This is a little story that involves a witch. The final book in the series known as “Kiki’s Delivery Service” has been published.

“I was sad when I wrote ‘The End.’ But the end is a beginning. Each reader will probably continue the tale,” Kadono says.

In the first book, Kiki is a 13-year-old witch who goes on a journey by herself. In the final book she is the mother of two 13-year-old twins, worrying about her children as they prepare to depart on their own journey. Many readers say they are disappointed to see an end to the series. The 74-year-old writer says she wanted to finish the series while she could.

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In the books, Kiki faces various difficulties — relationship problems, failure at her job — and faces them not with magic but with a true heart.

“She’s just got one magical power (flying on a broomstick), so she can’t solve her problems easily, which made it fun to write. Everybody’s got one magical power,” the author says.

In the gloaming of the 1990s a birthday gift from a friend, and co-worker, fell into our greedy hands. Kiki’s Delivery Service directed by Hayao Miyazaki, it read. The movie accepted with a raised eyebrow and conflicting emotions, we wondered if our friend had quietly gone insane. The concern was misplaced. After sitting on the shelf for more weeks than we care to admit, we watched the film and fell in love with Kiki and the directing talents of Miyazaki. We never doubted that friend’s taste in movies again…except for that one movie.

We never crossed paths with the manga. The strength of the movie was enough to stir bittersweet feelings about the manga’s ending. It’s as if a little bit of magic is leaving the world.

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