Kiki's Delivery service is a Studio Ghibli's traditional hand-drawn animation movie loosely based on Eiko Kadono's eponymous book, but with important additions by Miyazaki. It tells the story of Kiki, a 13's y.o. witch who leaves the family home with her cat Jiji to get a life of her own and start her training as a witch in a big city away from parents and friends.
It is a Ghibli's trademark the detail and artistic drawing of the scenery and cityscapes, and Kiki's is no exception. It has a precious and colourful drawing. The European city where Kiki goes is a mix of Northern European architecture and Southern European lighting and mood. The time frame is an imprecise point in time, a golden-era of peace and tolerance, set around the 1950s, but with elements that go from the 30s (the zeppelin) to the 60s (B&W TV), with other elements that can be placed in between.
Three elements stand out in this movie beyond the hand-drawn precious animation. The first one is Kiki's story - a metaphor of the changes that take us from childhood to adulthood, from being in the family's womb, many times taking for granted what we have, to being alone, unprotected, standing by ourselves, defining who we are and want to be as individuals. Jiji's evolution with regards to Kiki is just the result of Kiki's transformation into an adult, not of the cat's changing ways!
The second element is very Miyazaki's - the presence of magical and non-magical elements combined harmoniously in a world of good-natured tolerant humans that accept magic as a natural thing, like Kiki's flying her broom through a city making courier deliveries.
Thirdly, this is a movie about women, female nature and sisterhood. Except for Tombo -Kiki's admirer and good-natured inventive friend- the main characters are powerful savy women: Osono, the pregnant baker, represents acceptance without questions, maternal care, the City, hard work and determination. Ursula the painter, on the contrary, represents freedom, personal independence, individuality, the wild, the follow your heart and explore your soul message. Finally, the two old ladies in the blue-roofed house -Madam and Bertha- are examples of kindness, carefulness, attention to the detail, old manners and class. In fact, Kiki finds a mother, two grandmas and a big sister in the city. Miyazki's Europe is, it seems, a a matriarchal society.
There a few points that I would have liked further explored with extra footage, as the movie is enjoyable, and the ending was unnecessarily hasted and leaves you with a big sweet and sour after-taste. Still, Kiki is an adorable
story with lovable characters, that is entertaining and good for both
children and adults, especially if you love magic realism and Ghibli and Miyakazi's magic worlds.
A warning - Some of the DVDs come with several dubbing versions and several captions. Beware, the original first dubbing of the original was done without respect to the original, and changes and mutates the dialogues without respect, changes the tone of the movie and even transforms Jiji into a sarcastic adult cat. It is not a proper dubbing but an interpretation with additions to the original made by Disney. It is shameful and disrespectful and you better ignore it. There is a second American dubbing that is truthful to the original. Watch the original Japanese with captions, and choose the captions that follow the Japanese script not the invented superposed American. Who wants to watch an adulteration when the original is perfect?
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is a Miyazaki's animation feature based on his eponymous Manga. It is set in a post-apocalyptic future in which the land is divided in three remaining hostile kingdoms: the people leaving in the Valley of the Winds, the Pejites, and the Tolmekians. Nausicaa is the princess of the Valley, a especial young lady in tune with Nature, who respects and loves her people. The human kingdoms are always threaten by the Sea of Decay, an exuberant toxic jungle inhabited by giant prehistoric-like insects who react to human hostility with destruction, spreading the toxicity of the Sea to those who dare to provoke them.
Nausicaa's plot is action-packet, original, with weird creatures, lovable characters and a great lyric soundtrack. We find Miyazaki's usual animation landmarks: 1/ European landscapes and undefined time appearance (in this case Swiss-like, with a revamped medieval atmosphere). 2/ Prehistoric-like creatures (in this case, insects). 3/ A female heroine who fights like any man, but always has great femininity (Nausicaa always wears her red earrings). 4/ A heavy presence of catalytic women, presented most of the time as strong, wise, common-sensed and supportive characters (only the nasty princess of the Tolmekians contradicts this). 5/ A cute animal pet that is the hero's soul-mate and inseparable companion. 6/ A clear environmental and pacifist message and 7/ a wonderful detailed animation with subdued hues.
The drawing is very inventive and with a great attention to the detail, especially brilliant regarding the depiction of the Sea of Decay and the underground land below it, which are utterly beautiful. The Sea of Decay reminded me very much in style and spirit of the backgrounds and Bosh-like vegetation and fauna of Planet Fantastic, but more elaborated, exuberant and compact in Nausicaa.
Unlike many modern animation movies, Miyazaki's movies always have a perfect equilibrium between the artistry of the drawing/animation, on one hand, and the quality of the story, on the other. That is why a movie like this, made in the 1980s, is still as enchanting, fresh and though-provoking as it was in the past. The message of the film is that even the ugliest creature and plant has a purpose on earth, a purpose per se and as a part of the whole to which it is connected. The movie tells you that if you respect people and Nature, you get respect back, and that it is easier to live with yourself and the others if one understands and respect the environment. This is not my favourite Miyazaki movie, perhaps because it is too feisty for my taste, and because I thought the confrontation between the three kingdoms needed of more explanation than the one provided in the film.
This is a beautiful entertaining full-action movie, with a great environmental pacifist message, and Miyazaki's always beautiful drawing and magic universe.
Please watch it in Japanese with English subtitles, as the American dubbed version is too childish and far from the original interpretations.
