--- title: "Kiki's Delivery Service: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/kikis-delivery-service/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/kikis-delivery-service" critics_score: 81 critics_reviews: 12 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Kiki's Delivery Service (1989): what the critics said Critics' score 81 from 12 reviews: 11 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics respond warmly to Kiki’s Delivery Service, with praise clustering around its detailed animation, seaside setting and gentle account of a young witch becoming independent. The reviews value how naturally everyday work, friendship and insecurity sit alongside the fantasy, finding emotional depth without losing the humour or optimism. Several also praise the quiet passages, while the English-language voice cast earns approval for its warmth and comic appeal. The spread is largely positive, though critics differ over how much the modest story achieves. Variety notes minor pacing and plotting flaws, while The New Yorker finds some human characters and lessons banal despite the pleasures of the landscapes and humour. HeyUGuys supplies the lone mixed assessment, treating it as a lesser Miyazaki work but still finding it joyful and rewatchable; the reservations concern simplicity and originality rather than any shortage of charm. ## Empire — Andrew Osmond Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic praises this 1989 Miyazaki animated delight as more accessible to Western viewers than some of his later works, with effortless charm and humour in its tale of a young witch finding her way. It highlights the radiant visuals of the seaside town and positions the film as a standout in the director's body of work, offering Disney-style warmth without the songs or schmaltz. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/kiki-delivery-service-review/) ## IndieWire — Charles Solomon Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 13 January 2015. The critic highlights the film's gentle charm as a coming-of-age story about a young witch finding independence through her delivery service. It praises the beautiful animation and quiet emotional depth in this DVD re-release review. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/dvdblu-ray-review-miyazakis-kikis-delivery-service-123691/) ## Los Angeles Times — Lynne Heffley Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 17 September 1998. The home video release is praised as a lush visual treat and sparkling family feature that ranks with Disney classics, with astonishing detailed animation, an imaginative and heartfelt story, and strong voice work from its celebrity cast. It is recommended as top-quality entertainment for all ages. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-sep-17-ca-23511-story.html) ## Time Out — Tom Huddleston Rating 5 out of 5 stars. 23 May 2016. The critic calls it a truthful and sharp story about the difficulties of making one's own way in the world. They single out its ability to remain funny, optimistic and exciting even while addressing deeper themes like depression and finding purpose. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/kikis-delivery-service) ## Variety Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 17 July 1998. The US-dubbed re-release of the 1989 Japanese hit is hailed as top-drawer kiddie fare and a thoroughly delightful tale, strong on character, texture, and visual detail with masterful use of mood and quiet spaces. The English voice cast, led by Kirsten Dunst and Phil Hartman, adds broad appeal despite minor flaws in pacing and one plot element. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1998/film/reviews/kiki-s-delivery-service-2-1200454399/) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 26 May 2016. The critic finds it a lovable 1989 anime that works elements of fantasy and mild crises into an everyday children’s story, serving as a primer for womanhood. Beneath its sunny, colour-saturated, beautifully animated surface, the film offers a benign guided tour of femininity and gently broaches coming-of-age issues including independence, insecurity and sexuality. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/may/26/kikis-delivery-service-review-lovable-studio-ghibli-coming-of-age-story) ## Vulture — Jackson McHenry Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 27 May 2020. The piece celebrates the film as a poignant fable about growing up, loneliness, and finding one's place, singling out its mundane yet profound coming-of-age elements and Joe Hisaishi's score. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2020/05/watch-kikis-delivery-service-studio-ghibli-on-hbo-max.html) ## Slant Magazine — Eric Henderson Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 5 March 2010. The critic calls it one of Miyazaki's quietest films, praising how it presents a fantastical world as ordinary and mundane, serving as a touchstone for his later works with its gentle, unforced storytelling. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/kikis-delivery-service/) ## The AV Club — Tasha Robinson Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 22 April 2003. The critic describes it as a sweet, child-safe tale of a young witch's adventures and growth in a new town, noting its charming characters, beautiful animation, and emphasis on independence and friendship despite minimal conflict. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/kikis-delivery-service-dvd-1798198465) ## The New Yorker — Michael Sragow Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 14 November 2012. Festival review. The critic finds the 1989 animated feature charming but less original than Miyazaki's prior work, with a quaint story of a young witch delivering packages in a seaside city. Visuals of land, sea, and air plus humorous elements like the cat sidekick transcend the banality of some human characters and lessons. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/kikis-delivery-service) ## Collider — Keith Demko Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 30 March 2010. The critic praises the film's genuine wonder, visual beauty as Miyazaki's most mainstream work, and timeless quality sealed by its strong finale. They single out the DVD extras—especially original storyboards and featurettes with Miyazaki—as making the special edition worthwhile and note the story's perfect capture of an adolescent girl's awkward period. [Read the review](https://collider.com/kikis-delivery-service-2-disc-special-edition-dvd-review/) ## HeyUGuys — Ben Mortimer Rating 3/5. 1 July 2013. The coming-of-age story of a teenage witch and her talking cat stands out as the most fun and entertaining of Miyazaki’s films despite feeling like a lesser work compared to others in his filmography. A breezy sense of joy runs through the characters, animation, and dialogue, making it highly rewatchable pure entertainment. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/blu-ray-and-dvd-round-up-1st-july-2013/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/kikis-delivery-service.md