Movie Review - Howl's Moving Castle

Director : Hayao Miyazaki
Release Date : Novembre, 2004 (Japan)


Cast (Voice, Japanese Version) :
Chieko Baisho as Sophie
Takuya Kimura as Hauru
Tatsuya Kashuin as Karushifa
Ryunosuke Kamiki as Marukuru
Runtime : 119 mins
My Rating : 10/10


Plot : A young woman named Sophie is cursed by the Witch of the West, turns her into an old woman, and is unable to tell anyone of her plight. Unable to continue her job at her mother's hat shop, she goes to the ambulatory castle of the notorious wizard Howl and insinuates herself into his household. Sophie befriends Calcifer, the fire demon who powers the castle and who is bound to Howl by a contract, the terms of which Calcifer cannot reveal. They promise to help each other with their problems. Like Calcifer, Howl can also see through the Witch's spell. Sophie helps Howl confront his former teacher, and the Witch of the West.


My Thoughts : I am in LOVE with this movie.
It's my comfort movie I watch whenever I'm sick or too depressed.
I curl myself in bed with some hot noodle soup and turn this movie on.
It makes me want to believe and hope. It's just wonderful.

I love ALL Hayao Miyazaki movies, they all teach you something therefore some of them can be a little too intense but this one isn't.
His details in movies are just astonishing, like background furniture,
colours of clothes and the character's movement.

One other thing that's great about this movie is, it's soundtrack.
You have never heard of something so beautiful and so fitting to the world of fantasy.
(you can listen to some of it from the video below)

I think this movie will be a great first movie of Hayao Miyazaki to watch.
And I'll continue to introduce you to the great and wonderful world of Japanese Anime.

I recently found out that this was based on a book. 

A book that I'm going to read very soon !