Japan has earned itself a reputation for creating some of the best animation in the world, and deservedly so. One animation studio in particular, studio Ghibli, has become synonymous with this quality, garnering numerous awards- including an Oscar- along the way.
Based on a book by Welsh author Diana Wynne Jones, Howl's moving castle tells the story of a young girl called Sophie who becomes intrigued by a mysterious wizard named 'Howl', resulting in an evil witch curses her, turning her into a ninety year old woman. As Sophie tries to free herself from the curse, she is lead to Howl's moving castle. From here, the real beauty of the film becomes apparent.
No matter how surreal the story gets, the emotion in the characters is always easy to identify with. This is largely due to the exquisite animation. Some people will be put off by the fact it's a cartoon but Howl's moving castle isn't a film where the story is inhibited by this. Director Hayao Miyazaki uses it to it's advantage, creating fantasy landscapes that could only ever be realised by Studio Ghibli's animation.
Being a cartoon it would be tempting to watch it dubbed, not least because the voice cast is excellent with the likes of Christian Bale and Lauren Bacall but there is something lost in the translation. Watching the film as it was intended provides a more genuine experience and one that is completely unforgettable.
