Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)

I’ve been missing the magic of a lighthearted, yet emotionally-impactful film for a while now. 

Reading other reviews, Kiki’s monetization of her magic causes it to disappear. Hmm. Selling out does seem to damage the purity of the subject, but how else could she have progressed in her new town? I was waiting to see when she would discover what type of witch she’d be (like that one who was good at fortunes that flew by on the way to the other town). This is a stretch, but if that one other young witch represents the future and her mother/the painter in the forest represent depictions of the past, maybe Kiki’s gift is being present. 

Ha. Gift = present. 

This film reminds me of a good friend of mine. She has a pure heart, wide-eyes wonder, an eagerness to help people, and even a cute bob cut. One day, I went to a local art shop to buy her a poster. They had one of Kiki flying high above the town she adopted. It reminded me of her, so I was about to purchase it - that is, until she walked in and saw what I was getting. I still bought it for her. She told me that the film represented “finding yourself.” I swore to watch it. 

I’m upset Jiji never spoke again, but I guess Miyazaki is prepping the youth on changes you have no choice but to accept. 🐈‍⬛