Kiki’s Delivery Service is a 1989 Japanese animated fantasy film written, produced, and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, based on Eiko Kadono’s 1985 novel of the same name and animated by Studio Ghibli. Recently, my wife and I cooked a pie inspired by the anime. We found numerous YouTube tutorials showing the recipe—not just from this film, but from other Ghibli movies as well. This has inspired us to try even more Ghibli-inspired dishes in the future! It’s fascinating how much power narratives hold and how deeply we are influenced by the stories we read, watch, or hear. Over the past few decades, many animated films—including Kiki’s Delivery Service, which received a live-action adaptation in 2014—have been transformed into live-action versions, further blurring the line between fantasy and reality.
Why Does Kiki’s Delivery Service Resonate with Us?
The story follows Kiki, a young witch, who, like many protagonists in children’s literature, faces adversity and self-doubt before overcoming them and learning from the experience. This narrative structure is effective because it mirrors how we grow as individuals and reflects the way our brain functions. Learning requires friction and frustration, as these signals tell our brain that something needs to change. Naturally, our brain prefers the path of least resistance, which is why we often find it difficult to resist temptations like fast food over healthy meals, lounging instead of exercising, or entertainment instead of studying. Even when we recognize the long-term benefits of making the “right” choices, our brain often nudges us toward the easier, more immediate rewards.
What Can We Learn from Kiki and Jiji’s Relationship?
One of my favorite aspects of the movie is Kiki’s relationship with Jiji, her adorable black cat. At one point in the film, she loses the ability to understand him, symbolizing the way we lose touch with our childhood perspective as we grow older. While maturing is necessary, it is equally important to retain the curiosity and wonder of childhood. The more we work to keep our brain plastic, the easier it is to maintain a connection to the imagination and creativity we often abandon in adulthood.
What about you? Have you ever experienced a moment where you realized you had lost touch with your childhood sense of wonder? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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