So the BBC is planning to do an adaptation of Kiki's Delivery Service and it's interesting to watch the reactions to this because apparently a lot of people haven't realised how much of Studio Ghibli's work is adapted from novels (this includes Kiki, the BBC would be adapting from the book/s rather than the Ghibli film).
Honestly, I think it sounds interesting. A live-action TV series is a totally different medium to an animated film so it's not like there's no room for adaptational differences. Also apparently there are MULTIPLE books in the original series.
As a side note, the only book I've read personally that Ghibli has adapted is The Borrowers (adapted as "Arrietty"). It's a great adaptation honestly but I'd still love to see others in the future.
Been a while since I read it or watched the film but iirc the Ghibli film is MOSTLY accurate to the first book (yes, there are others) outside of changing the setting to modern day Japan. Changes I remember- in the Ghibli film the human characters have Japanese names, heart surgery is mentioned, and a big reason the two become friends in the first place isn't really touched upon iirc.
In the original novel (new paragraph because this is a whole thing) the boy asks Arrietty to read to him because that's something he struggles with. Why? Because he was raised with multiple languages in British India. He's come to Britain to stay with family because of his health but his English reading skills are poor, so this is something they bond over.
I feel like if you keep this in but adapt it into a modern setting, because the British Empire no longer really exists you are gonna have to admit that kid would probably be an immigrant. I'd love an adaptation with that reading. Also, one that goes past the first book. So although Arrietty is genuinely one of my favourite films, and Ghibli's art style is gorgeous and really suited in that setting, I'd still love to see other adaptations in the future should they appear.
