Kiki's Delivery Service
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Movie Reviews of Kiki's Delivery Service
Movie Review: A review NOT written by an anime fan
Summary: 5 Stars
Okay I'll admit it. I've never really been into anime. Although I recognize it as a good form of art and I often admire some of the illustrations I've seen, it's just never been my thing. TV series such as Pokemon just make me roll my eyes and I find the more adult-oriented programs to be a bit too violent. Since I had never really liked the anime I've been exposed to, I thought that I wouldn't be into any kind of anime. Kiki's delivery service proved this little theory wrong. Kiki is a witch and like all witches, at 13 she decides to leave home and create a life for herself using her magic. Unfortunately things don't go as smoothly as she plans. When it comes to flying on her broom she's not too good at landings and takeoffs. People aren't all that accepting of witches away from home. And she doesn't have any real special talents as a witch, besides of course flying. Still she had her little black cat Jiji, are going to hit it big. She comes up with the idea of creating a delivery service where she will fly deliveries on her broom. This of course is easier said then done. And as she fumbles through her delivers Kiki faces other problems. She's dealing with her first crush on a unique boy named Tombo that lives in the city she's come to. And she's also dealing with the fact that, as a witch, she doesn't really fit in with the rest of the kids her age. What will happen to Kiki?
I've always been a fan of kids movies and I found Kiki's delivery service to be great. The idea is original and I wouldn't be surprised if it was one of the things that inspired JK Rowling to create the wizard phenomenon, Quidditch. The characters are all very amusing, especially Jiji the black cat. I'm not sure if I will ever really get into anime, like I said it's not really my thing, but I wouldn't say no to seeing another film by this talented director Hayao Miyazaki. I would recommend this book to movie goers of any age and also to people who are into anime, and people who, like me, aren't really. It's a five star movie!
Movie Review: A review NOT written by an anime fan
Summary: 5 Stars
Okay I'll admit it. I've never really been into anime. Although I recognize it as a good form of art and I often admire some of the illustrations I've seen, it's just never been my thing. TV series such as Pokemon just make me roll my eyes and I find the more adult-oriented programs to be a bit too violent. Since I had never really liked the anime I've been exposed to, I thought that I wouldn't be into any kind of anime. Kiki's delivery service proved this little theory wrong. Kiki is a witch and like all witches, at 13 she decides to leave home and create a life for herself using her magic. Unfortunately things don't go as smoothly as she plans. When it comes to flying on her broom she's not too good at landings and takeoffs. People aren't all that accepting of witches away from home. And she doesn't have any real special talents as a witch, besides of course flying. Still she had her little black cat Jiji, are going to hit it big. She comes up with the idea of creating a delivery service where she will fly deliveries on her broom. This of course is easier said then done. And as she fumbles through her delivers Kiki faces other problems. She's dealing with her first crush on a unique boy named Tombo that lives in the city she's come to. And she's also dealing with the fact that, as a witch, she doesn't really fit in with the rest of the kids her age. What will happen to Kiki?
I've always been a fan of kids movies and I found Kiki's delivery service to be great. The idea is original and I wouldn't be surprised if it was one of the things that inspired JK Rowling to create the wizard phenomenon, Quidditch. The characters are all very amusing, especially Jiji the black cat. I'm not sure if I will ever really get into anime, like I said it's not really my thing, but I wouldn't say no to seeing another film by this talented director Hayao Miyazaki. I would recommend this book to movie goers of any age and also to people who are into anime, and people who, like me, aren't really. It's a five star movie!
Movie Review: A story about the bitter-sweetness of growing up
Summary: 5 Stars
When we are little kids, we believe all people are kind and generous. However, when we grow older, we will find that there is another aspect of this world; there is cruelty, rejection and prejudice. Some people may reject you just because the way you look, or because the way you dress. Even if we treat other people with kindness, others may not return us with kindness. Facing this reality, we may feel lost and confused, trying to find ourselves in this world.
Kiki is a little witch who has to leave home to live by herself for one year, as this is part of her training. And this is a story about her growing up and facing the reality, and discover her inner-strength. At first she is naive and think that everyone will be kind and nice; but soon she will be disillusioned. For example, in one scene, she meets an old grandma who wants to make a pie for her grand-daughter as a birthday gift. With eagerness, she helps the grandma make the pie and hurriedly deliver the pie for her(even though the sky was raining heavily and she was soaking wet). Guess what happened next? That grand-daughter opened the door and look at her with contempt(because Kiki dressed like a poor kid), and harshly asked "What is it?". After Kiki explained to that girl, the girl again replied harshly "I hate grandma's stupid pie", and then quickly get the pie and banged the door close. So you see, sometimes this is what you get in return for your kindness. There is no wonder why Kiki lost her confidence. And this is something that most of us will face at some point in our life. And like Kiki, we all will have to find our inner-strength, to find kindness within our heart; even with full knowledge that there will be cruelty and rejection.
This movie is certainly for everyone, both grown-ups and kids. I think as we grow older and have more experience, we will understand this movie more. I highly recommend this movie to everyone.
Movie Review: The Japanese cat is a cat, not a man
Summary: 5 Stars
While this is a fine movie in English, it definitely gives a different (lesser) experience because of the cat's voice. In English, he sounds like a loud American cartoon character, even goofy sometimes. In Japanese, he sounds like what an actual cat might talk like -- if it could talk. That gives him an enchanting, charming feel that is lost in Disney's translation. With the English version, you are VIEWING an entertaining story with a cat that sounds like a man, trying to be funny. With the Japanese, you ARE IN a strange, fantastic world that intersects our own, where you listen in on a small, delightful creature chatting with his human companion.
One other criticism of the English version: at the key moment where the artist is encouraging Kiki, the artist says our special abilities mysteriously come from God (as I am told by Japanese friends). That is changed in English to "inspiration." "God" is removed. That is a significant change of an author's writing. What is a suggestive, reflective literary layer in Japanese becomes an almost trite "find your own inspiration" (like "follow your dream"). It is a rare story that can talk about God without sounding preachy or overbearing. Sadly, we lost that distinctive quality in the English version.
I urge others to set the DVD for Japanese language, give the sub-titles a chance, and allow yourself to enter into a foreign experience -- which is the better for being foreign. That is a large part of Miyazaki's charm, a charm that is diminished when we try to make the characters sound like they are Americans. While the Japanese is not always essential in Miyazaki's films, I have found it so in this case (and in the case of Castle in the Sky, where in Japanese the two kids sound more like real kids, a girl and a boy who sound MUCH more intense at crucial, powerful moments in the film, vulnerable kids we care about).
Movie Review: "We each need to find our own inspiration, Kiki. Sometimes it's not easy."
Summary: 5 Stars
Kiki, a 13-year-old restless, spontaneous, brave, and kind girl is witch-in-training. She follows the traditions of her craft that require her to fly away using a broom as the means of transportation from her loving family and friends on a yearlong journey to complete her apprenticeship. She will need to find a place where no one knows her and to support herself while becoming a full-fledged witch - just like her mother did when she was 13. It's a charming as well as highly entertaining story of self-discovery, taking responsibilities, becoming independent and mature, and following and achieving one's dreams. The film is (I will not be original and just repeat what countless reviews have said already) breathtakingly beautiful. I've been watching movies all my life, and I've seen thousands but rarely have I wanted to stay and live in the imaginative movie's world. Hayao Miyazaki's kind and magical, lovely and sweet without being sappy or patronizing animation made me dream of the place like Korico. I did not want to leave the romantic magic seaside town that Kiki and her ironic talking black cat Jiji chose to stay, where everyone (well, almost) seems to respect, like, and to help to one another, where Kiki established reliable "Witch Express Delivery" using her flying skills and where "the things are sometimes difficult but she is fine". Yes, I wanted to stay in the dreamy sparkling world that Hayao Miyazaki created by the gentle power of his incomparable talent.
I want to join millions of grateful viewers and to thank Walt Disney Company for having introduced the films of Hayao Miyazaki to the rest of the world. They are invaluable treasure and will be enjoyed equally by the adults and the children. I also appreciate the choice Disney Company provided releasing on the same disk the dubbed version and the original Japanese one with the English subtitles.