Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki films are treasured gems in the anime community. Even film enthusiasts love the collection enough to get further into more animated materials. Hayao Miyazaki’s works definitely strengthened the reputation of animation in the industry.
Kiki’s Delivery Service is one of the most nostalgic and beloved films Hayao Miyazaki has directed. From the protagonist’s journey of self-discovery to the feel-good vibes of the film, there’s nothing fans don’t love about it. However, the ending left us with little closure and major heartache.
Jiji, Kiki’s familiar, talks to her throughout the film. The two had an understanding of each other that no one else did. However, by the end of the film when she regains her powers, he can only meow at her, indicating she grew up. The English dubbing, on the other hand, doesn’t include this ending.
The difference in the English dubbing of Kiki’s Delivery Service can heal your heart
If the ending of Kiki’s Delivery Service devastated you, look no further. English dubbed versions of most anime get a bad reputation due to their exaggerated and unemotional acting. Kiki’s Delivery Service, on the other hand, went an extra level and tweaked the ending.
While the original Japanese voice will always capture the nuance better, the English dubbing gave us what Hayao Miyazaki couldn’t. The translator wanted a more positive ending for Kiki’s Delivery Service. That, of course, included Jiji being able to speak to Kiki, even after her maturing.
Even today, 36 years after the film’s release, the ending hurts. He’s meant to represent the immature part of Kiki. Her growing up meant she had to let go of it. One Reddit user brought up how heartbroken they were after it, saying that it hit harder because they recently lost their cat.
Hurting Heart After Kiki’s Delivery Service
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The comments, however, gave them one last hope, mentioning the English dubbed version might just soothe that grief.
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So if you did find yourself grieving that Jiji couldn’t communicate with Kiki anymore, the English dub is here for you. However, people should find closure in the original ending too. Jiji moves on with his own family, finding independence away from being a witch’s familiar.
The English version changed more about Jiji and even added extra dialogue
Turns out, this script added a lot more dialogue because of how many of the original scenes were silent.
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Silence isn’t seen as uncomfortable in Japan. It’s actually preferred sometimes. However, in the West, it’s probably more awkward and confusing for the audience. Jiji also represents her voice of reason rather than reminders of her insecurities that the Japanese version was eluding to.
Most fans might even seek out the English version over the original dubbing, but as mentioned earlier, it is a film about growth and self-discovery. Hayao Miyazaki’s script will always be the more nuanced version of Kiki’s Delivery Service.
Kiki’s Delivery Service is available on Netflix.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
