Howl's Moving Castle

yoshito · Post by **yoshito** » Tue May 24, 2005 8:40 am

Wow... just saw this video and it is interesting. I really do like Miyazaki's drawings of obaasans. ^_^ Although I'm more confused now than before I started watching it. So this is just a love story? Nothing more? Think I might need to watch it again. Also is this out on DVD in Japan yet?

weyrlady · Post by **weyrlady** » Tue May 24, 2005 10:04 am

"Just" a love story? Not at all! It's a story about war and politics and misconceptions and greed! The love story holds it all together, but there's far more to it than that. ^^

You should read the book! It may help explain more of the story. as Miyazaki left out a lot of the details. Still a great movie, though. ^^

ReiTheJelly · Post by **ReiTheJelly** » Tue May 24, 2005 10:33 am

For those interested: Howl's Moving Castle is a novel by Diana Wynne Jones and was first published in 1986.

Joost · Post by **Joost** » Tue May 24, 2005 11:28 am

is based on the novel

and I also thinks its much much more than just a love story

yoshito · Post by **yoshito** » Tue May 24, 2005 12:28 pm

I knew it had to have something else in it. Miyazaki's stories always have two "meanings" at least to them. Just couldn't figure out the whole war story and how he was known to both armies... then just figured it was a story about war between two areas who were being manipulated by the same "leader" (without them knowing).

I'll have to go look for the book now, thanks.

Masako · Post by **Masako** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 4:07 pm

I just watched this in theatres (yes, in English dub) and I would have to say it tops Spirited Away by a mile.

Or maybe it's just the fangirl in me, seeing that...

Howl is drop-dead smexay!

But one question I couldn't figure out in the end was...

did she say cursed in the old-lady form? I know they showed her at the end as a normal girl with grey hair, but they did that before when she was still cursed, to make a point or set the mood. Like when they showed her normal when she slept.

Or maybe I should go to the theatres and watch it again!

Luna Hoshino · Post by **Luna Hoshino** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 11:12 pm

I was lucky enough to get to see the dub two weeks ago at a special pre-screening, and I must say that I adored it. I definitely plan on going to see it again!

I should also scan the lovely print of the castle that they gave out to the attendees-- it came in a nice black matte folder with gold lettering. Very pretty.

jcaliff · Post by **jcaliff** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 11:37 pm

I haven't seen it yet, but looking at previews and stuff it looks like the plot only vaguely resembles the book. War? The only war in the book is mentioned briefly when

we find out that one of the reasons the king needs his brother back is because he's expecting to go to war and his brother is the one with the head for strategy

Or so I seem to remember.

I can't wait to see it anyway!

kisara · Post by **kisara** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 9:07 am

Oh, yay! I'm so glad soem of you have got to see it in theaters already! I'm soooo jealous! And sooo completely excited about seeing it myself.

I'm soooo completely in-love Miyazaki. I'm tellin' ya! What a wise, wise man! And it cracked me up reading "just" in anything related to his work! That's sooo what I love about him. That he's thought to use somethinglike animation to not only create some of the most beautiful artwork you'll ever see, but also share some of the world's "great truths." He's an absolute GENIUS and I just can't say it enough!

Take Kiki's, for instance: I read something the other-day about it being brilliant because it had no villain. And I thought, "What a dope!" Of course it did! Kiki was her own villain. And the message we learn about our creative selves and what we are too the world. . . Did I say it enough already? Nope. Genius!

lol
Er. . .so. . Uh. I'm looking forward to Howl's.

Maiko · Post by **Maiko** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 9:16 am

I saw the original Japanese version the other month, and sat thru it twice for it to really sink in.

I think it is wonderful- and it has all those feel-good, whimsical themes that are the trademark of Miyazaki films. However, I feel that at times the film glossed over certain things, making it a little hard to understand for those who hadn't immersed themselves in the book before ( ie. people like me ), and that the ending was a little rushed.

Other than that, it really is heart-warming, and some scenes are wrought with such emotion that you forget these aren't real people. I was really stunned by the voice-work in the Japanese version, so I'm curious to see it in English, now. Disney is about the only company I can trust to do a bang-up job on dubbing anime in English. I really wish they would buy more anime titles outside of Studio Ghibli, as well. Besides, with the amount of popularity anime has in the States, it would probably do the company some good since it's been struggling for the past few years.

Ashura · Post by **Ashura** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 9:24 am

Yeah, I watched the Japanese version that I have. Simply Gorgeous. Can't believe that the Dub version came out as quickly as it did. Now I must find the novel. Wish me luck!

Ashura

kisara · Post by **kisara** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 11:14 am

Maiko wrote: Disney is about the only company I can trust to do a bang-up job on dubbing anime in English. I really wish they would buy more anime titles outside of Studio Ghibli, as well.

As much as I love Disney, I do think that they're being given too much credit here. The fact that the Ghibli dubs are turning-out so well is a direct result of the geniuses that comprise Ghibli making it a contracted requirement that the dubs stick to the original script.

Maiko · Post by **Maiko** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 11:21 am

kisara wrote:
As much as I love Disney, I do think that they're being given too much credit here. The fact that the Ghibli dubs are turning-out so well is a direct result of the geniuses that comprise Ghibli making it a contracted requirement that the dubs stick to the original script.

I honestly don't think it's too much credit. Even if there wasn't some heavy-duty contract that stated Disney must pay for top-dollar voice actors or adhere to certain scripting guidelines, I'm certain that Disney would do it's best to present these films in the best way possible. I think it unfair to say that Disney only does a good job because they are being forced into it by contract.

PS. Why does the general anime public squirm if people simply have something nice to say about Disney? It's something that I, as a Western Animator, will never understand.

PPS. I'm tired of editing, but that should be ex-animator, anyway. Yay for cheap animation in Singapore and getting laid off because of it.

Either way, everyone just ignore my opinions. I hate arguing over dumb things like whether or not Disney deserves credit. If anything, thanks to them, several people are finally getting to enjoy this film for the first time. A great film gets to reach the audiences that desire it and welcome it and appreciate it. And that's what really matters.

*Edit Edit Edit* Okay, had to hop out of bed for this edit, because I was just laying there thinking about it. I think your initial reaction to my post was because you felt I wasn't giving *enough* credit to Studio Ghibli for the reasons their films are such a success. If you re-read my post, you'll see that isn't the case. With the exception of a few plot hang-ups, my reception of the film was positive, as I stated in the post. And all the film's excellence is credited 100% to it's creative team. I was merely stating that Disney makes an excellent presentation of the Ghibli films.

Okay, that's it. I'm done here.

kisara · Post by **kisara** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 6:06 pm

lol

Perhaps I was a little harsh in my wording. lol Wasn't really meant to start a big debate about Disney. If you read some of my other posts around here you'll know that I'm an avid supporter of Disney and their role in animation in general.

I really just brought that up because I had been watching Kiki's and Spirited Away and actually at one point said to myself, "Wow, the differences that could have taken place if Miyazaki's original scripts had been altered." I mean, I can sit there and watch segments of both and really see where the entire meaning could have been changed into something completely different and less meaningful than what was originally intended, you know? All by changing a few lines of dialogue.

I dunno. It was one of those things that had been on my mind, so when I saw your post it just occured to me to let the thought out. The fact is, we'll never really know what might have happened if the script had not been part of the contract because, as clearly stated above, Ghibli has really been Disney's only venture into anime. It was my own opinion that, given Disney's previous work and the "moral platform" Disney usually operate from. . . I believe that some of Miyazaki's thoughts might have been altered to fit western thoughts and philosophy. And I have to believe, since there was a point to make it part of the contract, that other people thought the same as well.

naria · Post by **naria** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 7:42 pm

I really want to see this movie, but it's not playing in any theatres near me

I don't want to wait to see it on dvd. Although, isn't it only in limited release right now? Are there plans to make it wide release? I hope so