Fly, Kiki, Fly! A Magical Lesson in Growing Up

• Movie Time
• Beautiful Films Every
  Kid Should Watch
• Released in 1989, Kiki's Delivery Service is one of Hayao Miyazaki's gentlest and most lovable coming-of-age films. It is about a young witch who leaves home, starts earning her own living and discovers that growing up means facing self-doubt as much as finding courage.
• With flying, friendship, kindness and a talking black cat thrown in, the film turns an ordinary teenage struggle into something
  quietly magical.

T hirteen-year-old Kiki is a young witch-in-training. According to tradition, when a witch turns thirteen, she must leave home and spend a year in a town where there is no other witch. Kiki sets off on her broomstick with her black cat, Jiji, and eventually arrives in the beautiful seaside city of Koriko.
But arriving is the easy part. Living independently is much harder.
Kiki has one useful magical talent: she can fly. So, instead of simply waiting for something wonderful to happen, she turns her ability into a small business - a delivery service. The kind-hearted baker Osono gives her a place to stay, and soon Kiki is flying around town delivering packages.
The deliveries introduce her to a colourful collection of people and situations. She meets Tombo, an enthusiastic boy fascinated by flying, and Ursula, an artist who lives alone in the forest. Most importantly, Kiki begins discovering what it means to be responsible for herself.
Then comes the film's most important twist: Kiki loses her ability to fly - and even her ability to understand Jiji.
This is not really a story about a witch losing her magic. It is a story about a teenager losing confidence in herself.
Kiki has become tired, lonely and overwhelmed by expectations. Her magical ability disappears precisely when she has begun doubting whether she is good enough. Ursula helps her understand that creative people sometimes lose their connection with what they love, and that the answer isn't to force it.
Eventually, when Tombo is in danger, Kiki's courage returns. She flies again - not because she has suddenly become more powerful, but because she has rediscovered herself.
That is the film's beautiful secret: growing up isn't about becoming completely independent. It is about learning when to stand alone and when to accept help.
How was the movie made?
Kiki's Delivery Service was adapted from Japanese children's author Eiko Kadono's 1985 novel. Studio Ghibli officially credits Hayao Miyazaki as producer, writer and director, with Joe Hisaishi composing the music. The film was released in Japan on July 29, 1989, and runs approximately 102 minutes.
Interestingly, Miyazaki was not originally supposed to direct it.
The project began with the idea of giving the film to younger members of the Ghibli team. Sunao Katabuchi was initially chosen as director. Miyazaki became involved as producer, but after becoming dissatisfied with the screenplay, he began rewriting it himself. Eventually, the project became so closely shaped by him that he took over as director. In a later interview, Miyazaki explained that he had initially thought it was a good project for younger staff, but eventually found himself writing and directing it.
The original novel was considerably lighter and more episodic. Miyazaki deliberately gave Kiki more serious emotional obstacles because he wanted the film to explore independence, loneliness and growing up more deeply.
Miyazaki also paid extraordinary attention to the ordinary world surrounding Kiki. He wanted the fictional city to feel as real as the characters. In an interview, he explained:
"The most important thing is for the viewers to perceive that the town and the room where Kiki lives exist as tangible entities."
The production team travelled to Sweden for visual research, and Koriko became a wonderfully convincing mixture of European architectural influences.
Miyazaki's larger intention was also very specific. He said the starting point was to tell stories about adolescent girls leaving rural environments for cities and encountering the realities of adult life. He wanted audiences to be able to empathise with those experiences.
That is why Kiki feels so different from many children's fantasy films. The magic is extraordinary; the problems are completely ordinary.
What should kids learn from
the movie?
Independence doesn't mean doing everything alone
Kiki leaves home, earns money and manages her own business. But Osono helps her, Ursula guides her and Tombo becomes her friend. The film teaches children that accepting help is not weakness.
Confidence can disappear - and return
Kiki doesn't become a failure simply because she temporarily loses her powers. Everyone experiences periods when they don't feel talented or confident. A bad phase does not define you.
Work can give you dignity
Kiki's delivery service isn't glamorous. She gets tired, makes mistakes and sometimes delivers things she doesn't even understand. But she learns responsibility, discipline and the satisfaction of being useful.
Kindness comes back in unexpected ways
Kiki helps people because she wants to be helpful, not because she expects rewards. In return, strangers become friends and a city gradually becomes home.
Growing up is not about losing your childhood
Kiki remains curious, imaginative and playful. Becoming responsible doesn't mean becoming dull. It means learning how to use your gifts responsibly.
Final Words
Perhaps the greatest achievement of Kiki's Delivery Service is simpler.
Kiki flies because she is a witch. She grows because she is human. And that is why, more than three decades later, her story still feels so warm, intimate and reassuring. Children see a magical adventure. Teenagers see themselves. Adults remember what it felt like to leave home, doubt themselves and slowly discover that they were capable after all. Sometimes, you don't need a grand battle to become a hero. Sometimes, you simply need to get back on the broom.

Interesting titbits

Kiki's Delivery Service became a major commercial success in Japan and was the highest-grossing Japanese film of 1989.
It also collected several significant awards. Among them were the Mainichi Film Award for Best Animation Film, the Japan Academy Film Prize Special Award, the Japan Academy Popularity Award, the Anime Grand Prix for Best Anime, and the Kinema Junpo Readers' Choice Award for Miyazaki as Japanese Film Director of the Year.
The Japanese title, Majo no Takkyubin, essentially means "Witch's Delivery Service." Interestingly, "Takkyubin" was associated with Yamato Transport's trademarked home-delivery service. Yamato eventually became a sponsor of the film - a wonderfully appropriate bit of real-life synergy.
And that famous black cat Jiji? The character is much more than a cute sidekick. His changing relationship with Kiki is part of the film's coming-of-age story.