Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

As I backtrack over the wonderful animated films of Hayao Miyazaki, I am once again impressed with the his vision and the gentle message of the films he chooses to animate. I have yet to see a film created by Miyazaki that was not beautiful, engaging , full of meaning , and have characters that will live in your memory for many years. MAJO NO TAKKYUBIN is one of those films.

This particular movie is the one immediately following MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO, and it is unrelated to that story except for the gentle spirit of the animating director, Miyazaki. Hayao Miyazaki is much respected all over the world , because his films are so real, so personal and so essentially human that audiences everywhere respond to them with enthusiasm. The only common theme in all Miyazaki’s movies (that I have seen so far ) is magic, and a world which includes spirit, whether they are outside, externalized as characters in themselves, as they are in SPIRITED AWAY and MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO , or part of the human spirit, as it is in KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE.

I have been over this in other reviews, and I won’t make a big hairy deal of it here, but it irks me that this movie which aired in 1989 was only aired in the US in 1998, 9 years after its release. This DVD set, the subject of this review, was only released this year on April 15. Since we know that Phil Hartman was shot in 1998, even the dubbed version should have been available long before this. I also find myself wondering how much the story was changed by Pixar (Disney) when the DVD was prepared for release here, with a US version. I have watched the Japanese language version and the dubbed version, and I don't see any difference in the story, but the characters take on subtle personality changes, not always for the better.

I am grateful that it has been released. I am sorry it took so long. It doesn’t speak well for the distributor that it is so.

The three things that stand out in KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE are the characters, which are fully developed and intricately detailed, the story which is detailed and complex, but not hard to follow, and of course, the stunning animation. This is a film that children can easily watch and enjoy by themselves, but you wouldn’t want to miss it yourself.

The story was based on a book by Eiko Kadono, with Miyazaki assisting with the translation to screen play. For the American Version, John Semper ( CLASS ACT) and Jack Fletcher> (SPAWN) assisted. Fletcher also cast and directed the American “voices”. The plot is less complex than MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO, and far less complicated than PRINCESS MONONOKE or SPIRITED AWAY. But like these others, the girl is the hero, and the action is quite specific for the age group. I had at one time thought that Miyazaki’s Sturgess simply added on to the original fairly simple spirit theme, but I think instead that just different aspects of his vision are exposed and inspired by the stories he animates. I think his imagination is unlimited. I look forward to anything he may produce in the future. I hope they eventually release the CRIMSON PIG. It sounds like a different kind of movie than any of these others. .

ENGLISH VERSUS JAPANESE VERSION

If you hate to read subtitles , listening to the English version will at least feature some real actors in the roles. The late Phil Hartman does a slightly different personality of the cat, a slightly more sarcastic and arrogant quality, and Garafalo adds a good element to the character of Ursula making her seem stronger somehow.

However I still believe the movie was meant to be experiences with the rhythms and cadence of the Japanese language. The music for the Japanese movie is slightly better as well, taken as past of the whole score. The English songs are great, especially the lyrics, but the Japanese version sounds better.

THE ANIMATION and MUSIC

Miyazaki’s creation of a whole world in his animation , to the tiniest details makes anything that he does golden. The city Kiki chooses, Koriko, was researched on site in Sweden, and presents as a combination of Stockholm and Visby, and aspects of other European cities as well. An animated environment becomes a real home, a street has minute detail, and even the non-speaking characters have personality! This is true for any scene in the movie even if they don’t seem critical. For example there is one scene where Kiki’s cat comes in contact with a wonderful old dog. The dog does not ever “speak”, but he is a well defined personality nevertheless. The aerial shots of the earth are interesting , and in fact the entire creation of a parallel world is fascinating. That is a world of about the year 1955, where magic is everyday, and World war never occurred. The gestures and personalities of thirteen year olds (and there are several shown here) are also pretty interesting, since at 13 the levels of sophistication can be widely divergent, as they are shown to be in this movie.


The music is anther delightful lyrical score from the hand of Jo Hisaishi (SPIRITED AWAY) . The theme is one that I will now recognized instantly. It mixes stringed instruments with some oboes and other woodwind instruments with a circusy feel to a waltz rhythm, for the central theme. It is really wonderfully done. The American songs are nice, but commercial slick plug ins.

THE DVD SET

Includes the movie in both Japanese and English dubbed, a little interview section by the American voice actors, and an introduction by John Lassetter . These are standard now in Pixar/Ghibli ventures. What I found fascinating was the extra DVD which includes a full set of storyboards for the movie, (with sound) which runs nearly as long as the movie. I like seeing these beautifully rendered although not completely finished drawings, and consider it a privilege to be able to actually see what Miyazaki wanted from this movie.


THE PLOT

Kiki is 13. She has a familiar, a cat named Jiji. She lives in a world that looks much like our own, except occurring 50 years ago. At this time in this parallel world, there was magic and witches were respected members of communities. Obviously there had been no WWII . She is a young witch in a long line of witches. It is traditional for young witches to go out into the world for a year at that age, and develop some skills on their own.

Kiki chooses a beautiful night to go, and says good-bye to her family and friends , who we see all come out to see her off and wish her well . She takes off on her mother’s broom (hers was not yet safe). Kiki is not even sure what her special talent is, and even flying brings some surprises.

Kiki knows what kind of town she wants to live in, and when she sees Koriko , it seelms perfect. But the people are a little unfriendly, and Kiki has to learn some things. She already has some doubts, but her heart shows her the direction. She overhears that a woman left a bakery without her baby’s pacifier, and offers to take it to her. This brings her into contact with the bakery folk, Osuna and her husband.

Osuna likes the girl and suggests a delivery service, special delivery air mail, from the flying witch. And she offers her a room to stay in. In the course of delivering, Kiki comes to know several interesting people, including an artist who paints out in the country, and an older woman and her servant. If it were just the delivery service it would be good, but the fact that Kiki willingly helps people when they need it is the key to the heart of her magic. Kiki will have some self doubt to conquer. She will meet a boy, make some friends, have some adventures and learn some lessons about self confidence and the spirit within her.

A lot more happens in this story in this unique growing up picture. There are some wonderful characters in the story . Kiki herself is a terrific little witch.


CAST/CHARACTERS/PERFORMANCES

Kirsten Dunst/ Minami Takayama-as Kiki. This is our thirteen year old which who aside from her powers of magic, is pretty, reliable and obviously taught to be polite,. Both the Japanese and the English voice actresses work just fine for this character. It shows her at the start of the film, still very much a little girl, wanting her Daddy to swing her like he had done when she was a baby. Her home environment is warm, everyone is friendly. In her travels to the new city, she meets another witch in training, who makes her feel even less competent. And when she first shows up in the new city, she nearly causes an accident, and only one person is impressed , Tombo. It is only when she dooes something for someone else, that things vbegin to turn around.

Dunst was 17 at the time, and this was before she started hitting it bigh. The Japanese voice for this character was in her 30's.

Matthew Lawrence/Kappei Yamaguchi-as Tombo -this is a fourteen year old boy that likes our Kiki in a nicely adolescent, sweet way, and is not, like some of his friends, already into the partying aspect of being a teenager. He knows that Kiki is old fashioned and treats her with the utmost respect. Altogether a likable character, in both voices. Lawrence apparently started acting at one year of age in the DYNASTY TV series.

Janeane Garofalo/Minami Takayama- as Ursula-Interesting that it is the same Japanese actress that does Kiki, but with a substantially different voice! None of these Japanese girls are the high soprano sounds that get to be annoying in other anime offerings. The artist is the friend who helps Kiki rediscover her magic, by being her friend, and making her realize that her magic, like the painter’s art, must come from the inner spirit. I like Garofalo a lot in this role, because the no nonsense character fits her well.

Phil Hartman/ Rei Sakuma as Jiji. This is a wonderful character. The cat, although he does the same things in both versions, the voice is done by a female in the Japanese version, and it is cute rather than the sarcastic, realistic but still friendly voice of the character that Hartman portrays. I like the Japanese version marginally better. When Kiki loses her magic for a while, the cat reverts to Meowing. This character provides many of the chuckles for the film. Tragically, Phil Hartman was shot by his wife that year. His talent will be missed. Rei Sakuma has done many voices in Japanese animation, including some with the popular Gundam Wing series.


Tress MacNeil/Keido Toda as Osono. This is the character who is pregnant and runs the bakery with her all but silent husband. A lovely motherly character, she is done well by both actresses, and provides the nurturing that the 13 year old very much needs, despite being “on her own”. McNeill is an icon in the voice industry, for Disney for a long time, as well as doing voices for Babs Bunny, among others.

Debbie Reynolds/ Haruko Kato- The Matron-as the older woman who bakes a pie, with Kiki’s help, and who is another friend and customer. I didn’t recognize Reynolds in the hesitant aging voice, but the warmth did come through.

Edie McClurg/Hiroko Sekias Barsa, the servant for the Matron-This character is funny, in a subtle way. You need to watch her in the background as she plays with Kiki’s broom when the matron and the girl are talking. She also seems to be gigging about the televised blimp problems, making you wonder if she is all there. Well done, both voices.

OTHER CHARACTERS -I found the strong silent character of the husband/baker to be one of the most endearing of all the characters. He seems shy, and yet he does nice things for the girl, like baking her a sign for her delivery service, and waiting anxiously watching for her return on a stormy night. The fact that this was conveyed fully without dialog is one of the things you must love about Miyazaki’s films.
In addition, there is a snooty young witch, played by Debi Derryberry, and another character that is the epitome of 13 year old girl snottiness, who is a rival for the boy’s affections.


FINAL RECOMMENDATION

This is a fun film, less ethnically Japanese than most of the others that I have seen as animated by Hayao Miyazaki. But it is a tale that could be told anywhere. The thirteen year old could be any nationality, and her problems are universal.. What happens within this character is what must happen to all of us sooner or later. It is a charming story.


FOR OTHER ANIME REVIEWS I have posted:


MIYAZAKI

MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO
http://www.epinions.com/content_98467155588

PRINCESS MONONOKE
http://www.epinions.com/mvie-review-922-43A44A66-3A473749-prod3


TAKAHATA-

GRAVE OF THE FIRELFLIES

http://www.epinions.com/content_97416154756

Shouji MANGA SORCERER ON THE ROCKS

http://www.epinions.com/content_100179152516




Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8