Semiotic Analysis of the Film Kiki’s Delivery Service

This bachelor thesis deals with the semiotic analysis of the film Kiki’s Delivery Service by Studio Ghibli. The aim of the thesis is to analyse semiotic signs and their roles in formation of the film’s meanings. Not only does their analysis aid in providing a profound understanding of this animated motion picture, but it also explains how these signs affect the perception of the message conveyed through film as a medium for communicating meanings. The thesis consists of two parts. First part is focused on a theory which introduces the film, its director and Japanese animation. It then goes on to outline a theory of semiotics and its purpose in film. It also presents findings of semiotic signification by Roland Barthes, John Fiske and John Hartley. Finally, it describes the Hero’s Journey according to Christopher Vogler, which acts as a structure for the analysis. In the second practical part, a method of semiotic analysis is used to examine individual signs of the film. These indicate that the film inherently touches upon, among other things, more problematic issues that society deals with. The findings of the conducted research are then applied by induction to write an original story which uses its selected signs to represent new meanings. This story illustrates the process of creating pieces of writing that are primarily for a child audience, however, through working with semiotic signs it broadens the scope of recipients.