kiki settles in, Koriko, is never mentioned in the film itself.
Alpha Bitch/Spoiled Brat: Two of them, both with very brief screentime. The first one is a snobby older witch Kiki encounters while flying, and the other the rich grandaughter of Madame (who shows up in the credits sequence as a friend of Kiki and Tombo, so she presumably got better.)
- It is clear that the grandaughter isn't all that snobby at second sight. She doesn't protest when her friends compliment Kiki's independence and might share that sentiment with them too.
Alternative Foreign Theme Song: In Disney's original 1998 dub, the opening songs "Message of Rogue" and "Wrapped in Kindness" were replaced with the more American-style "Soaring" and "I'm Gonna Fly", respectively, the latter two composed by Sydney Forest.
Animal Jingoism: At first, Jiji is scared of the dog Jeff, but later on comes to like him.
Animal Talk: Jiji can talk to Kiki, but also to other cats, and birds.
Artistic License Biology: In one scene, Jiji is shown sweating. (Although cats do have sweat glands, they're mostly in the pads on their feet.)
As You Know: The opening scene features a conversation for the purposes of exposition between Kiki's mother and an older witch about how all witches have to leave home at the age of 13, to undergo a year of training on their own.
Author Appeal: Flying sequences, precipitous heights, the beautiful but thoroughly anachronistic Handley Page biplane airliner as well as young girls on their Coming of Age journey.
Babies Ever After: The ending of the film shows that Osono and her husband finally had her baby - and so did Jiji and his mate Lily.
Be Yourself: One of the central messages of the film. Kiki learns that her only talent (flying) is valuable, and can be used to the benefit of those around her. Although other witches may specalise in fortune telling or potion making, Kiki's talent of flying makes her special.
Book Ends: The story begins and ends with a scene in Kiki's parents' kitchen, and them receiving a message from Kiki. In the beginning, Kiki rushes into the kitchen and announces that she will be leaving for her Coming of Age journey. In the end, Kiki's dad receives a letter from Kiki, and reads it aloud.
Bowdlerise: Kiki's frustrated "I'll chop you to bits" got turned into "be a good broom."
- TV airings often omit Jiji's jocular speculation as to whether Kiki will model naked for the painting.
Bratty Teenage Daughter: Madame's granddaughter, who Kiki delivers a homemade pie to. She did not appreciate it very much, opting to complain about how it's wet and dripping as a result of Kiki rushing through the rain, before slamming the door shut in the face of a rather disappointed Kiki. Later, we do see her open up, as she comments that Kiki is impressive for working at her age.
Brick Joke: Kiki's mother is mixing a potion in the opening scene, which she neglects to watch and it explodes. At the end of the film, she's so distracted by Kiki's letter that the same thing happens.
Captain Crash: Kiki's piloting leaves something to desire when she first leaves home (see Cute Clumsy Girl). By the end of the film, she's become an expert flyer.
Cast of Snowflakes: All background characters look different from one another, the only exception being if they are so far away from the camera it's difficult to make out their facial features. Especially impressive in the scene where Kiki first arrives in Koriko, as well as during the climax, due to the sheer number of people which needs to be drawn. As a bonus, these people all go about their day to day lives instead of standing there for a shot. Although most extras are just walking, we can see some people shopping, and another closing a window.
Coming of Age Story: The entire plot of the film, mirrored in Kiki's daily life and especially her struggle to regain her powers after she loses them.
Creator Cameo: Miyazaki himself appears as an extra in the crowd near the end of the film, in the scene where the man who lent Kiki his broom points her out on TV. Because he's in the extreme top right corner, full-frame cropped releases have him chopped out.
Dawson Casting: Kiki was voiced by 41-year-old Lisa Michelson in the Streamline version. Oddly, her voice sounds identical to 16-year-old Kirsten Dunst, who played Kiki in the Disney version.
Death Glare: When Kiki first meets Tombo and finds him annoying. Later on, she and he become good friends.
Don't Think, Feel: The advice Ursula gives Kiki, which allows her to save the day at the end.
Drives Like Crazy: Or in Kiki's case, flies like crazy. (She gets better.)
Dub-Induced Plot Hole: For some strange reason, the old Streamline dub altered references to "coffee" to "hot cocoa." This creates a strange scene in which Kiki is asked about putting sugar in her cocoa. This is retained by the Disney subtitled version, which used the Streamline script (see the next trope), creating a sub-induced plothole as well.
Dubtitle: Before Disney came into the picture, there was a Streamline dub produced by Carl Macek for use on Japan Airlines. When Disney started localizing the movie for wide release, Ghibli actually gave them a copy of the script from the Streamline dub and they used it unaltered. A strange case where the dubtitles are from a completely different dub.
Fireman's Safety Net: At the big climatic rescue, the attending firefighters rush one under Kiki and Tombo so the kids can land safely.
Flying Broomstick: All witches can use brooms to fly. Witches can choose to craft their own broom, like what Kiki does. Her mother, however, convinces Kiki that her own broom should be used, as it is made by a more experienced witch. The broom eventually breaks and snaps in half, and Kiki has to craft a new one.
Foreign Looking Font: All of the signage in Koriko is in a Germanic-looking font that resembles blackletter, complete with tons of umlauts. It's not a real language, but the town is based on Stockholm, Sweden.
Free-Range Children: It's a Studio Ghibli film, so of course, and Exaggerated. When a witch turns thirteen, it is tradition that they leave their parents' house to settle in a new town for a year, using their magic to help the people around them. This means that a thirteen year old can fly hundreds of kilometers away from their own parents, and live unsupervised for extended periods of time.
Ghibli Hills: You know how the first thing in the film is the blue Vanity Plate with the Totoro and words that say "STUDIO GHIBLI"? Well, that's the very Trope Namer! Of course it's going to make it in one way or another. Prominent right outside the town of Koriko, starring ornate blades of grass and vast rolling hills.
Ghibli Plains: The film opens with Kiki lying on Ghibli Plains. They overlook a glittering lake, with soft wind blowing on grass, dancing flowers, and a busy buzzy bee. Kiki flies over some Plains on her way to the town Koriko at night time. They're also prominent in the fields surrounding Koriko, with wide open grassfields mixing in with Ghibli Hills.
A Girl And Her Cat: Kiki and Jiji.
Growing Up Sucks: Kiki loses her magic for a while (including the ability to talk to Jiji), as a part of growing up. While she eventually regains her powers of flight, she no longer can speak to Jiji, though as she has human friends now, she no longer needs Jiji in the same way anymore. The original US Disney dub added a line to the end of the film that showed Jiji talking to Kiki again, but the later re-release of the dub took this line back out to retain the original ending.
The Hecate Sisters: Kiki in her new life befriends and learns from a young artist, a mother-to-be, and an elderly lady. Given that Miyazaki studied enough Greek mythology to name a prior heroine Nausicaa, this is probably intentional (even though the trope does not occur in actual, genuine Greek myths, only in modern interpretations of them.)
Hero Stole My Bike: Or mop, since Kiki didn't have a broom handy. This occurs at the climax, where Tombo is hanging from the Spirit of Freedom. She finally finds a reason to fly, and asks for a broom. The owner initially refuses to give it to her, but Kiki takes it anyway. When the news announcement that Kiki saves Tombo comes, he remarks "That's my broom!"
The Law of Conservation of Detail: Averted through most of the film. It's the attention to detail, of things which don't matter but simply add realism, that elevates this past normal animation into a lifelike picture.
- There is a sequence depicting Kiki waking up and having to use the bathroom.
- There are many establishing shots showing the city of Koriko in motion and civilians going about their day to day duties, complete with a Cast of Snowflakes.
- As with other Ghibli productions, there are realistic lighting, clothing physics, hair physics, wind, water physics, steam, rain, and more.
Limited Wardrobe: Justified. Witches may only wear black once they start their training. (In the Disney version, this was changed to purple.) Kiki only has one dress for the entire film. She comments that "lilac would look prettier on me", but her mother assures her that the black dress is just as pretty.
Lying on a Hillside: The film opens with a scene where Kiki is laying on the grass outside with a radio. Bees are buzzing and flowers are swaying in the wind.
Magical Girl: Kiki's Delivery Service is probably the last thing that comes to any fan's mind when they hear the word "magical girl", but this is still a magical girl anime. Kiki is empowered with supernatural abilities (flight), and uses it to help the people around her. Along the way, she meets friends, her powers makes her life complicated, and she's a studio mandated Plucky Girl. She meets all the requirements for being a magical girl!
Moral Guardians: Concerned Women for America boycotted the movie during its 1998 US debut because the protagonist is a witch and witchcraft is evil, ignoring that it's a lighthearted family film about a young girl finding her way in life and that witchcraft only plays a minor role in the film.
Motorcycle on the Coast Road: A propeller-powered bicycle, actually. Passerbys laugh at the bicycle, but that doesn't stop Tombo from cycling at high speeds.
Nerd Glasses; Tombo has them.
No Antagonist: The film has no active antagonist - the source of conflict is Kiki's inner struggles with growing up. The film is also quite laid back until the climax, focusing on Slice of Life rather than an epic quest, invalidating the need for an antagonist.
No Flow in CGI: A minor example. In original concept sketches, Kiki has long hair. In the final product, Kiki's hair was cut much shorter so it is easier to animate. There's still hair and cloth physics. In fact, there's a lot of hair and cloth physics. It's just that there isn't as much physics as there should be.
Opposite Gender Protagonists: Kiki and Tombo start out disliking each other. Once Kiki saw who Tombo really was, she started to open up to him. Tombo has a passion for aviation, making Kiki a perfect friend, as her witch powers enable her to fly. The ending sequence shows them flying together; Tombo on the plane he built, and Kiki on her broomstick. These two, despite having great chemistry, never engage in romance, instead being Implied Love Interests and the film remains No Hugging, No Kissing.
Plucky Girl: Kiki's a poster child for this trope. She's a Miyazaki heroine, after all. It takes true talent to leave your parents by thirteen and settle into a brand new life.
Psychosomatic Superpower Outage: The crux of the film's conflict revolves around Kiki losing her witch powers. If she can't fly her broom, what's she to do?
Ravens and Crows: The birds that attack Kiki for getting too close to their nest. Later on, she meets Ursula and discovers the birds are tame.
Reclusive Artist: Ursula, who lives in a cabin in the woods. Subverting the trope, she's quite friendly and later visits Kiki in town.
Rule of Three: When Kiki almost crashes her broom into a train.

Jiji: All right, first: don't panic! Second: don't panic! And third: did I mention not to panic?

Scenery Porn: Wouldn't be Miyazaki without it.
Setting-Off Song: "Rouge No Dengon" ("Lipstick Message"), which plays over the radio when Kiki leaves her home and flies into the night.
She's Got Legs: When Ursula's friend gives a lift to her and Kiki, he jokes that he almost mistook her for a boy based on her outfit. She replies that boys don't have legs like hers.
Slice of Life: Both the movie and the novel, especially the latter. The movie is quite slow paced, and focuses more on mundane interactions than what would normally be expected from a work featuring witches.
Standard Snippet: An excerpt from "In the Hall of the Mountain King" plays during the bird chase.
Tactful Translation: When Kiki asks Jiji what the birds are saying about her after crashing into their nest, combined with You Do NOT Want to Know.
Take a Third Option: When Kiki arrives at Madame's house and her casserole isn't ready because her oven doesn't work. She offers to just pay Kiki for her trouble, but Kiki has the idea of using the woodstove to bake it, and delivers it on time.
Take My Hand: When Kiki rescues Tombo from the blimp, combined with Catch a Falling Star.
Talking to Themselves: Kiki and Ursula are both voiced by Minami Takayama in the Japanese version.
Title Drop: The sign outside the bakery that's put up to advertise Kiki's delivery service.
Tomboy and Girly Girl: Kiki and Ursula (who even has Tomboyish Sidetails).
Trailers Always Spoil: The American trailer showed the climax of the movie wherein Kiki saves Tombo after getting her powers back. But it's a Slice of Life, so is it really a spoiler?
The Voiceless: Osono's husband, the baker. The one line he has is to note the blimp outside, which is about to crash.
We Need a Distraction: Tombo rescuing Kiki from the traffic cop.
Where Are They Now? Epilogue: The ending credits show what happened with Tombo's aviator's club, Jiji and Lily, etc. in the immediate aftermath of the film.
Witch Species: Witchcraft appears to be inherited through the maternal line, and while it's normal for each town or city to have a resident witch (the film implies that there can only be one resident witch in a town), it's not universal. By the time of the film, many people seem surprised that witches still exist if the reaction to Kiki's arrival in Koriko is any indication.
- There doesn't seem to be any prejudice against witches. Kiki comes in for some catty remarks from muggles, but they're mostly about her unfashionable dress. In the end credits, a little girl walks by dressed in imitation of the new local heroine.
- Witches are honourable and use their abilities to create a positive impact in their community, instead of creatures who would make a Deal with the Devil.