A girl witch, her cat and a broom

Hello hello, I decided to spend some time watching ghibli movies, while on vacation, and I remembered that some people would appreciate knowing someone’s opinion before watching them, so here I am. Let's start with my absolute favourite. Kiki's Flying Delivery Service by Eiko Kadano. You can watch it on Netflix.

The story

Kiki is a young witch, and according to the tradition of the witches she must leave her family and go to a new city for one year to find her speciality, with the company of her black cat Jiji (I really like that cat). Our little Kiki just wasn’t expecting not being welcomed right away in her new city, that fells like they don't need witches, but hey, she doesn’t give up and starts helping the people of the city with her speciality, a flying delivery service. The problem that arises is that Kiki doesn't understand right away that flying could be, and is, her speciality which leads to her feeling like a lesser witch and she starts to lose her magic. And if she was feeling less a witch while she had magic imagine what she felt when that also disapears.

Is it any good?

Honestly, from a 0 to 5 I give it 5 stars. It really put my expectations for the rest of the movies from Studio Ghibli way high up.

It’s such a sweet movie, and the character Kiki is very likeable, I mean she is a 13-year-old girl that just wants to do a good job, what’s not to like about that. There is this scene where Kiki sees girls of her age dressed diferently from her which lead her to feel self conscious. If that's not the most 13 year old thing to feel I don't know what is. Almost all characters are pretty sweet, we have the pregnant baker who is the first person to help Kiki and offer her a place to stay, the painter girl that basically becomes an older sister to Kiki, and Tombo a boy who really want to fly and is always bugging Kiki to go to his flying club. Even though it’s a story about magic the main plot it’s not just that, is it an important part of the story? Yes, do we see Kiki learning more about her as a person and whats it like to not live up to our own expectations? Also, yes.

I also like to compare the story of Kiki to two situtions: burnout and moving away to college.

Burnout

When her service starts going badly and all her efforts to be the witch of the city fall short Kiki loses her magic, she is tired and fells like she can't think straight. A feeling very comum in people that are suffering from burnout. After a break from her service and a much needed confidence boost where the people that care for her tell her "you are a good witch and can do this" she starts, slowly, gaining her magic back.

Moving away to college

I felt exactly like Kiki when I want to college. A mix of "why is this city so different from mine" and "is this the right choice?". I wasn't moving away forever like Kiki, but suddenly being dropped off to a new city to study something that I wasn't sure that was the right choice, much like Kiki and her doubts about how necessary her delivery service was.

Are you bored in a warm spring day? Need something to teel you, it's bad now but you will get your spark back? Watch this, it’s going to keep you company.

And it’s a wrap! See ya next time.

Bye, Bye.

JP