Kiki's Delivery Service (Japanese: 魔女の宅急便, Hepburn: Majo no Takkyūbin, "Witch's Delivery Service") is a 1989 Japanese animated film written, produced, and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, adapted from the 1985 novel by Eiko Kadono. It was animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Yamato Transport and the Nippon Television Network and distributed by the Toei Company. The film tells the story of a young witch, Kiki, who moves to a new town and uses her flying ability to earn a living. According to Miyazaki, the movie portrays the gulf between independence and reliance in teenage Japanese girls.
Kiki's Delivery Service was released in Japan on July 29, 1989, and won the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize. It was the first film released under a 15-year distribution partnership between The Walt Disney Company and Studio Ghibli. Walt Disney Pictures produced an English dub in 1997, which premiered in United States theaters at the Seattle International Film Festival on May 23, 1998. The film was released on home video in the U.S. and Canada on September 1, 1998.
Storyline
Release Date
July 29, 1989
Sound Effects Used
Original Version
- Christine's Horn
- Elektra Records, Door Chimes
- H-B BELL, CLOCK TOWER - TOLLING, THREE TIMES/Sound Ideas, BELL, BIG - BIG BONG (Heard in a fairly low volume and low-pitched version; subtitles captions as "[ Clock Tower Bell Dinging ]".)
- H-B SPIN, CARTOON - WACKY SPIN WITH DRUM (Heard once from the television showing a Cat & Mouse cartoon that Ket was watching on TV.)
- Sound Ideas, BOINK, CARTOON - HOYT'S BOINK
- Sound Ideas, HIT, CARTOON - BRAKE DRUM AND BULB HORN HIT
- Sound Ideas, RAIN, THUNDER - RAIN, STEADY, WEATHER
- Sound Ideas, SIREN - FRENCH POLICE SIREN
- Sound Ideas, SIREN, POLICE - ELECTRONIC, STEADY 02
- Sound Ideas, SKID, CARTOON - BIG LONG SKID
- Sound Ideas, SPLAT, CARTOON - BORK PIE HIT
- Sound Ideas, TRAIN, DIESEL - APPROACH, PASS BY, HORN (Horn only)
- Sound Ideas, WEATHER - THUNDER CRASH 02
- Sound Ideas, WIND - HOWLING AND WHISTLING, WEATHER (Subtitles captions as "(WIND WHOOSHING)".)
- Sound Ideas, ZIP, CARTOON - BIG WHISTLE ZING OUT (Heard once from the television showing a Cat & Mouse cartoon that Ket was watching on TV; This, along with Castle in the Sky (1986), My Neighbor Totoro (1988) are the only three Studio Ghibli films to use that sound effect.)
- WB FALL, BODY - BODYFALL WITH GRUNT 01
1998 Disney Dub
(Note: these sound effects are only heard in the 1998 Disney English dub, but were omitted for the later 2010 dub.)
- Hollywoodedge, Crowd Reaction Shock PE142501/Hollywoodedge, Crowd Med Shock PE961301 (1998 Disney dub only.)
- Hollywoodedge, Medium Crowd AdultsY PE142901 (1998 Disney dub only.)
- Hollywoodedge, Wood Break Or Shatter PE113401 (1998 Disney dub only.)
- Hollywoodedge, Wood Door OCSqueak PE180401 (1998 Disney dub only.)
- Pro Sound Effects, Seagulls and Crows, Birdcalls, Squawks, Screeches, Cries, CU (1998 Disney dub only.)