Kiki's Delivery Service Playing Card — Jack of Clubs, Animage Licensed, 1989
A Single Card from a Landmark Year in Japanese Animation
This item is the Jack of Clubs from a playing card deck produced under the Animage license in 1989 — the same year Kiki’s Delivery Service opened in Japanese cinemas. The card is standard poker-sized with rounded corners and a white background. At its center sits an oval illustration of Kiki astride her broomstick, flying through a night sky — the most iconic image associated with the film. The suit symbol and “J” appear at each corner in black print. As listed, this is a single card rather than a complete deck, whether it originates from a factory-fresh set or entered the collector market individually is not confirmed.
Animage is a monthly anime magazine launched in 1978 by Tokuma Shoten, the publishing house that maintained a close capital and editorial relationship with Studio Ghibli throughout the late 1980s and into the 2000s. Goods issued under the Animage name during this period are considered official licensed merchandise. The exact retail channel for this deck — whether sold separately, distributed as a magazine supplement, or offered through a direct-sales campaign — has not been confirmed, nor has the identity of the card manufacturer.
Kiki’s Delivery Service and the Character on the Card
Kiki’s Delivery Service was directed by Hayao Miyazaki and is based on Eiko Kadono’s 1985 novel. It was released in Japan on July 29, 1989, and went on to become the highest-grossing film by Miyazaki at that point in his career, earning approximately 2.15 billion yen domestically. The film arrived on the heels of My Neighbor Totoro and Grave of the Fireflies (both 1988) and played a significant role in establishing Studio Ghibli’s reputation internationally. In North America, a Disney-produced English dub was released direct-to-video in 1997, and the film is now widely available on streaming platforms worldwide.
The character depicted on the card is Kiki, the film’s thirteen-year-old protagonist. A witch-in-training, she leaves home alone to complete a year of independent practice in a seaside city called Koriko, where she supports herself by running a broomstick delivery service. Her signature look — dark dress, red hair ribbon, and broomstick — has made her one of the most recognized figures in anime. The nighttime flying pose on this card mirrors the promotional imagery used most widely to represent the film.
Anime Playing Cards as a Product Category
Anime-character playing card sets were a common form of licensed merchandise in Japan throughout the 1980s and 1990s. A standard set featured 54 cards, each illustrated with a different character or scene, while remaining fully functional as a playing card deck. These sets were sold through toy shops, bookstores, and anime specialty retailers. Animage and Tokuma Shoten were particularly active in producing goods tied to Ghibli film releases, often coordinating merchandise launches with major editorial features in the magazine. Because this distribution was oriented almost entirely toward the Japanese domestic market, these items circulated abroad in limited numbers. More than 35 years have passed since this card was manufactured.
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