Yet again, another young, little girl with short hair. It seems as though Miyazaki has a fetish; but wait, this time, the girl has both parents, not only alive, but well too. This caught my attention as soon as Kiki's mother mentions the father. I thought that the radio was important to Kiki because maybe the father left it for her when he died, so I was really shocked to see she has a dad.
Miyazaki's characters are always independent, so it was only natural to see Kiki fly off to another town on her own. Even if it's only for a year, I find it hard to image a 13 year old girl moving to a completely new area and taking care of herself. The fact that Kiki is separated from her parents makes her similar to Miyazaki's other heroines, who have to fend for themselves. However, I must say that the inclusion of parents makes the film a much more reassuring and happy experience.
And I must say, this is one of my favorite Miyazaki films (which includes Howl's) mainly because it's one of the most feel good stories. There is no real conflict like in Nausicaa, which leaves for an easy viewing. Even though Jiji ends up not talking at the end, it's still reassuring, because cats aren't supposed to talk in the first place. Also, Kiki becomes generally accepted in her new town and gains a close relationship with Tombo. Jiji not being able to talk with Kiki also shows the maturity level that Kiki gains over the course of the film. + maturity = + assurance
And this film was released only 5 days after I was born!!
9.2
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