Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week: KIKI
Kiki is the titular main character of the beloved Studio Ghibli film Kiki's Delivery Service . The 1989 animated movie follows the young witch-in-training, who leaves home after her 13th birthday to practice her craft alongside her trusty black cat (and best friend), Jiji. Though flying is the only skill she's learned, she's eager to offer her services in a new place. And she does just that.
She soon arrives in the seaside town of Koriko, where the film's themes of coming of age and finding your purpose shine through. Kiki quickly learns that settling in won't be an easy task. She's turned away from a hotel, and many of the folks around town are put off by the aspiring witch, despite her good intentions. Apart from a local boy named Tombo, that is. With a passion for flying himself, he's inspired by Kiki from the moment he spots her on her broom.
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Fortunately, a kind woman named Osono takes Kiki and Jiji in, offering them a place to stay in exchange for their service at the bakery. On Kiki's broom, the pair swiftly deliver baked goods and other gifts to customers all over town. They go above and beyond by lending a helping hand in other ways, too. The Real Deal
Kiki is the real deal. She never turns down a job and does everything in her power to see a challenge through. When she loses a gift on a delivery, she asks Jiji to stand in as the stuffed toy until she can return the lost item. In her search, Kiki befriends the artist Ursula, who found the toy among a flock of upset crows. After waiting patiently for Ursula to stitch it up, Kiki heads back and makes the switch.
She does her best to help out a customer, even when it conflicts with her invitation to join Tombo at the aviation club. She gets held up while waiting for a pie to bake and races to deliver it in the rain. Kiki arrives right on time, but the young customer isn't happy with the gift her grandmother sent along with the witch. To make matters worse, Kiki misses the club meeting and winds up with a cold.
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Luckily, Osono pulls some strings to arrange for Kiki to meet with Tombo again. The two bond over their mutual love for flying. But their outing is cut short when Tombo's friends arrive, and Kiki is disappointed. Soon after, she wakes up to discover that she no longer has the ability to fly or understand Jiji. Growing Pains
Kiki's Delivery Service is all about growing up. Like any teenager, Kiki struggles with fitting in. We see this when she's feeling insecure about her traditional black dress and her worn shoes, and again when she hesitates to join Tombo's friends. She wants to be like other kids, but feels that she's just too different. These feelings lead Kiki to lose sight of the gifts that make her unique.
She confides in Ursula, who tells the witch all about a bad case of artist's block she once had. Ursula would spend all her time painting until one day, she just couldn't. She'd try, but felt that nothing she did was any good; her paintings looked like copies of other paintings she'd seen. She tells Kiki she had to figure out what and why she wanted to paint to discover her own style. That's when Kiki comes to the realization that she needs to find her own inspiration to learn to fly again.
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Why does Kiki matter? Instead of changing herself to fit in, she carves out a place in the world to be herself and take pride in her gifts. It takes resolve, newfound inspiration and accepting the things that make her different for Kiki to find her magic again, even if it means Jiji is no longer her only friend. But that's part of growing up, and Kiki's Delivery Service speaks to young audiences who've faced the same struggles.
Ultimately, Kiki's determination and the lessons she learns on the job in a new place are what help her rediscover her ability to fly. In finding herself, she's also able to save Tombo when a blimp takes the young boy up in the air with no way to get down. At the last moment, Kiki swoops in on her broom and catches her new friend.
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So, be like Kiki. When a task gets tough, don't get down on yourself. Failure and moments of self-doubt are facts of life; they don't define you. Facing hardship doesn't mean you're not good enough. In looking at challenges as opportunities to get creative, find your magic and help out where you're really needed. We can always learn something new. In the end, this leads us back to ourselves and to the people who care about us.
You can stream Kiki's Delivery Service , subtitled and dubbed, on Max.
GGA's Favorite Fandom Cookbooks Gift Guide Olivia Rolls (she/her) is a weekly contributor at GGA, specializing in cozy games, anime and all things horror. Her byline has appeared at publications like The Mary Sue, The Escapist, GameSkinny and more. When she's not writing deep dives on her favorite games, shows, movies or characters, she's probably yapping about the latest pop culture trends or catching up on another Pokémon playthrough.
E-mail professional inquiries to [email protected]. You can also find Olivia on Bluesky and LinkedIn.
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