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Howl's Moving Castle is a revolutionary masterpiece that defies common plot structure and character development techniques. As a result, some people mistake a number of its best traits for flaws.

Story: 10

The story is a “typical” Hayao Miyazaki female coming-of-age plot (if you can call anything that Miyazaki does as typical), and has an air of magic and wonderment very like a fairytale. His extensive use of metaphors and symbolism, as is typical of much of his work, leaves the viewer feeling that the movie is extremely thought provoking. The themes he addresses, love, war, forgiveness, self-confidence and self-deprecation, are all explored multi-facetedly ... and in great depth. At the same time, rarely is anything specific mentioned that drives the reader to a certain conclusion. What Miyazaki does instead is present facts in abstract ways that leave a sense of wonderment and encourages each viewer to come up with their own conclusions about each subject.
One of the unique features of this story is that, at times, the story doesn't appear to make sense. Usually, that would mean that the story is lacking or not fully developed; however, in the case of Howl’s Moving Castle, it actually enhances the charm and beauty of the story. The mysterious and sometimes confusing reaction it creates will leave you thinking about the movie long after you are finished watching it. Another characteristic of the story is its pacing, which may appear at times to be disjointed or questionable, but upon further reflection, actually adds a little bit of reality to this otherwise fantastical masterpiece.

Art: 10 (Sound and Animation)
Flawless. Perfect. Intricate. Amazing. Everyone should watch this at least once, even if it is only for the art.

Character: 10
Howl’s Moving Castle definitely has some unconventional, albeit amazing, character development. There is very little back-story of the supporting characters, and even some of the main characters have much less back-story than usual. Instead of the movie focusing on the characters history, it focuses much more on their souls. You get to know the characters simply by the actions they take, what they say, and the way they act and react. Again, this method adds a touch of realism to the magic of the story.


Enjoyment: 10
It is a true work of art, and one of my favorites.

Overall: 10
I'll say it again, this is not your traditional story. It leaves you wondering "what was that about?" and "How did that happen?" at some parts. Some people think that this detracts from the movies quality. I, on the other hand, think that it is the true genius of this movie. I would definitely recommend this to everyone, but would also suggest leaving any expectations you might have on how a story should be aside, and let yourself take this masterpiece in with a clear mind.