Kiki's Delivery Service (synopsis)
Spoiler Warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
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On a grassy knoll in the town of Karikiya, thirteen-year-old Kiki listens to a favorable weather report for the next few days on a small radio. She quickly considers what she just heard. Her mind made up, she rushes home. There, she runs into her mother, a witch who specializes in chemistry and medicinal potions, and Mrs. Dora, an elderly woman who is there to pick up a potion. Kiki excitedly tells them both that she has decided to leave that evening, instead of next month, due to good weather and a full moon. She rushes upstairs to prepare. |
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She is awakened the next morning by the cows below as they feed on the hay. She and Jiji climb atop the boxcar and Kiki is amazed at the sight of the ocean before her. She sees a town by the sea and immediately heads toward it. As Kiki approaches the city from the sea, she waves to the fishermen in the bay and flies up to the clock tower. The caretaker there is surprised to see a witch, and tells Kiki that she is the first witch he has seen in some time. Delighted that the town, called Koriko, does not have a resident witch, Kiki decides that this is where she shall spend the next year and goes down into the city proper to survey. She blithely sails down the main street, nearly getting clobbered by a bus (look carefully at the sideboards as it goes by) and generally causing traffic havoc as she tries to bring herself under control. Settling down before a group of stunned onlookers, Kiki introduces herself and Jiji and says that she loves their town and hopes to live here. A police officer comes up and berates Kiki for reckless flying. He takes out his notebook and asks Kiki her name and address to report her actions to her parents. Suddenly, someone yells "thief" and the policeman, with a warning to Kiki to stay put, rushes off to investigate. Kiki has no such intention, and ducks out as soon as the officer is out of sight. As she and Jiji walk down a side street, a young boy on a bike come up beside her. The boy, Tombo, informs Kiki that he yelled "thief" to get the cop to leave. He says that he saw her flying and that he had never seen a witch before. Kiki ignores him at first, but when a group of friends drive by and jibe him for chasing girls first thing in the morning, Kiki brusquely thanks him for her help, but states that she did not ask for it and it is rude for him to talk to her without first being properly introduced. He continues to try and engage her in conversation, but she jumps on her broom and flies off. |
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After her encounter with Tombo, Kiki sets out to find a place to stay. She tries the local hotel, but being only thirteen she cannot secure a room by herself. Sitting underneath a statue, Jiji tells Kiki to find a new, friendlier town. From across the street, the baker Osono emerges from her shop and calls out to her customer, who inadvertently left her baby’s pacifier behind. However, the woman is out of hearing range, and Osono apologizes to her other customers and says she must leave the store to return it. Seeing this, Kiki comes up and offers to deliver it for her, so Osano does not have to leave her bakery customers. Kiki takes the pacifier and leaps off the ledge...and flies off, much to Osono’s amazement. Kiki delivers the pacifier to the lady, who hands Kiki a letter, and then returns to Osono’s Bakery to deliver the letter. Kiki makes to leave, but Osono invites her to stay for some coffee. Kiki tells Osono that she does not think the town is very friendly. Osono replies that she likes witches and offers Kiki a place to stay at the bakery for the night. Later that night, Kiki takes stock of her finances. Though Jiji still feels that leaving for another town might be a wise idea, Kiki decides to stay a little longer. Night falls... |
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The following morning, Kiki offers to help out in the bakery. She tells Osono that her experience the other day makes her think that a delivery service might be an excellent way for her to earn a living for her year’s stay. Osono and Kiki agree that, in exchange for Kiki helping out around the bakery, Osono will give Kiki free room and board until she can build a clientele. |
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In her searches, Kiki finally comes across the doll in the window of a cabin. She sees no one, and calls out. A voice answers from the roof, and Kiki scrambles up to find a young girl, Ursula, drawing a picture of a crow. Ursula explains she found the doll and returns it to Kiki, who is dismayed to find that the crows ripped it. Ursula says she will fix the doll if Kiki does something for her... Back at the house, Jiji is doing his best to act like a stuffed doll... Kiki arrives at the house, and Jiji and the stuffed cat trade places... Kiki tells Jiji about Ursula and that Ursula asked her to model for her. When Jiji asks if Kiki will be naked for the picture, Kiki calls him an idiot. |
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It is a quiet day at the bakery. Kiki is worried because she has generated no business and they are having to live off of pancakes. Jiji does not mind, but Kiki warns him that he might soon look like a pancake. Kiki soon gets a phone call from a customer for her delivery service to perform a job later that day. |
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The following morning, Kiki awakes with a fever and severe cold. Osono makes some warm gruel. She also tells Kiki that Tombo came by and asked to visit her, but that Osono correctly assumed Kiki did not want to see him right then and politely declined for her. She tells Kiki to rest for the remainder of the day. The next morning, Osono has another delivery for Kiki to the Kopori residence. She notices that Jiji seems to have finally made friends with Lily, the cat next-door and heads off to make the delivery. Lost, she is looking around when Tombo appears. He asks if she is out for a walk, and she replies she is looking for the Kopori residence. Tombo replies that his last name is Kopori, and that he will be right down. Looking at the slip, Kiki realizes that Mrs. Osono set her up. Kiki apologizes for not making the party, but Tombo is too excited showing her the reason they held the party - to celebrate their new self-propelled flying machine. He explains that the wings and fuselage are being built someplace else. Tombo asks if she would like to come see the dirigible down at the beach, and Kiki agrees. Tombo decides to take their bike/power source out since he needs to train. Kiki states she has never been on a bike before, and is unsure what to do. They launch into the street on a wild ride (showcasing some of the awesome artistry that is Studio Ghibli) and end up flying off a ledge and soft-landing into the grass. Both are unharmed, and Kiki actually bursts out laughing with relief at making it. Tombo asks her if she used her magic during their "flight", and Kiki replies that she is unsure. On the beach, Tombo asks Kiki what it was like when she first flew, and Kiki replies she was too young to remember. Kiki admits that Tombo is a nice guy and not the juvenile delinquent she first thought him. Tombo laughs, remarking his mother happens to think that he is a delinquent, too fixated on the skies. A car of Tombo’s friends pulls-up, and they tell Tombo they are giving tours of the dirigible. Tombo is anxious to go, and invites Kiki, but she declines. Back at home, she comments to Jiji that even though she just became friends with Tombo, she was already being spiteful to him. Jiji walks off, however, without responding. At dinner that evening, Kiki berates Jiji for being late, and Jiji replies with a meow. Suddenly, Kiki realizes she can no longer talk with Jiji. She tries to fly on her broom, but fails. She runs outside and tries again and again, but she just ends up breaking the broom. |
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The next morning, Kiki informs Osono that her magic is exceptionally weak. She can no longer fly or communicate with Jiji. Osono asks if her powers will return, and Kiki is unsure. They all go outside to watch the dirigible pass and see Tombo waving to them from the gondola. Tombo calls Kiki that afternoon asking if she had seen him on the dirigible. Kiki asks him not to call her again and hangs-up the phone. Kiki returns to her room to start work on a new broom when Ursula shows up to visit. Kiki plays the hostess while Ursula asks how the delivery business is going. Kiki quickly states she is taking some time off, but Ursula suspects it is something else. Ursula and Kiki head out into town to run some of Ursula’s errands. She invites Kiki and Jiji to come back to the cabin with her. Kiki agrees, while Jiji decides to stay behind with Lily. They take a bus and then hitchhike the rest of the way, with Ursula upset that the driver thought she was a boy with legs like hers. Once inside, Kiki is amazed to see the latest painting Ursula is working on. Ursula explains that Kiki was the inspiration for painting it, but that she cannot get the face right. She asks if Kiki will sit and be a model for the face in the painting. As she sketches, Ursula explains that her "gift" sometimes leaves her as well and she has to go do something else until it comes back. She explained that she had decided to become an artist when she was thirteen, but that she soon grew disenchanted with her work. She realized that she was just imitating the work of others, and had to create her own style. They talk more throughout the night, and Kiki begins to feel better. |
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At the bakery, the television reports that the dirigible "Spirit of Freedom" has completed repairs and will be departing for the South Pole that afternoon. Osono is on the phone with Kiki, informing her that the Madam wants Kiki to stop by if she can. At the madam’s house, she gives Kiki a cake as a thank you for her help with her granddaughter’s present. On the television, a large wind gust catches the "Spirit of Freedom" and starts to whip it around. The mooring crew tries to bring it under control, but the dirigible breaks free and rises upward, shedding the mooring crew until only Tombo and a patrol car used to help anchor the dirigible are left hanging. Seeing the images on television, Kiki rushes off to help him. Tombo loses his grip and slides down the rope. His impact breaks the bumper free of the patrol car, which falls to the plaza below. On the dirigible, the crew start to release helium from the rear to try and balance the dirigible, which is not standing on it's nose. Kiki grabs a broom from a street sweeper and tries to lift-off, but with no luck. Concentrating her energy and focus, she finally succeeds and takes off to rescue Tombo. The dirigible, helpless in the wind, drifts towards the clock tower. People on the clocktower try and grab Tombo as the dirigible grows closer, but the nose crashes into the tower itself and the dirigible’s rear, now heavier due to the helium release, crashes down on the other side of the square. The impact snaps the bumber off, and Tombo is left dangling from the end of the rope, his grip slipping. Kiki, still struggling with controlling her flight, tries to grab Tombo, but she is unable as Tombo's hand slips off the rope. Kiki dives down in chase and catches his outstretched arm. The two settle softly onto a safety net to the cheers of the crowd. |
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Back home in Karikiya, Okino and Kokiri read the latest letter from Kiki. "Father. Mother. How are you?" Jiji and I are both very well. My work is on the right track and I am confident. It’s been hard sometimes, but I love this town." |
