Kiki’s Delivery Service is a 1989 Japanese animated film written, produced, and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, adapted from the 1985 novel by Eiko Kadono. In this anime feature, a 13-year-old Kiki moves to a seaside town with her talking cat, Jiji, to spend a year alone, following her village’s tradition for witches in training. After learning to control her broomstick, Kiki sets up a flying courier service and soon becomes a fixture in the community. However, when the insecure young witch begins questioning herself and loses her magic abilities. She must overcome her self-doubt to get her powers back.

Kiki’s Delivery Service – Exploring its major themes

Kiki’s Delivery Service was one of the most memorable movies I have ever seen. The themes of the story are as follows: the strength of women, the difficulty of being an adult, and loneliness.

Difficulty of being an adult

A major theme of the film is maturity. After leaving her parents, who are supportive of her independence, Kiki has to face problems common to adolescence, such as finding a job, seeking acceptance, and taking care of herself. Just like Kiki, every other individual faces these kinds of difficulties.

There are many obstacles to teens obtaining employment that we all face in our life. Finding reliable transportation is critical, which can be problematic if the job is not nearby and the teen’s parent(s) work. Fighting stereotypes that employers have about adolescents, such as poor attitudes or lack of skills, can be challenging. In this particular economy, there aren’t many job opportunities for teens.

Adolescence is that difficult period when carefree children grow into responsible adults. That is the goal, after all, for teens to develop into mature, productive, responsible members of the community.

Loneliness in Kiki’s Delivery Service

Another theme is loneliness. Kiki is protected by her mother’s old but well-looked-after broom; she has the radio that was a gift from her father and the black cat. She is so close to that it is almost like a part of herself. However, Kiki’s heart wavers between isolation and longing for human company.

Loneliness isn’t about whether we live alone, but it’s about feeling alone. Loneliness is complex. There’s the loneliness you feel without anyone to connect with. However, there’s also the gnawing emptiness that comes when you feel emotionally disconnected and alone, even with friends.

This theme is related to our day-to-day life, just like Kiki. Probably, we all are suffering from loneliness, vulnerability, and isolation. I would say we’ve always had an element of feeling lonely. We always felt a little bit different and separate from large groups of friends; it’s the loneliness of knowing how you feel in your head and never being able to tell people.

Strength of women

Women can strongly relate to this movie because Kiki’s delivery service beautifully portrays the theme of the strength of women. Three women appear in Kiki’s Delivery Service. First is Kiki, second is Osono, and third is Ursula. All three women are independent and strong. They have dreams, and they are doing their best, heading toward their dreams.

Every challenge and hurdle that women cross takes them a step closer to their dreams, just like Kiki. Every day we get inspired by women who stand up for themselves and their beliefs as they chase their dreams. Each of these women didn’t let the hurdles and failures pull them down. In addition to that, every time they have fallen, they have gotten back up to chase their dreams.