When I was a pre-teen, this Miyazaki film never appealed to me. I became so accustomed to the award winning animator's strong, adult female leads such as Princess Mononoke, Nausicaä and Sophie, who seemed to have it all figured out. They knew what their mission was, and it was just a matter of willpower for them to accomplish it. Their foundation already set, behind the scenes of course. The difference with Kiki is that she is still creating her foundation when the movie begins. As a college graduate, I realize that I could learn a lot from a 13-year-old witch.
There's no better way to watch a movie for the first time than in the theater. Courtesy of Fathom Events and Ghibli Fest, “Kiki's Delivery Service” was showing. With an open mind, I attended the event. Worst case scenerio would be that it wouldn't be my favorite Miyazaki film.
The first thing that blew me away was the animation. The film as released in 1989, and it withstood the test of time flawlessly. It quickly pulls you in and makes you feel like you're flying and crashing on Kiki's broom with her. There were certainly many, many misadventures. Kiki's not perfect and who would ever want to be?
For those unfamiliar with the film or if it's been a while, Kiki is a witch and it is customary for witches in training to essentially “study abroad” upon turning 13. With her sassy and crabby familiar, Jiji, she finds the port city she dreamed about, Koriko. The city hadn't seen a witch in years and their form of welcome was bewilderment and a police officer attempting to give her a ticket.
Despite the uphill battle, she made the decision to stay. She didn't give up on the people around her. She stuck it out to create bonds with who believed in her and thought she was spectacular. They didn't give up on her, nor did she give up on herself.
She fearlessly entered the city in search of work and with great aspirations to make contributions to it. Like an adult, she seeks work, hell, she even starts her own business. It's a level of independence that we all aspire toward. She didn't have all of the skills she needed, but she didn't let that stop her.
To say the least, she wasn't the most talented witch. She crashed countless times for the duration of the movie and she broke her broom in half, but she kept her chin up.
It's not possible to meet success without failure or to become a master of something before being a beginner. Even in the end of the movie, before she saved Tombo, she had me sweating. She easily could have let the police handle it and hoped for the best, but she didn't. When she saw he was in trouble, she rushed to him with a fire in her, even thought she was unsure if she could.
She came back from the worst fate a witch could meet, losing her powers. That has to be the equivalent to losing what makes you, you. Sometimes we think we've lost our talent or have failed at what we want to achieve.
If something makes your feel alive, a lapse in inspiration will not overtake you. Writer's block, for instance. You may feel as though everything you write is garbage, or you may not be able to get even just one word on the page. As Ursula, Kiki's painter friend, explains it, sometimes you just need to find the right inspiration. When it's something that makes you thrive, you can never forget about it and leave the page blank.
In the end, it all comes back to you. Others can't achieve your dreams in your place. They can inspire and motivate you, but self-reliance is always essential when it comes to chasing your goals and realizing your dreams.
Miyazaki films are always worth your time because you'll have a great take-away from it each and every time. Plus, seeing a Studio Ghibli movie for the first time on the big screen is a magical experience.
Be sure to check out the next film in store for Ghibli Fest!
