Howl's Moving Castle

Very beautiful animation, we will all agree on that, but that story… At the beginning I was satisfied and surprised; I’ve never been a fan of Japanese anime, so I was caught off-guard with how much I was enjoying Howl's Moving Castle – a nice fairytale with magic, charm and likeable characters. But somewhere around the middle, things change completely and I didn’t understand anything; I have no idea what started to happen and why. The character that up to that point was supposed to be the main villain suddenly becomes the best friend. Really, what the fuck? I don’t quite get all that praise for Miyazaki’s films. Maybe it’s because my mentality is too anchored in the west, I don’t know. 60 % (12/24/2010)

Miyazaki first got me with Spirited Away and here he confirmed his status as one of the best animators ever. In many ways, Howl’s Moving Castle and Spirited Away are similar (the look of the characters, the love motif between the girl and the supernatural being), but this is not a bad thing at all, because the director knows how to present it with elegance. If I were to compare these two Miyazaki's works, Spirited Away would win by a hair. The Witch of the Wastelands was a really interesting character and the castle itself was unique. The music and animation were a feast for the ears and eyes. This director just knows how to engage the viewer. (02/13/2010)

I can't help but like this movie the most from Miyazaki so far, where does a Princess Mononoke a.k.a. eco-agitator go? :-) No, but I just find this a beautiful story with music that suits it. My only regret is that he didn't dye his hair back in the end, he really liked the blonde one better :-)) Daisuki! I'm going to bed with a smile on my face, reassured. And I like it that way because I want to have a good night's sleep. But that doesn't belong here anymore. ;-) (05/06/2009)

What I appreciate about this film is its unpredictability. Miyazaki completely breaks the stereotype of fairy tales or fantasy stories – you have no chance to guess what will happen in the next few minutes, you are constantly surprised, the differences between bad and good characters are blurred (the one who is the embodiment of evil at the beginning can become a good friend) and all this happens without any stumbles in logic. Moreover, Miyazaki is like a small child, blessed with a vivid imagination, throwing one obscure idea after another in front of him. The film combines the classic fairy tale world with the industrial age of steam, the classic world of magic with crazy war mechanisms. The viewer's senses are so overwhelmed that the final impression sometimes teeters on the verge of being cluttered (which is my only complaint). (02/16/2012)

Miyazaki's films grab you by the hand and take you on a magical walk through an incredible landscape. He is simply a sure thing. Once again I couldn't stop gawking at the sheer amount of boundless imagination and beautiful music. The story here was perhaps even more engaging than in Spirited Away, yet as a whole it falls a little short of it. I could still use another half a teaspoon of cuteness here. Even so, it's extremely real... almost 5 stars. (09/05/2011)