Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)

[Jafar]

So it's official! Miyazaki's much loved Kiki's Delivery Service is coming out on Blu-ray this November 18.

Amazon Pre order Link



StitchKingdom lists the following extras on this release:

BLU-RAY BONUS FEATURES:

Introduction by John Lasseter
Original Japanese Storyboards
Original Japanese Trailers
Behind the Microphone — English voice cast members Kirsten Dunst, Janeane Garofalo and Phil Hartman give voice to their on-screen characters
Creating Kiki’s Delivery Service — Director Miyazaki discusses how he created the world of the movie
Kiki & Jiji — Producer Toshio Suzuki reveals how Director Miyazaki based the character of Kiki on Suzuki’s teenage daughter
Flying with Kiki & Beyond — The director discusses how he approached Kiki flying
Producer’s Perspective: Collaborating with Miyazaki — The producer talks about how he worked with the director through the years
The Locations of Kiki — The real world locations that influenced the look of the film are revealed
Scoring Miyazaki — Composer Joe Hisaishi talks about his approach in writing the music.
Ursula’s Painting (ALL NEW) — A musical montage of Ursula’s Painting. The painting was created by junior high school students and used by Director Miyazaki for the film.

[LimeiBook86]

Awesome news! Although I did end up buying the DVD not long ago due to the 1st release we had simply stopped working.

[cakefactory]

Preordered this and Mononoke, can't wait. I haven't seen this one before, but I've loved all the Ghibli movies I've seen and I've heard many people over the years say it's one of their favorites.

How's the english dub on it? I really like the dub on some of the other ones, like on Totoro and Castle in the Sky for example I prefer it to the Japanese. Then on some others, like Grave of the Fireflies, I greatly prefer the Japanese! Janeane Garofalo, though... (Although she wasn't bad in Ratatouille)

[MifuneFan]

I love this film, it's definitely one of my favorite Ghibli titles.

[goofystitch]

This is my favorite Studio Ghibli film, I can't wait to have it in HD! My only sadness is they will use the modified dub from the last DVD release. This was the Studio Ghibli film that caused me to search for more and the way I got hooked was the original Disney dub with English pop songs. I heard that for the last release, they swapped those songs for the Japanese ones and also altered some lines. Needless to say, I'll be holding onto my original DVD for the original dub.

[cakefactory]

Originally Posted by goofystitch

This is my favorite Studio Ghibli film, I can't wait to have it in HD! My only sadness is they will use the modified dub from the last DVD release. This was the Studio Ghibli film that caused me to search for more and the way I got hooked was the original Disney dub with English pop songs. I heard that for the last release, they swapped those songs for the Japanese ones and also altered some lines. Needless to say, I'll be holding onto my original DVD for the original dub.

What's the difference between the disney dubs? Looking at wikipedia it doesn't give much description, it makes it sound like all they did was change the songs from the beginning and ending of the movie back to the ones used in the Japanese version, and that they removed one line of dialogue from the cat that had been added into the first disney dub which hadn't existed in the japanese version. Is there more to it than that? Or are the songs really a big part of the movie? The description makes it sound like they're just credits music.

[zoodermin]

One of Miyazaki's best! Day 1 alongside Mononoke and Wind Rises!

[tylergfoster]

Originally Posted by cakefactory

What's the difference between the disney dubs? Looking at wikipedia it doesn't give much description, it makes it sound like all they did was change the songs from the beginning and ending of the movie back to the ones used in the Japanese version, and that they removed one line of dialogue from the cat that had been added into the first disney dub which hadn't existed in the japanese version. Is there more to it than that? Or are the songs really a big part of the movie? The description makes it sound like they're just credits music.

Not that big a part of a movie, but if you came to love a movie in one form I understand wanting it to stay that way.

This movie has a pretty good dub. Still, I've come to the point where I realize I enjoy watching the films in Japanese even if the dubs are good.

[goofystitch]

Originally Posted by cakefactory

What's the difference between the disney dubs? Looking at wikipedia it doesn't give much description, it makes it sound like all they did was change the songs from the beginning and ending of the movie back to the ones used in the Japanese version, and that they removed one line of dialogue from the cat that had been added into the first disney dub which hadn't existed in the japanese version. Is there more to it than that? Or are the songs really a big part of the movie? The description makes it sound like they're just credits music.

It's mostly the songs. I grew up on this dub and watched it so many times that those songs often pop in my head to this day. I love the Japanese track too, but the songs aren't as memorable to me. Here are the English songs written for the Disney version. I heard the Japanese songs were put back in at Miyazaki's request, but I prefer these songs:

"I'm Gonna Fly"

"Soaring"

[Jafar]

Originally Posted by LimeiBook86

Awesome news! Although I did end up buying the DVD not long ago due to the 1st release we had simply stopped working.

Sell the DVD and pick up the Blu - you get a copy of the DVD with it anyway

Originally Posted by cakefactory

I haven't seen this one before

Oh you're in for a treat!

[Donnie D]

Finally was in the mood to watch the blu-ray on my new DLP projector. I'd watched the 2003 DVDs many times and one of the things that I noticed was the subtitle. I don't like the sub on the blu-ray. There were so many lines that I like from the DVD. Kiki's departing scene when the girls tease her about going to the disco was taken out, her encounter with the other witch on the way was changed.
On the big plus side, I loved the details in the sound and picture compared to the DVD. It was spectacular!!! Despite the sub, really enjoyed it.

[KevinStriker]

I can't really inspire as much loyalty to the original (version of Disney's) dub, so none of the changes made to the revised dub really bothered me. I like the English songs, but I can find them on YouTube (or download them to iTunes like a dork), and Jiji talking during the ending was one of the more problematic bits when it came to creator's intent/localization.

I also didn't notice any audio distortion until I started reading this thread and listening for it as I watched the film. So, ARGH.

[oubukibun]

Forgive if this is old news, but the fact that the music is missing from the climax of the film is because of the mix-and-match of the English/Japanese dubs for this new audio of Kik, no?

I mean, obviously the English dub is more faithful to the Japanese original with certain lines removed and the reinstatement of the (imo) superior Japanese songs, etc....

But, when I watched it again, I realized one of my favorite musical cues, roughly translated from the Japanese soundtrack title as "The Old Man's Deck Brush" is missing from the climax.

It's the music that plays when Kiki takes, of course, the old man's deck brush to "do her thing" (don't wanna spoil anything for those who haven't seen it). The piece ran barely two minutes and featured this wonderfully energetic rendition of the main theme (at least it sounds like the main theme) and it really added to the experience of the scene for me.

Nothing against the sound of wind and the dialogue/voices, but I was wondering if this was part of the Japanese dub and therefore NOT an error on anyone's part.

Thanks in advance, guys!

[KevinStriker]

Originally Posted by oubukibun

Forgive if this is old news, but the fact that the music is missing from the climax of the film is because of the mix-and-match of the English/Japanese dubs for this new audio of Kik, no?

I mean, obviously the English dub is more faithful to the Japanese original with certain lines removed and the reinstatement of the (imo) superior Japanese songs, etc....

But, when I watched it again, I realized one of my favorite musical cues, roughly translated from the Japanese soundtrack title as "The Old Man's Deck Brush" is missing from the climax.

It's the music that plays when Kiki takes, of course, the old man's deck brush to "do her thing" (don't wanna spoil anything for those who haven't seen it). The piece ran barely two minutes and featured this wonderfully energetic rendition of the main theme (at least it sounds like the main theme) and it really added to the experience of the scene for me.

Nothing against the sound of wind and the dialogue/voices, but I was wondering if this was part of the Japanese dub and therefore NOT an error on anyone's part.

Thanks in advance, guys!

I have the slightly older DVD from 2010, and the Japanese track does have the sound fade out into silence while Kiki is concentrating, like she's tuning all the noise out.

I don't have any other way of checking like the 2003 DVD or the old letterbox/subbed VHS, but it looks to me like this was intended.

As an aside, the Spanish track includes music over this part, but it sounds more like a weird synth piece guest-composed by Giorgio Moroder.

[oubukibun]

Originally Posted by KevinStriker

I have the slightly older DVD from 2010, and the Japanese track does have the sound fade out into silence while Kiki is concentrating, like she's tuning all the noise out.

I don't have any other way of checking like the 2003 DVD or the old letterbox/subbed VHS, but it looks to me like this was intended.

As an aside, the Spanish track includes music over this part, but it sounds more like a weird synth piece guest-composed by Giorgio Moroder.

Thanks for giving it a check, man. Thankfully I have the original DVD release with the initial English dub and the music track is intact there.

[ThisIsJonny]

YouTube

I own the 2003 DVD and 2014 combo pack, but never noticed the error or fact we have 2 dubbed versions. lol

[Somnia]

I noticed the audio distortion the first time I watched it on BD. It really bothered me and now that I know it's poor mixing on Disney's behalf, I'd love for them to re-release this with better audio quality. I haven't noticed any audio distortion with the other Ghibli films I own (Howl's Moving Castle, Ponyo, The Cat Returns, Spirited Away, Castle in the Sky, The Wind Rises, Arrietty, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, Nausica, and Poppy Hill)...The problem seems to be only with Kiki's Delivery Service...

Another small nit-pick is when watching the BD release, the scene where GiGi is walking towards the female white cat there is no conversation from GiGi at all like in previous versions. In older versions he says something like "getting off on the wrong paw" and he introduces himself to the white cat. I felt that part of the "magic" was lost in that scene because of the change...

[Lupin the Third]

I'm pretty sure it's not a "mixing error." It sounds like they chose to re-set the dub dialogue to the original BGM but couldn't find the original stems. So they had to rip the voicework from the original Disney dub master and filter out the music with software, and that's about as good as you could expect from that. Seems like the kinda thing that was "an order from the higher-ups" and everyone below had to make do with what they had.

It kinda sucks, really, and they should include the original BGM version as a special feature (besides, who doesn't like Sydney Forest's OP/ED?). Or even just the Carl Macek dub which was already A) probably more faithful to the Japanese and B) set to the unaltered Japanese BGM.

But I really came here to ask a question: is there an international Blu-ray release somewhere (Taiwan, China, Japan, wherever) that used the original version of the Disney dub?

[AnamorphicWidescreen]

Recently watched the English-dubbed version of Kiki's Delivery Service for the first time. Excellent anime movie, with a solid story & fantastic animation.

I noticed that the late comedian Phil Hartman voiced Kiki's black cat Jiji - very appropriate

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by AnamorphicWidescreen

I noticed that the late comedian Phil Hartman voiced Kiki's black cat Jiji - very appropriate

Be careful about going too public with that opinion. He was "appropriate" to the rather significant alteration of the character from the Japanese original which many fans are still somewhat bitter about.