2014·Fantasy·1h 48m
7.0
★
A young girl named Kiki must leave her home for a year to begin training in witchcraft. She leaves on her broom, but first says goodbye to her friends and family. Kiki then begins her new life with her trusted cat Jiji.
Directed by Takashi Shimizu
witch
based on children's book
talking cat
IMDB
N/A
Cast
Fuka Koshiba
Kiki
Ryohei Hirota
Tonbo
Machiko Ono
Osono
Hiroshi Yamamoto
Fukuo
Yoh Yoshida
Sumire
Hirofumi Arai
Nazuru
Kotaro Shiga
Zoo Director
Yousei Bun
Morio
Duan Wenning
Atchi
Minako Kotobuki
Jiji (voice)
Yuri
Takara Kami
Miho Kanazawa
Saki
Crew
Takashi Shimizu
Director
Satoko Okudera
Screenplay
Takashi Shimizu
Screenplay
Taro Iwashiro
Original Music Composer
Kiran Bhakta Joshi
Executive Producer
Eiko Kadono
Novel
Tak Sakaguchi
Action Director
Popular Reviews
13 reviews
ggeorge
6.0★ · 03/01/26
not bad for a live action.
not bad for a live action.
AmityPRO
8.0★ · 07/20/25
this movie really surprised me with how good it was! i’m glad it was a very different story from the animated film and even happier that this is more in line with the story the original author of the book wanted to tell!!
the actress for kiki is adorable and she kills it in every scene, i really loved how real a lot of what she said and did felt.
i feel like the message of this film and how passion sometimes fizzles out (just like the first movie) was handled extremely well too, especially when they could’ve copied ghibli’s homework but the message is original and the extra line of “a witch’s feelings must be connected to her broom” is a wonderful addition that speaks to me similarly to how the animated film spoke to me way back when.
the change of people being afraid of kiki is not as subtle as in the movie where tombo is friends with one of the snooty rich girls but i think the whole storyline revolving around that was well done! a lot of the characters are less likable this time around but most if not all of them develop. koriko village just has a really strong mob mentality and this tells a better story around being outcast in my opinion than the animated film, although that movie is as i said much more subtle with showing kiki’s loneliness
the cgi wasn’t great and neither was jiji, especially when he could’ve stopped speaking after kiki lost her magic like in the animated film. i thought that was so genius to describe kiki’s loss of magic and her loneliness. it doesn’t detract that much from an otherwise excellent adaptation though! very worth a watch, especially if you love kiki’s delivery service as much as i do.
in my opinion the correct way to watch this movie is to try your best to see it as a standalone retelling of the story rather than thinking so much of what the animated film does better. the goal shouldn’t be to “live up” to the animated film which is unfortunately the goal for many live action adaptations—instead it is to tell a good standalone story.
also side note this is one of the hardest movies i’ve ever had to find.
the actress for kiki is adorable and she kills it in every scene, i really loved how real a lot of what she said and did felt.
i feel like the message of this film and how passion sometimes fizzles out (just like the first movie) was handled extremely well too, especially when they could’ve copied ghibli’s homework but the message is original and the extra line of “a witch’s feelings must be connected to her broom” is a wonderful addition that speaks to me similarly to how the animated film spoke to me way back when.
the change of people being afraid of kiki is not as subtle as in the movie where tombo is friends with one of the snooty rich girls but i think the whole storyline revolving around that was well done! a lot of the characters are less likable this time around but most if not all of them develop. koriko village just has a really strong mob mentality and this tells a better story around being outcast in my opinion than the animated film, although that movie is as i said much more subtle with showing kiki’s loneliness
the cgi wasn’t great and neither was jiji, especially when he could’ve stopped speaking after kiki lost her magic like in the animated film. i thought that was so genius to describe kiki’s loss of magic and her loneliness. it doesn’t detract that much from an otherwise excellent adaptation though! very worth a watch, especially if you love kiki’s delivery service as much as i do.
in my opinion the correct way to watch this movie is to try your best to see it as a standalone retelling of the story rather than thinking so much of what the animated film does better. the goal shouldn’t be to “live up” to the animated film which is unfortunately the goal for many live action adaptations—instead it is to tell a good standalone story.
also side note this is one of the hardest movies i’ve ever had to find.
this movie really surprised me with how good it was! i’m glad it was a very different story from the animated film and even happier that this is more in line with the story the original author of the book wanted to tell!!
the actress for kiki is adorable and she kills it in every scene, i really loved how real a lot of what she said and did felt.
i feel like the message of this film and how passion sometimes fizzles out (just like the first movie) was handled extremely well too, especially when they could’ve copied ghibli’s homework but the message is original and the extra line of “a witch’s feelings must be connected to her broom” is a wonderful addition that speaks to me similarly to how the animated film spoke to me way back when.
the change of people being afraid of kiki is not as subtle as in the movie where tombo is friends with one of the snooty rich girls but i think the whole storyline revolving around that was well done! a lot of the characters are less likable this time around but most if not all of them develop. koriko village just has a really strong mob mentality and this tells a better story around being outcast in my opinion than the animated film, although that movie is as i said much more subtle with showing kiki’s loneliness
the cgi wasn’t great and neither was jiji, especially when he could’ve stopped speaking after kiki lost her magic like in the animated film. i thought that was so genius to describe kiki’s loss of magic and her loneliness. it doesn’t detract that much from an otherwise excellent adaptation though! very worth a watch, especially if you love kiki’s delivery service as much as i do.
in my opinion the correct way to watch this movie is to try your best to see it as a standalone retelling of the story rather than thinking so much of what the animated film does better. the goal shouldn’t be to “live up” to the animated film which is unfortunately the goal for many live action adaptations—instead it is to tell a good standalone story.
also side note this is one of the hardest movies i’ve ever had to find.
the actress for kiki is adorable and she kills it in every scene, i really loved how real a lot of what she said and did felt.
i feel like the message of this film and how passion sometimes fizzles out (just like the first movie) was handled extremely well too, especially when they could’ve copied ghibli’s homework but the message is original and the extra line of “a witch’s feelings must be connected to her broom” is a wonderful addition that speaks to me similarly to how the animated film spoke to me way back when.
the change of people being afraid of kiki is not as subtle as in the movie where tombo is friends with one of the snooty rich girls but i think the whole storyline revolving around that was well done! a lot of the characters are less likable this time around but most if not all of them develop. koriko village just has a really strong mob mentality and this tells a better story around being outcast in my opinion than the animated film, although that movie is as i said much more subtle with showing kiki’s loneliness
the cgi wasn’t great and neither was jiji, especially when he could’ve stopped speaking after kiki lost her magic like in the animated film. i thought that was so genius to describe kiki’s loss of magic and her loneliness. it doesn’t detract that much from an otherwise excellent adaptation though! very worth a watch, especially if you love kiki’s delivery service as much as i do.
in my opinion the correct way to watch this movie is to try your best to see it as a standalone retelling of the story rather than thinking so much of what the animated film does better. the goal shouldn’t be to “live up” to the animated film which is unfortunately the goal for many live action adaptations—instead it is to tell a good standalone story.
also side note this is one of the hardest movies i’ve ever had to find.
Lulu
3.0★ · 07/04/25
Lowkey made me appreciate Disney’s live remakes😔
Lowkey made me appreciate Disney’s live remakes😔
Magnus
2.0★ · 05/01/26
lilies
6.0★ · 10/14/25