Howl’s Moving Castle

Other title: Hauru no ugoku shiro
Producer: Hayao Miyazaki
Official website:  http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/castle/
Genre: Magic, Fantasy, Mystery
Length: ~ 2:30 hours, feels like to short when you watches it
We didn’t even had a break in the movies, well I’m happy I didn’t need to go ..

What’s all about?
How’s moving castle is a great anime about a women named Sophie. She lives in a quiet neigbourhood as an hatter. It’s a fine job though she does it only since it’s her mothers store. The movie starts when Howl comes to this city, he meets Sophie in an alley where two stubborn soldiers is making fun of her. Howl helps her out but he has been followed by creatures from the witch of the waste. The witch is a mighty person and feared by everyone, despite she’s a nightmare for everyone it seems she has a crush on Howl.

When the witch enters Sophie’s store after curfew she’s is nicely informed by that the store is closed. Though the witch is not willing and a bit surprised she dares to face her. Sophie even get’s mad and points her the way out.
The with looks like she holds her tempered but then she suddenly curses poor Sophie. The spell will make Sophie as old as she thinks she is, instantly a 90 year old women. She’s a granny now! What now? She can’t stay home, no one can see her like this. So she left the town to live on her own and finds Howl.

Howl self is a deserted and fleeing magician. As Howl says, he’s more a coward than a great mage (still he is), strugling to survive without a real purpose. Lucky for Sophie he’s very friendly and she may stay as a housekeeper.

In meantime a war between two nations is exploding and the queen mobilises every magician there is. Howl doesn’t want to fight, especially for the queen who knows Howl’s contract with a demon. Is Howl able to flee? What happens to the demon? Will Sophie finds out the true behind Howl’s face?

A great movie I praises it with a 10 out of 10. From the same creators as Spirited Away which also was a great movie. Still you should love the Mysterious Magic and Fantasy.

When does it starts
The real movie starts after 10 minutes and that’s really fast for what I see in movies. You meet the secundaire main character (Howl) in the 5th minute.

Howl’s castle just moved in front of Sofie’s town as the movie appears. You see Sofie as an hatter while her mother and sister rumors about Howl Castle in the neighbourhood. She closes the store and after she went to her girlfriend she comes back to the store where it all starts.
Graphics & Animation
The animations wonderfull. The faces looks like those in Spirited Away, definetly the same creators even if you hadn’t read the producer’s name, you can guess. The animation is way better than any average anime and Spirited Away. It’s not only smooth but there are so much. There is animation in clothes, closing eyes, fire, smoke and flags that flaps and plays in the wind. Sand and stones shakes realistic when a train drives by. There are a lot of people and the creators doesn’t thought of, way to much animation other scené. It looks like they put anything into they wanted todo.

So much details
The stones at the front are detailed and you can even see the wood textures in the doors and wardrobe. You see the roofpans and mud on the railing. Humans self are great drawn and as a lot more details then an normal anime. Sofie’s looks real old “when she’s a granny” and young when she’s feeling herself strong and filling of hope.

There are a lot of characters in the movie and they are all well drawn and motivated. There is no person in the movie which really there to fill up screen. Every character do something.

Music
The music is a quiet background sound. The melody is mostly not excitment and plays high tones. Howl’s theme, the start theme, is a theme to remember. Once heared and you never get rid of it. It’s the typical music which is Howl’s Moving Castle. How strange it is, the music is really meant for the movie.

What say other people about it?
After looking around it seems that this movie is probarly Miyazaki’s most intriguing movie as most of the people say so. As I thought the surrealism art of landscapes and decors stunned most of people and pinned them down the seats. As you should know, the anime is based on the novel. I haven’t read the novel, but it seems Miyazaki did a good job and only made a small adaption for the movie. You might not believe it, but it seems no novel reader worries about the lack of … in this movie which is uncommen for a translated movie out of a novel.

* People write Sofi or Sophi, still the official name for our hatter is Sophie. As the official site calls her that way.