Hayao Miyazaki’s timeless films released from Studio Ghibli Studios touch audiences with their enchanting animation, unique storytelling, and whimsical setting. Kiki’s Delivery Service is no exception to this animated magic. This popular anime movie is about a young witch named Kiki who turns 13 and leaves home to begin her witch training in a town far from home.
As is natural for the main character to be a teenager, there are many coming-of-age themes portrayed throughout the film that make it so dynamic for viewers worldwide. Let’s explore them and see if you noticed any of these themes.
Watching your favorite anime films can be like a blast from the past. If you are watching it on a television program or a streaming service with ads, you can enjoy a round of your favorite NetBet slots game to pass the time. Let’s fly through the sky to discover the coming-of-age themes in Kiki’s Delivery Service.
Evolving from Childhood Into Adulthood
Kiki’s journey to becoming a witch with a bountiful career is a difficult one. From a tricky riding experience when first flying away from home to unexpected occurrences during her deliveries for Osono’s bakery, Kiki learns that evolving into an adult has its challenges. She starts to see that life has its twists and turns and that nothing usually goes as planned.
The film captures the psychological and emotional shifts of transforming from a child into a young adult as Kiki enters adolescence. At the beginning of the movie, Kiki is full of youthful energy and optimism, hopeful that she will quickly succeed in her witch training once she finds a place to settle. As events unfold, Kiki learns to deal with her insecurities, limitations, and frustrations as she assimilates into her new role as the delivery girl for Osono’s bakery.
Independence and Self-Discovery
Leaving home and settling in the seaside city of Koriko is one of the major first steps towards Kiki’s independence and self-discovery. When first entering the city, the town folk find it difficult to accept her as a flying witch. This makes her question who she is and her background until she finds the one person who accepts her for who she is: Osono.
Kiki is unfortunately not sure of herself at some points. She feels she does not fit in with the crowd that her new friend, Tombo, associates with, which causes points of contention throughout the film. Over time, Kiki learns to embrace herself for who she is regardless of what others think of her.
Embracing Imperfection
The main character learns that imperfection happens. As she faces challenges and unexpected turns in her daily events, Kiki learns that mistakes are natural and failure is bound to happen. These mistakes aren’t signs of weakness or failure; they are an opportunity for growth that helps to make Kiki mentally stronger and to learn more about how to optimize her deliveries.
Loss of Confidence and Rediscovery of Purpose
Kiki’s witch magic is strong in the first half of the movie. She’s able to take off on her broom with no setbacks. However, she starts to face issues with broom control and unforeseeable challenges during her deliveries, which causes her to have to take a step back from flying for a while. The loss of confidence she faces at that poignant moment mirrors the self-doubt that many adolescents experience at some point in their young lives.
However, Kiki’s Delivery Service showcases how rediscovering confidence and purpose takes time to achieve. She goes from flying to walking everywhere she goes as she muses on her purpose as a witch. It is not until she helps Tombo, a person who believed in her when she did not believe in herself, in a tricky situation, that she eventually restores her magic and flies again.