Howl’s Moving Castle

This movie made me cry, and I DO want to talk about it.

After somehow avoiding Ghibli movies my entire life, I finally watched one. Bestie H LOOOOOVES howls, and I’ve heard them talk about it constantly for years. A theater in our town was showing it, and they asked me to go. It was very spontaneous for me lol. Before I get ahead of myself, I would like to add that I have read sooo much about this movie in the past few days.These were the themes that stood out the most to me. Particularly the adulthood part, and how it sucks. Starting with Sophie, beloved Sophie. In the beginning of the film, she seems uninspired by her life. She stays working in the hat shop because it’s the best option for her. If you’ve watched this movie, which it’d be weird if you hadn’t and are reading this but whatever, you know how women are treated by men. That’s actually how Sophie comes to meet Howl. (Bless him). When she’s cursed, she accepts it quickly. Jumping straight from adolescence to elderly life seems jarring, but Sophie embraces it. She leaves the hat shop, and is free. Kinda.

Moving onto Howl, he has quite the opposite experience. This man has like eight million chips on his shoulders. When we first get into the castle, Sophie learns of the many faces that it wears. Howl is like 5 different people, at least. He thinks he can solve all of the problems in his world by himself, whilst not wanting the responsibilities of adulthood. He effectively burns himself up in the process. His journey juxtaposes Sophie’s. Sophie seems to enjoy her new found age, while Howl is childish and does not want to change. All of the other wizards in the film do as they are told and end up losing themselves anyways, and Howl is on that path, too. Destruction is always self-destruction too. Regardless of how much magic you dump on top of the truth, the truth remains. Howl’s meltdown, that would’ve put sixteen year old me to shame, reveals a lot about his internal struggles. He loves his power, but he is terrified of losing control. He loves his family deeply, but is terrified of being unloved. He believes that he can solve the war by himself. But in the same way that Calcifer’s fire can be helpful and warm, it can also burn the castle to the ground.

Calcifer and the Castle! These characters, yes the castle is a character, also experience similar struggles to Sophie and Howl. More literally, their battle is essentially, “can I fundamentally change, and still be myself”, which DAMN. Ouchie. But real!! The only constant is change, and of course we’re still ourselves through it, but I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t a thought and fear I’ve had. Both the castle and Calcifer grow, change, and suffer. And they both survive. Differently, but better. And that’s life, baybeee!

Our beloved characters go through so much change. We start by believing that the options are: grow up and be awful, or don’t grow up. They only find their peace after redefining growth and adulthood for themselves. What is worth fighting for, what is worth yielding for, what family and community really means are battles we all must face eventually. Or grow up and be awful. Don’t be that guy.

SPEAKING OF A GUY. Turnip head/prince SHOCKED me. My jaw was on the FLOOR. I genuinely thought that Markl was the long lost prince. Didn’t expect it to be the sentient scarecrow. Also didn’t expect him to be in love with our girl Soph, but I can’t blame him.

I am very excited to continue down the Ghibli rabbit hole, Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke are next on my list. Wish me luck, and send me your thoughts on the movie!