“They Say That The Best Blaze Burns The Brightest When Circumstances Are At Their Worst,” the most heartfelt movie called Howl’s Moving Castle, returns to theaters after 20 years for the Studio Ghibli Fest in 2024. This movie came out on September 23, 2004, and based on a movie critic by Micheal Wilmington, it is “perfect for anyone with a youthful heart and a rich imagination.” Before viewing, this narrative follows Sophie, a teenage girl cursed as an adult woman and forced to work as a maid for a dreaded wizard named Howl and his young apprentice in a magical moving castle. Later in the tale, we see her embrace it. This fantasy film is a tale full of loss, love, and the value of finding family among friends, all directed by the genius Hayao Miyazaki. 

It all starts in the small town of Market Chipping in the kingdom of Ingary with a young woman named Sophie. She has long brown hair twisted in a braid and a green-colored dress and works in a hat shop. She starts the day by leaving the house to meet her sister, Lettie. As she walks, she meets the main love interest, Howl, who helps her from these two guards talking to Sophie. After her encounter, she returns home and meets the Witch of the Waste, who transforms her into a 90-year-old woman out of jealousy. Once she looked in the mirror, we began to freak out and go to bed, hoping it was a bad dream. The next day, as she looked in the mirror, she realized it wasn’t a dream and that she couldn’t stay home anymore. Walking out of town, she met this living scarecrow stuck in the bush and decided to help it get out. She later gave it the name “turnip head.” While searching for a place to stay, she asks the scarecrow to help her find a place, and later leads her to Howl’s Moving Castle without an invitation. As soon as she enters, we are introduced to Markl, who is Howl’s apprentice, and then the main source moving the castle, Calcifier, the fire demon. He knew right away that Sophie had a curse and gave her the offer that he could break her curse if she broke the tie with Howl. From that day on, she disguises herself as the new cleaning lady when Howl returns from wherever he comes from.

This story takes place during a war caused by the missing prince, so the king wanted Howl to come and help fight. The issue is Howl’s a coward and doesn’t want to do so, so he sends Sophie to meet the king as his mother and tells him that he can’t do it. Before she leaves, Howl gives her this magical ring to guarantee her safety and return to Calcifer. As she arrives, she meets up with the Wicked Witch of the Waste, who Suliman, the King’s witch, drains all her powers as a punishment. Due to this punishment, she returned to her true age and appearance. When it was Sophie’s turn, Suliman warned her that Howl would meet the same fate if he didn’t fight for the king. As Suliman later figures out that she isn’t truly his mother, Howl comes and rescues her from the palace. Though it was instead a close one because Suliman attempted to trap him by revealing his true form, with Sophie’s help, he remembers himself and avoids the same fate as the witch of the Waste and Flead. Following that event, it was decided that the soldiers would search for him at every location he lived in, such as Pendragon and Jenkins. Still, luckily, because of the magical door that helped them move locations, the buildings looked abandoned.

Later, Sophie realizes it is harder for Howl to return to his human form from being a bird and fight on both sides of the war. This leads to more issues in the story, including insecurity, Howl’s curse, and war, which the whole group and Sophie must solve. I recommend watching this movie, though I can’t describe the entire plot; that’s what makes this film so interesting. It’ll make you fall in love with every character, even the ones you may not like initially.  More deep into the characters, you see Sophie and Howl move past their appearances and learn to love each other inside and out, whether they’re old or young, which makes this screenplay so beautiful to watch amongst your family.  It’s movie is one of my favorite comfort movies as it focuses more on meditation than filled with action. Watch this movie while it’s out because watching this masterpiece will be worth all your money.