Second book about Kiki the young witch released in English
Kiki and the New Magic, a book by Japanese writer Eiko Kadono, has been released in English. It is the second part of the series about Kiki, a young witch. It is a sequel to Kiki’s Delivery Service, which was also adapted by Studio Ghibli. Delacorte Press published the book on August 26.
As The Japan Times reports, the English translation was done by Emily Balistrieri, who also translated the first book in the series. The original illustrations for the English-language edition were created by Yuta Onoda. The book has 288 pages.
Second year in Koriko
The short episodic chapters cover approximately a year in the lives of Kiki and her black cat Jiji in the small town of Koriko. The heroine has already earned her place in the community, but in her second year of independent life she faces the collective and sometimes conflicting expectations of residents regarding the local witch.
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Tombo, a boy from Koriko who wants to fly, returns in the book. Among Kiki’s new adventures are helping a depressed baby hippopotamus and trying to bring together a lonely man who can hear the different songs of trees. At the same time, her magical abilities are threatened by self-doubt.
Themes of responsibility and memory
One chapter is dedicated to an elderly woman who asks Kiki to help her cope with guilt over a long-ago act involving her sister. The Japan Times review notes that this plot raises themes of dementia and regret over the past. For Kiki, this story also becomes an occasion to reflect on what makes her delivery service special.
The Kiki series consists of nine books, the last of which was published in 2022. In later stories, Kiki becomes a mother and raises her own witch children. A BBC Studios television series based on the books has also been announced.
