If you have never seen Hayao Miyazaki’s Howl’s Moving Castle, I must sincerely ask you what you are doing with your life. Do you hate love, fun, and wizards? Why have you chosen to punish yourself like this? Luckily, you have a chance to rectify this situation: for its 20th anniversary, Howl’s Moving Castle is in theaters nationwide starting September 26!
In celebration, I’ve rewatched the film to see if it still holds up after all this time (it does), and break down what makes it so good. Keep reading if you want to see me wax poetic about one of the best films I’ve ever seen.
What makes Howl’s Moving Castle so good
Like most Studio Ghibli films, Howl’s Moving Castle has made a name for itself as a classic. People watch this movie over and over. Twenty years after its premiere, I can still open TikTok and be greeted with cosplay videos of Howl or violin covers of the score. It’s a film that sticks with you, but why?
Based on Diana Wynne Jones’ book of the same name, Howl’s Moving Castle is the tale of a young hatter named Sophie who gets cursed by a witch to be an old lady. Set against the backdrop of war, the story follows Sophie as she embraces her newfound elderliness and becomes a live-in maid for the much-feared wizard Howl and his apprentice in their baba-yaga-esque moving house. That’s the gist, but it’s challenging to state exactly what happens in this film. I still can’t neatly summarize the plot, even after my 30th rewatch. Like most Studio Ghibli movies, it’s more of a meditation on a theme than an action-packed story, and it’s better for it.
This film has everything: witches, hair dye, terrible goop men, magical fire spirits, the destruction of warfare, cleaning sequences, the voice of Christian Bale, found family, true love, a bouncing pole with the head of a turnip, and a small creature that’s probably a dog, but you’ll never be sure. All of this is woven together to portray a journey of learning to truly love yourself through loving the people around you.
The eclectic nature of the plot and visuals is part of what makes this story so compelling. The story feels lived in, as cluttered with ideas and magic as Howl’s filthy castle is. Every detail feels like a hint at a fully fleshed-out world, regardless of whether or not we see everything. Everything drips with artistic intent. It is clearly a movie made with incredible care.
The way the world and characters of Howl’s Moving Castle are animated can only be described as loving. Lush backgrounds surround charming characters, each carefully animated with their own body language and quirks. From Sophie’s hunched old lady walk to Howl’s theatrical diva struts, everyone’s movements feel distinct and real. The best thing about Hayao Miyazaki films is the quiet moments, the small movements that make even the most fantastical stories feel grounded in reality.
Also, everything is so pretty it makes me want to print out the whole movie frame by frame, and then eat the paper. It’s a two-hour journey of eye candy, what more could you ask for?
On love and beauty in this Studio Ghibli film
The character writing of Howl is on par with the visuals. From the adorable Markl to the sarcastic fire demon Calcifer, even to the Witch of the Waste that curses Sophie, everyone is fleshed out and captivating. The film lets you grow to love each character, even the most difficult ones, as they all learn to love each other.
Then, of course, there are our iconic protagonists. I adore Sophie. I’ve been Sophie, we all have. The struggle of life is learning to love the one person you’ll always be stuck with: yourself. Sophie has to learn to let herself be who she is, unafraid of judgment. It’s a story that might ring true for many women or anyone who has struggled with being confined to people’s perceptions of their body. Only when she’s plopped into the form of an old woman can she see herself outside of her physical insecurities. She has to be freed of conceptions of her body, both by herself and others, so that she can see and be seen for her soul.
Howl Pendragon is a fun spin on the same exploration. The man is just so darn pretty, and he knows it. He loves to be beautiful, he loves beautiful people, and he loves beautiful things (the amount of Etsy accounts dedicated to recreating his jackets and earrings speak for themselves). He eats the hearts of fetching young women, without worrying too much about their contents. He too is trapped in surface-level conceptions.
This is epitomized by the funniest moment of the movie, where Howl accidentally goes from blonde to brunette, responds by summoning evil spirits, and says, “I don’t see the point of living if I can’t be beautiful.” Sophie then rightfully blows up at him, both because she doesn’t think she’s ever been seen as beautiful, and also because he’s getting nasty magical depression goo all over the floors she just cleaned.
Like Sophie, Howl must learn to see himself and others beyond the veneer of appearances. Through loving each other, they both to find conclusions to their arcs. Howl and Sophie see each other for who they are, inside and out, and they find each other beautiful. Whether they take an old or young form, monstrous or human, even throughout time, they always find each other and do their best to help one another. They learn to be brave for each other. It’s just plain beautiful, okay? It’s touching, and I love it, and so should you.
All the best love stories are also about learning to love yourself, argue with the wall.
The beautiful music of Howl’s Moving Castle
You’ve heard of getting offline and touching grass, but let me one-up you. Sometimes, it’s necessary to log out of social media and listen to a Studio Ghibli soundtrack or two until you calm down. Such is life.
Ghibli scores are well-known and loved. There are even 5-hour long YouTube videos dedicated to playing lo-fi versions of the songs with the specific purpose of helping people relax. The music is known for the emotional response it tends to eke out of people. Out of all Ghibli theme songs, “Merry Go Round of Life” composed by Joe Hisaishi might be the most iconic, with “My Neighbor Totoro” as a strong contender.
Confession: when I was a kid, I used to play “Merry-Go-Round of Life” alone in my room in the middle of the night and spin in circles until I fell over. It made me feel something I couldn’t express in anything other than joyful movement. To be honest, it still does. “Merry-Go-Round” is one of the most emotionally evocative film scores that I’ve ever heard. The sweeps of the score are a perfect mirror to the meandering tale. This is a story of life, of all of its ups and downs. It’s a journey to nowhere for the sake of the journey.
On its own, it’s a gorgeous piece of music. Paired with the film, it’s an emotional roller coaster. It marks Sophie’s journey as she goes through the mundanity of life, of falling in love, and of learning to be brave in the face of war and terror. It’s an ode to the small moments of the film that she spends cleaning as much as it is to the epic romance or action-packed scenes.
This is what makes Howl’s Moving Castle such a good movie. You don’t just watch it and enjoy the film. You watch it and remember to enjoy life. Or at the very least, I do, and I hope you do as well. All the best art lingers with you, and this film has lingered with me for almost as long as the two decades it’s been out. Rare are films as unique and emotionally memorable as this one. If you have never seen it before, I could not recommend it enough.
Where and when to watch Howl’s Moving Castle
Howl’s Moving Castle has been available for many years on streaming or DVD, but if you’d like to check it out in theaters, it will be showing around the nation starting September 26th. Check your local listings or GKids.com for more information.
Are you going to watch this amazing anime film in theaters soon? Let us know your thoughts on social media @mycosmiccircus!
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