Product Review

Howl's Moving Castle is a 2004 Japanese animated fantasy film scripted and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Sophie, an eighteen-year-old hatter, encounters a mysterious and powerful wizard named Howl on her way to visit her sister Lettie. Upon returning, she meets The Witch of the Waste, who transforms her into a ninety-year-old woman and cannot tell anyone about it. Seeking a cure for the spell, Sophie travels to the Wastes and encounters a living scarecrow whom she names "Turnip Head," who leads her to Howl's castle. There, she meets Howl's young apprentice, Markl, and the fire-demon Calcifer, who is the source of the castle's energy and magic. When Howl appears, Sophie announces that Calcifer has hired her as a cleaning lady for the house.