What can you say about Miyazaki movies that hasn't already been said? How about, "they're coming out on DVD!" It's a start, at least.

Since probably everyone knows the heartwarming story of "the little witch that could," we'll just jump in and have a look at the DVD itself. It comes presented in a two-disc package. The first disc is the feature, presented in a nice surround stereo mix. It's also been remastered and given a nice anamorphic encode, which means that those of you with widescreen TVs are in for a real treat. As a friend of mine said, "This is the best I've ever seen Kiki look." Colors are lush and lifelike, and the animation just seems to unfurl across the screen as the story is told.

Particularly nice for non-Japanese speakers is the fact that it has both an English audio track and English subtitles. The subtitles may not be quite up to par for anime fans, as the timing is not as precise as people have become used to with anime releases, but the fact that they are there at all is a real bonus. These subtitles are taken from the English version of the script, though, so there are some scenes in which dialog was added in the English version where none exists in the original. Thus, it's a little strange when subtitles pop up in places where no one is speaking.

The second disc is the "extra features." And the first thing you find is another version of the movie. What's this? Well, it is a complete storyboard-to-film comparison. Change from the film to the storyboards (and vice versa) by pushing the "angle" button on your DVD remote. The advantage to doing the storyboards this way is that the storyboards, which are very nicely drawn and full of details, get presented in the best possible quality. The downside is that it's a little inconvenient to switch back and forth between the two. But, if you're a fan of storyboards, that's not much of a problem. The reason that they had to do this on a separate disc is, of course, because the storyboards which are done as a alternate angle video stream, really eat up a lot of space on the disc.

Also included on this second disc are the trailer and a couple of other extras, including a five minute promotional clip for SPIRITED AWAY, which is five minutes of animation from the film and provides a good look into the story and the breathtaking art everyone has come to expect from Ghibli. Also included is a 2 1/2 minute short which is sort of a music video showcasing "Ursula's art," that is, the murals and paintings that were painted by Ursula in the TV series.

This version of KIKI's DELIVERY SERVICE really sets the tone for what we should expect from other Miayzaki films released on DVD. And, luckily, the high standards set by this film seem to have been maintained. It's nice to see these films released in a version that is so friendly to anime fans of all countries. That is, as long as you can play Region 2 DVDs. A great presentation of a great film.