It has a production team of artists that are absolutely passionate about what they’re creating, a storyteller who cares about the story he’s writing. This is a film that has messages to send forward, it has motivations behind it that are true and pure. So to conclude this review, Howl’s Moving Castle is Hayao Miyazaki’s favorite film that he’s ever created, and for very good reason too. The one thing I have to say to sum the soundtrack up is, Joe Hisashi and Hayao Miyazaki working together have always lead to a visually and sonically profound experience unlike anything else. The soundtrack is phenomenal there isn’t much to complain about the soundtrack as I can still hear the jingles and the piano themes from a Walk in the Skies. It has one of the most popular voice acting casts in the US dub of the film, along with some of the best Japanese voice actors in the original Japanese voice-over. The voice acting in Howl’s Moving Castle is exceptional, to say the least. It’s a film that requires all senses to be sharp for the full experience. The characters are distinctly made each one is memorable and different in their art style. The film’s art is so beautiful that you can almost envision yourself within its world you can smell it just from visualizing. There’s an aura in the way the skies are shown here, or the way the seas glisten, the way wind swoops in and goes through anything in its path. In terms of the overall art direction and animation in Howl’s Moving Castle, the only way I can describe this film is through the term ‘fragrant’.

It’s a film full of metaphorical themes that fill it with amazing content that is a bit mature for a children’s film. Not to mention, it also has themes of feminism and aging, both of which go hand in hand here as Sophie’s not just a woman, she’s a woman who is aging rapidly. Howl’s shown as a freedom fighter, fighting for the king’s resistance. The film has a strong message of anti-war circulating within it, as he was one of the few people who heavily opposed the United States’ invasion of Iraq in 2003. Miyazaki makes a statement with Howl’s Moving Castle, showcasing that he’s an artist unlike any other. Howl takes all of this up a notch, by making the film center on the main magician as its hero. There are of course elements such as magic, amazement, and absolute wonder that are always ever-present in any Miyazaki film.

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