When people ask me what my favorite Ghibli film is, I don't even think twice. Kiki's Delivery Service tops the list, and the second doesn't even come close.
I was already 20 years old when I first saw the movie. I just got out of college and I was currently unemployed. In so many ways, I was able to relate to Kiki, and I know it's one of the many reasons why it's my favorite offering from Ghibli. At that time, Kiki seemed to embody everything I was going through. But unlike her, she managed to get through the challenges by the end of the film. I'm already 22 and currently employed, but I still feel kind of lost. Unlike Kiki, I still haven't found the resolution to my inner conflicts. I'm still conflicted what I wanted to do with my life.
But Kiki isn't a movie that will make anyone feel bitter. In fact, it's a movie that would uplift anyone's spirit. Twice, when I was feeling the worst, this movie managed to lift up my spirits and make me believe that I, too, will find some solution to my petty but somehow reasonable personal dilemmas. Kiki makes you believe that.
Everyone goes through the phase of unease and confusion. Everyone will reach that point where they question what they're doing and if it's really what they want to be doing. Everyone will somehow be like Kiki; everyone can go through that phase when they seem to lose the excitement of doing what they love the most, and wondering if they'll ever get their mojo back.
Kiki's Delivery Service will always be my favorite coming-of-age film. Maybe because like Kiki, there are days when I don't feel like talking to anyone, not even to that one boy I like. There are days when I just want to be left alone. But there will also be days when I'm pretty sure that I'd end up saving everyone and being a little superhero myself. This kind of day hasn't happened yet, but I'm pretty sure it will.
When I'm not feeling the best version of myself, I just cuddle up in bed and watch Kiki's Delivery Service. I don't expect to find all the answers to my questions at the end of the film, but at least I will no longer feel like a sore loser with the pettiest problems after the closing credits.
