This is the original soundtrack to the movie Majo no Takkubin (Kiki's Delivery Service).

This movie is set in an alternate Europe around the 1950's where World War II didn't take place. The scenery, as Miyazaki put it, is "a mishmash of various locales, like Napoli, Lisbon, Stockholm, Paris, and even San Francisco. Therefore, one side is like the shores of the Mediterranean sea, but another side seems to border on the Baltic sea." The mood of the movie is mostly lighthearted and energetic. The soundtrack excellently reflects the mood and setting.

The music to the soundtrack is described as airy, light, and very appropriate. It is very laid-back and calm. Several of the pieces sounded a bit like Bach and his works from the Well Tempered Clavier. The symphony was never harsh or too acute, so the CD is very cohesive and flowing. The style was a mix of mostly Italian and other smaller European styles. I found the use of the accordion a very nice touch in many of the pieces. Strong supporting strings, piano, reeds, and guitar with good percussion made this CD very fun and easy to listen to.

On a Clear Day is a calm intro, and A Town With an Ocean View has a nice mood change in the middle of the piece. Flying Delivery Service is the main theme to the movie, and also one of my favorite tracks. Jeff is a very appropriate theme describing the tired old dog that lends Kiki help in the movie. Heartbroken Kiki is pretty much the only sad theme on the CD, and it works well as a contrast. A Mysterious Painting describes its title well being a very dreamy track. The final three tracks build the tension and transition very well. The CD is pretty short at 41:44, but the music is good enough to compensate for this. As usual with movie soundtracks, I recommend you see the movie before you listen to the soundtrack (No, you're not too "manly" for this movie).

This CD can be ordered relatively easily off of Anime Nation for $30.

Note: The English opening and closing songs (made for Disney's dubbed version) were written by Sydney Forest. These two songs can be found on her CD "Collected Film and Television Works" that can be ordered off of her website (editor's note: it appears that the site no longer exists). The Japanese opening and closing songs are included as bonus tracks at the end of the CD. They are by Yumi Arai.