Kiki’s Delivery Service has always held a soft spot in my heart. This past winter though, I found myself rewatching Kiki’s more than I ever have before, with From Up On Poppy Hill and Whisper of the Heart as close seconds. While this may be related to my brother sharing his HBO account with me, I think it also has to do with how comforting I find the movie. In a Psychology Today article, Jennifer Fayard (2021) discusses why people gravitate towards rewatching something familiar. She writes, “There is also some evidence that when we are stressed and overloaded, watching TV can be restorative. Specifically, research indicates that watching familiar TV shows has been shown to restore our feelings of self-control after a period of exertion, and also that we tend to prefer familiar shows when we feel depleted.” Feeling depleted really hits home for me after both the long winter we’ve just gotten through and the pandemic years we’ve been facing. Rewatching Kiki’s Delivery Service has brought me immeasurable comfort over the past couple months as I sink into the familiar, cozy world of Kiki and her adventures in her seaside city. Comfort from familiarity can also be applied to rereading books, something this Rioter writes about too. After all of my rewatching, I’ve come to realize Kiki’s Delivery Service is one of my favorite movies. There’s so much to be said for it, from the coming-of-age themes, slice of life, found family, sweet setting, relatable feelings of self-doubt and introspection, and first love, all interwoven with magic. Oh, and let’s not forget all of the plentiful baked goods. If you’re like me, and craving the comforting charm of Kiki’s, you may find a new favorite read with these books like Kiki’s Delivery Service below.
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