best Studio Ghibli films of all time, with a glowing reputation that precedes it. Created by acclaimed director, Hayao Miyazaki, the 2004 animated film is a piece of anime history, attracting fans worldwide with its dreamy visuals, lifelike characters, and complex plot. Over 20 years after its initial release, Howl's Moving Castle is still captivating viewers.
The most involved fans of Miyazaki's masterpiece may believe that they know everything there is to know about the film, but a recent Reddit thread has compiled some little-known tidbits of information about the movie's production, the inspiration behind it, and other details related to the cinematic gem. Howl's Moving Castle is a true work of art, and the detailed process of its creation is fascinating, as proven by these more obscure secrets about the movie.
8 Howl's Moving Castle is Based on a 1986 Novel
The Original Story Was Written by Diana Wynne Jones, a Welsh Author
The source material that inspired Howl's Moving Castle was actually a novel by a Welsh author named Diana Wynne Jones. Although the movie does not copy the book exactly, since Miyazaki likes to weave his own creativity and storytelling into all of his works, many of the characters and the concept of Howl's castle came from Diana's original novel. Howl's Moving Castle is actually a part of a larger series of three books: Howl's Moving Castle, House of Many Ways, and Castle in the Air.
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The general plot of the Howl's Moving Castle film is quite similar to the book. However, there are some key differences in the movie that are not present in the book, such as some name changes for the sake of pronunciation in different languages (Michael in the book became Markl in the film), different characterization for some of the characters, and overall, a slightly more upbeat feel. Both of these pieces of media are masterfully crafted, and the Howl's Moving Castle film would never have existed without Jones's book that started it all.
7 Howl's Moving Castle Almost Had a Different Director
Mamoru Hosoda, a Toei Animation Director, Almost Directed the Film, But Left Due to Creative Differences
It is almost impossible to imagine a world in which Howl's Moving Castle was directed by anyone other than Hayao Miyazaki, but this was almost a reality. Mamoru Hosoda was originally chosen as Howl's Moving Castle's director, but later left the project due to creative differences and was replaced by Hayao Miyazaki. Hosoda is another accomplished film director of Miyazaki's caliber, with a filmography that includes Digimon: The Movie, The Boy and the Beast, Summer Wars, Wolf Children, and One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island.
Mamrou Hosoda is an extremely talented director, but Studio Ghibli executives determined that his ideas and style were not the right fit for the project and chose to go in a different direction with the help of Hayao Miyazaki. Miyazaki and Hosoda's stylistic choices and screenwriting styles are both wonderful, but completely distinctive, so if Hosoda had produced the film, it would be nothing like the Howl's Moving Castle fans know today. Although it would have been interesting to see Hosoda's take on the story, Studio Ghibli was looking for the type of storytelling Miyazaki is famous for.
6 The Novel's Author, Diana Wynne Jones, Loves the Howl's Movie Castle Film
Although it Includes Notable Differences From the Source Material, Jones Still Adores Miyazaki's Interpretation
Diana Wynne Jones, the author of the story that Miyazaki was motivated by, has seen the movie herself, and offers nothing but praise for the way Studio Ghibli adapted her work. Although she did acknowledge the differences that can be seen when comparing the novel with the film, she was in favor of these changes and appreciated the uniqueness of the cinematic retelling of the tale she had written. Adapting written words to video is no easy task, but Jones was impressed by how well Studio Ghibli handled the endeavor.
“It's fantastic. No, I have no input—I write books, not films. Yes, it will be different from the book—in fact it's likely to be very different, but that's as it should be. It will still be a fantastic film." - Diana Wynne Jones, author of Howl's Movie Castle
The author did offer one piece of commentary, explaining that Miyazaki's take on the moving castle was a bit different from how she had initially pictured it while writing. In her mind, Howl's massive fortress was not held up by "legs" like in Miyazaki's interpretation, it was simply floating in the air. However, she welcomed this adjustment to the lore of her story and even complimented Miyazaki's innovative idea.
5 Howl's Moving Castle is Hayao Miyazaki's Favorite Movie He Has Created
Out of All of His Movies, Howl's Moving Castle is the One Miyazaki Adores the Most
Miyazaki has quite an impressive filmography, including films like Nausicää of the Valley of the Wind, Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Ponyo, Arrietty, and The Boy and The Heron. He has been making animated works of art since 1963 and shows no signs of slowing down, with his most recent movie, The Boy and the Heron, appearing in theaters in December 2023.
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Out of all these hit movies though, Howl's Moving Castle is his self-proclaimed favorite. In an interview, Miyazaki made it known that Howl's Moving Castle has a special place in his heart, and as one of his most popular and memorable films, it is no surprise that the director holds this particular work in such high regard.
4 Howl's Moving Castle is Award-Winning
The Film Even Received Four Different Awards During the Same Awards Show In 2005
Howl's Moving Castle has not just been recognized by its watchers as a masterpiece, it has received a number of prestigious awards from various organizations over the years. At the Tokyo Anime Awards in 2005, it earned Animation Of The Year, and it was awarded the Best Animated Film by the New York Film Critics Circle. Its gorgeous musical score by Joe Hisashi also earned similar achievements, such as Best Music at the 2005 Tokyo Anime Awards and Best Original Score from the Los Angeles Film Critics.
What Happened To Howl & Sophie After Howl's Moving Castle
Studio Ghibli's Howl's Moving Castle ended when Howl regained his heart, and Sophie's curse was broken, but their stories continued in the books.
Hayao Miyazaki was named Best Director at the 2005 Tokyo Anime Awards, meaning that, including Chieko Baisho's win for Best Voice Actor/Actress, the film won four different awards at the same show during the same year. This is a remarkable feat and just goes to show the cultural influence Howl's Moving Castle has had.
3 Characters' Names Were Changed Due to Different Translations and Creative Choices
Names Like Howl, Markl, and Fanny Vary Between Adaptations of the Film and the Book
There are a number of differences between Diana Wynne Jones's original Howl's Moving Castle novel and Hayao Miyazaki's film adaptation, but some of the most obvious are the name changes of a few prominent characters in the story. One of the most notable is Markl, Howl's apprentice, who was originally known as Michael in Wynne's novel. Sophie's mother, Fanny, was also changed to Honey in the movie's accompanying art book.
Howl Pendragon's name also changes in a couple of versions of the film. It is "Hauro" in the German version and "Hauru" in the Japanese version, for example. Some of these adjustments can be attributed to translation differences, while others were intentionally chosen to better fit the language of that particular version of the film.
2 Howl's Moving Castle Contains Anti-War Themes
Miyazaki Was Against the U.S. Invasion of Iraq, Which Occurred One Year Before the Film Released
Hayao Miyazaki has spoken in interviews about the anti-war messages in Howl's Moving Castle that seem to be woven into the film's story. In one interview on nausicaa.net, Miyazaki did not note that he "did not deliberately try to deliver any educational ideologies or messages to the audience," but rather told his story the way he intended to and these anti-war sentiments were a natural byproduct.
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Although Miyazaki may not have gone into creating Howl's Moving Castle with the intention of writing an anti-war piece, it does appear to contain some of these elements. Another lesser-known fact about Miyazaki is that he was against the United States' invasion of Iraq in 2003, and this viewpoint was also reflected through Howl's Moving Castle's messages. Since the film came out in 2004, one year after the conflict, the themes in Howl's Moving Castle were more relevant than ever.
1 Miyazaki Came Out of Retirement to Create Howl's Moving Castle
The Filmmaker Has Retired a Few Times, But Continually Returns For New and Inspiring Projects
On a few separate occasions, Miyazaki has retired from filmmaking, but each time, a ion project has led to his return to the industry. When he encountered the story of Howl's Moving Castle, he was eager to make the film, even though he was technically retired at the time. He spoke about this experience in an interview as well, explaining why he felt it would be a missed opportunity if he did not create the Howl's Moving Castle film.
“Although I have thought about leaving the world of animation for many times, whenever I see a piece of work that I really like, I would naturally want it to express it in my own ideas. When I hand it to the others, I always think about how this and that should be done. At last, I feel that it will be better if I take up the work myself. In order to bring out the original spirit of the work, I can only return.” - Hayao Miyazaki
Miyazaki was inspired by Jones's original novel and wanted to bring it to life himself, adding his own unique creativity to the author's intriguing story. He briefly considered allowing someone else to take on the Howl's Moving Castle project, but ultimately decided that in order for him to make the film he wanted, the work had to be completed by him. In Miyazaki's own words, "in order to bring out the original spirit of the work, I can only return."
Reddit: r/ThatOtherGuy80 on Reddit, Nausicaa.net (1),(2)
Howl's Moving Castle
- Release Date
- September 9, 2004
- Runtime
- 119 minutes
- Director
- Hayao Miyazaki
Cast
Chieko BaishoSophie (voice)-
Takuya KimuraHowl (voice)
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Diana Wynne Jones
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