Kiki' Delivery Service
Year: 1989
Country: Japan
I am slowly trying to catch up with the
work of the great Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki. I have been quite delinquent
in this because for the most part I am not fan of the genre though more so
as I see more of it. Thus far I have seen My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke,
Howl's Moving Castle and now Kiki. All of them have been terrific.
Kiki feels much more targeted at children
then the other three with a very gentle sweet nostalgic look at growing up.
Not a lot happens until the last 15 minutes but it is so soothing that you
can almost feel the wind blowing through your hair. The animation is of course
first rate with lovely touches along the way. I hate the style of current
American animation so this just feels so refreshing.
Kiki is a witch who has arrived at the
age of 13. In this world witches are unusual but not looked at negatively.
They have skills and earn a living just like everyone else. But at 13 witches
are expected to leave their family's and find a town to live. So Kiki takes
her broom and goes looking for a town where a witch can make a living and
she and her black cat Gi Gi find a lovely town by the ocean and try to settle
down. It isn't easy fitting in or making friend but she sets up a Delivery
Service and goes through emotional ups and downs. Nothing as dramatic or
action based or just plain weird as the other three but it is a delectable
tale of life and friendship in a small town.
Rating: 7.5
