Cast:
Minami Takayama (Kiki), Rei Sakuma (Jiji), Keiko Toda (Osono), Minami Takayama (Ursula), Kappei Yamaguchi (Tombo), Kōichi Yamadera (Fukuo), Mieko Nobusawa (Kokiri), Kōichi Miura (Okino), and Haruko Kato (Madame) Produced, Written and Directed by Hayao Miyazaki (#1111 - Spirited Away, #1233 - Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, #1480 - Castle in the Sky, and #1758 - My Neighbor Totoro)
Review:
In 1985, Eiko Kadono wrote a children's fantasy novel called Kiki's Delivery Service. The resulting success of the book inspired a film and eight further novels from Kadono over the next 35 years. When it came time for a film adaptation, Studio Ghibli had intended either Hayao Miyazaki or Isao Takahata to direct it, but each were busy with their own features (1988's My Neighbor Totoro and Grave of the Fireflies) for what would be their fourth feature film as a studio. Miyazaki accepted the role of producer while the studio looked for a new director, which he ended up choosing. With Nobuyuki Isshiki as intended script writer and Sunao Katabuchi as the picked director, the film was meant to be the latter's feature debut. However, Miyazaki felt the resulting script was dry and not what he envisioned of the film, and the result is that he would end up taking over as both writer and director (while Katabuchi would work as an assistant director on this film, he did not get his own chance to direct a feature until 2001). So yes, the film that Miyazaki intended to only produce that was meant to be an hour-long special instead ballooned into his project for a 102-minute feature. A live-action adaptation of the book came in 2014 (interesting to consider that the 25-year-old voice actress utilized in this film apparently outclassed a teenager of 17 from what I heard about the remake). Incidentally, the movie is distinctly different from the film, as the book was a series of episodic events happening around the title character, with no sort of crises to deal with. This was done because Miyazaki felt that since "movies always create a more realistic feeling", one needs stronger setbacks and loneliness for said title character. Kadono wasn't too keen on the changes, but she was finally persuaded to give her consent to the film when invited to see the studio.
Several cities were inspirations for Koriko, such as Napoli, Lisbon, Stockholm, Paris, San Francisco, and Visby, with the intent to make a location that looked like Europe in the 1950s if there weren't any World Wars, albeit one that wasn't simply easy to peg a year in. With that in mind, one gets a coming-of-age story where growing up isn't as easy as being a 13-year-old witch. In order to grow up, sometimes you have to go through compromises and challenges to get a new step of what you think you want to be. At least, that's what I get from it, since coming-of-age movies are in the eye of the beholder, depending on how one feels about making friends only to suddenly not be able to bear being with any of them. At any rate, Miyazaki knows what he wants to tell in a story of growing youth going through growing pains without resorting to pandering or narrative rug-pulling. It's not like the movie needs to dwell much on the mythology of witches beyond just having teens go forth on their journey with a task in mind (it plays to that old trick that magic is just magic, man). It is a warm and snappy film with mostly impeccable timing to carry the importance of independence alongside friendship with endearing characters. Miyazki surely has an eye for making whatever animated adventure he wants to show look as cinematic as it has to be, and it carries the film just as well when it comes to light pacing and nice-looking scenery. Takayama actually plays two roles: the kid witch and an older friend, which actually fooled me - take it as a compliment that she makes a pretty good voice for the title character with no phony notes and going with all charm. The characters in general are fairly charming, such as a chatty cat (for a time) or the varying reaction to a witch, whether on delivery or not. There's a good chunk of little sequences before the eventual conflict comes to a head, with the most interesting one being a friendly case of helping someone make a cake with an oven. The climax is graceful and fitting to the experience, fulfilling the circle of growing as a person that leaves things as they are meant to be: ongoing and on one's general terms.
Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.
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