Kiki’s Delivery Service: More Relevant than Ever

Table of contents:
0:00 - Intro
01:38 - Summary
04:36 - The Book
05:32 - Generational Divide (Modernity and Tradition)
8:32 - Cottagecore
11:22 - Growth and Losing your Magic
14:04 - Burnout
16:33 - Depression
22:10 - Recovery
23:35 - Closing thoughts
------
Patreon: / noralities
Instagram: / noralities
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[@ryvantinggee7028]

I'm such a dumbass sometimes, Jiji's name came up and i was like "thats the name of my cat!". Then i remembered i named her that because of it lmao.

[@tinyguy9398]

Lol. Don’t worry. Sometimes I’ll turn my entire house upside down looking for my phone only to realize I was carrying it in my hand the entire time. It happens to the best of us 😅

[@chickenflavor9880]

Funnystyle

[@callmecharlie4250]

My mom didn't know where the car was while she was riding in it.

[@goodnightmyprince6734]

@@tinyguy9398 Same with my glasses. Accept its on my face, lol.

[@spacecl0d201]

@@callmecharlie4250 this made me laugh out loud 😂 that’s worse than looking for your car in the parking lot while standing right in front of it

[@cosyclouds]

The very thought of Kiki never being able to understand Jiji again has me sobbing.

[@Knights_of_the_Nine]

Seriously wtf why =[[[[

[@jadenbryant9283]

@@Knights_of_the_Nine I though he was justt meowing

[@flame1949]

yEAH LIKE I WAS SO UPSET AT THAT?????

[@FloridaTesfay]

That part made me tear up a little bit, especially seeing Kiki's expression after knowing she won't understand her

[@IseeYouAndYouDont]

Yeah, that's the reason I never rewatched it lol I'm wuss, I know.

[@calebtaylor2614]

I love how Kiki’s Delivery Service appeals to people who love big cities *and* people who hate them. A lot like Mononoke, the “conflict” is not black and white and provokes thought more than anything.

[@tinyguy9398]

So true! As much as Noralities waxes on about the ideals of Kiki’s cottagecore upbringing, I am absolutely in love with the “city” she moves to. If there was a place in my childhood I would have imagined being paradise it was her little seaside town. The French / German inspired architecture. The interesting townspeople. The exciting atmosphere. Cute little friends like Tombo. There is just something so infinitely charming about the town that makes me wish it were real. I’d move there in a heartbeat if I could.

[@tinyguy9398]

And I totally agree about Miyazaki. His whole oeuvre is about pointing out that there is really no good or evil in this world; just imbalance. The most amazing thing about Kiki’s Delivery Service (something that was so weird to me as a kid) was that there is absolutely no definitive bad guy. It’s just a movie about the ups and downs of life. So utterly relatable.

[@indigowendigo8165]

@@tinyguy9398 I know, right?

[@tinyguy9398]

+ Indigo Wendigo I never knew about that Mark Twain quote, but it’s totally brilliant and definitely something I myself have thought about many times. It brings to mind one of my favourite Friedrich Schiller quotes: “A merely fallen enemy may rise again, but the reconciled one is truly vanquished.” And honestly, eschatologically speaking, it doesn’t make any sense for Satan to be destroyed in Armageddon. If the entire universe, and everything in it, is just an emanation of some part of the “divine wholeness” how can permanently destroying or segregating a part of it succeed in doing anything but sewing further chaos. That is no different than someone psychologically walling off a part of their own psyche, and what does that lead to but disorders and trauma. I was raised Christian (specifically Catholic), and have dabbled in many things including agnosticism, but always gravitate back to the writings of Isaac Luria, as he takes a more humanistic perspective of the interplay between the divine and the mundane. In Luria’s cosmogony, the whole goal of existence is to reintegrate the fragmented parts of the divine mind back into the cosmic whole through elevating the world around you, metaphorically speaking, through one’s good acts. All form of matter act as a sort of kelipot, husk, trapping a part of the divine within it. Tikkun ha Olam, restoration of the world, is achieved through releasing that divine spark and reintegrating it into the whole. It’s fascinating, as even though it comes from Judaism, the whole system sounds so very Eastern to me. I find it all rather fascinating.

[@sirmoony5633]

Off-topic, but I wanted to point out that Nora also hates Disney's dub of the film because of Phil Hartman's role as Jiji, different music (I'm Gonna Fly is a banger btw) and she felt like it is too "kidified" despite never being the intent in the first place. It is just my opinion though. Sorry

[@jakobhuttner8860]

"The setting and the time period is vaguely european and vaguely 1950s." The town is almost entirely based on Stockholm, as a person who lives in stockholm, I have been in several places in the movie, and my grandparents live really close to the street where the bakery is. The clocktower is almost identical to stockholm city hall. Funny thing, I watched this movie as a kid and didn't realise it took place where I live, and I recently rewatched it and realised that it always has been, it was really uncanny.

[@adorkwholikescartoons3546]

Wow i did know that at all! Honestly i always love Stockholm even though i never been there before, i just love the architecture it looks so cozy when looking through videos compared to here in singapore where almost everything is a skyrise. And damn its so cool for your grandparents to live close to where the bakery is! Does the street there look just like from the movie or did it change alot? Just asking out of curiousity 😅

[@jakobhuttner8860]

@@adorkwholikescartoons3546 I have sadly never been to that street, but my mother has always told me that it's really close. I will ask my mother if she can take me there.

[@adorkwholikescartoons3546]

@@jakobhuttner8860 Aww that sucks i hope you can go visit there one day, maybe you can ask your grandparents to take a photo of the street since they live close by?

[@jacksonwangspapillong4217]

Is your place like the movie? It's my childhood fantasy to live/visit a place like that, looks like a dream.

[@theyakkoman]

It's part Stockholm, part Visby and Gotland (and some parts San Francisco, I've heard). Lived on Gotland for a year and frequently visited Visby and yeah, there are a lot of milieus that they've taken straight out of there, too. Fun fact; Miyazaki originally wanted to do an animated Pippi Longstocking movie. And since the classic TV show was shot in Gotland and Visby, he and his crew visited that place and did some drawings and research as well as Stockholm to see Astrid about the project. Sadly, Astrid turned them down. Which bugs me since I love Astrids work (I've even read her original script for Pippi Longstocking that Bonniers denied) and I would have adored seeing a Ghibli adaptation of it.

[@florenceforbush63]

"Her passion loses joy because it becomes her job" you didn't have to go and describe my life like that wtf. Great video

[@justboredidkslay]

🥲🥲

[@seekingabsolution1907]

It's called alienation from ones labour and it's a symptom of the capitalist mode of production.

[@IMelkor42]

Do something you love, and you'll never live a day in your life...

[@bananapy7278]

thats why I personally decided that doing art should just remain as a hobby for me

[@FeelFree3]

It's because the grand daughter who took her delivery is so mean.

[@nunyabiznes7446]

Me: "Wow Kiki's Delivery Service is such a relatable movie, I really see myself in how she feels." Noralities: "So Kiki is probably depressed-" Me: "Ah."

[@travis.t7773]

Mood

[@NikoJr.]

Yup

[@a.bagasm.7253]

Mood

[@lilllyeevee6536]

I want to see the movie again😁

[@ottor-007]

Why am I not surprised?

[@Teef305]

Kiki's disconnect from people, how she feels like something is wrong with her, the duality of not being the happier person, being thrusted into a world that is alien, and gnarly burnout has always felt so parallel to my life being neurodivergent. Love this movie with every cells in me. Amazingly done video

[@Boop234]

I'm autistic and really relate to Kiki. Ita interesting she bonds with the painter who chooses to live in solitude and is probably ND too.

[@Ara-wo5ho]

I think what caused Kiki’s depression was the alienation from herself as a consequence of living in the city. This alienation is really caused by a lack of control over her work(work in the sense of whatever way she spends her energy and time). Kiki doesn’t always have a choice over when and where she flies her broom, because she has to to be able to afford living in the city. When Kiki has to fly through the rain to be able to make her delivery on time, she is forced to sacrifice her own time she would rather use going to her party, as well as being forced to get wet in the rain. When Kiki takes a break like when she goes to hang out with that lady in the woods(forgot her name) or hang out with the boy or something else, she’s able to recover a bit because she’s doing what she wants to do. This means that she feels less alienated. The issue of her becoming depressed and loosing her ability to fly and speak to Jiji symbolizes the loss of a part of herself. She is able to cope with this but it’s never fully solved because the cause of her problems were just how living in the city is. The problems are systemic but they’re felt on an individual level. I seriously doubt anyone’s gonna read this…

[@alexanderrahl7034]

I read it lol. I grew up in a town that called itself a city. Very suburban, I wouldn't call it much of a city. There were real cities nearby and there was always a sort of feeling I got from them that I didn't like, and still don't. This overbearing, foreboding sort of almost spiritually oppressive feeling. Like the large buildings and sprawling population is trying to pen you in, confine you. "Urban Jungle" may even be an apt term. I absolutely haaaaaate Boston. I remember driving a delivery vehicle there, and my gas tank nearly on E because I was sent out just before i could clock out, and nobody gassed the thing up that day. I got totally lost, my phone was going to die, I was about to run out of gas and I had no idea where I was. I just pulled in to the nearest lot and bawled thinking I was going to die alone in that city lol. But send me out to some rural area with the woods and I'm happy as a clam 😂 I traveled to West Virginia for 2 weeks this year by myself, one big road trip, and Charleston was the first city I've ever actually liked. I found it easy to navigate, I didn't feel crushed inside, and the place was beautiful, along a river in a valley surrounded by mountains and trees. Cities definitely have a lot of interesting stuff. Lots to see and do, tons of amenities. But it's always felt like a costume to cover up how unwelcoming they feel to me.

[@Crazybassable]

I moved over an Ocean to a big city, and I feel a lot of parallels. I feel disconnected to my surroundings and isolated socially. If I have friends, I don't get to see them basically ever. I work, and sometimes manage to mainting the little windless box I sleep in, but not much else. It feels like I'm holding my breath, and only get to breath in the few times when I manage to have the energy to play my instrument and enjoy it, or make something that I'm proud of (which comes even more rarely). I feel disconnected from others and myself

[@Neonagi]

Yes, it's a common thread that the more compacted we are into large cities, the more isolated and alone we actually feel.

[@vutruongquang3501]

I read this, and damn you you made me tearing up and want to rewatch Kiki

[@humanbean4037]

This take feels right and true. I’ve seen many people say that she can’t talk to jiji anymore because she’s “grown up” but it’s never sat right with me and seems too simplistic. It would make sense with the rest of the ghibli messaging if she lost a part of herself in the fight to survive and eventually thrive. This is how she lives.

[@ChestnutMustang]

I remember some people talking about how different Howl's Moving Castle is, between the book version and the movie version, and somebody summarized it as "The book is how Sophie remembers it, the movie is how Howl remembers it."

[@flutterg1035]

Interesting

[@linnetteresendiz]

what’s the difference between the two then? since i haven’t read the book version

[@justanotheryoutubecommente2]

@@linnetteresendiz It's been a solid year since I've read the book, but I remember the world-building being more fleshed out and down to earth, while the movie is more fantastical, and many elements remain mysterious. And a lot of the banter that felt more playful and loving in the movie comes across as a little more mean-spirited in the books. And the anti-war theme is a movie original Plus there are less thematically relevant differences, like Markl being older, calcifer having a different character design, Sophie having two sisters, etc.

[@rhymeswithmoose228]

@@justanotheryoutubecommente2 Also the main villain of the book is taken care of about a third into the movie. The main conflict of the movie and the book are mostly different, though I love both and think everyone should try them.

[@justanotheryoutubecommente2]

@@rhymeswithmoose228 Damn I posted my comment, like, a minute ago. You're speedy

[@mr.purple7816]

I hope that 2D animation never disappears. It can give more warmth and humanity than any other form.

[@Roggor]

Maybe if 3D animation gets advanced enough it'll be able to LOOK 2D whilst having the speed of 3D production.

[@piesayshello5509]

@@Roggor Maybe but juste like in Kiki, there is something sad about losing this way of performing things.

[@Miri_the_1st]

@@Roggor I don’t know if it’s just me but I feel like 2d has more charm than 3D

[@byebyebae]

Maybe it reminds us of the safety and fun of the cartoons we watched as children. It made me feel a little bit like that.

[@kolbayada4938]

It's because studios use 3d as a way to spend less time and money creating cartoon instead of making most of it.

[@thelynxwitch7091]

When i talk to people about studio ghibli movies it's always about how they romanticize the small things in life but I don't think we talk enough about how they capture feelings like this. I was super young the first time I saw this movie but I don't think I understood it until I moved away from home. This is what I watch when I'm have a bad depressive episode because there's not a magical cure all but Kiki makes me feel like it'll be ok anyway

[@Hero_My_Beloved]

Oh. Everytime I try to talk to people about Ghibli they just call me childish and immature 😂

[@iwasneverhere2527]

there's actually a word for that feeling of second-hand nostalgia; Anemioa, nostalgia for a time you have never known, and it can be found in The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

[@IndustrialParrot2816]

FINALLY i have a word for it

[@Taigokumaru]

Fascinating! Thank you for the book recommendation. Discovered it thanks to your comment. It's perfect for my library.

[@Gl1tt3ry_C0m3t]

Yo I literally have that book :0 Tho ig I forgotten or missed a page lol

[@fire4036]

Anemioa...

[@sirthanksalot97]

Isn't it spelled "anemoia"?

[@blazingangelofdeath4]

"Depression is a fucking liar" Yes. Perfect. I'm gonna use this.

[@elijahaitaok8624]

I can’t help but think: what if depression is right?

[@latentpotential4520]

@@elijahaitaok8624 Its not, it never it is. It is just a really convincing liar. As someone who lives with bipolar disorder, I get very regular bouts of depression that varies in intensity. It is never "right", only very convincing that it is, which is why it can be so dangerous. The disassociation, the numbness, the thought that it can't get better, and the intense sadness and loneliness all compound on each other that the "obvious answer" is the one that we want to gravitate towards in an effort to put a name to the pain... and an awful solution. The way I deal with mine, and the common refrain that helps me push to the next day is "tomorrow is an opportunity for things to be different." Its not much, but logically is how my brain works. If I chose the permanent solution, then there is no tomorrow, there is no opportunity to get better, and that is the lie of depression. The ONLY solution is to push on, hard as it may be. Because things only get better and change when YOU change them. Tomorrow may not necessarily be better either, it could be worse. But it also can be better, sometimes we just have be a little more patient. Which is hard, I know all to well, but we have to try anyhow. Also the key thing to remember with the above, it is ok to not be ok. Everyone has trouble sometimes, and misery does love company. The best thing you can do is fight the urge to self isolate. Even if it is just chatting on discord, texting a friend, chatting a house mate, or just chilling in a twitch stream. Some human interaction, even just a little bit, really goes a long way to helping get you out of your negative headspace. Another thing I discovered recently, and can attest to the effectiveness of; the quickest way out of your mind, is to exercise the body. I'm not joking, ever since I started exercising regularly, my mood and depression have gotten better. They have not gone away, but they are much easier to deal with. Just going for a simple walk really helps, plus it gets you out of your residence, a change of scenery also is really helpful. Also, if you keep your window's blinds down all the time, I highly recommend opening. There is varying studies on the effect of natural sunlight on psychology, but I find that it does help a little bit.

[@saveriannathan1415]

@@latentpotential4520 love you bruh

[@swagaw3some546]

@@latentpotential4520 I have been though misery to the point that the world is just numb and cold. Only flashes of artificial joy here and there. Twice I have tried to rid this world of my presence, and twice I have failed. What is hope when there is nothing to hope for? How dose one find light in an ocean of darkness?

[@SerenityM16]

I’ve literally had hours of depression at a time where it literally feels like my soul is leaving my body, at any moment I will simply perish from my physical body and float in the abyss

[@saidlevren5426]

As the father of a 3 year old girl, hearing that one day I will pick her up for the last time ... and not even realize that it was the last time, got me tearing up.

[@TheKa89]

I had a moment of that in reverse when my dad asked me randomly if I thought he did well and if I thought I had a good childhood. It was jarring to confront the entirety of that time period not as a kid, but as an older adult and judging it as one. I guess all I can recommend is, don't disqualify the value of even simple moments with her. Even if it's playing with rocks or watching a film together. She'll remember it and value the investment of time long after the memory of the object is gone.

[@chihuahuakween2085]

You better not take it for granted. I'm remembering the look on my dad's face when he realized the moment I was growing up.

[@esteemedmortal5917]

As a daughter who lost her father 3 and a half years ago, that also got me tearing up

[@DStrormer]

Yes, I feel that pain.

[@felix-xd4mx]

yes, it's sad for the kid too... but you can always cuddle her no matter how old and big she got

[@Rayowag]

Jiji being connected to Kiki's immaturity is...a very conservative view on mental growth as well. Jiji is pretty much a representation of the inner child, so why would she not be able to talk to him again? "Immaturity" doesn't just leave once you're an adult, neither does imagination. Idk, I just don't like what it represents that she can't speak to him anymore. I definitely like that she isn't the same at the end in the original dub because of her mental growth journey, I just think that growth could've been signalized differently than losing the connection to her child-self.

[@immortal_shrooms6757]

i mean the movie and original book is relatively old

[@luvkirby4ever]

Definitely agree with you Rayowag! I've always detested the sentiment that once you grow up you lose your inner child. I think that a world can exist where Kiki undergoes her character development while still being able to talk to him again.

[@DjLota]

Yeah I was so sad and cried when kiki couldn't understand Jiji at the end 😭

[@ana-mariabobe1762]

I don't think there's something terrible about losing your immaturity. Immaturity doesn't equal your inner child, it's more like the outbursts, the unknown feelings or thoughts you couldn't put a name on, it's hurting others because you don't know better... Childish isn't equal to immaturity or vice-versa. But maybe that's just me.

[@zitronentee]

In Japan, there's a belief that babies and toddlers can see the unseen : ghosts, creatures, spirits, yokai, etc. And their ability diminishes as they get older. Probably something to do with boundaries? I mean, children are open to any information and don't have good boundaries yet. But adults, due to experiences, have boundaries.

[@afont13]

I feel like Miyazaki definitely put some of his own feelings of burnout into Kiki when he was writing the movie especially considering work culture in Japan

[@arthurorlandini3192]

Oh absolutely! Especially when Kiki is talking to Ursula (the artist) before going to sleep

[@emit5586]

I grew up in the countryside, in a village remarkably like Kiki's. Your whole upbringing, you're _constantly_ being told about the 'big city' in a manner I can only describe as like a constant advertising campaign from all sides. All you hear about through the media you consume is how much the glamorous cities have to offer, how you have to go there to fulfil your dreams and find your fortune, how only the concrete jungle and work rush will help you find your TRUE PURPOSE and zest for life. Ironically, it was only once I'd been in the city a while that I realised how good the countryside was and how much I wanted to go back.

[@suzannah991]

I feel really lucky. I grew up in a city, but my mom moved us to the country so we could have horses. Then, when I was old enough, I moved to the city and my mom still lives in the country. She has a farm and I go there often to escape. Just doing some farm work for ~4 hours a day (and napping in between showers and meals) really gets your mind off things and elevates my mood.

[@lullabysorrow5746]

YES. especially if you live in a small place near New York. Everyone who’s been their acts like they are God’s chosen. And that’s all every one talks about or wants to make their dream. Then you go to NY and it stinks like poo, and it’s overpriced and gross. And you don’t make it big. Maybe a iconic weirdo on a subway.

[@eeavwinex7869]

what village did you live in?

[@litchtheshinigami8936]

i grew up in the city myself but over the years getting a breath of the countryside here and there made me realise that the city really isn't for me.. it's too crowded and causes my anxiety to ramp up. the noises are way too loud and annoying and there are no nice meadows to walk around in sit down under a tree and just enjoy the moment. even if i want to listen to the birds chirping all i am met with is another loud annoying scooter, some showoff in his old Ford K that has a sports vent and thus is extremely loud, or the sound of some idiots argueing on the other side of the street.. i'll end up annoyed to a point where i can't even enjoy nature because i simply want to hear the calming sound of the leaves rustle as the wind blows trough them instead of the chaotic sounds the city creates.

[@hiendarinenkoray]

AGREED. I've been living in a rather small city all my life and after I moved...eh this gave me depression ngl

[@terpsidance.]

For a long time I accepted the American version of Kiki's delivery service where Kiki can talk to Jiji still. Realizing that's not the case and that instead she never talked to Jiji again, their friendship forever changed, is somehow devastating to me on a "Grave of the fireflies" level. Thanks though for making this and reminding me that I need to hug my kids more.

[@ditto6414]

O U C H

[@hamletprinceofdenmark5195]

If I recall correctly, Kiki never loses the ability to communicate with Jiji in the original book, and it's never explicitly stated that she can never talk to him again in the movie either. So don't lose hope, either -- just because people change doesn't mean they can never reconnect with their past selves :)

[@dianaruman8723]

...when going through recovery, you lose a lot of friends. the really good friends are the ones that are still there for you, even if you cant see/hear them. but kiki loves her kitty, i cant imagine her never doing whatever healing she needs done to be able to reconnect with him.

[@JuriAmari]

Same here! I’ve also always accepted Kiki and Jiji started talking again at the end because the dub and the novel never did that. I also wish Disney kept Sidney Forrest’s songs in the dub. They bought Buena Vista Studios so it wouldn’t have been that hard to keep. Or another thing (which I think all other studios should take note) - just call the more accurate redubs official and make the OG dubs we grew up with as a third option rather than canceling it out altogether!

[@MezzoForte4]

Ok so I was right. I rewatched it recently and it felt different how Jiji came back to her in the end. It left me with feeling that "Wait. Can she not talk to him anymore? Oh. :( " So the Japanese one IS different. :O

[@nek0hatsune]

Thank you so much for affirming that there’s no “cure-all” for depression. there’s no use beating myself up for not being happy all the time because that just doesn’t exist

[@xxMpEGxx]

A friend of mine said that it will come back in waves but you get better at handling it You get stronger

[@alexanderrahl7034]

​@@xxMpEGxxexactly that. It's like a periodic fight you deal with in life, sometimes more often than others. You either get your shit pushed in, or you get better at fighting

[@GMilkMan]

Forget making friends if Kiki doesn't pay her Taxes then the IRS will get her and not even magic can stop them

[@badtaste5944]

TRUE

[@alisonjones5175]

YEP

[@MichellaneousMe]

Your comment shouldn’t be this funny, but I’m dying over it 😂

[@NoReplyAsset]

this is why Howl's castle kept moving - property tax evasion 😳

[@BlazeDupree1525]

@@NoReplyAsset howl is on to something there 😂

[@HarPaelTheMessenger]

"Kiki is never able to talk to Jiji again." Man_screaming.gif

[@GalekC]

yeah

[@fatefantasy2776]

That "yeah" means everything and nothing, and i love it.

[@thisishorosho0705]

I like how we all simultaneously saw that in our minds :)

[@aloecat8187]

The part about Kiki not wanting the cottagecore lifestyle reminded me of something about myself. When I was little, I really wanted to live in New York City. I wanted the hustle and bustle, I wanted the noise. But as I grew up, I became more and more sensitive with crowds and noises. It started with parties. I realized I didn’t like them. Then crowded stores. Now I can’t handle having more than a few people around me for a long period of time. I have to constantly have music to distract me from silence while also blocking out the noise. Around the time it started getting bad, I got back into gardening with my dad. We started with tomatoes, but every year we added more to where we have a very large garden every summer. I took an interest in flowers and identifying wild plants. I realized being outside is the best place when I’m overwhelmed. I can take off my headphones and relax. Because of that I stumbled across cottagecore and fell in love with the style. Now I actively hope to live in a cottage someday. I can’t remember my main point now. Thank you for reading though!

[@TeraHammer]

Appreciated your writing, hope your dreams come true.

[@lizmol-san]

Wow...it was like I was reading my own thoughts!!

[@kaiserdragon7233]

I believe you point is that we truly don't know what we want or have until something force us to see it.

[@X4EA12]

i relate to this so much. i hope our dreams would come true soon

[@faithnasty3781]

Thank you for writing this!

[@henrikhaaja1260]

Noralities; talking bout cottagecore as if only really old people actually experienced it Me, a 20 year old guy who grew up in rural finland and spent childhood summers in small cottage in the middle of nowhere without running water, helping to bake rye bread in wood used ovens and watching them being hung on the ceiling to cool off/dry: *getting nostalgic because it brings to mind my childhood* Hehe, Me old grandpa.

[@Lolidropz]

Mökki do be like that

[@shushia1658]

I grew up with hippies so we did these things too. Picnics, bread making, crafting, gardening, candle making, basket making, painting. Anything cottagecore feels like my actual childhood.

[@mind9726]

could y’all describe that life a little more? :’) it feels good to know that life can be good somewhere, sometimes. even if it’s simple

[@shushia1658]

@@mind9726 It was super simple, we had no tv, we played outside and at the park and made things and drew and read a lot. At school (the school was a hippie school too) we each had to do gardening and knit, sew, paint, cook. We learnt how to make toys and clothes and art, and how to skip and play immaginatively, as if it was at least as important as reading writing and maths (we thought maybe science was a little bit more important). There used to be this hill with epic mudslips that we would slide down in the lunchbreaks. Gardening and picnics were mandatory. It was a pretty idilic childhood.

[@kensukefan47]

You're not funny

[@David-dz1cb]

This neurodivergent, burnt-out, depressed lad just teared up in this video and I thank you. Beautiful video essay.

[@marywallace3620]

holy moly that whole thing about not being the happy version of her that she was when she lived with her parents, that definitely described me. LOL. Like I've been having a lot of burnout with a lot of stuff that usually makes me happy.

[@freakyfunkyflux]

I- damn dude. I honestly thought this was just something I'm experiencing, but it's good to know that I'm not the only one?? Pardon the word vomit, but these past years Ive spent almost no time drawing, I've done like 2 sketched on my PC and filled a page in my sketchbook in like the past 8 months. Usually I do 7 or more fully colored and lined pieces digitally, make 4-8 digital doodle dumps (usually 3-7 characters) and fill over half a sketchbook in 8 months. It's been harder than usual to play video games even, and those are my big comfort! Its unsettling to know that even the things that usually bring you comfort, feel like a chore to even look at.

[@five-fold]

you literally just described my entire quarantine :')

[@D3ATHMIND]

I relate to these comments especially as an art student.

[@melz4766]

@@freakyfunkyflux I honestly broke down when I read your comment, I’ve honestly been stuck in a burnout/depressive episode for more than two years now and I’ve only done art stuff when it’s assignment honestly watching this vid felt like such a wake up call and I’ve had enough of being burnt out it I feels like someone else is in control I hate it I miss my friends I miss feeling happy when I wake up I miss enjoy drawing and painting I hate that I was chained to this depressing persona for so long ,,,I want to be the person I used to be again ❤️‍🩹

[@aidanschram9652]

You aren't alone. Im a introvert so I thought quarantine would barely affect me, but as I musician I rarely have the motivation to practice anymore. Before the quarantine I had such a joy for music and was happy to practice 4-5 hours a day. Now I have all the time in the world but some days I can barely get an hour of practice in

[@azhrayharris8]

Learning that Kiki never speaks to Jjiji again made me tear up.

[@sophiajune546]

me too I've got tears in my eyes rn 😭😭

[@mighty_polar_bear3786]

SAME

[@luckymango636]

@theHPrendition in jp dub jiji never speaks after she loses her powers. In the eng dub he gets a line as he runs to kiki when she saves the boy.

[@eli-jah_ayon]

That's when I first realized what depression is, as a child.

[@nompuehuenu]

i like to think she will be able to talk to him again, just not instantly, just like you will feel better someday. just not today. and thats okay, recovery is a step by step process and it might take a while, but you will get there.

[@user-px2yh8ei6d]

This was my favourite movie and my mom’s. I remember watching it on our tiny cozy living room in winter after school while we had cake and hot milk. We always cried with a scene where a granny full of excitement cooks a pie for her granddaughter’s party and Kiki delivers it to her door. Then the girl ungratefully takes it while saying “another grandma’s nasty pie” or something along the lines, while her friends laugh. 😭 It still makes me cry!

[@zacharytrosch3406]

As a dad to a little girl, I really felt that "last time" poem.

[@Cat-hz7yd]

As a 17 year old who’s working on my portfolio and applying to art school this year, this movie hits so hard for me. Especially Kiki’s creative burnout and difficulty navigating the adult world without support. “Everytime she seems to get a handle on one thing, something else goes wrong” has been my experience trying to figure out how the hell college and its applications work when neither of my parents have gone. It wasn’t until this week that I found out I have to pay back FAFSA if I don’t get grants because everyone made it sound like a scholarship. Don’t even get me started on the hell that is researching international school and the laws involving that - I’m on the verge of tears thinking about it. Pain. I rewatched this movie recently and there’s one line that's really stuck with me - “I really only have one skill, flying, so I figure I might as well try a delivery service!” Because like - same!! I don’t really have many skills or passions outside of my art, so I’d figure turning it into a career wouldn’t be so bad, especially since I've always wanted to work in animation. But now more than ever I’m absolutely terrified that I might be making the wrong choice, that things may not work out - what if none of the schools accept me? What if I do get accepted but it turns out to be not what I want? What happens if something I love becomes a chore to me? Do I even have what it takes to make it in this field? What if no one wants to hire me and I have no money and I have to sell all of my possessions and then I end up starving to death in a cardboard box on the side of the road?? I can’t know any of this without actually attempting to go to school!! What happens after? I don’t know! And I HATE not knowing!! Also, I think her inability to relate to and envy of other kids her age is relatable too - though mine is more like jealousy for people with more stable careers plans. My friends all seem to have everything figured out - one of my friends is going to be an electrician, the other one is going to do coding, another is going into the military to be an engineer. Like, electricians are necessary. Tech is booming and there’s no way someone won’t need a coder. The military will always need engineers. There’s not the same demand for animators I think and it makes me kind of scared - there is a possibility I won’t find work. And thats super depressing. Idk, I didn’t mean to write a wholeass essay in the comments. It’s just I have a lotta feelings about this movie and I love it a lot and also the world is big and scary and finding my place in it is even scarier. That is all.

[@syreetadukes4428]

I can relate. I've had similar thoughts as well since I applied to a college to take art classes. It's all pretty nerve raking and confusing and especially when your family hasn't experienced college. All I can really say is to try to ask more questions if that would ease you. It'll be okay though.

[@justanotheryoutubecommente2]

💜

[@xandertheupriser8600]

I am suddenly grateful I could never get FAFSA to work for me.

[@sophiaredwood5825]

I don’t have anything to add or any advice to give (I’m not as close to adulthood as you are) but I absolutely adore this comment you’ve left. I hope everything works out for you. Remember you’re a legendary human being :)) 🥺💞

[@Toriyamaus]

I feel that... I feel that a lot. I'm 17 as well, and also planned to go to art school originally too, specifically going for animation, but, my brother & father have both, recently commissioned me for artwork for them and I realized I really hate being told what to draw, it becomes a chore and I can't just work on my fun pieces and feel so burnt out I end up having the final product and not wanting anyone to see it. Though I ultimately decided art wasn't my path (I'm hoping medical is), I really do hope everything works out for you & your art career. Good luck!

[@samadactyl8724]

I got a little teary here. I’ve always loved Kiki and this movie has been a comfort movie to me for a LONG time and I’ve watched it many times during the last 2 years. But I couldn’t really describe why. Then when you got to burnout, as an ER nurse, I felt like I got hit in the chest. Thank you for putting into words what I felt, and what this movie meant to me, I’m no good at describing it. Recovery not meaning you are fixed is such a good message. This was amazing I love your content

[@katien3022]

It’s such a wonderful comfort movie. So relatable 🥺

[@hellocharlieebarley]

Thank you for all that you do as an ER nurse!

[@jah0oliah]

Ganbaruby ❤

[@jkeetle1aka1jk]

I would watch this all the time when I was younger, still my favorite

[@BunnyDreamer]

I honestly don’t understand how people watch these movies and don’t understand what they’re seeing or what things mean. It’s as if people aren’t actually paying attention because it’s practically black and white with it’s theme and character portrayals

[@Doctor_C_Jack]

As someone who has been sufferring from depression for almost a year now, this video was one of the more helpful things that helped me hold on for longer. Thank you.

[@NGC_290]

Hey there - I know this is an old comment, but I hope that you’re doing alright ❤

[@Doctor_C_Jack]

@@NGC_290 Thank you. I have since recovered from my depression and I couldn't be happier that I finally made it through.

[@JarharaJaiArik]

I feel like the tradition/modern contrast is a theme in a lot of Japanese media mostly due to how Japan is a high-tech country with a lot of very old traditions

[@KitsuneBozu1]

In college I had to write an essay about a filmmaker of my choice and I went with Miyazaki. When I wrote about Kiki's Delivery Service, I actually did discuss how I believed it was a metaphor for depression and growing up. How sometimes the magic fading is temporary, and sometimes it's not and that's just a part of becoming an adult and going through life. Glad I'm not the only one reading into it like that!

[@_sashitheedreamangel24_]

That’s awesome

[@heartandmindovercome3214]

👍😎

[@helenawave]

i started working as an artist about a year ago. it's not that i dont like this anymore, but i'm just absolutely bored of my work. the art that i make is not the art that i like, anymore i want to do something completely new but i'm not sure where to start. i don't feel inspired by anything.

[@hannahep5148]

try drawing a subject or style you have always hated but do it in 3 ways you like. or a style you know you suck at. a goth mermaid in all triangles or a gaudy mean girl ghost. or take kiki and draw her 5 years later when she becomes a cyber punk. try drawing organically grown machines. Idk if this will help but it's what I do for my writing. If I feel like I'm being a sad sack or a whiner I will write about the life of someone I see on the street and try to make them THE MOST that character. put a net out in places you haven't thought to fish. edit: if this works pls send me pictures of bugs made out of flowers. they are my fav and were my mom's fav.

[@hannahep5148]

I thought more about it. you could also try drawing something intentionally ugly a few times and see if anything is there that you still like. hope any of that helps.

[@ant9347]

Try different methods Clay for example I had a big art block and trying out something new really helped me

[@mysafewhoopernsfw8228]

Your now the only one who experience this. I'm also an artist who is very passionate at what he does and I my creative energy out on the homework to the point I started to hate it. I wanted to be that real self that used to be expressive and bieng my self. Whats worse is when I went to ask for help to someone who I thought help me with this problem I have ended hurting me. Luckily close friends helped me though this situation but not completely cure it but to recover at a slow pace

[@FMAiscool]

Do something other than art for a while, then you'll either come back to appreciate it again, or you'll find you like the other thing better. I'm a graphic designer and there are moments when I'm exhausted and don't wanna look at artwork and designs. I like doing gardening, coding, and cleaning in my spare time

[@Discoveringrid]

I'm 28 and just watched this for the first time. I definitely cried (kim k style) because i related to Kiki in so many ways . Being on your own is so lonely and scary at times . The film reminded me of how brave i had to be when my mom kicked me out .

[@sophaphopha]

I loved Kiki as a kid, but I didn't fully relate to it until after college. I lived with my parents throughout college while attending a small local university to save money. When I moved into my first apartment downtown after graduation, I felt a huge wave of excitement followed by a depressive episode. Watching Kiki as an adult reminded me that the path to adulthood is difficult and winding, but it's still worth while. Now I have a Kiki poster in my kitchen to remind me of that ❤️

[@dunkyourdonuts2282]

Same, Kiki was my favourite ghibli film as a kid, but the funny thing is growing up, I never really related to the second part of the movie, I didn't even understand it. I only related to the first part. I grew up in a pretty small city in a pretty small country, like the house I grew up in was built in the 50s pretty much is reminiscent of those "cottages", my house didnt even have heating, just a fireplace (just a case of my asian parents being stingy though), I had the rose garden, swing my dad hung for me on an apple tree and everything. But I LONGED to leave, especially since I was born in a bustling asian city and still consumed media from there throughout my childhood. A small town-esque environment is suffocating in a way, especially for a teen. EVERYONE knows each other and the GOSSIP, because it's so small everything is 10x bigger a deal than it should be. I hated my life there and counted down the days where I could leave. I moved back to my birthplace straight after uni, chased the dream;been taken for granted; ran out of money; hated myself; burnt out; felt like i was too asian for foreigners and too western for asians. All done and dusted. Now Kiki just hits differently but I don't watch it as often because I feel too much every time i watch it 😂

[@Simoxs7]

@@dunkyourdonuts2282wow I feel completely different, I could never imagine living in a city.

[@CthulhusBFF2]

I understand why thematically it makes sense for Jiji to not talk at the end, but given that it was Phil Hartman’s last performance, I really wish the OG dub had been made available as like a bonus feature or alternate audio option on the DVD. Plus the Sydney Forest songs slap

[@cheezemonkeyeater]

Yeah, I'm not really the biggest fan of the dub (it's okay as 90s dubs go, better than most to be honest, but I've always preferred the original language tracks), but Phil Hartman's last performance does deserve some preservation.

[@loregoblin3854]

in terms of whether Kiki should regain her ability to talk to Jiji or not at the end of the movie... I'm torn. on the one hand, I think it'd be appropriate for Kiki to remain unable to talk to Jiji, at least for a little while, even after the dirigible moment. because that'd be like... okay, Kiki isn't fully recovered yet. adding another high stress situation to the mix is still not going to solve the problem of Kiki's overwork... but this is a sign that it is possible for her to draw her magic back out of herself again. you can find ways to function while having depression, and your skills are still something you can cultivate. a low point isn't forever. you aren't useless or irreparable, just because you're in a time of struggle. but Kiki wobbling her way up to that blimp to grab Tombo was an act of desperation because she cared. the message is that her passion is still inside her, but she's not just going to get everything back at once, same as it was before, in an instant. I wish the movie had some way of showing that Kiki can get her ability to speak to Jiji back, but it will take a longer amount of time. and in that time, continuing to pile on more and more stress is not the thing that will help her. I think the way the movie played out, and the messages that were said on screen (particularly by Ursula) give us at least enough information to infer that last bit... but the thing with Jiji is a sticking point for me, because he was her closest friend throughout the movie. and when Kiki became unable to speak with him, that felt like a way that her self isolation was manifesting. she pushed out Jiji's ability to communicate with her, and that's something that really upsets her. that's how she realizes that her magic is gone. that's the alarm bell that finally rang loud enough for her to see the problem clearly. I don't like the message that she can't get that back, or that growing up means that she had to leave that behind. her maturity can be marked in so many other ways... but her ability to talk to Jiji is a part of her magic, just like flying. Kiki has sacrificed and given up enough of the things that were valuable to her. ironically, it is actually really depressing to think that she's lost her ability to communicate with Jiji for good... and that maybe, if she hadn't overworked herself, she would still have that ability. that feels a little too discouraging to me.

[@gybyro]

@@loregoblin3854 I completely agree. I feel like Jiji not being able to talk again is not just emphasising that Kiki has lost something like her immaturity but also her child like wonder. I mean come ON Jijis a witches familiar let the man SPEAK, he’s also like the best character. Giving people the message that loosing not just a part of you but also your best friend is something you should just accept isn’t something I’m ok with. Sure I get why they did it, it’s hits a home run when it comes to ghibli styled convoluted conclusions.. BUT, I feel like they should have done it differently and not just throw away one of the main characters into the shadows for a metaphor.

[@loregoblin3854]

@@gybyro I agree... I wouldn't even say that Kiki being able to talk to Jiji was childish. I think that Jiji was her support, in the absence of her parents, when she left home. the whole thing that had her so depressed was the fact that she felt like she was lacking support and community. and one of the things that this movie does a really good job of emphasizing, is that even if someone is kind and comforting, there's no such thing as instant familiarity. even with someone like Osono, it can take a while to really feel like you belong in their world. Osono has a baby on the way... Kiki entered Osono's life in the middle of that story. it's not that she's unwelcome... in some ways, she's really helpful. but it's going to take a while before Kiki really feels at ease, through no fault of anyone. Jiji is familiar as a longtime friend, and he's got a sort of balancing perspective. he seems more like an adult compared to her, and he's more cautious than Kiki is. and I agree that it's important in Kiki's development for her to realize that she's lost him for a moment. she needs to learn to think about things the way Jiji would... to encourage herself, and develop her own sense of caution or temperance. but after realizing and developing that, there's no reason why she can't maintain her relationship with Jiji, and interact with him in a more mature way. that's part of growing up too. for my part, I've had to transition my own relationship with my parents and other adult relatives, from a child-to-adult relationship when I was younger, to a relationship between fully mature adults on all sides now. on the child's part, it takes the development of maturity. on the adult's side, it takes a releasing of control. on both ends, it takes respect, love, and communication. but you don't have to lose those relationships to the adults that were with you in your childhood as you grow up. even if the relationship changes, it doesn't have to disappear. to me, it's more mature to be capable of working on and maintaining those relationships. and having relationships like that is a good way to avoid falling into a depressive state like what Kiki experienced, in the future. I just think that if I had seen a version of Kiki's delivery service as a kid, where it was clear that Kiki would never hear Jiji speak again... I think I would've taken it as Kiki being punished for messing things up too badly, like, in a karma way. and to me, that feels unnecessarily harsh.

[@gybyro]

@@loregoblin3854 English isn’t my first language so it’s hard to describe what I’m feeling but I can say as someone who grew up with the newest rendition of the dub, knowing that halfway through the movie jiji stops talking indefinitely, stings. Without looking any deeper into it, it just makes me a bit sad.

[@Apan_koifish]

The Ursula thing has never bothered me due to the fact that she is an artist as most artist all have one thing in common we get distracted. At the beginning when she met Kiki she states that she’s in the middle of something. So when she gets a break she tells Kiki what to do and then probably went back to doing that so that she wouldnt lose that flow she was it and then she finished sewing Jiji after she finished. My personal take

[@sandsand9403]

@Der Bemerker what??

[@berugitv3562]

@Der Bemerker ..😧

[@letadesanto6825]

Bruh wrong type of anime, wrong type of comment section.

[@haldouglas4773]

@Der Bemerker that doesn't mean your comment is welcome here. sexualizing characters in children's shows is disgusting.

[@CameronKujo]

@Der Bemerker The door

[@berniekatzroy]

Especially living in this age of millennial angst, kiki feels so relatable for kids, teens, and adults.

[@thepuzzlemaster64]

I think I relate to Kiki even more. I've visited my parent's cottage countless time. The cottage only has generators and batteries for electricity (both won't last the entire day, so we save them for night time use), no cell signal without hooking your phone to an antenna, and you need to pump water manually. I love the aesthetic of the cottage, and I don't mind living with no electricity, but I just got bored visiting the cottage nearly every weekend during summer, and I've stopped going to the cottage as often. The modern life just feels better for me.

[@Thumin]

I love Kiki's delivery service so much 🥺💜

[@jolie0921]

Oh my god! I love your art and follow you on insta, I love Kiki’s Delivery Service too. It’s such a pleasant surprise to see you here

[@tranquildionysus1681]

ohhh sammmeee!!

[@jolie0921]

@@mysothe I agree 100% with this statement

[@eggonbread7054]

Hi Thumin! Hope you’re going ok!

[@okhadet554]

me too

[@ElectroSocketBlues]

The depression/burnout angle of analysis is super real and relevant, but even without it I think Kiki not being able to understand Jiji at the end of the film is a really perfect bittersweet thematic capstone: sometimes growing up is difficult and sad and we lose things we loved and took for granted in childhood, even as growing up is also exciting, fulfilling, and brings us new power/agency and new joys. Kiki is still, in many ways, innocent and immature at the end of the film, but she's lost an important aspect/symbol of her childhood (understanding Jiji) and gained an important aspect/symbol of her adulthood (control and understanding of her magic.) Which I think is *basically* what Miyazaki was saying, but I don't care too much about authorial intent here

[@katien3022]

Beautifully said. I agree! It was a necessary moment and conveys the realities and bitter sweetness of growing up. Things just can never quite be the same as you grow older.

[@mariuspoppFM]

Why you don't care?

[@Lilyium]

The poem at 24:15 really got to me, we have to live our lives knowing that everything will one day come to an end. A life that means there's only one way to go and that's forward, in a sense the past can never be obtained again. It's a scary thought, because who knows what uncertainty will happen in the future, but it's certain that you can never go back in time. I guess time itself is a reminder to keep living while we still can, and it's also an alarm clock to when it can stop ticking all together as well...

[@tristanneal9552]

Literally just hearing you read the descriptions of depression around 20min in made me break down crying. God I did not realize I was so emotionally fragile these days.

[@ClaireLow]

I got myself into a year-long daily drawing challenge. One day, I could not draw at all. I sobbed at my drawing board. After a horrible couple of hours, I turned in some scribble, for it was all I could do. I remember thinking of the artist in Kiki's Delivery Service, the one who draws the birds on her roof. She promised Kiki she would fly again one day. I held onto this. I felt like she was talking to me, promising me that the thing I loved to do more than anything, that was somehow gone, would come back. It did.

[@kensukefan47]

Artist desperately tries to make a connection with anime character.

[@celinepope]

This caused tears to well up in my eyes. When something not said to you directly is so real to you that you hold on to it.

[@R2ninjaturtle]

I literally had an exchange with my friend the other day where she said it upset her Jiji never spoke to her again, and I corrected her saying that he did... now I realize we probably saw two different versions, I had no idea!

[@Imjudah-]

Yeah your friend watched the best version

[@Knights_of_the_Nine]

I just watched it and it upset me. Like REALLY upset me. Like I couldn't sleep I was so sad =[ Idk why

[@ninja_tony]

I hope you apologized to them.

[@emmanuel7489]

"I don't know who needs to hear this today, but you are going to be fine", that made me tear up. I didn't realize it was me who needed to hear that. I've been so stressed, with a creative block, under so much pressure due to things going wrong for such a long time, that this analysis you made speaks to me on a deep level. And I think that's part of the value of this film, sometimes you won't get fixed, you just need to learn to cope with your situation and start your journey to recovery. The magic will come back, you might lose some things but gain others, things will change and you'll grow. And it was very important for me to feel reflected on this today. Thank you so much for making this video ❤️

[@TheDiverpro]

I watched this the other month while on 🍄 and the beauty of this film was so magical. I never realized how depression fit into this film, being that I never really suffered or understood depression. This movie is why I’m going into mental health care. ❤️

[@goingunder2548]

And in 5 years time you're going to hate your job and mentally ill people like every other person in that field

[@p1ural391]

I love KiKi's Delivery Service as an adult more so than as a child. Honestly, I don't think anyone knows exactly when they turn into an adult, but this film is like a measuring stick. I remember watching this after Uni and feeling that this film has changed, when in fact it is me that has changed. As a thirty-something-year-old guy now, the meaning of this film has changed once again.

[@bloompretty7576]

As a child I didn't like it but now I do and idk why I think its cause I can see the more deep themes

[@saiyamoru]

Miyazaki is definitely the BURNOUT KING and the perfect person to make this kind of film...how many times has he tried to retire now, again?? hahaha. I also think the reason why Kiki doesn't regain her ability to talk to Jiji is because she no longer needs a 'familiar' to help her - she has new friends in the city, and so does Jiji.

[@_bess]

I see there are other comments about these points so I won't say too much but just two little things: ADHD is increasingly being thought of as a form of neurodivergence rather than a disorder or illness, and the relationship between serotonin and depression is far from fully understood but it definitely hasn't been proven to be causal, or even a major factor. The reasons for a person becoming depressed are generally a lot more complicated and likely include a combination of environmental, psychological and biological factors. Sorry for the nitpicks, just two common misconceptions we could do with doing away with! Great video!

[@campbellmaggs4384]

"I don't know who needs to hear this today, but you are going to be fine." Me. I fucking needed to hear that today. Thank you.

[@katien3022]

Kiki’s delivery service literally makes me tear up in parts that shouldn’t be so emotional like her hugging her dad or being treated so kindly by osono and the elderly lady who she helped. It reminded me of all the people I love and is so darn relatable for a young adult leaving home to spread their wings. I related so much to her struggles in a new town since I moved to college. She struggled with not knowing anyone, having trouble connecting to people her age, losing and looking for inspiration, and more. It is such a lovely movie that really touches my heart. It has impacted me differently each time I watch it because of what’s happening in my life in those moments

[@kamen6009]

You are a cute girl just like kiki 😶

[@sparkymularkey6970]

This movie was so influential to me and my brother. We refer to getting "Kiki'd" when we struggle with depression/creative block and need a break.

[@karmica7591]

I’m seeing this video two years after it being posted, after seeing again the film. I can’t even explain how much I needed to watch this and ear what you said, as a person who suffer from clinical depression and is going through a bad period of it again. Thank you so much.

[@EBRanchFarmstead]

Holy cats! I think this is the first time I ever commented on a youtube video. But yeah, wow, I really resonated intensely with this essay/video you made. First, thank you for the amazing hard work you do. I am 41 and have enjoyed Studio Ghibli/Miyazaki/anime since my early teens in the early/mid 90''s. I have been homestead/farming since 2009 and finally dove into trying to make a living/profit from my farm business 2 years ago. Hey, I have goats that happen to be a critically endangered breed, I practice good land management, raise critters to the best of my ability, am surrounded by woods, have a small orchard, run a small home garden, offer amazing farm products, make most food from scratch, grow and raise my own food etc. I had NO idea cottage core was a "thing". But I can say this, living this lifestyle is backbreaking and mentally exhausting. Due to outside/other humans being inserting their issues into my life, I recognized about 4 years ago what depression for me was. While I'm fine, and I see a light at the end of the tunnel. The last 3+ years have been incredibly hard. I started resenting the lifestyle I LOVE. I started resenting the goats I care for, I started hating cooking and all that it entails to grow and preserve my own food. I came to terms with why I was feeling that and am managing things better. I watched this with my partner and he kept (nicely) poking me when he felt a subject being discussed was relate-able, I got poked A LOT!! I know we all have our own trials and tribulations. But this video is a little piece of making me get a better grasp of things in my own life. So thank you so much! I am also very much enjoying all of your other content!!! This video, as well as my own thoughts will be shared on my personal and farm business page. People all around are struggling, and I think so many people can relate to this. Plus, I need to re-watch Kiki really soon, I love these films so much I need to be careful and not over watch them! PS-Way back in the late 90's I bought a VHS copy of My Neighbor Totoro and can say that heavily influenced the direction I wanted to go in with my future and community building efforts in my rural hometown! Thanks again so much!

[@Shizuka171]

I always thought Kiki's ability to talk with Jiji, could eventually came back as her ability to fly. Maybe not soon, but one day. Kiki wasn't really good at flying, but it was her best witch's ability. Sometimes we have to learn something again, to be better at this. Ps. The Sims killed me 😂

[@noelleelizabeth9991]

I thought that too, like her reaction to not being able to understand him was her realizing she's not 100% better yet.

[@jaesynn2015]

"I don't know who needs to hear this today, but you are going to be fine." Apparently I was one, because now I'm crying.

[@nek0hatsune]

i stopped crying and then i read your comment, and now i’m crying again

[@flyingpastakitty]

This movie entered my thoughts randomly recently. Idk why. Also, thank you for explaining how depression and burnout effect people. I hated my former manager so much for his lack of understanding about mental health. I put in my 2 weeks at one point, he asked me why. I explained that this job negatively effects my mental health. You know what he had the audacity to say? He said and I quote: "You know they have meds to fix that right? I take this medication and it works for me!" I wanted to beat him up so bad. That level of ignorance just infuriates me. Trust me, I've tried many meds. They don't help me, in fact they usually end up making me emotionally numb or emotionally unstable to the point where I have mood swings. Depression is awful.

[@saturn5793]

"I don't know who needs to hear this today, but you are going to be fine". Me, I needed to hear that. Thank you.

[@cinnamonpyroll]

As a kid, I wasn't interested much in Kiki's because I thought it was too mundane (aside from the dirigible ending), but watching it again as an adult I related so much to it and instantly saw the theme of depression and being burned out from monetizing your hobby. Gave me a new appreciation for it.

[@stevengoomba6490]

What I find interesting about the whole small town vs. big city thing is that by today’s standards, the city in Kiki’s Delivery Service is idealistic compared to modern urban areas. The density, architecture, and lively nature of her new place is picturesque and exciting, at least to me. It’s like you said, second hand nostalgia for something I’ve never even experienced.

[@SamuelSEdme]

The urban setting felt like walking through a historic European town.

[@crowsandcryptids]

the depression segment was a slap in the face, ive been struggling recently and im finally going to the doctors for help this week

[@BiKey91]

Good luck brother, I wish you all the best

[@carlinemoon2484]

Your video is the reason I hate when people say, "If you do what you love then it isn't work." To me it feels as if I do what I enjoy as a job then it becomes a burden that tires me out and makes me stop enjoying what I am doing. And when I stop enjoying it I internalize that there must be something wrong with ME, and that it is up to me to do something to change that, but I feel so overwhelmed with that it NEEDS to be done because it is not my job that I just cannot fix it. The overwhelmed becomes stressed, which ends up with depression until I just give up. You are just so perfect!

[@TheKarishi]

When the Ghibli film came out I'd coincidentally just read Howl's Moving Castle after a literature class in college had gotten me on a Diane Wynne Jones kick. It was really cool to see how drastically different the visions turned out, and I'll be really excited to hear your thoughts on the two of them. In other news, I love seeing how your avatar gains in liveliness as you continue to draw up more and more specific emotions video by video. I particularly love your "unrepentant weeb nyan" expression. Aside from how they improve the videos, there's a kind of academic appreciation for getting to see that process in real time.

[@gusty7153]

seeing an artist improve in real time is actually something ya can see regularly to varying degrees with many youtube animators and web comic artists as they gradually get use to drawing, assuming they don't quit full stop or go into multiple never ending hiatus

[@zabi_aka]

Their avatar is amazing for sure. I feel like those two colorful Kiki drawings were made by them as well

[@bitchpudding8104]

I can completely sympathize with Kiki! As someone who turned her love of flying into a career, it has indeed sucked some of the joy out out of it. I worked so hard and for so many years to fly professionally but now I’m just exhausted. It’s devastating when you lose passion for something that used to define you and feel so liberating.

[@sirmoony5633]

Also, Nora said that she first watched the movie through a Disney's VHS copy of the film, yet she says that she likes the original Japanese version more. Is she secretly an elitist? LMAO

[@person906]

@@sirmoony5633 she says that because they are actually two slightly different stories, not because she likes subs over dubs

[@sirmoony5633]

@@person906 You're sure? LOL

[@person906]

@@sirmoony5633 yes. Believe it or not most people don't care about the stupid sub vs dub debate, and its not relevant to her analysis here. I thought even anime fans got over this topic years ago but I guess its fun for kids to argue about. You seem to have missed her point about the different versions having different implications for the story, I would give the vid a rewatch or better yet watch the different versions of the film with this in mind if I were you. Maybe u are not at this point in your life yet where you have to begin the journey into adulthood and can't relate to this aspect of Kiki's story, which is okay too. Im sure you'll get it when you're older.

[@sirmoony5633]

@@person906 Oh, I'm so sorry! I don't mean to cause any harm. Also, I personally love Phil Hartman's voice lines for Jiji! They just add some spice to his character! Also, nothing wrong the song, "I'm Gonna Fly!" LOL

[@charliecheadle9154]

Just finished it today once again. It really is one of the most relatable and comforting films I’ve ever watched. It really does feel like a big warm hug 🥹❤️

[@SionBarzhado]

21:00 Thank you. Even though I myself have been gradually having a slightly easier time reminding myself I’ll be fine whenever I’m feeling depressed, it really helped to hear it from someone else as well. Again, thank you. I genuinely breathed a sigh of relief. This was a great video, by the way! I’m now interested in checking out Kiki’s Delivery Service for myself.

[@anna1804]

'vaguely European' hits different when you live 50 m from one of the buildings the clocktower is based on. I think at least part of why I like the film so much is because the mundane everyday magic is set very accurately in my immediate surroundings (:

[@grumpycup4762]

Swede detected.

[@dr.wahnsinn9913]

So where did it play? :)

[@Piti_Pingu]

Just a side note, cottagecore was already a thing for Marie Antoinette. She had an entire village built in which she could live her best cottagecore life 😂 For anyone who is interested into learning about that Abby Cox has a video on it on her channel :3

[@Stone_Orchids]

Kiki is so underrated, actually my favorite Ghibli film, nothing come close to magic mundanity as this film, it feel so real and authentic nothing comes even closer it's just lovely

[@sketchman7392]

I feel like there's a lot about this story that's still relevant even for today's modern generation. That's how it can continue to still be on the minds of those who relate to it. ❤️ Thank you for sharing your thoughts on Kiki and expressing the things that make the book and the movie worth being invested in too.

[@HewleyxAngel]

As someone who watched this film as a teenager for the first time during the TMC “Month of Miyazaki” about the time Howl’s Moving Castle came out, it’s interesting to see Kiki’s own struggle as not so different from the one I was in, in a case of chronic depression and miserable. And here I am now, managing my care, in a very different time and place in my life and doing okay. Also shout out to baker husband, as a fellow professional buff boy baker he is goals.

[@holysecret2]

The clock tower part from the story of the book sounds very powerful. The fact that Kiki as an outsider plays such a huge role in saving and preserving an old native tradition, I feel there is an important message there. Both about embracing and caring for the places you travel, and about the value or wisdom you might learn from someone outside your village. It's like a great mix of the old and the new that Ghibli always stood for in their films.

[@meaypie11]

They actually asked her to get the part from the next town over's clock tower. She flew over, and found out they had their own ritual for when the clock struck midnight, so Kiki flew back and offered to help the clock strike midnight so everyone in Koriko could celebrate even if she couldn't participate. ❤

[@navi3430]

I really loved that old dog in the movie that knew Jiji wasn't the doll so he went along with Jiji's act until the real doll came. He saved Jiji's life.

[@purplelavendar393]

Her depression is definitely a saudade type of feeling. Longing for something that hasn’t happened. Her understanding that what she feels is like an outsider but not understanding why. It definitely comes from being in a reality for too long. All she knew was home and the people she already was close with. When she comes to this new place she immediately experiences a reality which isn’t so “cookie cutter” and that just bc you’re putting your best foot forward doesn’t guarantee you anything besides what’s already happening. Her experiencing burn out and finding it hard to be relatable to people who interact with her comes from the inexperience of it all. But I’m some ways she puts herself in those situations, almost like avoiding what she thinks will happen. But by avoiding it, that reality is as real as it if it actually happened bc she reacting to it according to her thoughts and emotions. Taking a break, creating her inspirations, and understanding that sometimes taking a chance or a risk is worth it and sometimes it’s not. (Like when she stayed for the herring pie only to realize the girl didn’t even want it vs deciding to go see the lady again making her happy). You don’t know unless you try and if it’s the most uncomfortable feeling it’s better than avoiding. Cause avoiding keeps you in that saudade, that loneliness that she expects. By the end she starts figuring out that boundaries with herself and understanding why she does things is super important, along with choosing to be herself, yeah it’s hard but it’s way more better being authentic. It’s so hard, sometimes you don’t even realize why you’re doing to feeling what you’re feeling or that you have walls up. I think by the end she jsut realized in some ways that taking a break, doing your thing, while working hard and experiencing life (good and the bad) can come in similar forms but different perspectives. anyone reading this... just live your life, do what you want to do, and strive for love, passion, and authenticity.

[@Tommybgoode]

As someone who grew up in the countryside and had a childhood like Kiki's, from experience, most kids want to leave and experience the excitment and indepence of city life. I did exactly that too, but now I'm getting older, I miss the quiet of the countryside and long for it again. Kiki's want to leave her idealic home is not surprising at all to me.

[@jgvl]

Agreed. I think she totally missed that mark on that part of the video

[@dweeb4]

Totally, I have lived in the middle of nowhere with the same handful of kids since I was born. There’s some who have no desire to ever leave and some who are itching to get out super early on. I’ve always figured the same is true about those in the city.

[@CeeTee380]

Oh it’s so funny listening to your astounded analysis of kikis rejection of the idyllic country life. I love this film so much because of that very rejection- I can relate. I grew up on a small rural tropical island where nothing ever changes and everyone knows everyone. To most outsiders it’s a RL paradise, but as a kid I dreamt of leaving and seeing the world with all its big cities, meeting new people and eating all the foods!

[@ayior]

Same! I'm from a small village, and it's a lot more Hot Fuzz than it is Cottagecore lol

[@shay494]

It's so funny because everyone I grew up was like that, same country life and a lot kids to leave. That grass is always greener on other side idea.

[@JamFlexx]

@@shay494 exactly! I was gonna say the same. As you grow older you learn to miss it. but nothing wrong with having ambitions & wanting to see the world either =]

[@amadapittaluga1487]

Sounds like you are from the Caribbean ;p

[@stick157]

Just watched Kiki's Delivery Service and I must say, this video was eye opening (to say the least) about the issues she faced and the similarity to what I deal with everyday, constantly feeling empty and the desire to be left alone more often than wanting to be around people I care about, etc. Thank you making this video as it made me realize that like Kiki, I have to start my own journey to recovery.

[@draghag]

Subscribed because how well you explained depression, the visuals was the chefs kiss. Thank you.

[@draghag]

BTW blame "circular" time, not linear. If time were linear nothing would repeat.

[@alechall7082]

Kiki and Jiji didn't grow apart, they grew up. It's what the whole movie is about. Keep moving forward but stay in tune with nature, those you love, and yourself.

[@OtioseFanatic]

Kiki is still my favorite Ghibli movie, and I also grew up with the VHS dub. The part that hits me the hardest I’d when she flops onto the bed and talks about something being wrong with her, and you can actually SEE the moment her magic goes away. Jiji’s eyes going from big and cartoony to narrow and more natural cat like. The moment Jiji stops being able to understand her

[@Ashar0820]

Kiki's Delivery Service is the first movie I remember watching as a kid, and my first Ghibli movie. I had it on VHS tape and watched it so much, that I completely wore out the tape that we had to get a new VHS tape and then a DVD copy. I even thought my older sibling would take our family cat and leave for a year when they turned 13 ^^:::

[@AE1OU]

In Asia, depression is something no one seems to know or just plain ignores the signs and symptoms. When you're depressed or suffering from a mental breakdown, they see you as an aberrant and tell you to "deal with it" or "suck it up". Growing up the way I've seen adults dealt with depression is by keeping their mouths shut and not talk about. Rather, their way of dealing with depression is with smoking, drinking or just being mean, abusive and throwing tantrums. The older ones are the worst, they think depression is you acting out for attention and that you are not praying to god enough or youre lacking faith.

[@Iloveowlsandbirds]

oohh thats sad :(

[@aleahc1379]

Honestly there’s not much I wouldn’t give to experience this movie for the first time, again. Now that I’m 25 and struggling, it speaks to my soul in ways that I didn’t think it would. Kiki does such a good job representing everyday artists, it really does just hit different.

[@Lolidropz]

I watched this for the first time in my life last week, I'm 23. I teared up multiple times, so many things were just so relatable.

[@ms_cartographer]

Not just artists struggling now, but everyone who isn't from a rich family.

[@garyoakham9723]

Vote Biden 2024

[@cheezemonkeyeater]

Noralities: Put a pin in that for later. Me: *PTSD flashbacks to Dan Olsen's video on Fifty Shades Darker So . . . many . . . pins . . .

[@TheLastHylianTitan]

Your analysis videos are like a hot cup of coffee for my ears - warm, rich, comforting, and they always leave me contemplative and feeling satisfied. I really appreciate them! Thank you for what you do.

[@inkynewt]

Having grown up in the "cottagecore ideal", this movie has always meant a lot to me. I didnt expect such a succinct examination of it from recommendations but this surprised me :)

[@travischeramie]

As a father of a Young girl and just a lover of stories, I find Kiki’s delivery Service to be my favorite Ghibli film for its more accessible/relatable themes and more grounded use of fantasy elements. Absolutely love. Thank you!

[@IsaacKuo]

I think the fact that cottagecore is "nostalgia" for a time/place people never experienced themselves means it isn't "nostalgia" at all - it's a yearning for something different and new. So it's the same thing as Kiki's desire for something different and new to her - the city. Our stories go both ways, and always have. I relate more with the desire for the big city just because of my life's background. Someone who grew up in a big city might relate more with the opposite direction. It all depends on which grass is greener.

[@moonlady3000]

Omg, those clips from the OG Harvest Moon during the cottagecore segment sent me back

[@Silly1336]

This video was so good. I literally started tearing up because the way you described depression has been exactly what I have been going through but I just couldn’t put my finger on what was making me feel this way. I thought that the fact that everyday has been either a struggle to push past feeling anxious or a fight to feel something at all was just something I felt normally. I never took the time to really ask myself, “Hey am I okay?” Which based off my reaction to your explanation i can confirm I am not. So thanks for bringing light to not only an issue that many people face but shedding some light on how Kiki’s delivery service is a touching yet very real story. I saw it for the first time as a 25 year old this year and had it become one of my favorite Studio Ghibli film. After The Cat Returns of course.

[@intelligenceparadigm4931]

Literally subbed before watching. Anybody who talks about Kiki's Delivery Service for 26 minutes deserves a sub

[@purplehood8418]

This was my exact logic

[@doctor-aesthetic]

"That... wasn't in the book..." *cries in Howl's Moving Castle*

[@fathomgathergood7690]

Have you ever read Howl's Moving Castle? It's awful, Howl is an asshole not just moody, and Sophie is no better. I haven't gotten around to reading the next 2 books.

[@Yeoffrey]

I first watched this video essay a few months ago and today I remembered it being cathartic. 21:02 Me. I did. I needed to hear this today.

[@ShahMiraz]

I’m two years late, but wow. What a well put together video essay!

[@ZeoViolet]

Burnout: Include those of us who are "essential workers" who slaved during the heights of the pandemic to keep the people supplied with food, water, and other necessities of life that made going outside to get them necessary. It's a high-risk, high-exposure type of job line to meet your physically necessary needs, if not your medical.

[@MilaApollonia]

I can relate to this so much. Worked so hard while most of the other people had to stay at home. These people were certainly isolated and many people kept telling me how lucky it is that I still have work. But I felt trapped and restricted in my work extremely often. And sometimes I just didn't want to continue myself. Many of my colleagues have been sick for a very long time and still are. The pandemic is still going on and now there has been flooding in our area, another stroke of fate that means additional work for me and my colleagues. I feel so burned out, so I'm so happy that I'm currently on vacation. Somehow I always get to achieve daily goals in my private life and keep working. But not everyone manages to deal with depression or burnout, especially if it has never played a role before. And as explained in the video, there are still so many misunderstandings and prejudices against those affected. I wish everyone who is struggling with these stressors or mental illnesses can learn to deal with them and are on the mend.

[@strawbebbiejam]

i work in food service but im also as a student nurse so I was/am experiencing both and I am not excited to go out into the real world after i get my license

[@rhyliemasons7957]

I work at Starbucks and the turnover is absolutely insane right now. People just don't want to work a job that is physically and mentally taxing when they are being paid the bare minimum that is legally allowed and when customers abuse the system and workers. I feel horribly burnt out myself but can't quit since I need an income while I finish university. But I also dread coming to work a lot and I know I'm not the only one feeling this.

[@elmythe3136]

I used to work in fast food through the peak of the pandemic and I remember feeling angry and bitter towards people complaining about being isolated and that they had so much free time. Though it was horrible there were days where I wished I got covid just so that I could have a day off as we were forced to work insane hours as the store kept losing staff. And anytime I complained I would hear people say "Your lucky you still have a job" "Its just food. Your jobs so easy why are you complaining!" "Your just lazy and don't want to work." It was hell. I know nurses and doctors defiantly had it worse but I still feel dread remembering the days where my coworkers got excited to hear someone might get sick and force the store to close for two weeks.

[@namedrop721]

@@elmythe3136 by numbers, foodservice has had the most hospitalizations and deaths, likely bc the precautions taken for healthcare workers and ‘essential’ workers are very…not the same

[@Kjellbot]

the city always read to me as being heavily inspired by older scandinavian architecture, it's even got several swedish store titles, but i'm a swede so i'd be biased there i guess apparently a lot or even most of the names on the map kiki has is in hawaiian so obviously it isn't a single specific country

[@Eli-rn4qq]

I think I read somewhere that Kiki was actually supposed to be about Pippi Longstocking in the very early production, but Hayao Miyazaki didn't get the rights to make it. Even went to Sweden to find the inspiration for the movie. So that's why the town is so inspired by Swedish architecture. They had to scrap Pippi tho and make their own story. Not sure if it's true tho, it was a long time ago that I read it and can't verify the source.

[@JohannesLi]

I believe the setting was inspired by Prague (tho i think this might be in reference to the music; it's mentioned in the bonus features for the dub re-release but I don't remember very well) and Germany as well It's pretty much an amalgamation of versions of that specific European architectural style

[@monoboy81]

well when i searched it up, alot of people said 'Visby Sweden' so i would say u are correct and after looking at the place in google maps some areas look identical to the film.

[@deaglan6641]

This video made me realize that I am currently going thru depression. I couldn’t remember what it was like the last time I was depressed for a long period of time, so thank you for helping me.

[@alanhilder1883]

Depression is something you learn to live with, or not. Something external triggers it, you need an external trigger to be able to recover. The shrink asking "what are you going to do about that?" is as helpful as, when you are in a pit, having someone point to the ladder outside of the pit and tell you to use the ladder and walk away. YOU CAN'T GET THE LADDER. Over 30 years since I got depression and I still exist. I can do ok for a while but it can still drag me back. I am still waiting for that trigger to recovery.