For more than four decades, Kadono Eiko-sensei’s story of a young witch finding her place in the world has enchanted readers across the globe.
First released in 1985, the series chronicles the adventures of the titular Kiki, a young witch tasked with a long-standing tradition: leaving home to find her own path in an unfamiliar place. Along the way, she must continue developing her magical abilities while building a life entirely of her own making.
While most of us may not possess magical powers, Kiki’s heart, experiences, and challenges remain deeply relatable. The fear of leaving behind everything familiar. The uncertainty of starting over. The struggle to understand both the world around you and the person you wish to become.
Those feelings are universal.
It is one of the many reasons Kiki’s story has endured for generations. Its charm, heart, and emotional honesty ultimately led to its adaptation by Studio Ghibli, creating a beloved animated film that many parents continue to share with their children during times of transition, change, and growth. It is also why millions of copies of Kadono’s books have found homes with readers both in Japan and around the world.
While readers in Japan have long been able to follow Kiki throughout her complete six-book journey, English-speaking audiences are now preparing for the release of the second installment in the series, which arrives at American booksellers this August.
But it isn’t just Kiki—or her books—flying into everyone’s lives on her broomstick.
Something even bigger is on the horizon.
In a highly unexpected and unprecedented move, it has now been announced that an all-new adaptation of Kiki’s Delivery Service is taking shape. This time, however, it is not a Japanese production alone. Instead, the project will be brought to life through an international collaboration with the United Kingdom.
BBC Studios Kids & Family has entered a three-way partnership with UK production company Wheels in Motion and Kadokawa Corporation, the primary rights holder for the franchise, to create a new live-action series in celebration of the story’s forthcoming 40th anniversary.
As the project has only recently been announced, many details remain under wraps. However, early information suggests the 10-episode series will remain faithful to the spirit of the original story, focusing on Kiki’s departure from home and her efforts to establish herself in the seaside town of Koriko.
Currently, writer Irena Brignull, known for her work on The Boxtrolls and Netflix’s The Little Prince, has been attached to pen the series. Beyond Brignull’s involvement, reports indicate that Kadono-sensei herself will continue to play an active role in the project’s development. At the time of writing, no additional casting or creative team announcements have been made.
Though Kiki is dearly loved by audiences worldwide, this announcement is nothing short of unexpected.
Yet as the foundation for this new adaptation begins to take shape, perhaps the question is no longer why this is happening.
Instead, perhaps the real question is why it took so long.
While Kiki’s world is deeply rooted in Japanese culture and storytelling, the heart of her journey is universal. It is a story that can resonate just as strongly with a child in the United Kingdom, the middle of America, or anywhere else in the world.
What does it take to find your place in the world?
How do you create a home for yourself when you are far away from everything familiar?
Why is making friends so difficult when you feel different from everyone else?
What kind of person do you want to become, and what impact do you hope to leave behind?
Everyone asks these questions.
Everyone struggles to find the answers.
While Kiki’s Delivery Service may be a story filled with magic, it is ultimately a story about heart, perseverance, and self-discovery. Those themes remain just as powerful today as they were forty years ago.
That is why Kiki continues to endure.
And it is why we cannot wait to see her story reach an entirely new generation of viewers.