Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
"Majo no takkyûbin" (original title)

A young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service.

Director:

Hayao Miyazaki

Writers:

Eiko Kadono (novel), Hayao Miyazaki (screenplay)

Stars:

Minami Takayama, Rei Sakuma, Kappei Yamaguchi

4 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Minami Takayama	...	Kiki / Ursula (voice)
Rei Sakuma	...	Jiji (voice)
Kappei Yamaguchi	...	Tombo (voice)
Keiko Toda	...	Osono (voice)
Mieko Nobusawa	...	Kokiri, Kiki no haha (voice)
Kôichi Miura	...	Okino, Kiki no chichi (voice)
Haruko Kato	...	Rô-fujin (voice)
Hiroko Seki	...	Barsa (voice)
Yuriko Fuchizaki	...	Ketto (voice)
Kôichi Yamadera	...	Bakery worker, policeman (voice)
Kikuko Inoue	...	Beautiful designer girl (voice)
Yûko Kobayashi	...	Young sempai witch (voice)
Mika Doi	...	Ketto's mother (voice)
Takaya Hashi	...	Ketto's father (voice)
Chika Sakamoto	...	Baby (voice)

Storyline

This is the story of a young witch, named Kiki who is now thirteen years old. But she is still a little green and plenty headstrong, but also resourceful, imaginative, and determined. With her trusty wisp of a talking cat named Jiji by her side she's ready to take on the world, or at least the quaintly European seaside village she's chosen as her new home.

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Plot Keywords:

witch | talking cat | cat | broom | courier service | 

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Taglines:

I was feeling blue, but I'm better now.

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Family | Fantasy

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

29 July 1989 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Kiki's Delivery Service

Box Office

Budget:

JPY 800,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$735,603 (France) (2 April 2004)

Gross:

$735,603 (France) (2 April 2004)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nibariki, Nippon Television Network Corporation (NTV), Studio Ghibli

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ursula's painting is titled "The Ship Flying Over The Rainbow", and was painted by the students of a school for challenged children.

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Goofs

The four-engined biplane (more precisely, sesquiplane) that Kiki sees during the opening credits is a real aircraft, the Handley-Page HP42. Eight of these planes - the first four-engined aircraft ever built - were commissioned during the 1930s; later they were converted to military use, and all were destroyed by 1941. But since this movie - according to director Hayao Miyazaki - takes place in a world where World War II never happened, it's plausible that the HP42 would still be in civilian service.

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Quotes

Kiki: If I lose my magic, that means I've lost absolutely everything.

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Crazy Credits

In the Disney english version:In Memory of Phil Hartman 1948-1998

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Connections

Featured in The Art of 'Spirited Away' (2003)

User Reviews

fantastic.

i've only seen the dub, but I must say this movie is superb, fantastic, wonderful and worthy of all the praise it gets. it's heartfelt, funny, and all in all a wonderful movie. the plot, characters, everything about this movie is perfect. it makes me feel oh so good when i watch it. I honestly see nothing wrong with this movie, not a thing. it's quite possibly the greatest coming of age story ever. This movie is too damn good for a review written by me out of complete bordem, so i'll end it by saying if you can a copy, dub or subtitled, rent/buy/steal it. i don't think you'll be disaponited. So go on and get a copy before I beat you. GO NOW.