is howl's moving castle an anime

by Mr. Emanuel Harber 7 min read
image

This section is in a table format that may be better if supplemented with prose.
YearAwardRecipient
2005Tokyo Anime AwardHowl's Moving Castle
Hayao Miyazaki
Chieko Baisho
Joe Hisaishi
8 more rows

Is Howl's Moving Castle a movie?

Howl's Moving Castle (ハウルの動く城, Howl no Ugoku Shiro) is an animated fantasy film based off of the 1986 novel of the same name. It was directed by Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli .

Is Howl's Moving Castle Hayao Miyazaki's adaptation?

"Animating the Fantastic: Hayao Miyazaki's Adaptation of Diana Wynne Jones's Howl's Moving Castle". In Straytner, Leslie; Keller, James R. (eds.). Fantasy Fiction into Film. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. Lioi, Anthony (2010).

What makes Ghibli's Howl's Moving Castle special?

What Ghibli have done with Howl's Moving Castle is taken half of the things that made the novel such a treasure to read and thrown them at a Beauty and the Beast screenplay. This film really epitomises why people call Miyazaki the 'Japanese Walt Disney', and you'll understand that if you've ever read the original little mermaid story.

See more

image

Is Studio Ghibli a anime?

Japanese pop culture like Japanese animation (anime) has been getting more popular in the world, and one of the most famous and top-rated anime is Studio Ghibli's movies. Studio Ghibli, a Japanese animation film studio founded in 1985 is led by the renown anime director Hayao Miyazaki.

What anime is similar to Howl's moving castle?

Among the best anime like Howl's Moving Castle are other Studio Ghibli masterpieces like Castle in the Sky, Spirited Away, and The Secret World of Arrietty.

Can a 12 year old watch Howl's moving castle?

In addition to the violent and disturbing scenes mentioned above, Howl's Moving Castle has some scenes that could scare or disturb children aged 8-13 years. For example: Some children in this age group, particularly those aged under 11 years, might still find many of the scenes mentioned above a little scary.

Is there a Howl's Moving Castle 2?

Castle in the Air is a young adult fantasy novel written by Diana Wynne Jones and first published in 1990. The novel is a sequel to Howl's Moving Castle and is set in the same fantasy world, though it follows the adventures of Abdullah rather than Sophie Hatter. The plot is based on stories from the Arabian Nights.

How old is Howl from Howl's Moving Castle movie?

27Wizard Howl He is 27 (he states that he will soon be 10,000 days old, which is part of the Witch's curse) and known for being "wicked".

Is Studio Ghibli OK for kids?

They're the perfect thing to watch with your kids – they'll love them, and you won't feel like your brain is turning into a delicately-kneaded mush by watching them. While all the films are kid-appropriate, delightful animated romps, some are definitely more appropriate for some ages than others.

Is Howls Moving Castle PG 13?

Howl's Moving Castle has a 'U' rating and therefore should be suitable for all ages.

Is Studio Ghibli good for kids?

It's a flick that's great for all ages and at any age. It captures the magic of childhood and the bonds of family in a simple tale that will dazzle your whole family. But be warned, once you watch one Studio Ghibli movie, you may want to binge them all.

What is the Howl's Moving Castle based on?

The film is loosely based on the 1986 novel of the same name by British author Diana Wynne Jones. The film was produced by Toshio Suzuki, animated by Studio Ghibli and distributed by Toho.

How many reviews does Howl's Moving Castle have?

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports an 87% approval rating based on 181 reviews, with an average rating of 7.47/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Exquisitely illustrated by master animator Miyazaki, Howl's Moving Castle will delight children with its fantastical story and touch the hearts and minds of older viewers as well." The film also holds an 80/100 average on Metacritic, based on 40 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Why does Howl head out?

Howl heads out to protect the group. Sophie then moves everyone out of the house and removes Calcifer from the fireplace, which collapses the castle. The Witch of the Waste realizes that Calcifer has Howl's heart and grabs the fire demon, setting herself on fire.

What is Howl's castle like?

The novel depicts Howl's castle as a tall, dark and sinister wizard's tower, very different from the complex image in the film. The film's castle may be seen as a parody of the machines seen in the movie, driven both by steam-engines and by magic. In the film, it is a "rotund collage of chimneys, roofs, steam pipes, and other odd appendages, borne along on mechanized bird legs" that is similar to Baba Yaga 's hut in the popular fairy tale. It is vaguely organic, and almost depicted as a life-form. Similarly, Calcifer is a demonic figure in the book, as compared to the "endearing" persona and image that he has in the film. Both film and novel try to render fantastic elements as mundane and ordinary things. Although they are set in a fantasy universe, the characters are often shown performing routine tasks, like cooking breakfast or washing up, in contrast to the heroic actions typical of a fantasy universe. In the novel, Jones disrupts the fantasy-world setting by including scenes in which the characters travel to the real-world Wales. The movie, however, avoids this digression, and maintains a constant setting.

Howl's Moving Castle is anti-war?

Howl's Moving Castle contains strong anti-war themes, influenced by Miyazaki's distaste for the 2003 Iraq War. When he received an Oscar for Spirited Away, he said that he "had a great deal of rage about [the war]. So [he] felt some hesitation about the award." Miyazaki identifies as a pacifist. On the eve of the Iraq War, Miyazaki decided to make a film that he felt would be poorly received in the United States. Despite the film's success in that country, literary scholar Dani Cavallaro stated that Miyazaki was able to "create a film which ought, in principle, to have caused a certain unease among American audiences." In the movie, Madame Suliman appears to have only sadistic motivations for creating conflict, and despite being omniscient, is unable to recognize the idiocy of the war until the very end of the story. This reflects Miyazaki's desire to show real-world conflicts as also being somewhat arbitrary and fueled by the desires of capricious people. Cavallaro stated that the depiction of the war carried "an unmistakable bitter taste." She also writes that the military presence and warfare was highlighted in the film. From the early concept sketches military elements were emphasized, and when the film shows the bustling commercial district the soldiers in uniforms stand out intentionally.

Howl is a bird in the castle?

Sophie learns that Howl's life is somehow bound to Calcifer's and that Howl has been transforming into a bird-like creature to interfere with both sides in the war, but each transformation makes it more difficult for him to return to human form. Howl then has the castle magically linked to Sophie's home, parking the castle itself on the town's outskirts. A few days later, the town is bombed by enemy aircraft and Suliman's henchmen attack the house and Sophie's hat shop. Howl heads out to protect the group. Sophie then moves everyone out of the house and removes Calcifer from the fireplace, which collapses the castle. The Witch of the Waste realizes that Calcifer has Howl's heart and grabs the fire demon, setting herself on fire. Sophie panics and pours water onto the Witch, which douses Calcifer. The remainder of the castle then splits in two; Sophie falls down a chasm and is separated from the group.

How much did Howl's Moving Castle sell?

Home media. On home video, Howl's Moving Castle sold 2.7 million units in Japan, and grossed about $17 million in the United States. It was released in the United States on DVD on 7 March 2006 and on Blu-ray by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on 21 May 2013. GKIDS re-released the film on Blu-ray and DVD on 17 October 2017.

Storyline

A love story between an 18-year-old girl named Sophie, cursed by a witch into an old woman's body, and a magician named Howl. Under the curse, Sophie sets out to seek her fortune, which takes her to Howl's strange moving castle. In the castle, Sophie meets Howl's fire demon, named Karishifâ.

Did you know

Upon seeing Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001), Christian Bale immediately agreed to play any role in this film. He didn't expect to get the titular role.

What is Howl's Moving Castle based on?

It is based on the 1986 novel of the same name ...

Who was the animator of Howl's Moving Castle?

In 2000, animator Mamoru Hosoda, who worked at Toei Animation at that time, decided to become a director and was invited by Studio Ghibli to adapt the novel. Howl's Moving Castle would have been Hosoda's debut as a director, and he was given Miyazaki's blessing, as the elder director had grown to love the young talent's work. A production team was formed, which included screenwriter Reiko Yoshida and animation director Katsuya Kondō.

What is the star in the movie Howl?

According to French fansite Buta Connection, "throughout the film, Miyazaki also leaves a common thread: the star. They appears early on in the film, when Sophie arrives in the castle. She gives Howl a small piece of paper which turns out to be a curse. We realize that it is a shooting star. Later, Suliman will attempt to trap Howl by casting a spell on him, which takes the form of a round of shooting stars encircling the wizard and Sophie. Then, our heroine will discover the key to this riddle: Calcifer was a demon in the form of a shooting star, with whom Howl will make a pact. This discovery will forever mark Sophie, whose hair will remain gray, like the color of the star, as if the discovery of the enigma were to mark her forever."

What was the name of the movie that Miyazaki originally wanted to call?

Miyazaki original wanted to call the film "Howl's Ugoku Castle", but this was "forcibly" rejected by producer Toshio Suzuki.

What color is the castle doorway?

The castle's main doorway and its magical rotary switch. There is a rotary switch connected to the main doorway, with four colors (green, blue, red, black). Using the switch and entering the doorway will transport you to either the wastelands (green), Porthaven (blue), Kingsbury (red), and a battlefield (black).

Where do Sophie and Howl fly?

When Sophie and Howl flee from Blobbmen for the first time in the film, they fly to Chezarys where Lettie works. Howl's rings vanished and appeared again. It happens two times during the fly.

What color clothes does Sophie wear in Howl's Castle?

When Sophie and her companions escape from the palace and finally reach Howl's Castle, Sophie wears lilac/purple/lavender/mauve/rose/pink/rosy clothes. In the next scene, the colour changes into blue.

Howl's Moving Castle is a good movie?

OVERALL - Howl's Moving Castle was a very fun movie to look at. The visuals were gorgeous and everything smoothly animated. Unfortunately, the story and characters definitely left a lot to be desired; there was so little substance that I might have gotten about the same impression if I'd seen the whole thing on mute (or without subtitles). I've been told that the original novel is better, and I wonder if Miyazaki's downfall is only in that he was trying to adapt someone else's work, because certainly I know the man's capable of telling a story better than this.

When was Howl's Moving Castle written?

NOVEL, ANIME: Howl's Moving Castle was originally a young-adult fantasy novel written by Diana Wynne Jones in 1986 . It won a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award in 1987, and was also was designated an ALA Notable Book for children and young adults.

When was Howl No Ugoku Shiro released?

Howl No Ugoku Shiro premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2004 and was later released to Japanese theaters in November, making it one of only three Studio Ghibli films not to be released in July.

Howl is Sophie's love interest?

Though there are certainly attempts at expanding on some of the characters' very flat personalities, I don't really feel as if any of them are successful. Sophie's fascination and eventual love for Howl was a little interesting, but the feelings could be attributed very easily to the typical goodness of her personality, and it didn't seem like Howl was very special to have her affections. Similarly, Howl's feelings for Sophie seemed generic, or perhaps he (and all the other characters) could not help but be attracted to her goodness, as there didn't seem to be very many flaws in that purity at all.

Is Howl a good retelling?

Taken in terms of the original novel, Howl is a nice retelling. The basic plot elements from the novel are mostly intact, though a great deal of the actual plot has been changed around. If you don't mind a looser retelling of the novel, then you should be fine with this; however, if you're looking for the novel translated exactly onto the screen, then you may not want to see this.

Who voices Howl in the English dub?

VOICE ACTORS: The English dub for this has some fairly big names for the performances; Christian Bale does a pretty good job (and even utilizes the Batman!growl) as Howl, Jean Simmons does an amazing job as the older version of Sophie (even though I don't really understand why there needs to be two separate voice actors here), Billie Crystal does a good job of being the comedic relief in Calcifer, Lauren Bacall is an amazing Witch of the Waste, and Crispin Freeman even shows up for a few lines. Overall, a solid performance.

Is Howl still my thorn?

however, and trying to bring another perspective about this film, I have watched it again, and while this has worked with some other works, it seems "Howl" is still my thorn in Miyazaki's filmography and will always be.

Where does Howl come from?

In fact, he is ultimately revealed to be from real-world Wales in the 1970s.

What color is Howl's hair?

Said to be naturally mud-colored, Sophie's machinations accidentally cause Howl's hair to become a pinkish ginger color, much to the wizard's dismay.

What does Sophie notice about howl?

Sophie notices the differences between the real world and her world, but takes the modern technology and customs in stride, clearly expecting unusual circumstances from the world Howl comes from . This idea was more or less dropped from the film version, though.

What is anime known for?

Anime is known for characters with unusual hair, whether it's the color or the style. A viewer could be forgiven for thinking the film came up with Howl's changing hair colors, an idea that seems somewhat redundant since Sophie goes through a similar issue.

Is Howl's Moving Castle a Ghibli?

Studio Ghibli's version of Howl's Moving Castle reimagines the storyline of the original novel, but some aspects endured in the anime adaptation.

Is Howl on the Street based on a book?

Fans who have only seen the anime film but are aware that the story is based off of a book might assume that the "meet cute" between Sophie and Howl on the street was made up for the film and that she originally first meets him after entering his moving castle.

image

Overview

Howl's Moving Castle (Japanese: ハウルの動く城, Hepburn: Hauru no Ugoku Shiro) is a 2004 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It is loosely based on the 1986 novel of the same name by English author Diana Wynne Jones. The film was produced by Toshio Suzuki, animated by Studio Ghibli and distributed by Toho. The Japanese voice cast featured Chie…

Plot

Sophie, a young milliner and eldest of three sisters, encounters a wizard named Howl on her way to visit her sister Lettie. Upon returning home, she meets the Witch of the Waste, who transforms her into a ninety-year-old woman. Seeking to break the curse, Sophie leaves home and sets off through the countryside. She meets a living scarecrow, whom she calls "Turnip Head". He leads her to Howl's moving castle where she enters without invitation. She subsequently meets Howl's you…

Themes

Howl's Moving Castle contains strong anti-war themes, influenced by Miyazaki's distaste for the 2003 Iraq War. When he received an Oscar for Spirited Away, he said that he "had a great deal of rage about [the war]. So [he] felt some hesitation about the award." Miyazaki identifies as a pacifist. On the eve of the Iraq War, Miyazaki decided to make a film that he felt would be poorly received in the United States. Despite the film's success in that country, literary scholar Dani Cavallaro sta…

Production

In September 2001, Studio Ghibli announced the production of two films. The first would become The Cat Returns and the second was an adaptation of Diana Wynne Jones' novel, Howl's Moving Castle. A rumor persists that Miyazaki had an idea to do Howl's Moving Castle during a visit to Strasbourg Christmas market. Toshio Suzuki, who produced Howl's Moving Castle, stated that Miyaz…

Comparisons between film and novel

The film has several differences from the novel, partly due to the different requirements of the two media. Diana Wynne Jones' novel has a very large cast of characters, and several plot threads that were too complex to be transferred into the film. As a result, characters such as Sophie's second sister Martha are left out, as is the plot thread involving Markl (who is called Michael in the novel, and depicted as an adolescent, rather than as a young boy) courting her. Jones discussed the fil…

Music

The score was composed and conducted by Joe Hisaishi, and performed by the New Japan Philharmonic. The soundtrack CD was first released on 19 November 2004 by Tokuma Japan Communications. Hisaishi also composed and conducted a Howl's Moving Castle: Symphony Suite, an album published on 21 January 2004 which includes ten re-arranged pieces from the original soundtr…

Release and reception

The film opened at the 61st Venice Film Festival in 2004, and was released in Japan on 20 November 2004. The film grossed $14.5 million in its first week of release in Japan alone. The film was distributed in Japan by Toho, and made $190,000,000 in that country. It was distributed internationally by various companies, and made approximately an additional $45,000,000 outside Japan, for a worldwide total of $235,184,110. The film was later dubbed into English under the s…

Sources

• "Howl Nominated for Saturn Award". animenewsnetwork. 21 February 2006. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
• "2004 Mainichi Film Awards". animenewsnetwork. 24 January 2005. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
• "Howl's Moving Castle". boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved 25 October 2019.