A heartwarming tale of independence, community, and everyday magic, following a young witch finding her place in the world.
Disclaimer: I grew up watching Hayao Miyazaki films, and many of them, like Kiki’s Delivery Service , I didn’t realize were adaptations of other stories. When I saw the book while browsing, of course I picked it up, and I’m really glad I did. That said, I’m writing this review from the perspective of someone who’s familiar with the tale through Miyazaki’s adaptation, so I’m fully aware of my bias.
The story follows a young witch, Kiki, as she comes of age. Following a witch tradition, she leaves home for a year at the age of 13 to live in another town, undergoing her first year of training as a witch through finding her place and making her way in the world. Her main magical power is her skill at flying, which makes her incredibly relatable because, aside from that, she’s just a regular girl trying to figure things out. Kiki is curious, independent, and very friendly, but she also has moments of self-doubt, wanting to fit in, and she gets randomly grumpy and grouchy. She’s hilarious and charming, and I loved how down-to-earth her character feels.
The book is very episodic, with each chapter featuring Kiki facing different challenges in the town and helping the locals with various tasks. I struggled with this structure a bit because it reads at a middle-grade level in both writing and flow (which, to be fair, is who it was written for.) The lack of world-building and character depth was hard for me as an adult reader. However, when I worked to view it through the lens of a younger reader, I could easily see how wonderful, beautiful, and heartwarming the story is at its core. It’s an ideal read for younger audiences, and Kadono beautifully weaves whimsy and lighthearted magic into a timeless story we all recognize: the journey of growing up.
When I compare it to the film, I can only say that I’m incredibly grateful for how Miyazaki adapts beautiful stories, taking them under his wing and helping them soar. Kiki’s Delivery Service would have been special to me as a book when I was younger, but the film made it even more so. Miyazaki took the story and added the depth, excitement, and central plot that I think it needed. The characters are richer, the relationships stronger, and the story overall more engaging.
Reading the book was a lovely experience, but strangely, it only made me more attached to the film. It’s rare for me to appreciate a film adaptation more than the book, but in this case, it’s absolutely true.
And let’s be honest—book Jiji or movie Jiji, it makes no difference to me because Jiji is the absolute best, hands down. 🐈⬛✨🖤