KiKi’s Delivery Service

So… I don’t watch a lot of movies anymore. I used to, quite a lot! I loved the Transformers movies as a kid, same thing with the first three Pirates of the Carribean films.

But I’m not a big movie person (with a few exceptions).

KiKi and JiJi at the bread shop they spend most of the film in. Credit to Studio Ghibli.

With that in mind, I’ve never seen a Studio Ghibli movie before. I’d heard about bits of some; i.e. Princess Mononoke and Howl’s Moving Castle.

So, with all that in mind… I watched my first Ghibli movie: KiKi’s Delivery Service.

I wasn’t going in with any expectations. I didn’t expect a good move, nor a bad one. I didn’t expect to love it or hate it, but I wanted to see it for myself. I love this movie. It’s a charming, sweet, heart-pulling movie with a bittersweet story and an adorable cast.

A young witch goes out on her growing-up adventure, far away from her little hometown. Her only company is JiJi, a black cat she regularly chats with.

KiKi and JiJi are by far the highlights. While far from the only lovable or memorable characters in the movie, they stuck with me longest. These two make the movie so memorable to me, and the movie’s overall message about growing up and becoming an adult hit painfully close to home. With that in mind, it also made me realize something else: it’s okay to keep your inner child alive too.

It’s important to never lose it, to keep that light alive. We all grow up. We all change, but it’s okay to be a kid sometimes too.

Never let anyone else tell you otherwise. This life is a wild one. Sometimes it’s wonderful and amazing, other times it’s cruel and hurtful. But regardless of how life is for you now, or where you feel you are within it, hold onto that inner spark. Anyone can rekindle it. Just don’t let the world dull your shine.

Our two protagonists at the beginning of their journey. Credit to Studio Ghibli.

In any case, KiKi’s is a wonderful movie, and I hold it very dear to my heart now. Give it a watch when you can!