Howl’s Moving Castle: 15 Most Memorable Quotes, Ranked

Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) is an animation by Studio Ghibli led by the fascinating story of Hayao Miyazaki. The plot follows Sophie, an apprentice in a hat shop, whose fateful encounter with the Witch of Moor turns her into an old woman. Sophie embarks on a journey to break the curse and finds herself accompanied by Grand Wizard Hal Pendragon, Fire Demon Calcifer, and Hal’s apprentice, Markle.

The film holds a special place in many people’s hearts because of its wit, beauty, and intricate characters, illustrated with many memorable quotes. Based on the novel of the same name by Diana Wayne Jones, the story is fascinating and full of magic.

Updated by Stacie Rook on September 22, 2022:

Howl .’s Moving Castle Still one of Studio Ghibli’s most beloved creations to this day, Ghibli fans will be able to experience the magic of their movies in a whole new way when Ghibli Theme Park opens in Japan this November. The first images from the park (according to The Japan Times) show installations involving beloved characters such as My Neighbor Totoro and Faceless, and the experience seems as memorable as the sayings. best of the studio.

“Isn’t it bad now? The figure isn’t bad, the clothes finally fit.”

Sophie

No matter how dire and unbelievable her situation becomes, Sophie maintains her no-nonsense attitude and it’s hard not to be caught by her infectious spirit.

After all, she accepted being an old woman very well, and even though she had no one to help her break the curse, not know how to break it, or even know where to go, she still looked for it with optimism. . begin. As she points out, she prepared in many ways for her later years, and her relentless sense of humor gives her an inspiring introduction to her personality.

“Nice to meet you, even though you’re my least favorite vegetable.”

Sophie, to the top of the carrot

one of the cutest characters Howl .’s Moving CastleCarrothead says nothing until the end of the story, but he reappears throughout the story, helping Sophie when she needs it.

Sophie finds and saves Carrothead in the wilderness, freeing him from a precarious fate. As the story begins, they seem to have parted forever, Sophie says goodbye to him warmly and joyfully, but she doesn’t know that he will play a larger role in the course of the story. story.

“It’s not good for the table.”

howl

Not long after Sophie arrives at her moving castle, Howl quickly realizes that she has something in her pocket that the Wizard of Moor has secretly placed there. It was a small piece of paper with some kind of spell written on it, and Hal read it out loud.

Then, the paper burned a spell on the wooden surface of the table, rejecting Hal’s arbitrary answer, showing his tendency to take things lightly, even when he was faced with something serious, and as menacing as a witch’s spell.

“I can’t stand fire and gunpowder. Those idiots have no manners.”

calcification method

Talking about the war setting throughout the story, Hal and Calcifer express their distaste for the conflict and show no loyalty to anyone.

Calcifer’s quote here clearly shows his and Howl’s attitude towards barbarism, a statement that contrasts the pair with the many other wizards who have joined the war and are ready to transform themselves into monsters.

“One thing you can always count on is a change of heart.”

prince justin

That line comes from Justin Prince, right at the end of the movie, after the heart has been – literally – mended, and it fits the mood of the ending perfectly.

This comes after the turnip head is revealed to be, in fact, the missing prince Justin who started the story’s fight, and shows that he’s willing to quickly accept it, even if he is transformed back into human form by true love – from a kiss from Sophie, whom she herself loves On Hal.

“I wonder what Hal is disguised as? Of course he’s not a crow, nor can he be a dove, he’s too pompous.”

Sophie

Sophie’s blunt demeanor is just a glimpse of the confidence she’s becoming as the series progresses. Sophie went from being docile and being compared to a mouse to someone who didn’t care what strangers thought of her. When Hal was about to send Sophie to see Mrs. Suliman, Hal told her that he would follow her in disguise.

Sophie spends most of her trip to the palace thinking about Howl, and her monologue shows that she got the sorcerer right during their time together.

“It’s not easy getting older.”

Sophie

This particular line is not from the dubbed version of the film, but from the original English subtitles. Sophie walked slowly with her back arched and her knees creaking, and suddenly she looked seventy years old.

This line summarizes one of the Howl .’s Moving Castle Topics, treatments and perceptions of older adults. As a small detail in the film, Sophie can say that getting older isn’t easy, but in the end she doesn’t mind it because she finds that the transformation gives her more freedom to move and feel receive yourself.

“Looks like everyone in this family has problems.”

howl

When Carrothead shows up to help Markle and Sophie pull the rubble out of the castle, Hal says they have a new member to the family. He was able to spot some powerful magic around turnip heads, and of course he was right.

This line shows both Hal’s keen magical talent and how people with magical difficulties are attracted to Hal in various ways, as the whole family finds solace in being together at the end of the film. .

“I give up. If it is not beautiful, I feel that life is meaningless.”

howl

As Sophie continued her cleaning, she mostly ignored Hal’s pleas that she not touch the many potions he had in the bathroom. Sophie’s actions led to a magical chaos that made Howl’s hair stand on end.

Hal considers it a complete disaster, and exclaims how hopeless he feels now that his appearance isn’t quite what he expected. The fact that Hal reacts so strongly to what is really a minor annoyance reveals a conceited side of him, an exaggerated quality deep within him.

“They say the best fire burns brightest when things are at their worst.”

Sophie, go to Calcifer

One of Studio Ghibli’s best non-human characters, Calcifer won’t bow to anyone but Hal. He had Hal’s heart, and Hal saved his life, bringing them together. Sophie is the only one who can save them, but she constantly reminds Calcifer of her own strength.

While she’s referring to Calcifer’s literal fire in this sentence, it’s also relevant to the larger movie, as many of the characters in the story find themselves in a predicament from which the only way out. Theirs is to prove themselves and they do so by playing Personal. advantage to do this.

“He’s calling Dark Souls… I’ve seen him do that before when a girl dumped him!”

Markle, to Sophie

Sophie plays with Howl’s beauty potion while cleaning the bathroom, and Howl says she’s gone too far. He started going into a rage and green slime started coming out of him as if he was melting. It converges everywhere in the castle and Markl’s quote explains that it’s not a new phenomenon.

However, that is nothing compared to Hal’s behavior in the book. Howl’s groans led to the evacuation of the entire town, and he caught a cold, which to him meant he was dying of abandonment and boredom. Although this Howl .’s Moving Castle Unable to adapt scenes from the book, and the movie version still portrays Hal’s tragic nature well.

“After the war, they don’t remember that they are human.”

howl

War is an important part of the film’s plot and rarely occurs in the novel. In the movie, Hal is called to battle by the king. Surrounded by things beyond his control, Hal appears as a coward evading his duties.

This war is a war fought with the superficial intentions of a ruthless leader. Howl had nothing to fight for, and he worried that he would lose himself in pointless battles like the other mages. The presence of war in the film adds a new dimension to Hal’s character, raising the question of duty.

“Darling, I’m so sorry, I’m late, I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

tru sophie

Many fans love this line, it’s the first line Hal utters in the movie. When they first met, Hal approached Sophie while she was being talked to by two men. Hal appears behind Sophie and says that he is looking for her everywhere.

At first it seemed like it was just Hal’s way of getting the men to back off, but it turns out that Hal actually meant it, as Sophie once came to him when he caught a meteor and told him to find it. her in the future.

“Here’s another curse for you – burn all your bacon.”

Calcifer for Sophie

No one wants to succumb to the curse, Calcifer is a savage fire demon. He said this while Sophie was making breakfast over his fire, overwhelming him momentarily.

Sophie’s ability to handle Calcifer early hints at the relationship she and Howl shared later. The relationship between Sophie and Calcifer represents not only the relationship between the two, but also the relationship between Sophie and Calcifer’s Howling Heart.

“A heart is a burden.”

sophie tru

perhaps the most memorable Howl .’s Moving Castle The quote is Sophie’s saying, “The heart is a burden,” she said as she put Howl’s heart back into his chest. When he woke up, Hal said he felt very bad, like there was a weight on his chest, which he was not used to and hadn’t had in years.

With all the curses in the movie broken at this point, Sophie, Hal, and Calcifer may be entering a new phase in their lives, but the quote is a reminder that such changes are. It will take some getting used to.