SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — To go out of your comfort zone and take off on a journey.
It may be a difficult decision for some to make, but not for Kiki, the 13-year-old protagonist of Studio Ghibli's "Kiki's Delivery Service."
"It seems like there's a lot of Kikis in the room," Hirokatsu Kihara said, drawing attention to both children and adults wearing big red bows dressed up as Kiki at the 2024 Comic-Con.
From 1985 to 1990, Hirokatsu Kihara was a Studio Ghibli production coordinator, taking part in some of the studio's iconic animations, including "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Kiki's Delivery Service." On Thursday, he led a panel discussion at the San Diego Convention Center, sharing a behind-the-scenes look at "Kiki's Delivery Service" for the animation's 35th anniversary.
OVERALL CONTEXT
This coming-of-age animation follows Kiki, a 13-year-old witch in training, who leaves her home and family to find work in the city, as followed by her village's tradition for all the young witches. After recognizing her passion and talent for flying, she becomes a courier at a bakery and uses her broom to deliver packages.
"Imagine you have to get kicked out of home to work...sending a 13-year-old girl off on a big journey," Kihara said. "First, we had to find a reason why she has to go on the journey."
Kihara also shared that the studio wanted to create a movie that "shows support for Kikis all around the world."
DURING THE PANEL
ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATIONS AND COLORS USED DURING PRODUCTION
Kihara teleported fans into Koriko, a fictional city inspired by Stockholm's buildings and architecture and San Francisco's up-and-down roads and cars, by unveiling original, never-seen-before cells and stills from the movie.
Despite being allowed to take photos of these exclusive cells, Kihara advised attendees to refrain from posting them online.
All brought from Japan, Kihara first showed a color chart- 500 individual colors all used to create "Kiki's Delivery Service." (This was the first time the color chart was ever shown to the public). Some of the colors, according to Kihara, were Ghibli's original colors and overlapped with those used in other Ghibli movies, including "Grave of the Fireflies" and "My Neighbor Totoro."
He proceeded to divert the attention back to Kiki and her excitement to start her new life in Koriko. Bringing up an original still of Kiki saying hi to her dad before her takeoff to the new city, Kihara confessed something that the Studio Ghibli creatives felt guilty about during the creation of "My Neighbor Totoro" that they were able to add to "Kiki's Delivery Service."
"In 'My Neighbor Totoro,' there is no scene where Satsuki is consoled by her dad," Kihara said.
For context, Satsuki is one of the protagonists of "My Neighbor Totoro." This film was created around a year earlier than "Kiki's Delivery Service."
"Kiki's face is Satsuki's face, to give Satsuki a chance," Kihara said, referring to the original still projected on a screen.
A rumble of "Awwws" echoed from the crowd as the attendees heard the bittersweet confession from the former Ghibli production coordinator.
BEHIND-THE-SCENES PRODUCTION OF "KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE" AND OTHER FILMS
"Studio Ghibli is founded on papers and pens," Kihara said, about "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Kiki's Delivery Service."
When he joined Studio Ghibli, Kihara said he was the first to join the company alongside Hayao Miyazaki, the renowned animator and founder of Ghibli itself. A room with ten desks-- that was the size of the studio and where Totoro and Kiki came to life.
"Blood, sweat and tears in every bit of it," Kihara said.
He said that Miyazaki believed the team could make great movies despite the office size, which he says was around the size of the panel room.
He also shared a time when Miyazaki, during the creation of Kiki, told Kihara to "go buy a broom." Upon bringing the broom, Miyazaki told him, "Use that [broom] and fly. From now, you will be flying from the sky. Everyone will be sketching you, so we need you to fly."
Glancing to the audience, Kihara approached a young girl dressed as Kiki with a broom and asked if he could borrow the broom from her. Kihara then re-enacted what happened next when he brought a broom to Miyazaki. Watch the YouTube Short below to watch his re-enactment:
Hirokatsu Kihara at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, recollects his conversation with Miyazaki during the making of “Kiki’s Delivery Service”https://t.co/KxdsRVUNR3 via @YouTube
— Ashley Na 🇰🇷 (@ashleyoungseo) July 26, 2024
WHAT'S NEXT?
Kihara expressed his interest in returning to Comic-Con, alluding to more exclusive content with Studio Ghibli's 40th anniversary and anniversaries of other animations, including "My Neighborhood Totoro," coming next year.
