Kiki's Delivery Service

"I was feeling blue, but I'm better now."

1989 1h 43m JA

🙌

7.8

BANGER

💯

METACRITIC

⭐

7.8

IMDB

★7.8TMDB · 4,767●85Metacritic★7.8IMDB · 185,670

AnimationFamilyFantasy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service.

“I was feeling blue, but I'm better now.”

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Cast

Minami Takayama
Kiki / Ursula (voice)
Rei Sakuma
Jiji (voice)
Kappei Yamaguchi
Tombo (voice)
Keiko Toda
Osono (voice)
Mieko Nobusawa
Kokiri (voice)
Koichi Miura
Okino (voice)
Haruko Katō
Old Lady (voice)
Hiroko Seki
Bertha (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Writers: Hayao Miyazaki
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 65% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

37 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, shot by Juro Sugimura. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Joe Hisaishi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Takeshi Seyama shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Minami Takayama and Rei Sakuma and Kappei Yamaguchi carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "I was feeling blue, but I'm better now.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0097814 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Hayao Miyazaki directs. Juro Sugimura behind the camera. Joe Hisaishi scores. Takeshi Seyama cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 65% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
237 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, shot by Juro Sugimura. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Joe Hisaishi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Takeshi Seyama shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Minami Takayama and Rei Sakuma and Kappei Yamaguchi carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "I was feeling blue, but I'm better now.".
8IMDB entry: tt0097814 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 21 themes, including "witch", "clock tower", "magic", "bicycle accident".
10Released under 13 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Juro Sugimura
Original score: Joe Hisaishi
Editing: Takeshi Seyama
Runtime: 103 min · 1h 43m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $6,900,000
Box office: $4,493,017
Return: 65% of budget
Original language: JA
Certification (US): G
IMDB: Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
Metacritic: 85/100
IMDB rating: 7.8/10 · 185,670 votes
MPAA: G

Awards

4 wins total

Also by

Hayao Miyazaki

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Selected frames

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Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

wizzardss2021-04-13
★ 6/10
When watching films by Japanese animation powerhouse Studio Ghibli a number of adjectives come immediately to mind; imaginative, wholesome, and quirky, to name a few. And there is perhaps no more quirky Ghibli film than Kiki's Delivery Service. Fundamentally, Kiki's Delivery Service is a coming of age film, telling the story of 13-year-old trainee witch Kiki who leaves home with her cat Jiji to continue her training. Arriving in a far-off European city, Kiki starts a flying delivery business, couriering goods around the town, which catches the eye of aviation-obsessed Tombo, who is immediately smitten by her flying. One of the big draws of Ghibli is the simplicity of the stories, making them hugely accessible for the audience. In Kiki's Delivery Service we must just accept that there are "some" witches and even though people will possibly never see one, they are not feared. In fact, the only fear in Kiki's Delivery Service comes from Kiki's own self-doubt. Considering, then, that Japan is far more conservative than the West - especially when it comes to family values - it is quite bizarre that one conservative Christian group in America took the decision to boycott the film solely for the purpose of glamorising witches. But really, Kiki being a witch is completely secondary to the film. In some ways it could be argued that Kiki being a witch is simply another excuse for director Hayao Miyazaki to view another Ghibli world from the sky, allowing his team of animators to draw some of the most beautiful landscapes in animation. In addition, it allows Kiki's comic foil to be a talking cat (who, in the English dub, is voiced by the instantly vocally recognisable Phil Hartman, who you may remember from such shows as The Simpsons, where he plays Troy McClure). As well as dominating most of the film's funnier moments, Jiji also depicts Kiki's transition from innocence. Despite all of this marshmallowy innocence, Kiki's Delivery Service is still a quirk. The plot is littered with unanswered questions - what happened to the other flying witch who was returning home? - and the final act involving the dirigible is, frankly, too overdramatic and out-of-place with the rest of the down-to-earth storyline. Still, it is perfectly enjoyable, and while it isn't necessarily the first Ghibli I would recommend, it is still one that you should see.
CinemaSerf2026-08-24
★ 7/10
With the moon shining brightly and the weather conditions perfect, thirteen year old "Kiki" announces to her family that it is time for her to mount her broom and set off as an independent witch for the first time! Full of trepidation, they all gather as she and her tiny back cat "Jiji" set off into the unknown. Squally weather and some geese are soon her companions as she is blown off course and forced to land in a (very Italianate looking) seaside town where her welcome isn't exactly warm. Indeed, all she gets for her troubles is teased by "Tombo" who espies her antics on her broom. Luckily, she steps in to help a local baker repatriate a baby's dummy and that gets her a roof, a bed and access to a telephone where she can put into action her plan to use her flying skills to deliver goods rapidly about town. What now ensues sees her struggle to master her own broomstick whilst embarking on a series of escapades that broaden her horizons and introduce her to new friends and challenges along the way. The story here is remarkably simple; there are relatively few twists and turns - but what we can enjoy here is the humanity of a delightfully presented story peppered with a little mischief throughout; some herring pies, nasty crows and even a stuffed cat! The persevering "Tombo" serves as an engaging foil for her shyness and airborne activities as his teenage courting takes them on his propellered bicycle on a mision to see a wrecked airship an there's a denouement that allows her to try to save the day. I'm so not a cat lover, but the characterful "Jiji" proves to be both a cuddly bundle of joy and also a reminder that "Kiki" is human too - a fact that she must recall if she is to thrive as a person. The charming simplicity of the scoring from Joe Hisaishi yet again supports the sweepingly detailed animated cinematography of her travels, and this is an effortless experience to sit back and enjoy - ideally on a big screen.