It is presumed that the curse fades as she falls in love with Howl, but it’s never stated outright. When Howl checks on her while she is sleeping, she is suddenly young again, but we are never given a reason why. We first see this inconsistency early on in the film, during Sophie’s first night in Howl’s castle. One of the elements of the film that suffers from lack of time is the rules of Sophie’s curse, which are, in a word, inconsistent. While such a feat is possible in storytelling, this movie unfortunately proves how difficult it can be. The movie tries to capture themes of environmentalism, war, peace, pride, corruption, coming of age, and redemption, all within a two-hour time frame. This movie just missed the mark in its execution, due to nothing other than lack of time. The hopeful and bittersweet score by Joe Hisaishi perfectly conveyed Sophie’s inner conflicts and love for Howl.

As can be expected from Ghibli, the animation included a phenomenal use of realistic backgrounds and the studio’s iconic character style. Even the mute scarecrow bouncing alongside our group of protagonists was incredibly endearing. With a fun mix of characters who had amazing chemistry right off the bat, I was hopeful.

This film was an interesting twist on what could have been an overused plot, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it was good. This castle belongs to the charismatic, emotional, and insecure wizard Howl, whiny and bright fire demon Calcifer, and a curious and energetic little boy named Markl. Unable to speak a word, she flees into the hills, where a moving castle roams. This movie follows the hard-working, independent and strong-willed Sophie, who is cursed by the Witch of the Waste and turns into an old woman. I was able to grab a ticket to see “Howl’s Moving Castle,” directed by Hayao Miyazaki. In a packed theatre with limited showtimes, Studio Ghibli Fest struck again with its iconic love story, “Howl’s Moving Castle.” Studio Ghibli is one of the most well-recognized animation studios in Japan, known for films such as “My Neighbor Totoro,” “Spirited Away” and “Kiki’s Delivery Service.”īecause Studio Ghibli is based in Japan, they show a selection of films in the United States for a limited time in select theaters throughout the year. Studio Ghibli’s ‘Howl’s Moving Castle,’ a love story between the cursed Sophie and the powerful wizard Howl, has gorgeous animation and a bittersweet yet simple score.

Wizard howl howl's moving castle