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Live-Action Kiki's Delivery Service Film's 1st Full Trailer Posted

Mainichi Shimbun's Mantan Web began streaming the first full trailer on Monday for the live-action film of Eiko Kadono's fantasy novel series Kiki's Delivery Service (Majo no Takkyūbin). The trailer previews Mai Kuraki's theme song "Wake Me Up."

Fūka Koshiba (Iki mo Dekinai Natsu) plays the title witch girl Kiki in the film. 16-year-old actor Ryōhei Hirota performs the critical role of Kiki's friend Tombo. Co-starring with Koshiba and Hirota is Machiko Ono (Suzaku, Like Father, Like Son) as Osono, the owner of the bakery where Kiki works. Hiroshi Yamamoto plays Osono's baker husband Fukuo, and Miho Kanazawa plays a woman named Saki who visits the bakery. Rie Miyazawa (Oceans, Hana, Peony Pavilion) plays Kiki's mother Kokiri, and Michitaka Tsutsui (Reunion, Ballad: Namonaki Koi no Uta, Shikoku) plays Kiki's father Okino. Additionally, Tadanobu Asano (Ichi the Killer, Lupin III) will play veterinarian Dr. Ishi.

Satoko Okudera (Summer Wars, Wolf Children, The Princess and the Pilot) is writing the script for the film.

Filming began on May 23 in a Tokyo studio, and it wrapped up in July. The film will open in Japan on March 1, 2014.

The six novel volumes of Majo no Takkyūbin follow the coming of age of Kiki with her black cat Jiji. They have sold 1.8 million copies and have been translated into eight languages, including English, Italian, Chinese, Swedish, and Korean. Hayao Miyazaki directed Studio Ghibli's famous anime film version, which adapted the first novel volume.

Annick Press published the first novel with an English translation by Lynne E. Riggs in 2003. That same year, Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Disney released Studio Ghibli's film on DVD in North America.