View source for Kiki's Delivery Service (2014 film)

{{Infobox film
| name           = Kiki's Delivery Service
| image          = Kiki's_Delivery_Service_2014_poster.jpg

| alt            = 
| caption        = Promotional release poster
| director       = [[Takashi Shimizu]]
| producer       = [[Haruo Umekawa]]
| writer         = 
| screenplay     = {{plainlist|
*[[Satoko Okudera]]
*Takashi Shimizu<ref name="fba-review">{{cite web|url=http://www.filmbiz.asia/reviews/kikis-delivery-service|work=[[Film Business Asia]]|title=Kiki's Delivery Service|author=Elley, Derek|accessdate=March 5, 2014|date=March 2, 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303211926/http://www.filmbiz.asia/reviews/kikis-delivery-service|archivedate=March 3, 2016}}</ref>}}
| story          = 
| based_on       = {{based on|''[[Kiki's Delivery Service (novel)|Kiki's Delivery Service]]''| [[Eiko Kadono]]}} 
| narrator       = 
| starring       = [[Fūka Koshiba]]<br>[[Ryōhei Hirota]]
| music          = [[Taro Iwashiro]]<ref name="fba-review" />
| cinematography = [[Sohei Tanikawa]]<ref name="fba-review" />
| editing        = [[Ayumu Takahashi]]<ref name="fba-review" /> 
| studio         = [[Kadokawa Pictures|Kadokawa]]
| distributor    = [[Toei Company Ltd.]]
| released       = {{Film date|2014|3|1|Japan}} 
| runtime        = 108 minutes<ref name="fba-review" />
| country        = Japan<ref name="fba-review" />
| language       = Japanese
| budget         = 
| gross          = 
}}

{{Nihongo|'''''Kiki's Delivery Service'''''|魔女の宅急便|Majo no Takkyūbin|{{literally|Witch's Express Home Delivery}}}} is a Japanese [[fantasy film]] released in 2014. It was directed by [[Takashi Shimizu]] and based on the children's fantasy novel [[Kiki's Delivery Service (novel)|of the same name]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-10-25/live-action-kiki-delivery-service-teaser-video-streamed|title= Live-Action Kiki's Delivery Service's Teaser Video Streamed|date=2013-10-25|accessdate= 2013-10-28|work= [[Anime News Network]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2013-06-09/more-of-live-action-kiki-delivery-service-cast-revealed-in-costume|title=  More of Live-Action Kiki's Delivery Service Cast Revealed in Costume|date=2013-06-09|accessdate= 2013-10-28|work= [[Anime News Network]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-01-15/live-action-kiki-delivery-service-film-new-images-feature-tonbo-osono|title=Live-Action Kiki's Delivery Service Film's New Images Feature Tonbo, Osono|publisher=Anime News Network|date=January 15, 2014|accessdate=January 15, 2020}}</ref>

== Plot ==
Kiki, a young witch, lives with her witch mother Kokiri and her ordinary human father Okino. As her 13th birthday nears, Kiki prepares to leave her loving home and live in a strange place for a whole year, as per an old witchcraft tradition. On her birthday, Kiki sets off on her broomstick, accompanied by her black cat Jiji. 

After hours of flight over land and sea, she discovers a city by the sea. She makes a stopover at the local zoo, and soon realizes not every resident likes witches. Soon after, Kiki meets the baker Osono, who offers her accommodation under the roof of her windmill.

Next, Kiki has to find a living. Kiki can only fly with her magic powers, which she loves to do. Encouraged by Osono, she decides to open an air delivery service in the sleepy coastal town. At first she didn't want to hire anyone. Only a few aviation-obsessed youngsters are interested in them. But Osono continues to support Kiki and slowly the flight business begins to take off. With her cheerful nature and courage, she is slowly making friends. But then she is taken advantage of by a teenager who was interested in her magic powers. She tells other youths that Kiki can curse her. In order to scare them, she sends Kiki to them with an alleged curse letter. When Kiki realizes the truth, she is very disappointed and sad.

The next setback follows shortly thereafter. It is reported on TV that a hippo from the zoo where Kiki ended up when she arrived in town has become ill. Rumor has it that Kiki can bewitch and curse people and animals. Her delivery service comes to a standstill, and the suspicion and fear of the residents weigh so heavily on Kiki that she falls ill. She loses her courage and with it her magic powers. The flying boy named Tombo encourages Kiki to stay true to herself. Kiki begins to overcome her self-doubt. She accepts a risky job from the zoo director. The sick hippo baby Maruko is to be treated by a famous veterinarian who lives far away from the small town on a small island. Despite a heavy storm, Kiki takes off immediately. She transports the injured baby hippo on a stretcher. Tombo, who also accompanies her during the flight, encourages her constantly. Below them the turbulent sea threatens.

Meanwhile, the people of the city are listening to the radio, listening to news of the rescue operation. Finally, Kiki and her friends reach the island, and the doctor quickly heals the hippopotamus Maruko in a few simple steps. The population, who understood after the rescue operation that Kiki is a lovely witch, celebrates her and her rescue operation at the end of the story. And soon after that, Kiki's apprenticeship year away from home is over, so she can call herself a real witch.

==Cast==
*[[Fuka Koshiba]] as Kiki
*[[Ryōhei Hirota]] as Tombo
*[[Machiko Ono]] as Osono, the baker
*[[Hiroshi Yamamoto (actor)|Hiroshi Yamamoto]] as Fukuo, her husband
*[[Miho Kanazawa]] as Saki
*[[Rie Miyazawa]] as Kokiri
*[[Michitaka Tsutsui]] as Okino
*[[Minako Kotobuki]] as voice of Jiji the cat<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-01-15/k-on-kotobuki-plays-jiji-in-live-action-kiki-delivery-service|title=K-ON's Kotobuki Plays Jiji in Live-Action Kiki's Delivery Service|publisher=Anime News Network|date=January 15, 2014|accessdate=January 15, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2014/01/15/voice-actor-for-gigi-in-kikis-delivery-service-live-action-film-announced|title=Voice Actor For Gigi In "Kiki's Delivery Service" Live-Action Film Announced|publisher=Crunchyroll|date=January 16, 2014|accessdate=January 16, 2020|archive-date=January 26, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220126202759/https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2014/01/15/voice-actor-for-gigi-in-kikis-delivery-service-live-action-film-announced|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.ameba.jp/entry/20140116-15|title=実写版「魔女の宅急便」黒猫ジジは「けいおん！」寿美菜子！|language=Japanese|publisher=[[Ameba (website)|Ameba News]]|date=January 16, 2014|accessdate=January 16, 2020|archive-date=January 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200116021214/https://news.ameba.jp/entry/20140116-15|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.animatetimes.com/news/details.php?id=1389776020|title=映画『魔女の宅急便』ジジのキャストがけいおんの紬役でおなじみの寿美菜子さんに決定！ 寿さんのコメントも大紹介！|language=Japanese|publisher=Animate Times|date=January 16, 2014|accessdate=January 16, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cinematoday.jp/news/N0059681|title=実写『魔女の宅急便』ジジ役は「けいおん」声優・寿美菜子！|language=Japanese|publisher=Cinema Today|date=January 16, 2014|accessdate=January 16, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.mynavi.jp/article/20140116-a145/|title=実写『魔女の宅急便』、ジジの声は『けいおん!』寿美菜子!「"男の子"意識」|language=Japanese|publisher=Cinema Today|date=January 16, 2014|accessdate=January 16, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://eiga.com/news/20140116/2/|title=実写版「魔女の宅急便」黒猫ジジは「けいおん！」寿美菜子！|language=Japanese|publisher=Eiga.com|date=January 16, 2014|accessdate=January 16, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://animeanime.jp/article/2014/01/16/17086.html|title=「魔女の宅急便」 寿美菜子が黒猫ジジの声 キキとの2ショットも初公開|language=Japanese|publisher=Animeanime.jp|date=January 16, 2014|accessdate=January 16, 2020}}</ref><ref name="「魔女の宅急便」　寿美菜子が黒猫ジジの声 キキとの2ショットも初公開">{{cite web|url=http://www.excite.co.jp/news/article/Animeanime_17086/|title=「魔女の宅急便」 寿美菜子が黒猫ジジの声 キキとの2ショットも初公開|language=Japanese|publisher=[[Excite Japan]]|date=January 16, 2014|accessdate=January 16, 2020|archive-date=January 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200116020304/https://www.excite.co.jp/news/article/Animeanime_17086/|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{excessive citations inline|date=October 2025}}
*[[Tadanobu Asano]] as Dr. Ishi
*[[LiLiCo]] as voice of radio DJ
<ref name="fba-review" />

==Release==
''Kiki's Delivery Service'' was released in Japan on March 1, 2014.<ref name="fba-review" /> It was the third highest-grossing film on its release in Japan, making ¥128 million (US$1.25 million) from 117,000 admissions on 281 screens.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmbiz.asia/news/the-hobbit-tops-japan-box-office|work=[[Film Business Asia]]|title=The Hobbit tops Japan box office|author=Ma, Kevin|date=March 4, 2014|accessdate=March 7, 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303210344/http://www.filmbiz.asia/news/the-hobbit-tops-japan-box-office|archivedate=March 3, 2016}}</ref>

==Reception==
[[Film Business Asia]] gave the film a four out of ten rating, referring to the film as "bland, charmless and undramatic".<ref name="fba-review" /> The review stated that actress Fuka Koshiba was "way too mature for the 13-year-old, waifish Kiki and has a forced perkiness that drags the action down" and stated that "the visual and special effects are more run-of-the-mill 20th century than state-of-the-art 21st".<ref name="fba-review" /> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' gave the film a negative review, finding "its charmless heroine, leaden storytelling and dime-store production values unlikely to bewitch anyone except tiny tots."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/film-review-kikis-delivery-service-1201121673/|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|title=Kiki's Delivery Service|author=Lee, Maggie|accessdate=March 18, 2014|date=March 1, 2014}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|https://web.archive.org/web/20150507083858/http://www.majotaku.jp/}} {{in lang|ja}}
* {{IMDb title|2865558|Kiki's Delivery Service}}

{{Takashi Shimizu}}

[[Category:2014 films]]
[[Category:Japanese fantasy films]]
[[Category:2014 fantasy films]]
[[Category:2014 children's films]]
[[Category:Japanese children's fantasy films]]
[[Category:Films based on Japanese novels]]
[[Category:Films directed by Takashi Shimizu]]
[[Category:Films shot in Tokyo]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Satoko Okudera]]
[[Category:Films scored by Taro Iwashiro]]
[[Category:Films about witchcraft]]
[[Category:2014 Japanese films]]
[[Category:2010s Japanese-language films]]

{{Wikipedia attribution|original_title=Kiki's Delivery Service (2014 film)|access_date=2026-03-04}}