View source for Kiki's Delivery Service

{{short description|1989 Japanese animated film}}
{{About|the anime film|other uses|Kiki's Delivery Service (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Kiki's Delivery Service
| image          = Kiki's Delivery Service (Movie).jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| alt            = Kiki, accompanied with Jiji the Cat, is waiting in the bakery. At the top is the film's title and credits.
| native_name    = {{Infobox Japanese
 | kanji         = 魔女の宅急便
 | revhep        = Majo no Takkyūbin}}
| director       = [[Hayao Miyazaki]]
| producer       = Hayao Miyazaki
| screenplay     = Hayao Miyazaki
| based_on       = {{based on|''[[Kiki's Delivery Service (novel)|Kiki's Delivery Service]]''|[[Eiko Kadono]]}}
| starring       = {{Ubl
 | [[Minami Takayama]]
 | [[Rei Sakuma]]
 | [[Kappei Yamaguchi]]
 | [[Keiko Toda]]
 }}
| music          = [[Joe Hisaishi]]
| cinematography = Shigeo Sugimura
| editing        = [[Takeshi Seyama]]
| studio         = [[Studio Ghibli]]
| distributor    = [[Toei Company|Toei]]
| released       = {{film date|1989|7|29}}
| runtime        = 102 minutes
| country        = Japan
| language       = Japanese
| budget         = {{¥|800 million|link=yes}} ({{US$|6.9 million|long=no|link=yes}})
| gross          = {{US$|41.8 million|long=no}}{{NoteTag|This value is based on adding the box office revenue of the film's original release in Japan (US$31 million), the 1990 Hong Kong release (US$519,000), and the various re-releases between 2004 and 2023 (US$10,366,082).|name=Kiki box office}}
}}

{{Nihongo foot|'''''Kiki's Delivery Service'''''|魔女の宅急便|Majo no Takkyūbin|{{literally|Witch's Express Home Delivery}}|lead=yes|group=note}} is a 1989 Japanese [[Anime|animated]] [[fantasy film]] written, produced, and directed by [[Hayao Miyazaki]], based on [[Eiko Kadono]]'s 1985 novel ''[[Kiki's Delivery Service (novel)|Kiki's Delivery Service]]''. Animated by [[Studio Ghibli]], the film stars [[Minami Takayama]], [[Rei Sakuma]], [[Kappei Yamaguchi]], and [[Keiko Toda]]. The story follows Kiki (Takayama), a young [[Witchcraft|witch]] who moves to the port city of Koriko with her cat Jiji (Sakuma) and starts a flying [[courier]] service.

In 1987, Group Fudosha asked Kadono's publishers for the rights to the novel to be made into a film by either Hayao Miyazaki or [[Isao Takahata]]. Production began near the release of ''[[My Neighbor Totoro]]'' (1988). Miyazaki initially worked as producer, but took over directing from [[Sunao Katabuchi]] as he became more involved in the project. As the novel is based on a fictional northern European country, Miyazaki and his team traveled to locations such as [[Visby]], Sweden, to research its landscape. Miyazaki altered the story, adding new scenes to emphasize the theme of independence and growing up. According to Miyazaki, the film portrays the gulf between independence and reliance among teenage Japanese girls.<ref name="KF">[http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/interviews/kiki_foreword.html Nausicaa.net The Hayao MIYAZAKI Web.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612185858/http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/interviews/kiki_foreword.html|date=June 12, 2010}} The Hopes and Spirit of Contemporary Japanese Girls By Hayao Miyazaki 1989. Retrieved on January 5, 2007.</ref>

''Kiki's Delivery Service'' was released in Japan on July 29, 1989, by [[Toei Company|Toei]].<ref name="JCDB">{{cite web |title=Majo no takkyūbin |url=http://www.japanese-cinema-db.jp/Details?id=1437 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160918114235/http://www.japanese-cinema-db.jp/Details?id=1437 |archive-date=September 18, 2016 |access-date=May 28, 2014 |work=Japanese Cinema Database |publisher=Agency for Cultural Affairs}}</ref> It was the first Studio Ghibli film to be successful on initial release, grossing a total of ¥4.3 billion ($31 million). It received critical acclaim and multiple awards.

An English [[Dubbing|dub]] was produced by [[Streamline Pictures]] for [[Japan Airlines]] international flights in 1989. [[Walt Disney Pictures]] produced an English dub in 1997, which became the first film under a deal between Tokuma and Disney to be released in English. It was released to home media in 1998.

==Plot==
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summaries for feature films should be between 400 to 700 words. Please check the word count before making any additions. Please discuss any major changes on the talk page. -->
Kiki, a young witch, decides to go out on her own, which all young witches must do, taking her [[Familiar spirit|talking black cat]], Jiji, with her. Her mother insists that she take her mother's old, reliable broomstick. Kiki flies off into the night, searching for a new town for settlement. She encounters another witch and her cat who she finds pretentious but they cause Kiki to wonder what her special "skill" is. Kiki finds the town of Koriko and accidentally flies through traffic, causing disruptions. She is approached by a policeman, but a boy named Tombo helps her escape.

Kiki looks for a place to live and work in her new town. She finds the Gutiokipanja bakery, owned by Osono and her husband, Fukuo, who are expecting a child. Osono invites her to live in a room above the bakery. Kiki opens a business delivering goods by broomstick, known as the "Witch Delivery Service". Her first delivery is of a small stuffed toy of a black cat that looks like Jiji, as a birthday gift for Osono's neighbour's nephew Ket. Along the way, she is caught in the wind and ends up in a forest filled with crows, which attack her, causing her to lose the toy. They come up with a plan in which Jiji pretends to be the toy for Ket until Kiki can retrieve the real one. She finds it in the home of a young painter with crows, Ursula, who repairs and returns it. With the help of Ket's dog Jeff, Kiki successfully retrieves Jiji and replaces him with the stuffed cat.

The next day, Tombo gives her an invitation to visit his aviation club. However, she gets busy with her deliveries, and gets caught in a thunderstorm on her way back. Drenched from the rain, she decides not to go. She then falls ill, but Osono cares for her until she recovers. Osono secretly arranges for Kiki to see Tombo again by assigning her a delivery addressed to him. Kiki apologizes for missing the party, and Tombo takes her for a test ride on the flying machine he is working on, fashioned from a bicycle. Kiki warms up to him, but is once again disgusted by Tombo's friends.

Kiki becomes depressed and discovers she can no longer understand Jiji. She has also lost her flying ability and is forced to suspend her delivery business. Ursula then visits Kiki and asks if she can go to her house. She agrees, and the two spend time together there. Ursula determines that Kiki's crisis is a form of [[Writer's block|artist's block]], and then suggests to her to find a new purpose, so that she can regain her powers.

While visiting a former customer's house she witnesses an airship accident on television. Tombo is seen trying to help tie the dirigible to the ground, but a gust of wind pushes the aircraft away with him clinging to the rope. Kiki rushes to the scene and asks to borrow a broom from a local shop-owner. She regains her flying power and manages to rescue Tombo. With her confidence restored, she resumes her delivery service, and writes a letter home saying that she and Jiji are happy.

== Voice cast ==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
! colspan="2" |Character name
! colspan="3" |Voice actor
|-
! rowspan="2" |English
! rowspan="2" |Japanese
! rowspan="2" |Japanese<ref name=":2">{{cite web |title=Credits // Kiki's Delivery Service // Nausicaa.net |url=http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/kiki/credits.html#awards |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612105152/http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/kiki/credits.html#awards |archive-date=June 12, 2010 |access-date=June 29, 2017 |website=www.nausicaa.net}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |English
|-
! <small>[[Streamline Pictures]]/[[Tokuma Shoten|Tokuma]]/Quality Sound Studios<br>(1989)</small>
! width="20%" | <small>[[Walt Disney Pictures|Disney]]/[[Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment|Buena Vista]]/[[Studiopolis|Screenmusic Studios]]<br>(1998)<ref name=":2" /></small>
|-
! scope="row" | Kiki
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=キキ|3=Kiki}}
| [[Minami Takayama]]|| [[Lisa Michelson]]|| [[Kirsten Dunst]]
|-
! scope="row" | Jiji
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=ジジ|3=Jiji}}
| [[Rei Sakuma]]|| [[Kerrigan Mahan]]|| [[Phil Hartman]]
|-
! scope="row" | Osono
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=おソノ|3=Osono}}
| [[Keiko Toda]]||[[Alexandra Kenworthy]]|| [[Tress MacNeille]]
|-
! scope="row" | Ursula
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=ウルスラ|3=Urusura}}
| [[Minami Takayama]]|| [[Edie Mirman]]|| [[Janeane Garofalo]]
|-
! scope="row" | Tombo
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=トンボ|3=Tonbo}}
| [[Kappei Yamaguchi]]|| [[Eddie Frierson]]|| [[Matthew Lawrence]]
|-
! scope="row" | Fukuo (Osono's husband)
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=フクオ|3=Fukuo}}
| [[Kōichi Yamadera]]|| [[Gregory Snegoff|Greg Snegoff]]|| [[John Hostetter]]
|-
! scope="row" | Kokiri (Kiki's mother)
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=コキリ|3=Kokiri}}
| [[:jp:信澤三恵子|Mieko Nobusawa]]||[[Barbara Goodson]]|| [[Kath Soucie]]
|-
! scope="row" | Okino (Kiki's father)
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=オキノ|3=Okino}}
| [[:jp:三浦浩一|Kōichi Miura]]|| John Dantona || [[Jeff Bennett]]
|-
! scope="row" | Madame
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=マダム|3=Madamu}}
| [[Haruko Kato]]|| Melanie MacQueen || [[Debbie Reynolds]]
|-
! scope="row" | Barsa
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=バルサ|3=Barusa}}
| [[:jp:関弘子|Hiroko Seki]]|| [[Edie Mirman]]|| [[Edie McClurg]]
|-
! scope="row" | Senior Witch
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=上級魔女|3=Jōkyū majo}}
| [[Yūko Kobayashi]]|| rowspan="2" | [[Wendee Lee]]|| [[Debi Derryberry]]
|-
! scope="row" | Madame's Granddaughter
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=マダムの孫娘|3=Madamu no magomusume}}
| [[:jp:鍵本景子|Keiko Kagimoto]]|| [[Sherry Lynn]]
|-
! scope="row" | Ket
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=ケット|3=Ketto}}
| [[Yuriko Fuchizaki]]|| rowspan="2" | Lara Cody || [[Pamela Adlon]]
|-
! scope="row" | Maki (Ket's aunt)
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=マキ|3=Maki}}
| [[Kikuko Inoue]]|| rowspan="2" | [[Julia Fletcher]]
|-
! scope="row" | Ket's mother
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=ケットの母|3=Ketto no haha}}
| [[Mika Doi]]|| [[Diane Michelle]]
|-
! scope="row" | Ket's father
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=ケットの父|3=Ketto no chichi}}
| Takaya Hashi || [[Steve Kramer (actor)|Steve Kramer]]|| [[John DeMita]]
|-
! scope="row" | Ket's grandmother
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=ケットのおばあちゃん|3=Ketto no o bāchan}}
| [[Yoshiko Asai]]|| [[Mike Reynolds (actor)|Mike Reynolds]]|| [[Julia Fletcher]]
|-
! scope="row" | Miss Dora
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=ミス・ドーラ|3=Misu dōra}}
| [[:jp:斉藤昌|Shō Saito]]|| [[Diane Michelle]] || Fay Dewitt
|-
! scope="row" | Truck Driver
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=トラック運転手|3=Torakku untenshu}}
| [[Michihiro Ikemizu]]|| {{N/a}} || [[Corey Burton]]
|-
! scope="row" | Hotel Receptionist
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=ホテルの受付係|3=Hoteru no uketsuke-gakari}}
| [[:jp:辻親八|Shinpachi Tsuji]]|| [[Doug Stone (voice actor)|Doug Stone]]|| rowspan="2" | [[Matt K. Miller]]
|-
! scope="row" | Policeman
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=警官|3=Keikan}}
| rowspan="2" | [[Kōichi Yamadera]]|| [[Steve Kramer (actor)|Steve Kramer]]
|-
! scope="row" | Radio Announcer
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=ラジオアナウンサー|3=Rajio anaunsā}}
| [[Carl Macek]]|| [[Corey Burton]]
|-
! scope="row" | Man with Push Broom
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=押しほうきを持つ男|3=Oshi hōki o motsu otoko}}
| [[Takashi Taguchi (actor)|Takashi Taguchi]]|| [[Steve Kramer (actor)|Steve Kramer]]|| [[Jeff Bennett]]
|-
! scope="row" | Dirigible Captain
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=飛行船の船長|3=Hikōsen no senchō}}
| [[Akio Ōtsuka]]|| [[Dave Mallow]]|| [[John Hostetter]]
|-
! scope="row" | Clock Tower Caretaker
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=時計塔の管理人|3=Tokei-tō no kanrinin}}
| [[Tomomichi Nishimura]]|| [[Gregory Snegoff|Greg Snegoff]] || [[Lewis Arquette]]
|-
! scope="row" | Baby
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=赤ちゃん|3=Akachan}}
| [[Chika Sakamoto]]|| colspan="2"{{N/a}}
|-
! scope="row" | Friends
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=友達|3=Tomodachi}}
| [[:jp:津賀有子|Yūko Tsuga]]<br />[[Yoshiko Kamei]]|| Lara Cody<br />[[Barbara Goodson]]|| rowspan="2"{{N/a}}
|-
! scope="row" | Old Lady
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=老婦人|3=Rō fujin}}
| rowspan="2" | [[Hiroko Maruyama]] || Melanie MacQueen
|-
! scope="row" | Boy
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=男の子|3=Otokonoko}}
|colspan="2"{{N/a}}
|-
! scope="row" | Tombo's Friends
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=トンボの友達|3=Tonbo no tomodachi}}
| rowspan="2"{{N/a}} || [[Dave Mallow]]<br />[[Diane Michelle]]<br />Lara Cody || rowspan="2"{{N/a}}
|-
! scope="row" | Hometown Adults
! scope="row" | {{Nihongo|2=故郷の大人たち|3=Furusato no otona-tachi}}
| [[Mike Reynolds (actor)|Mike Reynolds]]<br />[[Wendee Lee]]
|}

==Themes and analysis==

A major theme of the film is maturity.{{sfn|Camp|2007|pp=178}} 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.{{sfn|McCarthy|1999|p=154}} According to [[Helen McCarthy]], the "vibrant" Stockholm-inspired city gives a sense of safety as well as independence.{{sfn|McCarthy|1999|p=144, 157}} The concept of [[vulnerability]] is also examined closely in the film. Critic [[Mark Schilling]] notes a scene during Kiki's first night away from home where Kiki rushes back to her room and slams the door behind her to avoid being spotted by Fukuo. Fukuo, however, steps outside simply to stretch his arms, and Kiki's shy behavior "expresses [her] youth, vulnerability, and isolation."<ref name=":8" />

Another theme is the transition from traditional to contemporary. Kiki is shown to balance both of these qualities. For instance, Kiki observes the tradition of witches wearing dark-colored clothes, but adorns her hair with a bright red bow.{{sfn|Odell|Le Blanc|loc=''Kiki's Delivery Service (Majo no Takkyūbin)'' (1989)|2009}}{{Page needed|date=October 2023}} Kiki also engages in other traditional methods, such as baking with a wood-burning stove and flying her mother's old broom.{{sfn|Odell|Le Blanc|loc=''Kiki's Delivery Service (Majo no Takkyūbin)'' (1989)|2009}}{{Page needed|date=October 2023}}

Kiki's loss of her witch powers is considered the worst crisis she has to face during the film.{{sfn|Napier|2005|p=163}}{{sfn|McCarthy|1999|p=152}} Her loss of flight reflects the harm dealt to Kiki by her own self-doubts.{{sfn|Napier|2005|p=163}} Petrana Radulovic also suggests that Jiji's bond with Kiki represents the experiences she had as a child, and that once Kiki loses her powers to talk to Jiji, she becomes more lonely.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Radulovic |first=Petrana |date=May 26, 2020 |title=The profound loneliness of Kiki's Delivery Service |url=https://www.polygon.com/animation-cartoons/2020/5/26/21270987/kikis-delivery-service-best-studio-ghibli-movies-hayao-miyazaki |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230909135629/https://www.polygon.com/animation-cartoons/2020/5/26/21270987/kikis-delivery-service-best-studio-ghibli-movies-hayao-miyazaki |archive-date=September 9, 2023 |access-date=October 11, 2023 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}</ref> Jiji had served as the wiser voice ([[imaginary friend|imaginary companion]]) to Kiki, and she stopped being able to understand him the moment she struggles with self-doubt. According to Miyazaki himself, Jiji is meant to represent the immature side of Kiki, and her inability to talk to Jiji represents her newfound maturity at the end of the movie.{{sfn|Miyazaki|2006|p=45}}

In relation to Kiki's portrayal as a witch, some have drawn comparisons to historical or contemporary views on witches and witchcraft. The film incorporates some conventions from fairy-tales such as a [[black cat]] companion for Kiki,{{sfn|Napier|2005|p=162}} Kiki's use of a broom for flight, and her black dress.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}} While [[magical girl|girls with magical powers]] are common in [[Japanese television]], Miyazaki wanted to stray away from the various stereotypes generated from these shows, remarking that witchcraft "has always merely been the means to fulfill the dreams of young girls."{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}}

Kiki has also been compared to other characters in [[List of works by Hayao Miyazaki#Filmography|Miyazaki's films]]. While there are overt differences in demeanor between Kiki and San from ''[[Princess Mononoke]]'', a character who is motivated by anger, both characters take control over their own lives. This theme of remarkable independence is also seen in Miyazaki's earlier works, such as in [[Nausicaä (Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind)|Nausicaä]] in ''[[Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (film)|Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind]]''.{{Sfn|Napier|2001|p=474}} Kiki is also compared to [[Chihiro]] of ''[[Spirited Away]]'' as they are both young girls attempting to seek independence without being rebellious. Both Chihiro and Kiki develop their independence with the help of their friends.{{sfn|Yamanaka|2008|p=245}}

==Production==
[[File:Visby 13-.JPG|thumb|300px|[[Almedalen]] in Visby, Gotland. This was one of the regions where Miyazaki got inspiration from for the film.]]

[[File:Kikibook11.gif|thumb|Kiki and Jiji illustrated by Akiko Hayashi from ''Majo no Takkyūbin''. For the film, Kiki's hair was cut short to make the workload easier for the animators.{{Sfn|Miyazaki|2006|p=32}}]]

In 1987, Group Fudosha asked Kadono's publishers for the [[Film rights|rights]] to adapt Kadono's novel into a feature film directed by either Hayao Miyazaki or [[Isao Takahata]] of Studio Ghibli. However, both of the chosen directors were busy, working on ''[[My Neighbor Totoro]]'' and ''[[Grave of the Fireflies]]'' respectively.<ref>[http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/totoro/faq.html#grave Nausicaa.net My Neighbor Totoro Frequently Asked Questions.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612093604/http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/totoro/faq.html#grave |date=June 12, 2010 }} "I heard that it was double-featured with 'Grave of the Fireflies' in Japan. Is this true?" Retrieved on January 5, 2007.</ref> Miyazaki accepted the role of producer while the studio continued to search for a director.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=FAQ // Kiki's Delivery Service // Nausicaa.net |url=http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/kiki/faq.html |access-date=January 5, 2007 |website=www.nausicaa.net |archive-date=June 12, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612102517/http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/kiki/faq.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Near the end of ''Totoro''{{'}}s production, members of Studio Ghibli were being recruited as senior staff for ''Kiki's Delivery Service''. The character design position was given to [[Katsuya Kondo]], who was working with Miyazaki on ''Totoro''. Hiroshi Ohno, who would later work on projects such as ''Jin-Roh'', was hired as art director at the request of [[Kazuo Oga]].

Miyazaki chose [[Sunao Katabuchi]] as director. Katabuchi had worked with Miyazaki on ''[[Sherlock Hound]]''; ''Kiki's Delivery Service'' was to have been his directorial debut. Studio Ghibli hired Nobuyuki Isshiki as script writer, but Miyazaki was dissatisfied by the first draft, finding it dry and too divergent from his own vision of the film.{{Sfn|Miyazaki|2006|p=8}} Although the novel is set in a fictional northern European country, Miyazaki did not originally travel to Sweden for research. Instead, he had previously visited locations such as [[Visby]] and Stockholm while attempting to secure the rights for an animated adaptation of ''[[Pippi Longstocking]]''. After being denied a meeting with [[Astrid Lindgren]], he later used reference photos from that trip as inspiration for the film's setting.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Maboroshi no Pippi Longstocking ("The Phantom Pippi Longstocking") |publisher=Studio Ghibli |year=2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |access-date=November 11, 2024 |title=Astrid Lindgren FAQ – Varför sa Astrid Lindgren nej till att låta Hayao Miyazaki (Studio Ghibli) göra film av Pippi Långstrump? |url=https://www.astridlindgren.com/se/sv-faq}}</ref><ref>{{in lang|fr}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20070616195037/http://oomu.org/kiki-images.html La forêt des Oomus Kiki, la petite sorcière Koriko.] Retrieved on January 5, 2007.</ref> The architecture of Koriko is also based on the design of buildings from other cities such as [[Amsterdam]], [[Paris]], and [[San Francisco]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}}

Upon their return to Japan, Miyazaki and the creative team worked on conceptual art and character designs. Miyazaki began significantly modifying the story, creating new ideas and changing existing ones.{{sfn|Miyazaki|2006|p=11}} ''[[Kiki's Delivery Service (novel)|Majo no Takkyūbin]]'', the original children's book by Kadono that the movie was based on, is very different from Miyazaki's finished film. Kadono's novel is more episodic, consisting of small stories about various people and incidents Kiki encounters while making deliveries. Kiki overcomes many challenges in the novel based on "her good heart" and consequently expands her circle of friends. She faces no particular traumas or crises.{{sfn|McCarthy|1999|p=142}} Many of the more dramatic elements, such as Kiki getting attacked by many crows, losing her powers or the [[airship]] incident at the film's climax, are not present in the original story. In order to more clearly illustrate the themes of struggling with independence and growing up in the film, Miyazaki intended to have Kiki face tougher challenges and create a more potent sense of loneliness.{{sfn|McCarthy|1999|p=142}} Miyazaki remarked, "As movies always create a more realistic feeling, Kiki will suffer stronger setbacks and loneliness than in the original".{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}} Kadono was unhappy with the changes made between the book and film, to the point that the project was in danger of being shelved at the screenplay stage.{{sfn|Camp|2007|p=179}} Miyazaki and [[Toshio Suzuki (producer)|Toshio Suzuki]], the producer of Ghibli, went to the author's home and invited her to the film's studio. After her visit to the studio, Kadono decided to let the project continue.<ref name=":3" />

Miyazaki finished the rough draft of the screenplay in June 1988 and presented it in July 1988. It was at this time that Miyazaki revealed that he had decided to direct the film, because he had influenced the project so much.{{Sfn|Miyazaki|2006|p=11}} ''Kiki's Delivery Service'' was originally intended to be a 60-minute special, but expanded into a feature film running 102 minutes after Miyazaki completed storyboarding and scripting it.{{Sfn|Miyazaki|2006|p=12}}

The word {{nihongo3|literally "home-fast-mail"|宅急便|takkyūbin}} in the Japanese title is a trademark of [[Yamato Transport]] (which stylized it in non-Japanese languages as ''TA-Q-BIN''), though it is used today as a synonym for {{nihongo3|"home-delivery-mail"|宅配便|takuhaibin}}. While Yamato Transport sponsored the film, it initially did not approve of the usage of its trademark, since it was used by Kadono without permission. However, the success of the film restored relations between both her and Yamato Transport.<ref name=":3" />

The film had a production budget of {{¥|800 million}}{{NoteTag|name=Budget inflation|Equivalent to {{JPY|{{Format price|{{Inflation|JP|800000000|1989}}}}}} in {{Inflation/year|JP}}{{Inflation/fn|JP}}}}, making it one of the most expensive anime films up until then, along with ''[[Akira (1988 film)|Akira]]'' (1988)<ref name="Crunchyroll">{{cite web |last1=Harding |first1=Daryl |title=Akira Anime Film Producer Corrects 30-Year Fact on How Much the Groundbreaking Film Cost to Make |url=https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2020/06/08-1/akira-anime-film-producer-corrects-30-year-fact-on-how-much-the-groundbreaking-film-cost-to-make |website=[[Crunchyroll News]] |access-date=June 8, 2020 |language=en-us |archive-date=June 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200610144842/https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2020/06/08-1/akira-anime-film-producer-corrects-30-year-fact-on-how-much-the-groundbreaking-film-cost-to-make |url-status=live }}</ref> and ''[[Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise]]'' (1987).<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |author=Isao Taniguchi |author2=Hajime Asō |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=28c9DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA75 |title=図解入門業界研究最新ｱﾆﾒ業界の動向とｶﾗｸﾘがよ〜くわかる本 |year= 2017 |publisher=[[:ja:秀和システム|秀和システム]] (Shuwa System) |isbn=978-4-7980-5038-6 |edition=2nd |location=Japan |page=75 |language=ja |trans-title=Introductory Illustrated Industry Research A book that gives a good understanding of the latest trends and karakuri in the animation industry |access-date=June 7, 2022 |archive-date=April 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220411042530/https://books.google.com/books?id=28c9DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA75 |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Music ==
{{Infobox album
| name       = Kiki's Delivery Service
| type       = soundtrack
| artist     = [[Joe Hisaishi]]
| cover      =
| alt        =
| released   = August 25, 1989
| recorded   =
| venue      =
| studio     =
| genre      = {{plainlist|
* [[Anime music]]
* [[Film score]]
}}
| length     = 41:45
| label      = [[Tokuma Shoten]]
| producer   = [[Joe Hisaishi]]
| prev_title = The Inners
| prev_year  = 1989
| next_title = Pretender
| next_year  = 1989
}}
As with [[Hayao Miyazaki]]'s other films, [[Joe Hisaishi]] composed the soundtrack for this film. Three months before the theatrical release of the movie, the [[image album]] for the film was published by Tokuma Shoten on [[Compact disc]]. A vocal album was released in November 1992.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Hisaishi |first=Joe |author-link=Joe Hisaishi |title=Discography |url=http://joehisaishi.com/discography.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100604184310/http://joehisaishi.com/discography.php?cat=soundtrack |archive-date=June 4, 2010 |access-date=October 6, 2023 |website=Joe Hisaishi Official Site |language=ja}}</ref>

For the 1997 Disney English dub, much of the soundtrack was retained except for "[[Rūju no Dengon|Message of Rouge]]" and "Wrapped in Kindness", which were the opening and ending themes of the original Japanese version. Instead, they were replaced with two songs by [[Sydney Forest]]; "Soaring" and "I'm Gonna Fly". Both these songs were removed from the 2010 DVD re-release of the English dub of ''Kiki's Delivery Service''.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |date=December 6, 2018 |title=Answerman – What's With The Multiple Versions of Kiki's Delivery Service? |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/answerman/2018-12-05/.139568 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230725161125/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/answerman/2018-12-05/.139568 |archive-date=July 25, 2023 |access-date=September 29, 2023 |website=Anime News Network |language=en}}</ref> [[Paul Chihara]] composed the music for the dub, adding music to scenes that were silent in the original Japanese version.{{Sfn|Roedder|2014|p=254}}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Music releases for ''Kiki's Delivery Service''{{hairspace}}<ref name=":6" />
! Release&nbsp;date
! English title
! Japanese title
|-
| April 10, 1989
|''Kiki's Delivery Service Image Album''
| {{nihongo2|魔女の宅急便 イメージソング集}}
|-
| August 25, 1989
|''Kiki's Delivery Service Soundtrack''
| {{nihongo2|魔女の宅急便 サウンドトラック}}
|-
| December 21, 1989
|''Kiki's Delivery Service Hi-Tech Series''
| {{nihongo2|魔女の宅急便 ハイテックシリーズ}}
|-
| November 25, 1992
|''Kiki's Delivery Service Vocal Album''
| {{nihongo2|魔女の宅急便 ヴォーカルアルバム}}
|}

==Release==

=== Box Office ===
''Kiki's Delivery Service'' premiered on July 29, 1989, in Japanese theaters. It sold around 2,640,000 tickets in Japan,<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=Suzuki |first=Toshio |date=February 1996 |title=10 Years of Studio Ghibli (Part 3) |url=http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/ghibli/history/history3e.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991022011021/http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/ghibli/history/history3e.html |archive-date=October 22, 1999 |access-date=October 28, 2023 |website=Nausicaa.net}}</ref> with a total box office of {{¥|4.3 billion}} ({{US$|{{To USD|4300|JPN|year=1989|round=yes}} million}}) in gross receipts.<ref name="gross2">{{cite book |last=Kanō |first=Seiji |author-link=Seiji Kanō |title=宮崎駿全書 (Complete Miyazaki Hayao) |year= 2006 |publisher=フィルムアート社 (Film Art Company) |isbn=4-8459-0687-2 |edition=Shohan |page=148}}</ref> It became the first Studio Ghibli film to be successful during its initial release and was one of 1989's [[List of highest-grossing Japanese films|highest-grossing films in Japan]].<ref name=":7" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cunningham |first=Jake |date=July 28, 2019 |title=How Kiki's Delivery Service saved Studio Ghibli |url=https://lwlies.com/articles/kikis-delivery-service-studio-ghibli/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190801171844/https://lwlies.com/articles/kikis-delivery-service-studio-ghibli/ |archive-date=August 1, 2019 |access-date=October 31, 2023 |website=Little White Lies |language=en}}</ref> It also grossed {{HK$|4.04 million}} ({{US$|{{To USD|4040|HKG|year=1990|round=yes}},000}}) in Hong Kong upon release there in 1990.<ref name=":2" /> Later re-releases and international releases between 2004 and 2023 grossed US$10,366,082 worldwide,<ref>{{cite web |title=Kiki's Delivery Service |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0097814/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220410230649/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0097814/ |archive-date=April 10, 2022 |access-date=April 10, 2022 |website=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> adding up to {{US$|{{#expr:31000000+519000+10366082}}|long=no}} grossed worldwide {{as of|2023|lc=y}}.{{NoteTag|This value is based on adding the box office revenue of the film's original release in Japan (US$31 million), the 1990 Hong Kong release (US$519,000), and the various re-releases between 2004 and 2023 (US$10,366,082).|name=Kiki box office}} In the United Kingdom, it was 2018's seventh best-selling foreign-language film on home video,<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/sites/bfi.org.uk/files/downloads/bfi-statistical-yearbook-2019.pdf |title=Statistical Yearbook 2019 |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] (BFI) |year=2019 |location=United Kingdom |pages=103–4 |access-date=April 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220426214923/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/sites/bfi.org.uk/files/downloads/bfi-statistical-yearbook-2019.pdf |archive-date=April 26, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> and 2019's fifth best-selling foreign-language film (below four other Japanese films, including three Miyazaki anime films).<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/industry-data-insights/statistical-yearbook |title=BFI Statistical Yearbook 2020 |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] (BFI) |year=2020 |location=United Kingdom |page=94 |access-date=April 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220427094931/https://www.bfi.org.uk/industry-data-insights/statistical-yearbook |archive-date=April 27, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== English releases ===
[[Streamline Pictures]] produced the first official English dub of ''Kiki's Delivery Service'' in November 1989 for [[Japan Airlines]] international flights. It was the second Studio Ghibli dub produced by Streamline following ''[[My Neighbor Totoro]]'' earlier that year. [[Tokuma Shoten]] commissioned Streamline for the ''Kiki's Delivery Service'' dub after being satisfied with the English production of ''My Neighbor Totoro'', but did not give Streamline the rights to distribute the film in North America.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Patten |first=Fred |date=April 19, 2015 |title=Streamline Pictures – Part 1 |url=https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/streamline-pictures-part-1/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150420045523/https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/streamline-pictures-part-1/ |archive-date=April 20, 2015 |access-date=September 23, 2023 |website=Cartoon Research}}</ref> The Streamline dub was released only on the Ghibli [[LaserDisc]] Box Set in 1996, which is out of print.<ref name=":3" />

Disney produced an English dub in 1997{{Sfn|Roedder|2014|p=254}} and ''Kiki'' was the first film released through a deal Disney made with Tokuma.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}} It premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival on May 23, 1998, and was released on both VHS and LaserDisc by [[Buena Vista Home Video]] in September 1998.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":5" /> It became the eighth-most sold film at [[Blockbuster (retailer)|Blockbuster]] during its first week of availability,<ref name="HK2">[http://www.animeondvd.com/specials/articles/sb004.php Kiki's Delivery Service on DVD from Criterion: A Pipe Dream? by Steve Brandon.] Retrieved on January 3, 2007. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040208171240/http://www.animeondvd.com/specials/articles/sb004.php|date=February 8, 2004}}</ref> and sold over 900,000 copies by September 28, 1998.<ref name=":1">[http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/kiki/impressions2.html#hs929 Nausicaa.net Reviews & Articles Archive "Houchi Sinbun, September 29, 1998".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061216151712/http://nausicaa.net/miyazaki/kiki/impressions2.html#hs929|date=December 16, 2006}} Retrieved on January 3, 2007.</ref> It was released on home media in North America in 2003, alongside the releases of ''[[Spirited Away]]'' and ''[[Castle in the Sky]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Conrad |first=Jeremy |date=March 14, 2003 |title=Spirited Away |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/03/14/spirited-away |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409215418/http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/03/14/spirited-away |archive-date=April 9, 2016 |access-date=October 3, 2023 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref> Disney re-released the film to DVD in 2010 with an updated English dub that removed the earlier dub's deviations from the Japanese version.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimatedisney.com/kikisdeliveryservice.html|title=Kiki's Delivery Service DVD Review (2010 Special Edition Release)|website=www.ultimatedisney.com|access-date=June 29, 2017|archive-date=June 4, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604035739/http://www.ultimatedisney.com/kikisdeliveryservice.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":3" />

In the United Kingdom, the film was released on Blu-ray by [[StudioCanal]] alongside a release of ''[[Grave of the Fireflies]]'' on July 1, 2013,<ref>{{cite web |date=June 29, 2013 |title=Kiki's Delivery Service and Grave of the Fireflies Double Play Released Monday (Updated) |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-06-29/kiki-delivery-service-and-grave-of-the-fireflies-double-play-released-monday |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204201939/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-06-29/kiki-delivery-service-and-grave-of-the-fireflies-double-play-released-monday |archive-date=February 4, 2015 |access-date=December 27, 2014 |publisher=[[Anime News Network]]}}</ref> while in North America, [[Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment]] released the film on [[Blu-ray|Blu-ray Disc]] alongside ''Princess Mononoke'' and ''The Wind Rises'', on November 18, 2014.<ref>{{cite web |title=Details for Studio Ghibli's 'Princess Mononoke', 'Kiki's Delivery Service', 'The Wind Rises' on Disney Blu-ray |url=http://www.toonzone.net/2014/09/details-for-studio-ghiblis-princess-mononoke-kikis-deliver-service-the-wind-rises-on-bluray |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141012154620/http://www.toonzone.net/2014/09/details-for-studio-ghiblis-princess-mononoke-kikis-deliver-service-the-wind-rises-on-bluray/ |archive-date=October 12, 2014 |access-date=September 26, 2014 |publisher=www.toonzone.net}}</ref> [[GKIDS]] re-issued the film on Blu-ray and DVD on October 17, 2017.<ref>{{cite web |author=Carolyn Giardina |date=July 17, 2017 |title=Gkids, Studio Ghibli Ink Home Entertainment Deal |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/gkids-studio-ghibli-ink-home-entertainment-deal-1021746 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170722144250/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/gkids-studio-ghibli-ink-home-entertainment-deal-1021746 |archive-date=July 22, 2017 |access-date=July 17, 2017 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref> In October 2019, it was announced the 2010 Disney dub version would be streaming on [[Max (streaming service)|HBO Max]];<ref>{{cite news |last=Alexander |first=Julia |title=Studio Ghibli movies will stream exclusively on HBO Max |work=[[The Verge]] |date=2019-10-17 |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/17/20919325/studio-ghibli-stream-hbo-max-spirited-away-kikis-delivery-service-my-neighbor-totoro |access-date=2025-04-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240821053454/https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/17/20919325/studio-ghibli-stream-hbo-max-spirited-away-kikis-delivery-service-my-neighbor-totoro |archive-date=2024-08-21 |url-status=live}}</ref> and in 2020, it was announced the Japanese version and the Disney dub would be streaming on [[Netflix]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Andrew |first=Scottie |date=January 20, 2020 |title=Studio Ghibli films are coming to Netflix, but not in North America or Japan {{!}} CNN Business |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/20/business/studio-ghibli-netflix-trnd/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200120190735/https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/20/business/studio-ghibli-netflix-trnd/index.html |archive-date=January 20, 2020 |access-date=October 6, 2023 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref>

==Reception==
At the review aggregator website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], 98% of 45 reviews are positive for ''Kiki's Delivery Service'', and the average rating is 8.1/10. The critics consensus reads, "''Kiki's Delivery Service'' is a heartwarming, gorgeously-rendered tale of a young witch discovering her place in the world."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kiki's Delivery Service - Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/kikis_delivery_service |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250127102820/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/kikis_delivery_service |archive-date=January 27, 2025 |access-date=February 9, 2025 |website=Rotten Tomatoes |language=en}}</ref> [[Metacritic]], another aggregator, collected 15 reviews and calculated an average rating of 85 out of 100, signifying "universal acclaim".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kiki's Delivery Service Reviews |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/kikis-delivery-service |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220126193035/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/kikis-delivery-service |archive-date=January 26, 2022 |access-date=2023-07-15 |website=Metacritic}}</ref>

Initial reviews and reception for ''Kiki's Delivery Service'' were positive. Mark Schilling of ''[[The Japan Times]]'' gave a positive review, praising the realism of Kiki's character, as well as citing various scenes that emphasized it,<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Schilling |first=Mark |date=1989-08-29 |title='Majo no Takkyubin (Kiki's Delivery Service)' |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/1989/08/29/films/film-reviews/majo-delivers-innovative-world-of-animation/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726010705/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/1989/08/29/films/film-reviews/majo-delivers-innovative-world-of-animation/ |archive-date=2014-07-26 |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=The Japan Times |language=en}}</ref> and Japanese filmmaker [[Akira Kurosawa]] also showed admiration for the film.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}} The film also received similar acclaim in America once it was released there. On September 12, 1998, it was the first video release to be reviewed as a normal film on ''[[At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper|Siskel and Ebert]]'' rather than on the "Video Pick of the Week" section.<ref name="HK2"/> [[Gene Siskel]] of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' and [[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' gave it "two thumbs up"<ref name="HC2">{{cite web |title=Kiki's Delivery Service (Majo no Takkyubin) by Marc Hairston November, 1998. |url=http://utd500.utdallas.edu/~hairston/kiki.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070820195726/http://utd500.utdallas.edu/~hairston/kiki.html |archive-date=August 20, 2007}} Retrieved on January 3, 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/kiki/reviews.html#se913 Nausicaa.net Reviews & Articles Archive Siskel and Ebert, September 13, 1998.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100903034138/http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/kiki/reviews.html#se913|date=September 3, 2010}} "'''Siskel:''' "Two thumbs up for 'Kiki's Delivery Service'. A delightful animated feature new in video stores." Retrieved on 2007-01-03.</ref>

Retrospective reviews were also positive. ''[[IGN]]''<nowiki/>'s Andy Patrizio praised the film for its simple but meaningful story, as well as the voice acting of the English dub,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Patrizio |first=Andy |date=2005-01-25 |title=Kiki's Delivery Service |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/01/25/kikis-delivery-service |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403024419/https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/01/25/kikis-delivery-service |archive-date=2015-04-03 |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref> while [[Vox (website)|''Vox'']]'s Allegra Frank felt that the film presented its message well.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Frank |first=Allegra |date=2020-10-29 |title=One Good Thing: Kiki's Delivery Service is the sweetest, most wistful witch movie ever |url=https://www.vox.com/21520043/kikis-delivery-service-best-studio-ghibli-movies-where-to-stream |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029173227/https://www.vox.com/21520043/kikis-delivery-service-best-studio-ghibli-movies-where-to-stream |archive-date=2020-10-29 |access-date=2023-11-11 |website=Vox |language=en}}</ref>

The film was also ranked high in various publications. ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' rated it as Video of the Year in 1998,<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Burr |first=Ty |date=December 25, 1998 |title=10 best videos of 1998 |url=https://ew.com/article/1998/12/25/10-best-videos-1998/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221204221803/https://ew.com/article/1998/12/25/10-best-videos-1998/ |archive-date=December 4, 2022 |access-date=October 18, 2023 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |language=en}}</ref> and in the same year Roger Ebert went on to rank it as one of the best animated films released in the U.S.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ebert |first=Roger |date=December 31, 1998 |title=The Best 10 Movies of 1998 {{!}} Roger Ebert |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/roger-ebert/the-best-10-movies-of-1998 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609051055/https://www.rogerebert.com/roger-ebert/the-best-10-movies-of-1998 |archive-date=June 9, 2020 |access-date=November 12, 2023 |website=RogerEbert.com |language=en}}</ref> The film also ranked No. 12 on ''Wizard's Anime'' Magazine's list of the "Top 50 Anime released in North America".<ref>{{cite web |date=2001-07-06 |title=Wizard lists Top 50 Anime |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2001-07-16/wizard-lists-top-50-anime |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070705092330/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2001-07-16/wizard-lists-top-50-anime |archive-date=July 5, 2007 |access-date=2014-02-02 |publisher=[[Anime News Network]]}}</ref>

===Accolades===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Result
! Recipient
! class="unsortable"|{{refh}}
|-
| rowspan="3" |12th [[Animage|Anime Grand Prix]]
| Best Anime
| {{won}}
| ''Kiki's Delivery Service''
| rowspan="3" |<ref name="animage">{{cite web |date=May 1990 |script-title=ja:第12回アニメグランプリ |url=http://animage.jp/old/gp/gp_1990.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328034543/http://animage.jp/old/gp/gp_1990.html |archive-date=March 28, 2012 |access-date=May 13, 2012 |work=Japan Academy Awards Association |language=ja}}</ref>
|-
| Best Female Character
| {{won}}
| Kiki
|-
| Best Anime Theme Song
| {{won}}
| "''Yasashisa ni Tsutsumaretanara''"
|-
| 44th [[Mainichi Film Award]]
| ''Best Animated Film''
| {{won}}
| ''Kiki's Delivery Service''
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=毎日映画コンクール Mainichi film Awards |url=http://www.animations-cc.net/festivals/f_mainichi01.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304140617/http://www.animations-cc.net/festivals/f_mainichi01.html |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |access-date=October 2, 2023 |website=Animations CC |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref>
|-
| [[Kinema Junpo Awards]]
| Readers' Choice Award
| {{won}}
| ''Kiki's Delivery Service''
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=1989年度キネマ旬報ベストテン - シネマ1987online |url=https://cinema1987.org/home/best10/3/1989.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206133629/https://cinema1987.org/home/best10/3/1989.html |archive-date=December 6, 2022 |access-date=October 3, 2023 |website=Cinema 1987 |language=ja}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2" | 13th [[Japan Academy Prize (film)|Japan Academy Prize]]
| Special Award
| {{won}}
| ''Kiki's Delivery Service''
| rowspan="2" |<ref name="japanacademy">{{cite web |title=List of award-winning films at the 13th Japan Academy Awards |url=http://www.japan-academy-prize.jp/prizes/?t=13 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324043448/http://www.japan-academy-prize.jp/prizes/?t=13 |archive-date=March 24, 2016 |access-date=May 13, 2012 |work=Japan Academy Awards Association |language=ja}}</ref>
|-
| Popularity Award
| {{won}}
| ''Kiki's Delivery Service''
|-
| 7th Annual Golden Gross Award
| Gold, Japanese Film
| {{won}}
| ''Kiki's Delivery Service''
| rowspan="6" | <ref name="Nausicaa.net a">{{cite web |title=''Kiki's Delivery Service'' – credits, figures, and other information |url=http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/kiki/credits.html |work=[[Nausicaa.net]] |access-date=2025-03-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240725162842/http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/kiki/credits.html |archive-date=2024-07-25 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
| The Movie's Day
| Special Achievement Award
| {{won}}
| ''Kiki's Delivery Service''
|-
| The Erandole Award
| Special Award
| {{won}}
| ''Kiki's Delivery Service''
|-
| rowspan="2" |Japan Cinema Association Award
| Best Film
| {{won}}
| ''Kiki's Delivery Service''
|-
| Best Director
| {{won}}
| Hayao Miyazaki
|-
| [[Agency of Cultural Affairs]]
| Best Film
| {{won}}
| ''Kiki's Delivery Service''
|}

== Other media ==

===Books===
A four-volume [[Film comic|ani-manga]] book series using stills from the film was published in Japan by [[Tokuma Shoten]] between August and September 1989.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Miyazaki |first=Hayao |url=http://www.tokuma.jp/book/b503790.html |title=フィルムコミック 魔女の宅急便(1) - 徳間書店 |date= 1989 |publisher=Tokuma Shoten |isbn=978-4-19-779092-0 |location=Tokyo |language=ja |script-title=ja:フィルムコミック 魔女の宅急便(1) |trans-title=Film Comic Kiki's Delivery Service (1) |author-link=Hayao Miyazaki |access-date=September 21, 2023 |archive-date=July 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210712033651/https://www.tokuma.jp/book/b503790.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Miyazaki |first=Hayao |url=http://www.tokuma.jp/book/b503793.html |title=フィルムコミック 魔女の宅急便(4) - 徳間書店 |publisher=Tokuma Shoten |date= 1989 |isbn=978-4-19-779101-9 |location=Tokyo |language=ja |script-title=ja:フィルムコミック 魔女の宅急便(4 |trans-title=Film Comic Kiki's Delivery Service (4) |access-date=September 21, 2023 |archive-date=July 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711221725/https://www.tokuma.jp/book/b503793.html |url-status=live }}</ref> An English translation would later be published by [[Viz Media]] between April and July 2006.<ref>{{Cite web |title=VIZ: See Kiki's Delivery Service Film Comic, Vol. 1 |url=https://www.viz.com/read/film-comic/kikis-delivery-service-film-comics-volume-1/product/308 |access-date=September 21, 2023 |website=www.viz.com |language=en-US |archive-date=October 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003233655/https://www.viz.com/read/film-comic/kikis-delivery-service-film-comics-volume-1/product/308 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=VIZ: See Kiki's Delivery Service Film Comic, Vol. 2 |url=https://www.viz.com/read/film-comic/kikis-delivery-service-film-comics-volume-2/product/309 |access-date=September 21, 2023 |website=www.viz.com |language=en-US |archive-date=September 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230921225423/https://www.viz.com/read/film-comic/kikis-delivery-service-film-comics-volume-2/product/309 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=VIZ: See Kiki's Delivery Service Film Comic, Vol. 3 |url=https://www.viz.com/read/film-comic/kikis-delivery-service-film-comics-volume-3/product/310 |access-date=September 21, 2023 |website=www.viz.com |language=en-US |archive-date=October 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231001064458/https://www.viz.com/read/film-comic/kikis-delivery-service-film-comics-volume-3/product/310 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=VIZ: See Kiki's Delivery Service Film Comic, Vol. 4 |url=https://www.viz.com/read/film-comic/kikis-delivery-service-film-comics-volume-4/product/735 |access-date=September 21, 2023 |website=www.viz.com |language=en-US |archive-date=October 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231001064206/https://www.viz.com/read/film-comic/kikis-delivery-service-film-comics-volume-4/product/735 |url-status=live }}</ref> Tokuma also published a 208-page art book on February 11, 1989, and Viz Media published the English translation of it on May 9, 2006.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Miyazaki |first=Hayao |url=http://www.tokuma.jp/book/b503456.html |title=ジ・アート・オブ 魔女の宅急便 - 徳間書店 |publisher=Tokuma Shoten |year= 1989 |isbn=978-4-19-819110-8 |location=Tokyo |language=ja |script-title=ja:ジ・アート・オブ 魔女の宅急便 |trans-title=The Art of Kiki's Delivery Service |access-date=September 21, 2023 |archive-date=July 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711213320/https://www.tokuma.jp/book/b503456.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=VIZ: See The Art of Kiki's Delivery Service |url=https://www.viz.com/read/art-book/art-of-kikis-delivery-service/product/4738 |access-date=September 21, 2023 |website=www.viz.com |language=en-US |archive-date=September 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230922052449/https://www.viz.com/read/art-book/art-of-kikis-delivery-service/product/4738 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Musicals===
A musical based on the film ran at the [[Southwark Playhouse]] in the UK from December 8, 2016, to January 7, 2017, and officially opened on December 13, 2016. It was adapted by Jessica Sian and directed by Katie Hewitt.<ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Hanlon |first=Dom |date=August 3, 2016 |title=Kiki's Delivery Service is Southwark Playhouse's Christmas Show |url=https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news/news/kikis-delivery-service-is-southwark-playhouses-christmas-show |url-status= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002093409/https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news/news/kikis-delivery-service-is-southwark-playhouses-christmas-show |archive-date=October 2, 2023 |access-date=September 20, 2023 |website=London Theatre |language=en}}</ref> The musical would later run again from August 10, 2017, to September 3, 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 22, 2017 |title=Kiki's Delivery Service Returns To Southwark Playhouse |url=https://britishtheatre.com/kikis-delivery-service-returns-to-southwark-playhouse/ |access-date=September 20, 2023 |website=British Theatre |language=en-GB |archive-date=February 4, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240204041453/https://britishtheatre.com/kikis-delivery-service-returns-to-southwark-playhouse/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

There were also other musicals that ran in Japan. The first ran in Tokyo and Osaka from June 2017 to September 2017, and starred [[Moka Kamishiraishi]] as Kiki and Aran Abe as Tombo. A second one ran in 2018 which starred [[Riko Fukumoto]] as Kiki. The most recent one ran from March 2021 to April 2021 in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka. It stars Neo Inoue as Kiki, and Yūto Nasu as Tombo.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hodgkins |first=Crystalyn |date=January 16, 2021 |title=Kiki's Delivery Service Gets New Musical in March, April |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2021-01-16/kiki-delivery-service-gets-new-musical-in-march-april/.168474 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116080414/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2021-01-16/kiki-delivery-service-gets-new-musical-in-march-april/.168474 |archive-date=January 16, 2021 |access-date=September 20, 2023 |website=Anime News Network |language=en}}</ref>

== Notes ==
{{reflist|group=note}}

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===

* {{cite book |last=Camp |first=Brian |title=Anime Classics Zettai!: 100 Must-See Japanese Animation Masterpieces |year=2007 |publisher=[[Stone Bridge Press]] |isbn=978-1-933330-22-8|title-link=Anime Classics Zettai!: 100 Must-See Japanese Animation Masterpieces }}
* {{cite book |last=McCarthy |first=Helen |author-link=Helen McCarthy |title=[[Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation]] |year=1999 |publisher=[[Stone Bridge Press]] |isbn=1-880656-41-8}}
* {{cite book |last=Napier |first=Susan J. |author-link=Susan J. Napier |title=Anime from Akira to Princess Mononoke: Experiencing Contemporary Japanese Animation |year=2005 |publisher=[[Palgrave Macmillan]] |isbn=1-4039-7052-1|title-link=Anime from Akira to Princess Mononoke: Experiencing Contemporary Japanese Animation }}
* {{cite book |last1=Odell |first1=Colin |last2 = Le Blanc | first2 =Michelle |author1-link=Michelle Le Blanc and Colin Odell |author2-link=Michelle Le Blanc and Colin Odell | title=[[Studio Ghibli: The Films of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata]] |year=2009 |publisher=Oldcastle Books  |isbn=978-1-84243-358-4 |chapter=''Kiki's Delivery Service (Majo no Takkyūbin)'' (1989)}}
* {{cite book |last=Yamanaka |first=Hiroshi |title=Japanese Visual Culture: Explorations in the World of Manga and Anime |year=2008 |publisher=M.E. Sharpe |isbn=978-0-7656-3308-8 |editor=Mark Wheeler Macwilliams |chapter=The Utopian 'Power to Live': The Significance of the Miyazaki Phenomenon}}
* {{Cite book |last=Miyazaki |first=Hayao |title=The Art of Kiki's Delivery Service |year=2006 |publisher=[[Viz Media]] |isbn=978-1-4215-0593-0}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Napier |first=Susan J. |author-link=Susan J. Napier |title=Confronting Master Narratives: History As Vision in Miyazaki Hayao's Cinema of De-assurance |journal=Positions: East Asia Cultures Critique|year=2001 |volume=9 |issue=2 |pages=467–493 |doi=10.1215/10679847-9-2-467 |issn=1067-9847}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Roedder |first1=Alexandra |title=The Localization of Kiki's Delivery Service |journal=Mechademia: Second Arc |date=2014 |publisher=University of Minnesota Press |volume=9 |pages=254–267 |doi=10.1353/mec.2014.0008 |issn=2152-6648 }}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website|http://movies.disney.com/kikis-delivery-service}}
* [http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/kiki/ ''Kiki's Delivery Service'' page] at [[Nausicaa.net]]
* {{rotten-tomatoes|id=kikis_delivery_service|title=Kiki's Delivery Service}}
* {{anime News Network|anime|595}}
* {{IMDb title|0097814|Kiki's Delivery Service}}
* [https://www.cbr.com/disney-changed-kikis-delivery-service-without-studio-ghibli-permission/ Violation of Agreement with added Dialog and Sound Effects.]

{{Hayao Miyazaki}}
{{Studio Ghibli Films}}
{{Mainichi Film Award - Animation Film Award}}
{{Anime Grand Prix}}

[[Category:1989 anime films]]
[[Category:1989 children's films]]
[[Category:1989 fantasy films]]
[[Category:1989 films]]
[[Category:1989 in Japanese cinema]]
[[Category:1980s adventure films]]
[[Category:1980s children's animated films]]
[[Category:1980s children's fantasy films]]
[[Category:1980s Japanese-language films]]
[[Category:1980s road movies]]
[[Category:Animated coming-of-age films]]
[[Category:Animated films about witchcraft]]
[[Category:Animated films based on children's books]]
[[Category:Animated films based on Japanese novels]]
[[Category:Animated films set in the 1960s]]
[[Category:Animated films set in the 20th century]]
[[Category:Anime and manga about witchcraft]]
[[Category:Coming-of-age anime and manga]]
[[Category:Drama anime and manga]]
[[Category:Films based on fantasy novels]]
[[Category:Films directed by Hayao Miyazaki]]
[[Category:Films scored by Joe Hisaishi]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Hayao Miyazaki]]
[[Category:Gallop (studio)]]
[[Category:Japanese animated fantasy films]]
[[Category:Japanese coming-of-age films]]
[[Category:Japanese magical girl films]]
[[Category:Studio Ghibli animated films]]
[[Category:Tokuma Shoten anime]]