Howl's Moving Castle

Rating: 5+/5

Many years ago, I was introduced the magical films of Hayao Miyazaki, and the first movie I fell in love with was Howl's Moving Castle.

In a world where magic is real as the war that plagues the cities, a young woman named Sophie accidentally finds herself as the target of the feared Witch of the Waste. Thinking that she is working with a sorcerer named Howl, the Witch of the Waste puts a curse on Sophie, turning her into an old woman. Knowing that she cannot stay home anymore, Sophie leaves and travels towards the mountains. Not used to her elderly body, Sophie quickly tires on her journey. Desperate for warmth and shelter, she spots the moving castle of the infamous wizard Howl and jumps inside.

With nowhere else to go, Sophie movies into the castle to become Howl's cleaning lady, but discovers that Howl is nothing like she expected. Instead of being dangerous and cruel, he is mysterious and kind. Though her face may be old, her heart is young, and Sophie begins to fall in love with Howl and his magical life within the castle.

When someone first recommended this movie to me about ten years ago, I had never seen an anime film and in all honesty, I was a bit reluctant to it. From the clips and shows that I had seen, anime appeared to me as fast-paced, loud, and overwhelming. How wrong I was to assume that the work of Hayao Miyazaki would fit that description. Like his many other films, Howl's Moving Castle is soft and beautiful. The colors, music, and enchanting story opened my eyes to a whole new world of cinema.

For animated films, the voices are just as important as the illustrations. You can have a wonderfully drawn world, but it is the voices behind the characters that bring the artwork to life. Howl's Moving Castle is cast with some of the most recognizable and memorable voices available. Not only does it contain the instantly humorous voice of Billy Crystal, but it also possesses the seductive vocals of Lauren Bacall and Christian Bale. It is their contributions to the story, that helps to make Howl's Moving Castle the magnificent and sensational film that it is.

It is thanks to Howl's Moving Castle that my view of anime changed. Since watching this, I have recommended it to numerous people who had felt the same way I once did about the genre, and they too fell in love with the wonder and enchantment of the worlds created by Hayao Myazaki.