With things the way they are in the world, it’s no surprise that many people are moving on from intense, hard-hitting entertainment in favor of more relaxing and wholesome fare. (Heartwarmingly fun new shows like Ted Lasso have proven that.) So a very specific niche of this audience will likely be pleased to know that the lighthearted coming of age story Kiki’s Delivery Service will soon receive a new adaptation in Japan. It will be a stage musical, the most wholesome of mediums.
The play, which will run in March and April as it tours through Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka, will adapt the classic Kiki’s Delivery Service book series by Eiko Kadono. Its low-key tale of a young witch just trying to earn a living not only prompted 7 sequels and spinoffs, but also inspired the hugely popular film of the same name from Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli in 1989. It bears repeating that the musical is inspired by the book series, rather than the movie, which only adapted the first novel.
Kiki’s Delivery Service tells the story of the young witch Kiki in a coming of age tale where she must spend a year on her own away from any fellow witches as part of a tradition for their kind. With only her innate flying powers and her trusty cat Jiji, she tries her best to earn her keep. Opening her own delivery service, she quickly discovers that nothing is quite as easy as it sounds. Through her journey, she encounters many colorful characters that could rival the cast of The Simpsons, including the aviation-obsessed boy Tombo, who develops a fascination for her abilities of flight.
Kadono began writing the beloved children’s fantasy series in 1985, telling its simple yet endearing story to a rapidly growing audience. After the first book’s popularity exploded, due in no small part to the Studio Ghibli film in 1989, she began writing sequels starting in 1993 and continuing the main series all the way until 2009. She even created two spinoff novels in 2016 and 2017, respectively. While the film reached audiences around the world, the books themselves wouldn’t receive official translations until 2003.
While this news is likely only relevant to a very small subsection of people, it’s still heartwarming to see such a wholesome and charming story continue to receive such love. It just goes to show that not everybody is looking for something intense or super dramatic. Sometimes all that’s needed is some childlike enjoyment of a cute little story.
Though there is the question of the pandemic, of course. Japan has generally stuck with safe practices when it comes to public gatherings in the time of COVID-19, so hopefully, they’ll stay the course and allow for lots of fans looking for a good time to enjoy another take on a classic.
Source: Anime News Network
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