魔女の宅急便
"I was feeling blue, but I'm better now."
Kiki's Delivery Service - Symbolism & Philosophy
Symbols & Motifs
Flight and the Broomstick
Flight symbolizes Kiki's magical talent, her spirit, and her self-confidence. Her mother's broom, which she initially uses, represents the support and tradition of her upbringing. When she breaks her mother's broom and later flies on a borrowed deck brush to save Tombo, it signifies her transition to true independence, relying on her own renewed spirit rather than just her inherited traditions.
Flight is central to the film, from Kiki's departure from home to her delivery service. Her struggles with flying directly mirror her emotional state. The climax sees her regaining her power in a moment of desperate need, using a humble street cleaner's broom to rescue her friend.
Jiji the Cat
Jiji represents Kiki's childhood, her inner voice, and her immaturity. He is her cautious, sometimes cynical, companion. When Kiki loses her ability to understand him, it symbolizes her maturation and her departure from childhood. She no longer needs that externalized voice of doubt and comfort in the same way, as she is developing her own inner strength.
Jiji is Kiki's constant companion for the first part of the film. After Kiki suffers from her burnout and depression, she discovers she can no longer understand what he is saying. Even after she regains her ability to fly, the film intentionally does not show her regaining her ability to converse with Jiji, signifying a permanent step forward into maturity.
The Color Black
Traditionally, a witch's black dress symbolizes the occult or evil in Western culture. However, in the film, it represents a witch's tradition and Kiki's initial feelings of being an outsider. Her mother explains that it's a formal uniform. Kiki's initial self-consciousness about her simple black dress compared to the colorful fashions in the city reflects her own insecurities about fitting in.
Kiki wears her traditional black witch's dress throughout the film. She briefly expresses a desire for fashionable, colorful clothes like the other girls in Koriko, highlighting her struggle between embracing her identity as a witch and her desire to be a normal teenager.
The Clock Tower
The clock tower represents the heart of the community and the passage of time. It is a landmark of the city where Kiki chooses to make her home. The climax, where the airship crashes into the clock, symbolizes a crisis for the entire community and a disruption of normal life, which Kiki, as the town's witch, must resolve.
The clock tower is a prominent feature in the city of Koriko. The final, dramatic rescue of Tombo takes place at the clock tower, with the entire town watching, solidifying Kiki's place within the community.
Philosophical Questions
What is the relationship between talent, passion, and work?
The film deeply explores what happens when a passion becomes a job. Kiki loves to fly, but when flying becomes the basis for her delivery service, the pressure and routine drain the joy from it, leading to burnout. This raises the question of whether monetizing a talent inevitably diminishes its intrinsic value. Ursula, the artist, provides the answer: spirit and inspiration are crucial. The film suggests that to sustain passion within work, one must continually find a deeper purpose and inspiration, connecting the skill ('magic') back to the heart ('spirit'). It's a commentary on the struggle to maintain authenticity and joy in a capitalist society.
Is growing up fundamentally a process of loss, gain, or both?
"Kiki's Delivery Service" portrays growing up as a complex process involving both loss and gain. Kiki gains independence, new friends, confidence, and a place in a community. However, she also loses her direct connection to her childhood, symbolized by her inability to speak with Jiji anymore. The film doesn't treat this as a tragedy but as a natural, albeit bittersweet, part of maturation. It philosophically argues that moving forward requires letting go of certain parts of the past. The magic of childhood is replaced by the different, more resilient magic of adulthood.
What is the nature of 'magic' in a modern world?
The film posits 'magic' not just as a supernatural force, but as a metaphor for creativity, intuition, and individual talent. In a world of technology and commerce, Kiki's magic seems 'old-fashioned.' However, her crisis reveals that this magic is not an external, reliable tool, but an internal state connected to her spirit and confidence. The film asks what it means to keep such personal 'magic' alive amidst the pressures of modern life. It concludes that its power lies in its ability to connect people and to solve problems with a human touch that technology cannot always replicate, as seen in the climactic rescue.
Core Meaning
At its heart, "Kiki's Delivery Service" is a profound exploration of the transition from childhood to adulthood, focusing on the themes of independence, self-doubt, and the rediscovery of one's inner spirit. Director Hayao Miyazaki uses Kiki's magical abilities as a metaphor for creativity and talent. When Kiki becomes disheartened and overworked, she loses her powers, symbolizing a form of 'artist's block' or burnout that many experience when a passion turns into a profession.
The film suggests that true magic, or purpose, comes not just from innate talent but from the heart and spirit. Kiki regains her abilities not through a magic spell, but through an act of courage and friendship, realizing that her value is not solely tied to her powers but to her character and connections with others. The message is that finding one's own inspiration and overcoming vulnerability are essential parts of growing up and achieving genuine independence.