HOME | DD

Description
I first saw Kiki’s Delivery Service when it first came out in Finnish theaters in 2007 and again early 2015, until now I mostly just gave it credit for its presentation (which is just a given for Ghibli films) but didn’t think much of the story and disliked the abrupt ending, but rewatching it now, everything just… clicked, I now love absolutely everything about it. Kiki’s struggles resonated with me perfectly, there wasn’t a single moment where I felt “hmm the emotion didn’t quite land, that needed more build up, etc”, even the ending felt right, initially you might think that the plot of the movie would be showing Kiki survive through the entire year’s trial and return home triumphantly but that’s not necessary, the story’s about finding your place in society and simply learning to live, Kiki writing to her parents “I’m okay” is all we needed to see.

And in the midst of the relatable struggles, the movie also nails the positive tone that makes children’s media so enjoyable, so many warm interactions between Kiki and the side characters like Osono, Ursula and the two old ladies, and I really love how the boy, Tombo, was handled, he was kinda nerdy yet social so he served as another positive force for Kiki without coming off as some kind of prince charming, and the movie never even went for actual romance.

The Finnish dub is also lovely, as tends to be with Ghibli movies, which is yet another aspect that gives them this unique charm compared to other anime I watch.

If you haven’t seen Kiki, watch it, and if you have and weren’t sure how to feel about it, watch it again. It may seem pale compared to most other Ghibli movies, but for me it is, right now, the single greatest example of “simple is best”~

Description
I first saw Kiki’s Delivery Service when it first came out in Finnish theaters in 2007 and again early 2015, until now I mostly just gave it credit for its presentation (which is just a given for Ghibli films) but didn’t think much of the story and disliked the abrupt ending, but rewatching it now, everything just… clicked, I now love absolutely everything about it. Kiki’s struggles resonated with me perfectly, there wasn’t a single moment where I felt “hmm the emotion didn’t quite land, that needed more build up, etc”, even the ending felt right, initially you might think that the plot of the movie would be showing Kiki survive through the entire year’s trial and return home triumphantly but that’s not necessary, the story’s about finding your place in society and simply learning to live, Kiki writing to her parents “I’m okay” is all we needed to see.

And in the midst of the relatable struggles, the movie also nails the positive tone that makes children’s media so enjoyable, so many warm interactions between Kiki and the side characters like Osono, Ursula and the two old ladies, and I really love how the boy, Tombo, was handled, he was kinda nerdy yet social so he served as another positive force for Kiki without coming off as some kind of prince charming, and the movie never even went for actual romance.

The Finnish dub is also lovely, as tends to be with Ghibli movies, which is yet another aspect that gives them this unique charm compared to other anime I watch.

If you haven’t seen Kiki, watch it, and if you have and weren’t sure how to feel about it, watch it again. It may seem pale compared to most other Ghibli movies, but for me it is, right now, the single greatest example of “simple is best”~