Out of Studio Ghibli’s vast catalogue, Kiki’s Delivery Service is near the top of my favorites list, and is the film I would recommend for anyone not familiar with Ghibli and might be wondering where to start. I think it strikes a good balance between the more whimsical stories and the more dramatic ones, not going too far in either direction, but having enough of each to be a well-rounded film.
Kiki herself is unsurprisingly one of my favorite Ghibli leads. She is determined and hard-working, but also charming and cute. As she tries to forge her own path in the world at age thirteen, you can’t help but want to see her succeed through all the ups and downs – literally and figuratively. Her cat Jiji is also a constant source of amusement.
For me, Kiki’s Delivery Service really reaffirmed its status on my latest rewatch, which was several years after the last time I saw it. I actually had emotional responses to several scenes of the film, which I don’t think even happened in the past. This was significant to me because lately many films (or shows) haven’t been able to draw those kinds of responses from me even when they have in the past. My emotions haven’t been completely closed off, after all!
And those are just a few of the reasons that Kiki’s Delivery Service will always hold a special place for me.
in the Wired 