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Without it, she wouldn’t have the courage to go on an adventure, find a way to break the spell and along the way, meet friends and the most important of all, discover herself. One can say her curse was a blessing in disguise. In the second frame, she declines an invitation from colleagues saying she needs to finish up the hat first.Īfter being cursed to become an old woman, Sophie, ironically enough, starts living her life. Here is Sophie in her natural element- sewing non-stop, designing a hat. She reminds me so much of myself and perhaps that’s why I love her. She never goes out, never has fun (actually declines invitations to hang out), basically a girl who leads a sad life. Now let’s talk about Sophie Hatter, my favorite character in the movie and the whole Studio Ghibli-verse! Sophie is a self-deprecating, depressive loner who has settled to what she thinks is her lot in life: a hat shop owner. But to actually let his ire known to the entire household? That’s a whole new level of drama queen and I love him for it! (Also being a self-centered jerk gives him a lot of room for redemption later on and it would be so much sweeter). I admit, he’s got a reason to be mad because he used the wrong potion after Sophie cleaned the bathroom and replaced the vials. One time, he turned himself into slime just because his hair was orange instead of blonde. Anyway, Howl is also known for his tantrums of epic proportions. One scene that proves this is when Howl cooks food for their visitor, old Sophie. He isn’t very obvious about it but Howl actually cares for his friends (the other tenants of the castle). The name itself is very pompous sounding but while he is vain, Howl is also kind. The most recognizable would be Howl Jenkins Pendragon’s (the male lead) vanity. It may not be as accurate as some had hoped but the characters’ most important traits are reflected in the movie. For a two-hour movie, I would say Miyazaki captured the story’s essence as best as he could given the limited time frame. It’s because it’s not Miyazaki’s story.Īnyway, movie adaptations are known for butchering stories but this one is different. After reading the book though, I realize now why the ending is so different from the usual Studio Ghiblis. So for it to have a fairytale ending? Sweet. I did not expect that at all because the movie was a quintessential Studio Ghibli: lots of crazy, weird stuff going on, spooky characters and elements in the story. You see, Studio Ghibli movies almost always end up quite bittersweet-and I’m a sucker for that too that’s why I became a fan!-but since HEA’s from them are so rare, it took me by surprise that Howl’s Moving Castle had one. Ultimately, what made me love the movie was the unapologetic ‘Happily Ever After’ ending I got from it. I’ve noticed there’s a certain sad tone to his movies and perhaps that’s what makes them so memorable. He never comprises the scenes and presents it like an artistic real life movie. What makes Hayao Miyazaki, the animation’s director, above his peers is his treatment for animated movies. There’s always the element of surprise and weirdness that kept me entertained. I saw the movie first before reading the book so I had no idea where the story was going. What made me love the movie is the absolute crazy experience of watching it. Based on the book by Diana Wynne Jones (which I reviewed a few weeks ago), the movie tries its best to showcase the world of wizardry as created by Jones. Studio Ghibli movies have always been a little trippy and Howl’s Moving Castle is no exception. But enough blabber, this post is about Howl’s Moving Castle so let’s talk about that. I watched a total of fourteen movies and some of my favorites are Princess Mononoke, Kiki’s Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro, Whisper of the Heart, Arrietty, From Up On Poppy Hill and of course, Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle. Spirited Away was a lucky encounter that introduced me to the world of Hayao Miyazaki (the studio’s head) but it was Kiki’s Deliver Service (another chance encounter on Disney Channel) that spurred me to finally check them out. No surprise, it’s another Studio Ghibli movie. It was forever ago since I last posted a movie review and it’s high time I post one again. Howl’s Moving Castle poster from Disney DVD’s