The characters are more or less stereotypical, yet their physical appearances and interactions with each other ensure a unique feel to it all. In addition to the beautiful colors, the strong and wonderfully diverse cast of characters is this film’s greatest strength. The storyline is vintage Studio Ghibli, weaving normal settings with magical elements to create a hybrid world where you know some of this stuff is implausible in reality, but you could not care less because of this amazing imaginative world that the filmmakers have created. This encounter sets off a long chain of events and encounters, as Sophie encounters a witch (whose curse on Sophie ignites the rest of the film), a talking flame, an apprentice, a scarecrow with a turnip head and of course, the enormous moving castle. Though the title suggests otherwise, Howl’s is really about Sophie, a young woman working in a hat shop who encounters a mysteriously handsome stranger in the streets one day. Yes, the mood for the most part is grim throughout the movie.
It can’t be underestimated how the wide range of colors used in this film really help things stand out even more and accentuate the fantastical aspects of this film. Studio Ghibli shows no signs of slowing down When it comes to creating gorgeous panoramic scenes, diverse character designs and finishing things off with a flourish when the colors are applied. What strikes me about Howl’s Moving Castle is just how colorful it is. While computer animation is kicking hand drawings to the curb in the U.S., it’s nice to see that the classical animation form still thrives in Japan.