Informal Review of "Howl's Moving Castle"

                Studio Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle, directed by Hayao Miyazaki and based on the novel by Wynne Jones, is by far one of my favorite films that the company has produced thus far. When mild-mannered Sophie is turned into an old woman by The Witch of the Waste, she sets out to find a way to break the curse. However, seeking help proves to be difficult as the curse prevents her from telling anyone about it. After leaving home and meeting Turnip Head, so named because he is a scarecrow whose head is made from a turnip, he leads her to the infamous moving castle that belongs to the equally as infamous wizard, Howl. Here Sophie meets not only Howl, but a fire demon, named Calcifer, and Markl, Howl’s apprentice. Now, Sophie must not only break her own curse but Howl’s as well, all while avoiding partaking in a war between two kingdoms over a missing prince. Howl’s Moving Castle showcases what Studio Ghibli does best (aside from storytelling, which I will not address as this was not one of their original stories): compose amazing musical scores and produce amazingly detailed animation.

                The musical score of Howl’s Moving Castle is by far my favorite out of all the Studio Ghibli films I have seen, and I actually own the film’s main theme, “The Merry-go-round of Life.” Every scene is accompanied by a song that perfectly suits the mood of the scene. These moods range from comical, to sad, to intense, and anything in-between. Even the ending them, “Sekai No Yakusoku” helps the film to close on the perfect note.

                Perhaps the most fantastic element of any Studio Ghibli film is the amount of the detail added to the animation, and Howl’s Moving Castle is no exception. First, we have the film’s backgrounds. Normally, backgrounds have just enough detail that you can tell what they are meant to represent. In Howl’s Moving Castle, however, there are quite a few backgrounds that encompass an impressive amount of detail. For instance, during the dream sequence in which Sophie wanders through a series of tunnels to find a transformed and suffering Howl, various toys and trinkets can be seen sticking out of the walls (many of which were seen in Howl’s room, yet another incredibly detailed background). Not only that, but we see the light of Sophie’s candle reflect not only off of the walls as she moves, but also off of every single item in said walls. This brings me to the detail of the animation itself. For example, while Sophie is cleaning we see her attack various areas of the castle with a broom. Whenever she pulls the broom back, various pieces of junk can be seen moving around. During these sequences we also get close ups of various bugs creeping along as trash and dirt tumble around them. These little details make not only the world of Howl’s Moving Castle feel alive, but also those of every world Ghibli chooses to bring to life.

                Perhaps I’m biased because I love both Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki, but I really can find very few flaws in this film. The one flaw I may point out is one I have noticed in other adaptations the company has done, which is that they often don’t give enough exposition for the audience to truly understand the story being presented. I understand a fair amount of the story after watching the film so many times, despite not having read the book myself. However, I can see how others would be confused by this film or even find it a little too bizarre due to its strange story and sometimes odd visuals. Regardless, I will always love this film and others made by Studio Ghibli for their ability to bring various stories and worlds to life through the use of music and animation.