Kiki's Delivery Service

is a 1989 Japanese animated fantasy film written, produced, and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, and is based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Eiko Kadono. It was animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Yamato Transport (which licensed the trademark for the film) and the Nippon Television Network. The Japanese version stars the voices of Minami Takayama, Rei Sakuma and Kappei Yamaguchi, while the 1998 English dub stars the voices of Kirsten Dunst, Phil Hartman, and Matthew Lawrence. The story follows Kiki, a young witch who moves to the port city of Koriko in order to learn to be independent. While in the city, she meets Osono, who offers to let her stay in her bakery and earn a living by starting a flying courier service. She also interacts with the various citizens of Koriko, which includes a boy named Tombo. The film was first conceptualized when Group Fudosha asked Kadono's publishers for the rights to the novel to be made into a feature film by either Hayao Miyazaki or Isao Takahata in 1987. However, production began near the release of My Neighbor Totoro. Miyazaki would be chosen as producer, while he initially made Sunao Katabuchi as the director, although he would later take Sunao's place as director because of how much he was involved in the project. Because the original novel is based on a fictional northern European country, Miyazaki and his team traveled to places like Visby to research its landscape. Miyazaki would also alter the story of the original novel for his movie, adding new scenes to emphasize the theme of independence and growing up. According to Miyazaki, the movie portrays the gulf between independence and reliance among teenage Japanese girls. The film was released in Japan on July 29, 1989, by the Toei Company. The film was the first released by Studio Ghibli to be successful in its initial release, grossing a total of ¥4.3 billion ($31 million). An English dub would be requested by Tokuma Shoten and be distributed by Streamline Pictures in 1989, and Walt Disney Pictures would also produce an English dub, which became the first film under a deal between Tokuma and Disney to be released in English. The film would receive critical acclaim and multiple awards. Plot