First Full Trailer for Live-Action 'Kiki's Delivery Service'

When it was revealed that a live-action version of Kiki's Delivery Service was in the works that would have nothing to do with Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki's 1989 film, there was understandable worry about how it would turn out. But over the course of the last few months of images and teasers, it does seem that director Takashi Shimizu has captured the fun-loving and high-flying spirit of the novels and Miyazaki's animated gem.

The first full trailer for Kiki's Delivery Service has been released, and while it doesn't have a lot of flash, the simple design and effects clearly draw inspiration from Miyazaki's clean animation style. Newcomer Fuka Koshiba stars as the titular witch who at the age of 13 strikes out on her own to live in the big city, using her broom-flying skills to start a delivery business and meet people. Unlike Miyazaki's film this one is combining the first two novels in Eiko Kadono's six-book series, and if it does well we can probably expect to see a sequel that merges the next two books.

The trailer is in Japanese but those who know the story won't need the dialogue anyway. Kiki's Delivery Service opens in Japan on March 1st 2014.