Howl's Moving Castle

Rating: 10/10 (7 March 2007)

This is a Miyazaki film but not his story, rather a story he took on for a colleague. We have Sophie, a young girl in an early 20th-century-esque war-torn country who gets cursed by a witch to turn into an old hag. To break the curse, she seeks out Howl -a powerful wizard- and his mobile magical castle. Also dwelling there are the fire demon Calcifer (which also holds Howl's heart), and a young boy learning magic. As the story goes, Sophie and Howl fall in love with each other while trying to thwart the witch's curse on Sophie and somehow restore Howl's heart without destroying both him and Calcifer. This is a really touching love story and well worth watching how the supporting characters, magic, and vivid environment bring Howl and Sophie together.