Anime Review: Howl's Moving Castle

Howl's Moving Castle is the latest anime made by Japan's transcendent Hayao Miyazaki who previously directed such anime as Princess Mononoke and the Oscar winning Spirited Away (2003's Best Animated Feature).

This is my confession: I have never ever, EVER been a fan of Miyazaki's anime (although I have seen most of them. I'm not that enthusiastic of his character's art style and all his stories seems too far fetched (the kind that you need psychotropics to appreciate - sorry Miyazaki fans!) I've had this DVD in my collection for a very long time, and I wouldn't have watched it at all were it not for kenakelayan's almost obsessive fervour for the title. I decided to give the DVD a try after my tiring day oncall, and ...

Wow ... Just Wow!

The story is set in a world where magic is just another form of technology used in everyday life (even bought over the counter!) Sophia, a timid hat-maker evoked the wrath of the Witch of Waste and was cursed with old age. She employs herself to be Howl's housekeeper, in a castle that trawls the countryside on four mechanical legs. Ironically, it is in this mature guise that we see her character shine. Together with her eclectic, quirky group members she enrolls in an adventure full of magic, war and love. As is typical of Miyazaki's anime, you could never really predict the story, as the plot takes unexpected twists and turns until the very end.

I was entranced from beginning to end. I have never ever seen a more delightful anime. I smiled in glee watching how nicely the flame Carcifer was animated and Markl (the Wizard's assistant) is just charming. So much depth is put in even one side character that it overshadows most main characters in other animes! The scenes are breathtakingly beautiful. At certain points (especially the flower field) I was inclined to pause the movie to fully appreciate the meticulously (hand) painted scenery.

When the movie ended, I was left awed. Not only was I entertained but I was touched by the Director's anti-war message subtly conveyed throughout the movie. A discussion of the underlying themes, that I found interesting could be found here. It's amazing that a religious site would discuss the message conveyed in, of all things, an anime.

I've finally seen the light. After seeing this anime, I went straight off and bought DVDs of Miyazaki's past titles Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke and Kiki's Delivery Service. Can't wait to watch them!

Rarely is an anime this magnificent, beautiful, emotive and imaginative . The underlying themes are relevant to today's issues and are thought provoking. This anime gets my full recommendation.

5/5 - a must see.