Christian Bale loved Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away (one of the those) so much that he reached out to Studio Ghibli and was basically like “I will do any voice, I don’t care what it is,” and so they gave him Howl. 😊
And they made him do an American accent, even though the character of Howl is supposed to be Welsh and Christian Bale is literally Welsh by birth and can do a perfectly natual Welsh accent
In the books, Sophie is a witch. They referenced this in the movie but never dove into it. Basically her powers is that she is able to manifest whatever she says into existence, which is why she was such a famous hatter (she would talk to the hats she makes, calling it beautiful and the women that wear it would become beautiful). So when the Witch of the Wastes cursed her into old age, Sophie besically also cursed herself because she believed that being an old lady far suited her personality. Althroughout the story, Howl knew she was cursed and had been trying to break it, but was unable to. Not because Howl is weaker than the Witch of the Wastes, or because the Witch of the Wastes is too powerful. But because no power in the world will ever be stronger than how Sophie sees herself.
Sophie's sister was a witch, and the three siblings went their separate ways as her sister aimed to become a famous witch. Meanwhile, Howl developed a romantic interest in Sophie's sister, who rejected him, leading to Howl's obsession with her. Unbeknownst to Howl, Sophie's sister, driven by her fear of aging, was transformed into the Witch of the Waste. The evil witch, aware of her sister's fear, mistook Sophie for her sister and turned her into an old woman. Sophie, thinking she needed to find her sister, journeyed to the mountains, not realizing the mistaken identity with Howl's former love interest.
Omg that's so cool. I also could see the hat thing as, Sophie can see just how beautiful other people are, and her hats only just help bring that beauty outside of them. But bro that's so cool to know
A lot of people say it's not mentioned in the anime, but you forget that Hayao Miyazaki is an animator. He is also a writer who tells stories through pictures. As is common to his other works, black is a symbol of witches in his anime. Look at Sophie's hat at the end of the movie.😮
howl having a mental breakdown cuz he messed up his hair colour and melted down cuz he cant see himself as beautiful anymore was so funny and so real lmao
The war happened because the prince from another country was missing, they thought that Sophie's kingdom kidnapped him for political reasons. The movie was made based on a book and there is a lot of difference between the two, but I can only say that both are really good. Fun Fact in the book Sophie discovered that she's a witch and Howl was from our world but he learnt magic and could travel through universes. They met when he was trying to pick up one of her sisters. Also, you see how Sophie told Howl "Find me in the future!"? The first thing he says to her in the movie is "I was looking everywhere for you".
Sophie's sister was a witch, and the three siblings went their separate ways as her sister aimed to become a famous witch. Meanwhile, Howl developed a romantic interest in Sophie's sister, who rejected him, leading to Howl's obsession with her. Unbeknownst to Howl, Sophie's sister, driven by her fear of aging, was transformed into the Witch of the Waste. The evil witch, aware of her sister's fear, mistook Sophie for her sister and turned her into an old woman. Sophie, thinking she needed to find her sister, journeyed to the mountains, not realizing the mistaken identity with Howl's former love interest.
@@angelabromley3712 "Of course, Howl was always looking for Sophie; and Sophie's sister caught Howl's attention because she looked exactly like Sophie."
due to sophie going back in time to ask howl to wait for her in the future, howl literally kept on searching for her the whole time after that. he made multiple personalities, going around every place to search for sophie while making rumours about him hunting and eating the hearts of beautiful girls basically in order to keep everyone away for him and then later on found her with the words "there you are sweetheart, sorry i'm late. i was looking everywhere for you" and it's just so cool because at the start of the movie you (or atleast i did when the movie first came out) could just think that he was only lying with those words to get the weird ass guards go away by showing them that sophie wasn't alone even though in reality he actually WAS searching for her the whole time. she just didn't know that or recognize howl yet (hence all the details for example at the flower field, why she also said the flower field felt familiar even though howl had "just made it for her" as a present) and ahhh. this movie is just so beautiful overall. i could literally make a whole essay about all the details of it
literally same!! i could write a whole essay on the message, the story, the tiny details and the animation details of it. god reminds me in high school when i did something like that towards studio ghibli
I agree with you so much. I watched this movie entirely too late and the first thing I thought when I got to the end was: I want to watch it again. So many details fall into place and gain new meanings on rewatch and so many details to find. Beautiful work.
It's like it's so easy for Sophie to take on the identity of an old woman because it takes away all the pressures and expectations society has for young people (like having to be beautiful and finding a husband etc). It gives her this freedom to drop everything she was doing to please others (eg running her dads old shop) and follow her own path. For me it breaks my heart when Sophie says, "It's not all bad... your clothes finally suit you,' etc. because her embracing being an old lady right away is almost like a relief of not having to meet beauty standards and expectations anymore. She is obviously unhappy to be cursed, but she also is glad she can be treated with respect (like when a man offers to help her down the stairs) without having to be beautiful - rather, she is respected for her supposed age and the wisdom that comes with it. It's heartbreaking because it reminds me of how exhausting living up to physical beauty can be for women and how sometimes we wish we could just be invisible or turn into an old woman where people no longer expect anything of us, and we can just be. The one thing I love most about this movie is that Sophie's curse is never broken. Howl (and eventually Sophie too) is able to see past all that and loves her anyway. I wish more movies emphasized accepting a love interest as a whole being and not just because they're outwardly attractive.
Oh I agree on everything but the curse absolutely does get broken. The difference is it's Sophie who's doing it. She could break the curse at any time if she rejected it. But she accepts her fate and even thinks it suits her to be old, Sophie has magic, she manifests things she believes. She's cursed until she can see herself clearly and embrace it. You'll notice her appearance also changes through the movie depending on her feelings and how she sees herself.
32:40 I think she said "the game is over" is because she was the one that turned the neighbouring prince into a scarecrow turnip head. So the war was her idea. Now her excuse for war is gone
The funny thing is that in the book, Howl was the one creeping on her. But he stopped when he realized how truly frightened she was and offered to escort her.
Some of my favorite quotes: “Find me in the future!” “I was looking everywhere for you.” Howl was always looking for Sophie, because time is not linear, and he saw her in his past. “A heart is a heavy burden.” I actually want it tattooed with Sophie’s hands holding Calcifer / Howl’s heart. Spirited Away is still my favorite Ghibli film, but HMC has to be my 2nd favorite.
The witch of the waste wanted Howl’s heart because she and Howl used to date. She knew Howl was interested in Sophie and therefore turned her into an older woman, so Howl would no longer be interested. Howl saw beyond the curse and knew it was Sophie anyway. You will notice that when Sophie gains confidence about herself in the movie, her appearance begins to change back into a young woman at times. Ironically, Sophie’s spell and Howl’s spell end up cancelling each other out eventually when she and Calcifer make a deal. He tells her that he can break her curse, if she breaks his. Howl’s spell was that he traded his heart with the star (Calcifer) and could only be set free by someone who could bring his heart back to him safely - it is hinted at a bit, when Calcifer allows Sophie to cook with him (remember Michael is 100% confused by this - because only Howl is supposed to be able to control Calcifer according to his spell). (By the way, the reason Calcifer entered into the agreement with Howl is so that he could live longer, remember he was supposed to die, but the wizards would make a deal with the dying stars by giving them their heart so they could live longer, but then they were slaves to the wizards). The point is that Sophie owns Howl’s heart because of love; at the end she is able to break both their curses by having the confidence to remove Calcifer from the witch (who is holding his heart captive literally and figuratively) and also removing his heart from Calcifer by putting it back into Howl’s own chest. This also frees Calcifer too. Basically, what breaks all the spells is true love, which doesn’t seek to control or manipulate others. It allows people to be who they are by setting others free. 🙂
I don’t play any instrument but I’m a great listener.. 😂😂 and honestly out of all ghibli movies I think howls moving castle has the best pieces. And ghibli has so many masterpieces in all their movies.
One of my favorite Calcifer quotes honestly, is “Here’s another curse for you… May all your bacon burn.” 😂😂💀 That one stuck with me… maybe not tat material, but I may hunt down a T-shirt with it
It reflects much deeper stuff in our world that isn’t just the shallow reasons for this sort of behaviour. And how it conjures an entity makes sense even regarding the metaphysical knowledge about our emotions, thoughts and feelings etc that reflect things in our surroundings and past that keep repeating themselves until we learn lessons so we can better grow into better versions of ourselves.
The curse brings out the age of Sofie's soul, so when she stands up for herself and acts genuinely, the soul shows it's younger side, as opposed to the usually older attitude Sofie carries herself with
what, you don't like Kiki's delivery service, the secret world of Arrietty, Totoro, Naussica, the wind rises, my neighbour the yamadas? they are marvelous too, in Ghibli fashion, full of magic, mysteries and feelings only Ghibli can give. i've never been able to rank Ghibli's movies. i just need them at different times.
when I was a child I adored the look of this Castle. It looks so messy, colourful, there is this cosy feeling of clutter and all mechanisms kinda have steampunk vibes? I thought that one day I would have my own house with similar feeling :')
i still love this castle. it used to appear in my dreams when i was a child. it's been 20 years, now i'm an architect and this castle is still unrivaled unmatched by everything. it is steampunk! and it is so wild, alive, rugged, with raw energy. a castle with personality and soul. the way Ghibli render the metal parts of the castle makes it shimmer.
i love ponyo but i think its one of the least deep ghibli movies out there. pretty surface level and lacks interesting themes to analyze. just a feel good movie and thats okay!
I’m so happy you guys enjoyed this movie! I know lots of girls like this movie but it’s cool to see guys enjoying it too. :D Sophie is an awesome female lead!
HUGE Howl/ Ghibli fan here!!! The thing I just adore about Howl’s Moving Castle is that there are new things I notice every single time I watch this movie. I’ve watched it 9 times and each time I find new elements 😂 One very important factor is that Howl’s ring will shine and guide you to the person who you think about in your heart. In the very beginning, when Howl puts his hand on Sofie’s shoulder you can see his ring sparkling, implying that he was actually searching for her since he remembered her from his childhood (when he swallowed Calcifer)!!! That’s true love right there❤️
I like how everyone's first impression to any Ghibli movie is: ANIMATION is so aesthetic. The magic of Ghibli film is that it revives our child imagination so the world feels better.
Fun fact is that Sophie is a witch, and she put that curse on herself, because she is the older sister so she fells old and ugly compared to her younger sister. Its explained in the novel and hinted in the movie.
Diana Wynne Jones, the author of the original book series, makes the most interesting universes you have ever seen. I am never bored reading one of her books
Ahhhh definitely watch Princess Mononoke for the more serious plot and amazing animation. Other Ghibli films I like are Spirited Away (it’s such a surreal movie literally feels like you’re getting spirited away lol), Nausicaa (older but still a good movie, something I appreciated more as an adult), and Castle in the Sky (drama filled and entertaining characters). Other movies that are good are Summer Wars (intense fights, emotional story, cool plot), In this Corner of the World (about WW2 - like slice of life but with emotional damage), and Wolf Children (family oriented, sad movie).
*Princess Mononoke* might become your favorites Ghibli movie because of all the themes, another great movie to see is *Sword of the Stranger* or even Cowboy Bebop: Knocking on Heavens door & *Ghost in the shell*
You guys will absolutely love the rest of the Ghibli movies! Nausica valley ib the wind, castle in the sky, princess Monoke, spirited away, and etc. the world building is unbelievable. The soundtrack that plays when Howl swallows the star moves me to tears its so beautiful. So happy you guys enjoyed this! Hopefully you guys continue! Merry Christmas! 💗🎊
My mother has a painting of sophie and howl over our stove in the style of monalisa and many other old paintings. It’s a very beautiful one depicting Sophie laying on howls back and howl is flying over a forest with his wings.
Spirited Away is more beautifully enchanting and Princess Mononke has more action with its own fairytale aspect. Both are great films. Howl’s Moving Castle is originally a Welsh story and quite a different story to the film but I like what has been done with it (even if we don’t get to see Calcifer and Howl drunkenly singing Saucpan Fach together). Edit: Welsh flavoured story, much of its content is Welsh but I have been reminded that the author (despite having lived in Wales) is not Welsh.
Both were the biggest. Especially the events held at the theatres during their release. Even included the special features at the beginning of the films too where the man on the screen introduced the behind the scenes stuff.
@@Eggs_hatching You are right. I had thought that Wynne Jones was welsh but apparently she was born in London. She did spend a lot of her childhood in Wales though. The fantastical elements take a lot of inspiration from Welsh folklore and the titular character is Welsh with some of the events taking place in Wales.
Castle in the Sky is also an incredible Ghibli movie with beautiful music and wholesome characters! I feel like it's a little underrated and not talked about as much as Howl's Moving Castle or Spirited Away but it's just as great and worth watching in my opinion :)
This film is just legendary, I still love watching it even though 20 years passed. Howl & Sophie is such a great characters and the main soundtrack, 'Merry go round of life' is an art piece.
I love the book Silly fact: Howell canonically played rugby in Wales and had a meet up with all the old members, came home completely drunk, and fell down the stairs. (Chapter 20, page 374) Another silly fact: there was a whole side plot dedicated to Sophie’s sisters Martha and Lettie body swapping so they could live out their dreams AND MICHAEL WAS A TEENAGER AND IN LOVE WITH LETTIE (Martha)
What is lovely with all of Hayao Miyazaki's movies, is that their storyline is heavily based on the emotions of the characters (that's why often they seam all over the place), but at the same time they always have deep meanings. I recommend "Spirited Away", it's quite different from "Howl's Moving Castle" maybe less romantic and more adventurous, but there's a good reason it was awarded with an Oscar. Btw the voice actor of Markl (the child) is Josh Hutcherson when he was 12.
I'm so glad you guys ended up loving this movie! It's definitely one of my favorite Ghibli movies, but honestly, you can't go wrong with most of their movies. And yes, the English dubs for these movies are well done too. Another favorite of mine is Princess Mononoke, it's also the first Ghibli movie I ever watched when I was a kid.
OMG I AM SO EXCITED FOR U GUYS TO WATCH MORE GHIBLI MOVIES! Howls moving castle is definitely on my top 3! & I can’t believe it’s only been a year with you!! It feels like it’s been much more than that ❤ glad I was in this journey with you ❤❤❤
I think Sophie’s youth is determined on her self worth. She didn’t think she had much value or worth in the beginning, that no one would ever bother with her. Once she started to have a purpose and realized her worth and value it would break the spell
I think that Sophie changes from old to young whenever she express her love towards Howl and the whole story has to do with beauty inside and how people were thinking that beauty was only outside. But Howl fell in love with Sophie while she was an old lady and Sophie while getting to meet him and realized he was cursed to look like a " a monster". The cursed prince too who was cursed to be a scarecrow. Until someone loved him aka Sophie even though she loved him as a friend. Like the princess and the frog and beauty and the beast. Also, Howl did actually stole her heart. But not literally, only by falling in love with her, and then gave his heart ( literally) to Sophie.
Watching you guys watch this movie gives me hope for the future. I love this movie so much and watching it through your eyes was so wholesome and heartwarming. Your empathy for all the characters shows me how much progress humanity has made in just the last 2 decades. I hope you continue to watch more Studio Ghibli and share your feelings about them. Vulnerable is powerful, this was beautiful.
Studio ghibli movies aren't really what "anime haters" think of when they think about anime. I don't care about anime, and personally don't really like much of it either, but studio ghibli films are some of my favourite.
@@AbeHopwoodGenuinely my friend, I have an anime recommendation that would hopefully be one of the few that you can say you might like! ( I would not be surprised to see that you've already seen it or at least tried to watch it ) Anything Studio Ghibli gives all of us extreme comforting vibes, and I get an amazingly comfy vibe from the anime: "Freiren: Beyond Journey's End" Again, don't know if it'll be your cup of tea, if you haven't seen it already, but it definitely has a different feel to it than most other anime out there imo
The moment when Howl first meets Sophie and says, “Sorry I am late, I was looking for you everywhere.” It makes sense when you know that Sophie met Howl in the past. He was looking for her. I don’t know if you guys will do it, but I recommend reading Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. The movie is based off of it, and the book gives more context to who Sophie is and why her curse sticks with her. Hayao Miyazaki is an amazing animator and his films are known to touch the soul. You guys would probably like Princess Mononoke, because it has more action. Many of Miyazaki’s films have a positive message. Joe Hisaishi is the music director for the films, and all of his music is fantastic. If your sister is learning the music, getting a book of Joe Hisaishi’s work would be a good start.
30:14 when sophie says "you have a big heart" to the witch of the waste, it really stuck with me because the lady in the castle who taught howl (i cant remember her name) said something have the witch not having a heart (figuratively or not), but sophie said she had a big one. Thought it was sweet and such a change for the witch
The point is that people do selfish and often unkind things in an effort to achieve what they want, however, this doesn't make them a heartless person. Despite what others may say it's your actions in EVERY moment that define you not just a select few in the course of your life. Yesterday you may have hurt me for something you wanted but today you may see I want something and you're willing to help make that happen for someone outside yourself. People are strange and very few are all bad. We need to meet each other with compassion.
I remember back then I was so infatuated about howl. Movies like this are timeless. I’ve watched howls castle and the wolf children so many times. Please watch Migi and Dali anime, has total 13 ep *It’s really good* The author passed way sadly. The same creator of sakamoto Desu ga.
This movie is tied as my favorite Ghibli film with Spirited Away. Something I love is that when Howl says in the alley that he’s been looking everywhere for her, it wasn’t just a line on the spot to save her from the soldiers; He had actually spent years genuinely searching for her, and since whatever powers that be took Sophie to his childhood, they were destined to shape each other’s future for the better. All in all, a lot of good messages about self-worth, confidence, and kindness. Those are the things that will bring you love and happiness. You can always rely on Studio Ghibli for that kind of positivity. ❤
If you loved this then you're gonna love a lot of the Studio Ghibli movies. And yes, as a big fan of Japanese voice actors, a lot of their movies are really good dubbed too! Also, Howl is one of the top for many Ghibli fans! Personally, mine's Princess Mononoke but this one's up there for sure, I've watched it more than three times at this point and can never get tired of it. Chronologically some of my personal favourite Ghibli titles I think you might like too: - Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (classic) - Castle in the Sky - My Neightbour Totoro (this is pretty long and very slice-of-life-y so it's not good to watch when it's getting late or you're tired) - Kiki's Delivery Service - Porco Rosso - Whisper of the Heart (a classic, it's up there with Howl, etc) - Princess Mononoke - Spirited Away (also a classic, along Princess Mononoke) - The Cat Returns (a sequel to Whisper of the Heart) - Ponyo (classic) - Arrietty - From Up on Poppy Hill (less fantastical than most of the ghibli movies) - The Wind Rises (if you've seen Oppenheimer, then it's a good companion movie to that one)
I will add: before Nausicaa (which is also my favourite!) he directed a film called 'Lupin the 3rd - the castle of Cagliostro' - it's not a ghibli film and it's a simpler story style, but it's an immensely popular classic in Japan and you can see Miyazaki's style in some of the animation. He also did a series called 'Future Boy Conan' before he delved into Nausicaa. It's free on TH-cam and you can definitely see ideas that he used in later movies. Finally, his most recent film is called 'How do you (plural) live?' in Japan - or English title 'the boy and the heron'. I found this his trickiest film to understand, but it feels like he's transitioning to another type of movie style, and it was wonderful to watch on the big screen.
This one is definitely one of the most popular Ghibli movies, Howl is such a fan favourite. The other top 5 would be Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro, Kiki Delivery Service and also Ponyo. I'm saying this based on what merchandises are most available on the market and you can see these 5 are the most common ones. My personal fav would be Princess Mononoke, When Marnie Was There, Castle in the Sky and Arrietty. You should check the latest one too, The Boy and The Heron. Such a phenomenal movie.
When I show this to first timers, I always tell them to remember the “I’ve been looking everywhere for you” line in the beginning and by the end, I remind them and it blows their mind every time when it clicks 😂
So happy you guys are watching this! You need to watch Spirited Away, Ponyo, Princess Mononoke, and the Tale of Princess Kaguya. And almost everyone I know watched these movies in English dub (ironic since I watch anime in Japanese sub only), but English is the way to go with these. Studio Ghibli movies are AMAZING! ❤️
Howl's moving castle is telling us to learn self confident. When Sophie talk to Sullivan in confident, she grow young. When she get upset with less confident, she grow old. Will you watch spirited away? It's really good too
So many iconic moments with this gang: 03:20, 03:36 : The you-don't-talk-to-women-like-that look. Other favourite moments. 10:36 11:33 39:19 29:52 You guys did so well picking up on all those sublteties on a first watch. Predicting the plot and whatnot. It took me another watch to figure out some of those themes. Enjoyed your commentary! Nice reference to Attack of Titan and Jujutsu Kaisen, by the way.
Howl might be my first anime crush, but Sophie's just one of my favorite characters ever. Her feeling old even as a young girl felt so relatable. She really found her place by caring for others and being love in return. It's so fulfulling (despite quite a messy plot really) & definitely my favorite Giblhi.
A lot of hayao miyazakis experience comes from world war 2. In japan. Where he draws a lot of his themes of destruction from the firebombings. Hundreds of thousands died from the fires, rather than the nuclear bombs. Signs of utter destruction.
A true classic of a story. I adore this movie. Miyazaki tells stories intuitively, not following a rigid set of logical rules. He could have included more from the book to “clarify,” but he wants to speak to the heart, rather than the head. That’s why you never get full answers-he leaves enough space for your own imagination. ☺️
What Howl meant when he said "I looked for you" at the beginning is that he was shouting "Howloo" as Sophie fell in the scene when Howl's moving castle was broken and Sophie met Calcifer, so that's why he finally found her and said that at the beginning. It's a movie with great foreshadowing.
Most of the Ghibli movies have amazing animation even the old ones from 80-90s, the first Ghibli movie and my personal favorite is Nausicaä of the valley of the wind, its from 1984.
Im giggling at how impressed they are with the animation lol. Miyazaki has always killed it. Very fun to see chads watching a movie they wouldnt normally watch. Im glad you guys enjoyed. First time watching the channel.
Something about this movie that’s good to know, is it’s based on a book “Howl’s Moving Castle” which is something of a Satire & homage these types of fantasy stories. So a lot of things are answered in the book. There’s also not really a war in the book (Japan / Studio Ghibli are pretty anti war given WWII), & there’s another doorway they go through. I didn’t like the movie originally, but I like it now. (*spoiler* the witch of the waste dies, also Sophie has two sister - one of which marries the prince, & I don’t think her mom ever does anything treacherous - she’s mostly just absent). Princess Mononoke or Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind would probably surprise you the most. Both are really beautiful, different types of violent, & pretty twisty plot wise.
@@jabłecznik01 yes! I think you’re right! I think Markl ends up with the other one, or is implied they like each other. I haven’t read the book in a bit. I need to re-read.
The kingdom that the story takes place in is Ingary. The missing prince was the king of Ingary's brother, and Madam Sulliman was based on Howls magic teacher, who gets murdered by the witch of the wast and kings head wizard, Benjamin Sulliman...Lettie ends up with wizard Sulliman, Martha, the youngest sister ends up with Howls apprentice, Michael... Howl and wizard Sulliman are from Wales.
This is my favourite Studio Ghibli movie! I watch it every year on my birthday ❤️ I love how much you guys thought through the story line and discussed the movie.
This movie is my second favorite Ghibli movie (the first being the Secret World of Arriety) especially with its soundtrack. Also some of my favorite moments from y’all: 4:25 everyone’s “oh”👀 15:08 “Can I pet that dawg” 20:31 his little “ok” was hilarious 32:04“WOW”
Several of these songs had many rearrangements and concerts around the world. Even LIVE performances and even had soloists who played instrumentals and even did the vocal parts too for several of these GHIBLI films.
In the book howl is even whinier, a proper welsh fratboy too XD And Sophie has MAJOR anger issues XD But the main reason her confidence is so low is because in Ingary(the fictional country the story takes place in) The oldest of three is said to never amount to anything, and it's a common belief. Sophie has two younger half sisters, and she has taken that saying to heart. She's also a witch, which is hinted at in the movie but never confirmed. Although she didn't know for a long while
This movie is *so* good on rewatch. The way the old witch of the waste stares down calicifer while Sophie feeds her, and calcifier is sitting soooooo low over Howl's heart, like a dragon protecting it secret and safe down in the embers -- phenomenal.
Great reaction ! If you like animated movies, Satoshi Kon is a really good pic with Perfect Blue and Paprika that are the two main ones, which are more "adult" than Miyazaki even though his movies are incredible. Animations is a wonderful and deep world !!
I want to see how they process Millenium Actress. Definitely have to do that one *before* the intense OG black swan mindfuckery experience of Perfect Blue.
I only saw it for 45 seconds and immediately clicked subscribe. :D You seem like decent guys and the previews of other videos of yours also looked promising. So THANK YOU for your tolerance. And continue to have fun with the anime. XD
You got that right about the curse. Sophie switches sometimes to her younger version cause she feels more confident at the moment and sure about her decisions, actions and her looks for example when Howl showed her the flower field she is full of joy and youth but when she starts doubting herself and she denies being pretty, she goes back to being an old woman. At the end of the movie, Sophie was ready to be assertive and move forward with her life instead of giving up, which was probably what broke the curse. Also, this movie is based on a book written by Diana Wynne Jones. The book varies from the movie, Sophie is more feisty and Howls is more of a drama queen :D in the book it was said that Sophie also has magical abilities. She is capable of talking life into objects- she would fix Howl's coat and say aloud that its a fine piece of clothing that would attract ladies and later on thats exactly what happened. She was unaware of her powers and used them on daily basis. Thats also one of the few reasons why she doesn't change back to her younger self- since she tells herself all those sad things and doesn't think of herself as pretty, lively etc. she remains as an old lady. Thanks for the reaction and can't wait for more!
Movie Sophie and Book Sophie are soooooo different! Movie Sophie is very sweet and compassionate and forgiving, whereas Book Sophie as you said is more feisty and can be a bit vindictive lol. I’ve seen it said that the movie is how Howl would tell the story while the book is how Sophie would tell it.
@@sarahmillman5093 I completely agree with the last statement :D! The movie and the book have special place in my heart, its interesting that orginally Sophie and Howl are written so differently in the books and the movie but it still works out and I am not bummed out about the change. I like what Studio Ghibili did with the movie, they gave a new perspective on this story and I love that. Honestly, I could write and essay on how much I adore it, the message, the music, characters and world building :P
The door dial makes a quick appearance in Spiriter Away in the tunnel/train lobby scene Chihiro and her parents stand in near the beginning of the film. It's the stained glass window.
In the books it turns out that Sophie is a witch too, and when the curse wore off it was her own magic that kept it going, as being old was easier for her I think. That's why her age goes backwards and forward, her own magic starts driving it. It's also why she could see the henchmen in the crowd when others couldnt.
Like in life the best makeup is self-esteem. The way we feel greatly influences how we show ourselves to others and how they see us. It was great movie thanks👍
Omg I’m so glad y’all liked it!! I was so impressed at how much you guys understood on the first watch, most reactors I’ve seen are so confused lmaoo Please do more studio ghibli! Spirited away, my neighbor totoro, and ponyo are my favs but all of their movies are great tbh
Remember if you watch Ponyo in whatever language you end up choosing must be paired with My Neighbour Totoro. Which should be watched first before Ponyo so you can recognize a certain song and lyrics but if you do indeed choose Ponyo first then listen to the intro music and watch the lyrics and the animations they change ad the song moves along. The lyrics “happy as can be. Let’s go Walking you and me” it’s basically the same song Sōsuke’s mother sang to him briefly after the whole nighttime boat thing while they were in their lighthouse home. Please don’t be afraid to show the longer versions of these movies. Millions will be here for it!
23:27: The reason Sophie's mother did that was because Madam Sulliman had her husband kidnapped and used him as ransom to make her act as a spy. Thats what she meant by "take me to my husband" when she left, cause he was only to be released once she'd done her job.
The creator of Your Name released another movie last year, Suzume. It's my second favourite anime movie now behind Howl's Moving Castle, and the soundtrack is stunning. I listen to it regularly. I believe it's only streaming on Crunchyroll at the moment, but it is well worth a watch.
im so glad y'all watched this movie!! its literally my and my mom's favorite movie, favorite film literally top on the list and I'm just so happy y'all enjoyed it too. it's incredible and definitely beautiful in all ways, the voice acting, the hand drawn animation, the story, the characters OH MY GOD EVERYTHING!! if you want more studio ghibli films i really recommend princess monoke, ponyo (my youngest sister's favorite) the wind rises (my other younger sister's favorite and mine too) the secret world of arriety (my dad's favorite plus mine lol) spirited away is a good one too!! god there's so much i want to recommend but those are top ones from my family. this was fun to watch thank you for finally watching it!!
I absolutely adore Howl's Moving Castle! My other personal Studio Ghibli and/or Miyazaki favourites are Princess Mononoke, Castle in the Sky, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, and Arietty. But honestly, I've yet to see one that I don't love. From Up on Poppy Hill, When Marnie Was There, and Whisper of the Heart are really good too. Also saw The Boy and the Heron in theatres recently and cried 3 times. Thanks for watching this great movie!
My favorite part is always that when she saw the past and Howl as a kid when he gave up his heart, she said "I know how to help you now, find me in the future", and then when Howl first finds her and saves her from those soldiers he says "There you are, I've been looking everywhere for you".
Christian Bale is great, but props to Jean Simmons and Lauren Bacall for their performances. Both are absolute Hollywood legends, and Lauren Bacall especially was great in portraying the Witch of the Waste
Christian Bale loved Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away (one of the those) so much that he reached out to Studio Ghibli and was basically like “I will do any voice, I don’t care what it is,” and so they gave him Howl. 😊
Christian Bale also has a role in their new movie, The Boy and the Heron❤
@@fearstreak7462 yes!! And Robert Pattinson did so good as the HERON XDD ああああ
I didn't think I could love that man any more than I did
He was in the boy with the heron too as the boys dad
And they made him do an American accent, even though the character of Howl is supposed to be Welsh and Christian Bale is literally Welsh by birth and can do a perfectly natual Welsh accent
In the books, Sophie is a witch. They referenced this in the movie but never dove into it. Basically her powers is that she is able to manifest whatever she says into existence, which is why she was such a famous hatter (she would talk to the hats she makes, calling it beautiful and the women that wear it would become beautiful). So when the Witch of the Wastes cursed her into old age, Sophie besically also cursed herself because she believed that being an old lady far suited her personality.
Althroughout the story, Howl knew she was cursed and had been trying to break it, but was unable to. Not because Howl is weaker than the Witch of the Wastes, or because the Witch of the Wastes is too powerful. But because no power in the world will ever be stronger than how Sophie sees herself.
Sophie's sister was a witch, and the three siblings went their separate ways as her sister aimed to become a famous witch. Meanwhile, Howl developed a romantic interest in Sophie's sister, who rejected him, leading to Howl's obsession with her. Unbeknownst to Howl, Sophie's sister, driven by her fear of aging, was transformed into the Witch of the Waste. The evil witch, aware of her sister's fear, mistook Sophie for her sister and turned her into an old woman. Sophie, thinking she needed to find her sister, journeyed to the mountains, not realizing the mistaken identity with Howl's former love interest.
This blowing my mind I never knew any of this!
Omg that's so cool. I also could see the hat thing as, Sophie can see just how beautiful other people are, and her hats only just help bring that beauty outside of them. But bro that's so cool to know
A lot of people say it's not mentioned in the anime, but you forget that Hayao Miyazaki is an animator. He is also a writer who tells stories through pictures. As is common to his other works, black is a symbol of witches in his anime.
Look at Sophie's hat at the end of the movie.😮
Black is used for the witches in Miyazaki's works, such as Zeniba and Kiki.
howl having a mental breakdown cuz he messed up his hair colour and melted down cuz he cant see himself as beautiful anymore was so funny and so real lmao
He jus like me frfr
For real. Usually the day after I cut my hair I’ll have a breakdown like it’s the end of the world then I’ll be over it the next day 😅
@@oki__ same😭
Me when I cut off 3cm of my hair
Right? The polar opposite of Sophie's reaction to being made "less beautiful."
I like the fact that calcifer is actually howl's heart, and Sophie is the one who keeps his heart warm the entire time
Yes! And she creates their little family around his heart.
"She likes my SPAAAARRRK!" gets me every time
STOP I NEVER REALIZED THAT
Awww! That’s so sweet! I never thought of it like that before 🥹
That's so cutee, I didn't think of it that way ☺️
The war happened because the prince from another country was missing, they thought that Sophie's kingdom kidnapped him for political reasons.
The movie was made based on a book and there is a lot of difference between the two, but I can only say that both are really good.
Fun Fact in the book Sophie discovered that she's a witch and Howl was from our world but he learnt magic and could travel through universes. They met when he was trying to pick up one of her sisters.
Also, you see how Sophie told Howl "Find me in the future!"? The first thing he says to her in the movie is "I was looking everywhere for you".
Beautiful
Sophie's sister was a witch, and the three siblings went their separate ways as her sister aimed to become a famous witch. Meanwhile, Howl developed a romantic interest in Sophie's sister, who rejected him, leading to Howl's obsession with her. Unbeknownst to Howl, Sophie's sister, driven by her fear of aging, was transformed into the Witch of the Waste. The evil witch, aware of her sister's fear, mistook Sophie for her sister and turned her into an old woman. Sophie, thinking she needed to find her sister, journeyed to the mountains, not realizing the mistaken identity with Howl's former love interest.
@@7snewstr I suppose the animation cut a lot of information lol. This is good to know.
Howl is always searching for Sophie
@@angelabromley3712 "Of course, Howl was always looking for Sophie; and Sophie's sister caught Howl's attention because she looked exactly like Sophie."
due to sophie going back in time to ask howl to wait for her in the future, howl literally kept on searching for her the whole time after that. he made multiple personalities, going around every place to search for sophie while making rumours about him hunting and eating the hearts of beautiful girls basically in order to keep everyone away for him and then later on found her with the words "there you are sweetheart, sorry i'm late. i was looking everywhere for you" and it's just so cool because at the start of the movie you (or atleast i did when the movie first came out) could just think that he was only lying with those words to get the weird ass guards go away by showing them that sophie wasn't alone even though in reality he actually WAS searching for her the whole time. she just didn't know that or recognize howl yet (hence all the details for example at the flower field, why she also said the flower field felt familiar even though howl had "just made it for her" as a present) and ahhh. this movie is just so beautiful overall. i could literally make a whole essay about all the details of it
My favorite feature in this scene is how Howl’s ring was glowing when he found Sophie! ❤
please do make the essay! I’d love to read it.
literally same!! i could write a whole essay on the message, the story, the tiny details and the animation details of it. god reminds me in high school when i did something like that towards studio ghibli
@@calliequeen25 Oh my gosh I hadn’t noticed that you’re right!!! The tiny details in this movie make it even better 🥹
I agree with you so much. I watched this movie entirely too late and the first thing I thought when I got to the end was: I want to watch it again. So many details fall into place and gain new meanings on rewatch and so many details to find. Beautiful work.
It's like it's so easy for Sophie to take on the identity of an old woman because it takes away all the pressures and expectations society has for young people (like having to be beautiful and finding a husband etc). It gives her this freedom to drop everything she was doing to please others (eg running her dads old shop) and follow her own path.
For me it breaks my heart when Sophie says,
"It's not all bad... your clothes finally suit you,' etc. because her embracing being an old lady right away is almost like a relief of not having to meet beauty standards and expectations anymore. She is obviously unhappy to be cursed, but she also is glad she can be treated with respect (like when a man offers to help her down the stairs) without having to be beautiful - rather, she is respected for her supposed age and the wisdom that comes with it. It's heartbreaking because it reminds me of how exhausting living up to physical beauty can be for women and how sometimes we wish we could just be invisible or turn into an old woman where people no longer expect anything of us, and we can just be.
The one thing I love most about this movie is that Sophie's curse is never broken. Howl (and eventually Sophie too) is able to see past all that and loves her anyway.
I wish more movies emphasized accepting a love interest as a whole being and not just because they're outwardly attractive.
Billy Crystal does the voice if Calcifer! 👍🏻
Oh I agree on everything but the curse absolutely does get broken. The difference is it's Sophie who's doing it. She could break the curse at any time if she rejected it. But she accepts her fate and even thinks it suits her to be old, Sophie has magic, she manifests things she believes. She's cursed until she can see herself clearly and embrace it. You'll notice her appearance also changes through the movie depending on her feelings and how she sees herself.
すごく腑に落ちる…
自分の思ってたことが言語化された
32:40 I think she said "the game is over" is because she was the one that turned the neighbouring prince into a scarecrow turnip head. So the war was her idea. Now her excuse for war is gone
agree with you too. This is why it's my favourite Ghibli movie
Seeing everyone go 😮 when the soldiers were creeping on her was very sweet. Kudos to these guys for understanding boundaries.
The funny thing is that in the book, Howl was the one creeping on her. But he stopped when he realized how truly frightened she was and offered to escort her.
4:26 The iconic 'That's my girl'🫠
I feel like that line is magic itself
I WANT A BOY LIKE HIM FR
I laughed so much over their reactions 😂😂 they all went „am I gay?“ for a second 😂
Some of my favorite quotes: “Find me in the future!” “I was looking everywhere for you.” Howl was always looking for Sophie, because time is not linear, and he saw her in his past.
“A heart is a heavy burden.” I actually want it tattooed with Sophie’s hands holding Calcifer / Howl’s heart.
Spirited Away is still my favorite Ghibli film, but HMC has to be my 2nd favorite.
Those two along with "You who swallowed a falling star, oh heartless man. Your heart shall soon belong to me" are my favorites.
@@The_Lord_of_Cryptids THAT ONE IS ALSO SO GOOOOD
tattoos are self harm but yes it's my favourite Ghibli movie too
@@naylisyazwina6836 and fortunately that's _your_ opinion.
Same!! Spirited Away first, Howl's Moving Castle second, My Neighbor Totoro third!!
The witch of the waste wanted Howl’s heart because she and Howl used to date. She knew Howl was interested in Sophie and therefore turned her into an older woman, so Howl would no longer be interested. Howl saw beyond the curse and knew it was Sophie anyway. You will notice that when Sophie gains confidence about herself in the movie, her appearance begins to change back into a young woman at times. Ironically, Sophie’s spell and Howl’s spell end up cancelling each other out eventually when she and Calcifer make a deal. He tells her that he can break her curse, if she breaks his. Howl’s spell was that he traded his heart with the star (Calcifer) and could only be set free by someone who could bring his heart back to him safely - it is hinted at a bit, when Calcifer allows Sophie to cook with him (remember Michael is 100% confused by this - because only Howl is supposed to be able to control Calcifer according to his spell). (By the way, the reason Calcifer entered into the agreement with Howl is so that he could live longer, remember he was supposed to die, but the wizards would make a deal with the dying stars by giving them their heart so they could live longer, but then they were slaves to the wizards). The point is that Sophie owns Howl’s heart because of love; at the end she is able to break both their curses by having the confidence to remove Calcifer from the witch (who is holding his heart captive literally and figuratively) and also removing his heart from Calcifer by putting it back into Howl’s own chest. This also frees Calcifer too. Basically, what breaks all the spells is true love, which doesn’t seek to control or manipulate others. It allows people to be who they are by setting others free. 🙂
I like this explanation a lot!! The thing about what true love means is just SO true 😭💕
Yeessir
As a Violinist and Cellist, Howl’s theme and music overall are so much fun to play. Makes you wanna Waltz every time.
I play it on the guitar. Makes me wish I knew how to waltz, it's such a good one.
I don’t play any instrument but I’m a great listener.. 😂😂 and honestly out of all ghibli movies I think howls moving castle has the best pieces. And ghibli has so many masterpieces in all their movies.
EVERY time. I just want to waltz around the room.
As a non-musician or dancer, I also want to dance in a way that I imagine a waltz would look like. 😂
Calcifer was voiced by Billy Crystal (you probably recognize him as Mike Wazowski from Monsters Inc)
Markl was voiced by Josh Hutcherson
WHAT
Yep I recognized him as Mike Wazowski!
From FNAF?
And Danny DeVito plays Philoctetes who trains Hercules.
@@dannywolfpero I am both baffled and amused that you said FNAF and not Hunger Games. An arguably more well known series than FNAF 😂😂
My first tattoo was a Calcifer tattoo that says "A heart's a heavy burden". This is my favourite Ghibli movie. ❤
Me too ❤❤
I have one of young Howl swallowing the star with the same line 😭💗
One of my favorite Calcifer quotes honestly, is “Here’s another curse for you… May all your bacon burn.” 😂😂💀 That one stuck with me… maybe not tat material, but I may hunt down a T-shirt with it
@@RaineBianeOHHHH that sounds so pretty 🥹🥹🥹
Sketchy soldier: "I think she's even cuter when she's scared"
Collective Gasp of Horror
I love you all 😂😂
The animation is clean because every frame is hand drawn, it’s not digitally animated, that’s the magic of studio ghibli ✨
The castle has digital elements tho
13:33 Our Drama Queen: I see no point in living if I can’t be beautiful.
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Right😂😂😂
Can't help but love him for it tho😂
It reflects much deeper stuff in our world that isn’t just the shallow reasons for this sort of behaviour. And how it conjures an entity makes sense even regarding the metaphysical knowledge about our emotions, thoughts and feelings etc that reflect things in our surroundings and past that keep repeating themselves until we learn lessons so we can better grow into better versions of ourselves.
The curse brings out the age of Sofie's soul, so when she stands up for herself and acts genuinely, the soul shows it's younger side, as opposed to the usually older attitude Sofie carries herself with
Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke, and Ponyo are my favorites out of the Ghibli movies I've seen
🫶🏻
what, you don't like
Kiki's delivery service,
the secret world of Arrietty,
Totoro,
Naussica,
the wind rises,
my neighbour the yamadas?
they are marvelous too, in Ghibli fashion, full of magic, mysteries and feelings only Ghibli can give.
i've never been able to rank Ghibli's movies. i just need them at different times.
@@tng2022favorites.. they never said they don’t like the others.. they said favorites
They are all awesome @@tng2022
@@tng2022 they never said they didn't like those movies, it's just that the ones they mentioned are they favorites. That's it
when I was a child I adored the look of this Castle. It looks so messy, colourful, there is this cosy feeling of clutter and all mechanisms kinda have steampunk vibes? I thought that one day I would have my own house with similar feeling :')
i still love this castle. it used to appear in my dreams when i was a child. it's been 20 years, now i'm an architect and this castle is still unrivaled unmatched by everything. it is steampunk! and it is so wild, alive, rugged, with raw energy. a castle with personality and soul. the way Ghibli render the metal parts of the castle makes it shimmer.
The wholesome "Oh HELL no" gasp yall did when the guard said "I think she's even cuter when she's scared".
“Howl.. Calcifer.. find me in the future” she says and what is it he says in the beginning? “Sorry I’m late, I’ve been looking everywhere for you”.
Oh I didn’t catch onto that. That’s pretty cook
Watching this, being much older, I finally get it! Another deep one to see is 'Ponyo'. I like the reactions so far 👍🙂
Ponyo is my ultimate comfort movie 🥹 so so good
i love ponyo but i think its one of the least deep ghibli movies out there. pretty surface level and lacks interesting themes to analyze. just a feel good movie and thats okay!
Thank you so much! This was a such a fun yet deep show, we are so excited to watch more movies!
I AGREEDDDD
Love ponyo but my neighbor Totoro has to be my ultimate comfort movie
4:25 Even the guys have this “Oh!” reaction to that line! 😂
I think Howl has so much rizz he'll make literally anyone have an "Oh!" reaction to that. 😂
My favorite childhood movie❤. Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away next, please.
Absolutely. Nausica of the Valley of the Wind is also great
i feel like castle in the sky is underrated‼ its so good
Spirited Away is a must!
Laputa is the greatest 😎
The best anime movie💕
I’m so happy you guys enjoyed this movie! I know lots of girls like this movie but it’s cool to see guys enjoying it too. :D Sophie is an awesome female lead!
My boyfriend introduced me to this movie! I am proposing to this man very soon
@@SaturnCrashing THATS ADORABLE!! wishing u two loads of happiness
3:51
Cannon: Dude, he sounds like Patrick Bateman
Juicy Jack: Tsk
Brig: Bombastic side eye
Juicy Jack😂
HUGE Howl/ Ghibli fan here!!! The thing I just adore about Howl’s Moving Castle is that there are new things I notice every single time I watch this movie. I’ve watched it 9 times and each time I find new elements 😂
One very important factor is that Howl’s ring will shine and guide you to the person who you think about in your heart. In the very beginning, when Howl puts his hand on Sofie’s shoulder you can see his ring sparkling, implying that he was actually searching for her since he remembered her from his childhood (when he swallowed Calcifer)!!! That’s true love right there❤️
I like how everyone's first impression to any Ghibli movie is: ANIMATION is so aesthetic. The magic of Ghibli film is that it revives our child imagination so the world feels better.
Every time I hear Howl say "That's my girl" I melt
Same
Fun fact is that Sophie is a witch, and she put that curse on herself, because she is the older sister so she fells old and ugly compared to her younger sister. Its explained in the novel and hinted in the movie.
That makes sense
Diana Wynne Jones, the author of the original book series, makes the most interesting universes you have ever seen. I am never bored reading one of her books
Ahhhh definitely watch Princess Mononoke for the more serious plot and amazing animation. Other Ghibli films I like are Spirited Away (it’s such a surreal movie literally feels like you’re getting spirited away lol), Nausicaa (older but still a good movie, something I appreciated more as an adult), and Castle in the Sky (drama filled and entertaining characters).
Other movies that are good are Summer Wars (intense fights, emotional story, cool plot), In this Corner of the World (about WW2 - like slice of life but with emotional damage), and Wolf Children (family oriented, sad movie).
I think they would really enjoy Summer Wars. That's such a fun one.
Oh yeah Markl is also voiced by young Josh Hutcherson btw
*Princess Mononoke* might become your favorites Ghibli movie because of all the themes, another great movie to see is *Sword of the Stranger* or even Cowboy Bebop: Knocking on Heavens door & *Ghost in the shell*
EVERY SINGLE *SATOSHI KON* FILM IS A CERTIFIED CLASSIC
Sword of the stranger is my all time favorite! Sooo good!
Redline, for a passion project that pretty much ruined a company and is criminally underrated
The fact that you mentioned Sword of the Stranger means you are no basic anime fan. It is a masterpiece
Arriety is so epic and underrated among the Ghibli's! Hope to see you all react to that next in the Ghblii verse
I lovee arrietty. arrietty, whisper of the heart, and the wind rises are some of my favs
You guys will absolutely love the rest of the Ghibli movies! Nausica valley ib the wind, castle in the sky, princess Monoke, spirited away, and etc. the world building is unbelievable. The soundtrack that plays when Howl swallows the star moves me to tears its so beautiful.
So happy you guys enjoyed this! Hopefully you guys continue! Merry Christmas! 💗🎊
My mother has a painting of sophie and howl over our stove in the style of monalisa and many other old paintings.
It’s a very beautiful one depicting Sophie laying on howls back and howl is flying over a forest with his wings.
Sounds like something I would do in the future 😌
Spirited Away is more beautifully enchanting and Princess Mononke has more action with its own fairytale aspect. Both are great films.
Howl’s Moving Castle is originally a Welsh story and quite a different story to the film but I like what has been done with it (even if we don’t get to see Calcifer and Howl drunkenly singing Saucpan Fach together).
Edit: Welsh flavoured story, much of its content is Welsh but I have been reminded that the author (despite having lived in Wales) is not Welsh.
Both were the biggest. Especially the events held at the theatres during their release. Even included the special features at the beginning of the films too where the man on the screen introduced the behind the scenes stuff.
Howls Moving castle was a book by Dianna Wynne Jones
@@Eggs_hatching You are right. I had thought that Wynne Jones was welsh but apparently she was born in London. She did spend a lot of her childhood in Wales though.
The fantastical elements take a lot of inspiration from Welsh folklore and the titular character is Welsh with some of the events taking place in Wales.
Castle in the Sky is also an incredible Ghibli movie with beautiful music and wholesome characters! I feel like it's a little underrated and not talked about as much as Howl's Moving Castle or Spirited Away but it's just as great and worth watching in my opinion :)
Castle in the sky is literally my fav. So magical, I wish people talked about it more
Castle in the sky has a really special vibe I agree! Same with Arietty
PLEASE i love that movie more than anything
Calcifer is voiced by Billy Crystal, not Danny Devito (Phil in Hercules).
Mike Wazowski!!
Yep, and the boy is Josh Hutcherson.
For a long time this was my favorite ghibli film. They really had a talent for making their worlds magical
This film is just legendary, I still love watching it even though 20 years passed. Howl & Sophie is such a great characters and the main soundtrack, 'Merry go round of life' is an art piece.
I love the book
Silly fact: Howell canonically played rugby in Wales and had a meet up with all the old members, came home completely drunk, and fell down the stairs.
(Chapter 20, page 374)
Another silly fact: there was a whole side plot dedicated to Sophie’s sisters Martha and Lettie body swapping so they could live out their dreams AND MICHAEL WAS A TEENAGER AND IN LOVE WITH LETTIE (Martha)
What is lovely with all of Hayao Miyazaki's movies, is that their storyline is heavily based on the emotions of the characters (that's why often they seam all over the place), but at the same time they always have deep meanings. I recommend "Spirited Away", it's quite different from "Howl's Moving Castle" maybe less romantic and more adventurous, but there's a good reason it was awarded with an Oscar.
Btw the voice actor of Markl (the child) is Josh Hutcherson when he was 12.
I'm so glad you guys ended up loving this movie! It's definitely one of my favorite Ghibli movies, but honestly, you can't go wrong with most of their movies. And yes, the English dubs for these movies are well done too. Another favorite of mine is Princess Mononoke, it's also the first Ghibli movie I ever watched when I was a kid.
OMG I AM SO EXCITED FOR U GUYS TO WATCH MORE GHIBLI MOVIES! Howls moving castle is definitely on my top 3! & I can’t believe it’s only been a year with you!! It feels like it’s been much more than that ❤ glad I was in this journey with you ❤❤❤
I think Sophie’s youth is determined on her self worth. She didn’t think she had much value or worth in the beginning, that no one would ever bother with her. Once she started to have a purpose and realized her worth and value it would break the spell
I love how at the beginning of the film Howl finds Sophie in the future just like she told him too when she saw him in the past :)
I think that Sophie changes from old to young whenever she express her love towards Howl and the whole story has to do with beauty inside and how people were thinking that beauty was only outside. But Howl fell in love with Sophie while she was an old lady and Sophie while getting to meet him and realized he was cursed to look like a " a monster". The cursed prince too who was cursed to be a scarecrow. Until someone loved him aka Sophie even though she loved him as a friend. Like the princess and the frog and beauty and the beast. Also, Howl did actually stole her heart. But not literally, only by falling in love with her, and then gave his heart ( literally) to Sophie.
Watching you guys watch this movie gives me hope for the future. I love this movie so much and watching it through your eyes was so wholesome and heartwarming. Your empathy for all the characters shows me how much progress humanity has made in just the last 2 decades. I hope you continue to watch more Studio Ghibli and share your feelings about them. Vulnerable is powerful, this was beautiful.
U guys can stop with the " anime haters" title now
Studio ghibli movies aren't really what "anime haters" think of when they think about anime. I don't care about anime, and personally don't really like much of it either, but studio ghibli films are some of my favourite.
@@AbeHopwoodGenuinely my friend, I have an anime recommendation that would hopefully be one of the few that you can say you might like!
( I would not be surprised to see that you've already seen it or at least tried to watch it )
Anything Studio Ghibli gives all of us extreme comforting vibes, and I get an amazingly comfy vibe from the anime:
"Freiren: Beyond Journey's End"
Again, don't know if it'll be your cup of tea, if you haven't seen it already, but it definitely has a different feel to it than most other anime out there imo
It went from Howl’s moving castle to Howl’s moving living room to Howl’s moving foundation.😂
The moment when Howl first meets Sophie and says, “Sorry I am late, I was looking for you everywhere.” It makes sense when you know that Sophie met Howl in the past. He was looking for her.
I don’t know if you guys will do it, but I recommend reading Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. The movie is based off of it, and the book gives more context to who Sophie is and why her curse sticks with her. Hayao Miyazaki is an amazing animator and his films are known to touch the soul. You guys would probably like Princess Mononoke, because it has more action. Many of Miyazaki’s films have a positive message. Joe Hisaishi is the music director for the films, and all of his music is fantastic. If your sister is learning the music, getting a book of Joe Hisaishi’s work would be a good start.
Did you notice that his ring was shining ?
30:14 when sophie says "you have a big heart" to the witch of the waste, it really stuck with me because the lady in the castle who taught howl (i cant remember her name) said something have the witch not having a heart (figuratively or not), but sophie said she had a big one. Thought it was sweet and such a change for the witch
The point is that people do selfish and often unkind things in an effort to achieve what they want, however, this doesn't make them a heartless person. Despite what others may say it's your actions in EVERY moment that define you not just a select few in the course of your life. Yesterday you may have hurt me for something you wanted but today you may see I want something and you're willing to help make that happen for someone outside yourself. People are strange and very few are all bad. We need to meet each other with compassion.
I remember back then I was so infatuated about howl. Movies like this are timeless. I’ve watched howls castle and the wolf children so many times.
Please watch Migi and Dali anime, has total 13 ep *It’s really good* The author passed way sadly. The same creator of sakamoto Desu ga.
This movie is tied as my favorite Ghibli film with Spirited Away.
Something I love is that when Howl says in the alley that he’s been looking everywhere for her, it wasn’t just a line on the spot to save her from the soldiers; He had actually spent years genuinely searching for her, and since whatever powers that be took Sophie to his childhood, they were destined to shape each other’s future for the better.
All in all, a lot of good messages about self-worth, confidence, and kindness. Those are the things that will bring you love and happiness. You can always rely on Studio Ghibli for that kind of positivity. ❤
Glad you guys watched Howl's moving castle, that's my top3 favorited. The next one of Ghibli I want to recommend to you is Spirited Away.😊
Can't believe they don't know spirited away
Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers!! Absolutely loved Satoshi Kon's works!!! These are really good!!
homie on the left w the glasses crying and showing his true emotions during the movie, i’m in love with you 😭
Ahh Howl's Moving Castle is such a whimsical and comforting film.
If you loved this then you're gonna love a lot of the Studio Ghibli movies. And yes, as a big fan of Japanese voice actors, a lot of their movies are really good dubbed too! Also, Howl is one of the top for many Ghibli fans! Personally, mine's Princess Mononoke but this one's up there for sure, I've watched it more than three times at this point and can never get tired of it.
Chronologically some of my personal favourite Ghibli titles I think you might like too:
- Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (classic)
- Castle in the Sky
- My Neightbour Totoro (this is pretty long and very slice-of-life-y so it's not good to watch when it's getting late or you're tired)
- Kiki's Delivery Service
- Porco Rosso
- Whisper of the Heart (a classic, it's up there with Howl, etc)
- Princess Mononoke
- Spirited Away (also a classic, along Princess Mononoke)
- The Cat Returns (a sequel to Whisper of the Heart)
- Ponyo (classic)
- Arrietty
- From Up on Poppy Hill (less fantastical than most of the ghibli movies)
- The Wind Rises (if you've seen Oppenheimer, then it's a good companion movie to that one)
I will add: before Nausicaa (which is also my favourite!) he directed a film called 'Lupin the 3rd - the castle of Cagliostro' - it's not a ghibli film and it's a simpler story style, but it's an immensely popular classic in Japan and you can see Miyazaki's style in some of the animation.
He also did a series called 'Future Boy Conan' before he delved into Nausicaa. It's free on TH-cam and you can definitely see ideas that he used in later movies.
Finally, his most recent film is called 'How do you (plural) live?' in Japan - or English title 'the boy and the heron'. I found this his trickiest film to understand, but it feels like he's transitioning to another type of movie style, and it was wonderful to watch on the big screen.
This one is definitely one of the most popular Ghibli movies, Howl is such a fan favourite. The other top 5 would be Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro, Kiki Delivery Service and also Ponyo. I'm saying this based on what merchandises are most available on the market and you can see these 5 are the most common ones. My personal fav would be Princess Mononoke, When Marnie Was There, Castle in the Sky and Arrietty. You should check the latest one too, The Boy and The Heron. Such a phenomenal movie.
From what I’ve seen, the top 3 most popular tend to be Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and Howl’s Moving Castle
When I show this to first timers, I always tell them to remember the “I’ve been looking everywhere for you” line in the beginning and by the end, I remind them and it blows their mind every time when it clicks 😂
So happy you guys are watching this! You need to watch Spirited Away, Ponyo, Princess Mononoke, and the Tale of Princess Kaguya. And almost everyone I know watched these movies in English dub (ironic since I watch anime in Japanese sub only), but English is the way to go with these. Studio Ghibli movies are AMAZING! ❤️
Love y’all’s channel crazy it’s already been a year been here since the beginning yall grew so fast cheers to many more years
oh my god, yes please more Ghibli's movies please. Spirited Away, Princess Monosuke, etc, whatever the next is, just keep bringing me that
Howl's moving castle is telling us to learn self confident. When Sophie talk to Sullivan in confident, she grow young. When she get upset with less confident, she grow old. Will you watch spirited away? It's really good too
So many iconic moments with this gang:
03:20, 03:36 : The you-don't-talk-to-women-like-that look.
Other favourite moments.
10:36
11:33
39:19
29:52
You guys did so well picking up on all those sublteties on a first watch. Predicting the plot and whatnot. It took me another watch to figure out some of those themes. Enjoyed your commentary!
Nice reference to Attack of Titan and Jujutsu Kaisen, by the way.
Howl might be my first anime crush, but Sophie's just one of my favorite characters ever. Her feeling old even as a young girl felt so relatable. She really found her place by caring for others and being love in return. It's so fulfulling (despite quite a messy plot really) & definitely my favorite Giblhi.
A lot of hayao miyazakis experience comes from world war 2. In japan. Where he draws a lot of his themes of destruction from the firebombings. Hundreds of thousands died from the fires, rather than the nuclear bombs. Signs of utter destruction.
A true classic of a story. I adore this movie. Miyazaki tells stories intuitively, not following a rigid set of logical rules. He could have included more from the book to “clarify,” but he wants to speak to the heart, rather than the head. That’s why you never get full answers-he leaves enough space for your own imagination. ☺️
What Howl meant when he said "I looked for you" at the beginning is that he was shouting "Howloo" as Sophie fell in the scene when Howl's moving castle was broken and Sophie met Calcifer, so that's why he finally found her and said that at the beginning. It's a movie with great foreshadowing.
13:33 the fact that all of them didn't laugh at this part cracked me up lmao
Most of the Ghibli movies have amazing animation even the old ones from 80-90s, the first Ghibli movie and my personal favorite is Nausicaä of the valley of the wind, its from 1984.
Im giggling at how impressed they are with the animation lol. Miyazaki has always killed it. Very fun to see chads watching a movie they wouldnt normally watch. Im glad you guys enjoyed. First time watching the channel.
Something about this movie that’s good to know, is it’s based on a book “Howl’s Moving Castle” which is something of a Satire & homage these types of fantasy stories. So a lot of things are answered in the book. There’s also not really a war in the book (Japan / Studio Ghibli are pretty anti war given WWII), & there’s another doorway they go through. I didn’t like the movie originally, but I like it now. (*spoiler* the witch of the waste dies, also Sophie has two sister - one of which marries the prince, & I don’t think her mom ever does anything treacherous - she’s mostly just absent).
Princess Mononoke or Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind would probably surprise you the most. Both are really beautiful, different types of violent, & pretty twisty plot wise.
doesn't Markl have a crush on one of her sisters too? He is a bit older in the book if i remember correctly
@@jabłecznik01 Yes he's like 15 in the book, and so is Sophie’s sister. I'm pretty sure they ended up together
@@jabłecznik01 yes! I think you’re right! I think Markl ends up with the other one, or is implied they like each other. I haven’t read the book in a bit. I need to re-read.
The kingdom that the story takes place in is Ingary. The missing prince was the king of Ingary's brother, and Madam Sulliman was based on Howls magic teacher, who gets murdered by the witch of the wast and kings head wizard, Benjamin Sulliman...Lettie ends up with wizard Sulliman, Martha, the youngest sister ends up with Howls apprentice, Michael... Howl and wizard Sulliman are from Wales.
"You're only as old as you feel,"
That was the phrase that kept coming to mind when I first watched this movie
This is my favourite Studio Ghibli movie! I watch it every year on my birthday ❤️ I love how much you guys thought through the story line and discussed the movie.
This movie is my second favorite Ghibli movie (the first being the Secret World of Arriety) especially with its soundtrack.
Also some of my favorite moments from y’all:
4:25 everyone’s “oh”👀
15:08 “Can I pet that dawg”
20:31 his little “ok” was hilarious
32:04“WOW”
Several of these songs had many rearrangements and concerts around the world. Even LIVE performances and even had soloists who played instrumentals and even did the vocal parts too for several of these GHIBLI films.
In the book howl is even whinier, a proper welsh fratboy too XD And Sophie has MAJOR anger issues XD But the main reason her confidence is so low is because in Ingary(the fictional country the story takes place in) The oldest of three is said to never amount to anything, and it's a common belief. Sophie has two younger half sisters, and she has taken that saying to heart. She's also a witch, which is hinted at in the movie but never confirmed. Although she didn't know for a long while
This movie is *so* good on rewatch. The way the old witch of the waste stares down calicifer while Sophie feeds her, and calcifier is sitting soooooo low over Howl's heart, like a dragon protecting it secret and safe down in the embers -- phenomenal.
Great reaction ! If you like animated movies, Satoshi Kon is a really good pic with Perfect Blue and Paprika that are the two main ones, which are more "adult" than Miyazaki even though his movies are incredible. Animations is a wonderful and deep world !!
Tokyo Godfathers is on my yearly Christmas movie watch list.
I want to see how they process Millenium Actress. Definitely have to do that one *before* the intense OG black swan mindfuckery experience of Perfect Blue.
I only saw it for 45 seconds and immediately clicked subscribe. :D You seem like decent guys and the previews of other videos of yours also looked promising. So THANK YOU for your tolerance. And continue to have fun with the anime. XD
You got that right about the curse. Sophie switches sometimes to her younger version cause she feels more confident at the moment and sure about her decisions, actions and her looks for example when Howl showed her the flower field she is full of joy and youth but when she starts doubting herself and she denies being pretty, she goes back to being an old woman. At the end of the movie, Sophie was ready to be assertive and move forward with her life instead of giving up, which was probably what broke the curse.
Also, this movie is based on a book written by Diana Wynne Jones. The book varies from the movie, Sophie is more feisty and Howls is more of a drama queen :D in the book it was said that Sophie also has magical abilities. She is capable of talking life into objects- she would fix Howl's coat and say aloud that its a fine piece of clothing that would attract ladies and later on thats exactly what happened. She was unaware of her powers and used them on daily basis. Thats also one of the few reasons why she doesn't change back to her younger self- since she tells herself all those sad things and doesn't think of herself as pretty, lively etc. she remains as an old lady.
Thanks for the reaction and can't wait for more!
Movie Sophie and Book Sophie are soooooo different! Movie Sophie is very sweet and compassionate and forgiving, whereas Book Sophie as you said is more feisty and can be a bit vindictive lol.
I’ve seen it said that the movie is how Howl would tell the story while the book is how Sophie would tell it.
@@sarahmillman5093 I completely agree with the last statement :D! The movie and the book have special place in my heart, its interesting that orginally Sophie and Howl are written so differently in the books and the movie but it still works out and I am not bummed out about the change. I like what Studio Ghibili did with the movie, they gave a new perspective on this story and I love that. Honestly, I could write and essay on how much I adore it, the message, the music, characters and world building :P
@@sarahmillman5093i need always to laugh. Like how dad tells the Story how He meet mom. Vs how mom tells the Story
The door dial makes a quick appearance in Spiriter Away in the tunnel/train lobby scene Chihiro and her parents stand in near the beginning of the film. It's the stained glass window.
In the books it turns out that Sophie is a witch too, and when the curse wore off it was her own magic that kept it going, as being old was easier for her I think. That's why her age goes backwards and forward, her own magic starts driving it. It's also why she could see the henchmen in the crowd when others couldnt.
Glad you loved it! It's my favorite Ghibli film. 😁
Like in life the best makeup is self-esteem. The way we feel greatly influences how we show ourselves to others and how they see us. It was great movie thanks👍
Omg I’m so glad y’all liked it!! I was so impressed at how much you guys understood on the first watch, most reactors I’ve seen are so confused lmaoo
Please do more studio ghibli! Spirited away, my neighbor totoro, and ponyo are my favs but all of their movies are great tbh
"This little mouse looks thirsty..."
*Diabolical side eye, disgusted faces, and utter shock sets in* 3:26
When they were trying to figure out the voice of calcifer, I kept screaming mike wazowski 😭😭😭
Remember if you watch Ponyo in whatever language you end up choosing must be paired with My Neighbour Totoro. Which should be watched first before Ponyo so you can recognize a certain song and lyrics but if you do indeed choose Ponyo first then listen to the intro music and watch the lyrics and the animations they change ad the song moves along. The lyrics “happy as can be. Let’s go Walking you and me” it’s basically the same song Sōsuke’s mother sang to him briefly after the whole nighttime boat thing while they were in their lighthouse home. Please don’t be afraid to show the longer versions of these movies. Millions will be here for it!
23:27: The reason Sophie's mother did that was because Madam Sulliman had her husband kidnapped and used him as ransom to make her act as a spy. Thats what she meant by "take me to my husband" when she left, cause he was only to be released once she'd done her job.
The creator of Your Name released another movie last year, Suzume. It's my second favourite anime movie now behind Howl's Moving Castle, and the soundtrack is stunning. I listen to it regularly. I believe it's only streaming on Crunchyroll at the moment, but it is well worth a watch.
im so glad y'all watched this movie!! its literally my and my mom's favorite movie, favorite film literally top on the list and I'm just so happy y'all enjoyed it too. it's incredible and definitely beautiful in all ways, the voice acting, the hand drawn animation, the story, the characters OH MY GOD EVERYTHING!! if you want more studio ghibli films i really recommend princess monoke, ponyo (my youngest sister's favorite) the wind rises (my other younger sister's favorite and mine too) the secret world of arriety (my dad's favorite plus mine lol) spirited away is a good one too!! god there's so much i want to recommend but those are top ones from my family. this was fun to watch thank you for finally watching it!!
I absolutely adore Howl's Moving Castle! My other personal Studio Ghibli and/or Miyazaki favourites are Princess Mononoke, Castle in the Sky, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, and Arietty. But honestly, I've yet to see one that I don't love. From Up on Poppy Hill, When Marnie Was There, and Whisper of the Heart are really good too. Also saw The Boy and the Heron in theatres recently and cried 3 times. Thanks for watching this great movie!
My favorite part is always that when she saw the past and Howl as a kid when he gave up his heart, she said "I know how to help you now, find me in the future", and then when Howl first finds her and saves her from those soldiers he says "There you are, I've been looking everywhere for you".
Christian Bale is great, but props to Jean Simmons and Lauren Bacall for their performances. Both are absolute Hollywood legends, and Lauren Bacall especially was great in portraying the Witch of the Waste