By Nurul Aleeya
Edited by Harith Syafiee
Modernity is a double-edged sword; while society progresses with technological advancements, it has also eroded the natural world. Kiki’s Delivery Service (1985 & 1989) is a story of a young witch’s coming-of-age journey who faces challenges in a modernised city. The film might seem innocent and light-hearted to watch, but beyond those cheery background music and beautiful scenery of a town by the ocean lies the hidden message of youth and modernity.
Let’s backtrack to the original story of Kiki’s Delivery Service, or more known as Majo no Takkyubin (Witch’s Express Home Delivery), a children's book by Eiko Kadono published in 1985. The story was heavily inspired by Eiko's daughter’s drawing of a young witch perched on a flying broom with a red radio. For that, Eiko wrote the novel dedicated to her soon-to-be 13-year-old daughter, which would teach her about youth and life challenges.
Kiki’s background story itself is interesting and sets up a great foundation for Kiki’s characterisation and story conflict, which were also depicted in the film. Eiko Kadono intends to make Kiki’s magic as close to the real world as possible by only giving her the magical ability to fly and nothing else. This is to make Kiki seem relatable to other young girls who are reading the book, especially for her daughter.
Moreover, to showcase a character who is ‘different’ from others and to build up a story of finding oneself and independence, Kiki was born and raised on an outskirt by the hills, away from modernity. Not only that, it was stated in the novel that witches and their magic are a symbol of tradition, an opposition to modernity. In which the knowledge of magic is passed down one generation after another, to inherit and be remembered. It was also mentioned that as time passes by, fewer and fewer witches can master more than one magical ability and that some knowledge has already been lost. Kiki also mentioned how the lights from lamps powered by technology have affected witches' ability at night. These scenes hint at the correlation between a witch and their tradition with the growing modernity.
Kiki then arrives at the bustling city of Koriko as per the witches’ tradition for 13-year-old witches to depart to a new town by themselves to promote independence and their standing. However, since the city contrasts with Kiki’s hometown, modernised not only in its architecture but also in its customs, social and economic setting, it poses challenges for Kiki to properly adapt and become the town’s witch. Moreover, the city people had never met a witch and felt wary of Kiki and her magical ability, causing unsolicited speculation.
Another instance where Kiki had trouble finding her standing is when she felt inferior to the city girls around her age. They dress lavishly in colourful dresses and jewellery, while she is stuck with the tradition of wearing a black dress. This creates an obvious economic separation between her and the youth her age. Kiki also struggled financially in the city, portrayed both in the novel and film, which is a realistic expression of what modernity had brought to the human world.
The modernised setting poses a challenge to Kiki’s coming-of-age journey, being born and rooted in a traditional upbringing and finding her place in a modernised city. It is no wonder then why Hayao Miyazaki picked up the novel and animated it, portraying a complex relationship between humans, the environment, and modernity. The story was not only able to criticise modernity but also show a journey of balancing traditionality and modernity in the natural world.
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