After 33 years of waiting, the world of Kiki – Home deliveries finally begins to expand again. The publishing house Delacorte Press has announced the publication in English of Kiki and the New Magicthe official sequel to the original novel by Eiko Kadono, first published in Japan in 1993 but never translated until today. The international release is set for August 25, 2026, marking a historic moment for fans of the saga.
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Adult Kiki: between success and new uncertainties
The story restarts a year after the initial events that had told the growth of the young witch Kiki, also protagonist of the film adaptation of Kiki – Home deliveries directed by Hayao Miyazaki. In the new chapter, Kiki is no longer the inexperienced teenager who leaves home to learn to live on her own, but a now recognized and appreciated figure in the community thanks to her flying delivery service.
Success, however, does not make life easier: the protagonist finds herself having to deal with growing responsibilities, doubts about her future and a central question that runs through the entire narrative: what direction to give to her identity?
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A new magic between growth and introspection
According to the official synopsis, the novel maintains the founding themes of the series: friendship, courage and personal training, but also introduces a new magical dimension that is even more complex and symbolic. Kiki will have to learn to understand a different type of magic, less immediate and more linked to self-awareness.
The book, illustrated by Yuta Onoda and translated by Emily Balistrieri, will be published in different formats: paperback, ebook and audiobook. The publisher aims to maintain the delicacy of the original tale, while adapting it to a global audience that has continued to grow with the imagery of Studio Ghibli.
The return of an icon of world animation
The enduring success of the 1989 film transformed Kiki into one of Japanese animation’s most beloved heroines. His story, simple only in appearance, has won over generations thanks to its ability to tell the story of growth, loneliness and the search for one’s place in the world with emotional realism.
At a time when Studio Ghibli continues to renew its legacy with new projects and re-releases, the arrival of this sequel represents not only an editorial operation, but also a symbolic return to one of the most iconic figures of its narrative universe. With Kiki’s return, a central question remains: will the new novel manage to preserve that delicate and universal magic that made the original story immortal? After more than three decades, readers are about to find out.
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