Howl’s Moving Castle, Studio Ghibli’s 2004 animated film, which became one of the studio’s most popular films. The story follows Sophie, an apprentice in her family’s hat shop who, after being cursed by the fearsome Moor witch and transformed into an old woman, stumbles upon Howl’s enchanted castle. to search for answers.
However, some fans may be surprised to learn that Miyazaki’s masterpiece is actually based on British author Diana Wynne Jones’ 1986 novel of the same name, about Hal, the first of three novels. novels featuring Sophie Tales. While transferring the weirdness of the original books to the screen, the film made many changes that set the two works apart in several key points.
Updated by Stacie Rook on December 27, 2022: How Do You Live, Studio Ghibli’s next upcoming film, is similar to many of the studio’s other works in that it was inspired by a book . After years of work, Miyazaki’s film finally has a Japanese release date of July 14, 2023. (via ScreenRant.)
Contents
Sophie’s family
In the film Howl .’s Moving Castle, Sophie has a younger sister, Lettie, who is an apprentice at Cesari’s bakery. However, in the novel, it is important that Sophie is the eldest of three children, in addition to having two younger sisters, Letty and Martha.
In Ingaree, the setting of the book, it’s unfortunate to be the eldest of three children, so Sophie’s sisters have a much better outlook than her. That was why Sophie was content to stay as an apprentice in the hat shop, and why she was so calm when the witch enchanted her, feeling that fate had caught up with her.
Mrs. Suliman
In the Studio Ghibli films, Madame Suliman is the key villain. She is the chief sorceress at the King’s Court and Howl’s magical mentor. The film Suliman is a combination of the characters from the two books. The first is Mrs. Pentstemmon, Howl’s mentor – she’s not evil – but warns Sophie about the evil that can take root in Howl. She was murdered by the Wild Witch, a scene from the book that couldn’t be made into a movie.
The second is the sorcerer Benjamin Suliman, the king’s sorcerer, who is sent on a mission into the wilderness when a witch threatens the king’s daughter. After months of persuading the king to let him go, Prince Justin went looking for him. Contrary to their film personalities, neither Mrs. Penterstrom nor Suliman are malicious.
Prince’s spell
In the film, Prince Justin falls under a spell that turns him into a scarecrow, named Carrothead by old Sophie. Justin’s curse is broken by a kiss of true love at the end of the film, and he sets out to stop the war.
However, in the novel, Carrot Head is not a prince and each character exists independently. Instead, the spell on the prince was far more terrifying, as he was used as part of the Wild Witch’s plan to create the perfect creature. Given the length of the film, this plot simplification makes sense, and it ultimately makes Carrothead a much more important character.
war
shows that some fantasy film adaptations are not the same as the originals and that war is a very real threat in the world. Howl .’s Moving Castle Movie, it’s an important part of the plot. Howl himself is often in the sky fighting other mages who have joined the dark side, while he tries to stop himself from following the same path.
In the book, however, war is not at the heart of the plot. Instead, it just mentioned that it was coming, which is why the King needed to find Prince Justin and bring him home. The novel’s version of Howl is not a soldier, but rather uses his guitar to attract women and ward off the Wild Witch.
black gate entrance
In the film, Howl’s castle’s black doors reveal secrets about Howl’s past, showing how ruthless he has become; He gave his heart and saved a meteor that didn’t want to die. In the film, Sophie witnessed all of this with her own eyes, but the location of the door was completely different than in the novel.
In the book, the black gate takes Hal and Sophie to the place Howl grew up, Wales. The real-world location exists in another world outside of Sophie’s home world, making for an interesting and entertaining sequence. Hal’s true identity in the novel is simply Howell Jenkins, a member of the rugby club, along with a sister, niece, and nephew.
tick
in novels Howl .’s Moving Castle, Markl changed his name to Michael. Having lived with Hal and Calcifer as a child after his parents died, he had nowhere else to go. Initially, Michael slept at the entrance to Hal’s house because he knew it was safe there, but Hal soon brought him in.
Michael is fifteen years old in the book and is in love with Sophie’s youngest sister, Martha. However, since Martha doesn’t exist in the film, it’s understandable that Michael’s choice to change the role to a young boy named Markle.
The appearance of Calcifer
One of Studio Ghibli’s loveliest characters, Calcifer’s orange fireball has become iconic, but Howl .’s Moving Castle Book.
While Calcifer’s appearance was subtly altered from some of the major plot points that were changed in the adaptation, it did change the overall feelings of the character. The novel’s description of Calcifer states that the fire demon is green, blue, and purple, with sharp teeth formed from fire. In contrast, the movie version of the character is much more approachable, presenting his comedic role.
sophie’s power
Although the Studio Ghibli film hints at Sophie having magical abilities, it doesn’t explicitly say so. In the book, on the other hand, Lady Pentstemmon tells Sophie that her magical powers can break the link between Howl and his fire demon, and that she can transform life into anything. Sophie talks to the hats she designs, making them conform to certain truths, such as the fact that their owners are married to royalty.
The novel also recounts Sophie’s life with a scarecrow she calls Turnip Head and a walking stick she finds that will become a magic wand. She is also the only one who can break the pact between Calcifer and Hal without killing them. The novel also explains that Sophie was able to keep the Witch of the Moor’s spell for herself from sheer stubbornness despite Howl’s efforts to undo it.
wild witch
Studio Ghibli has a number of movies based on books and comics, and so it’s used to adapt existing stories to suit the stories the studio wants to tell. The Witch of the Wild is a prime example. In the film, the Witch of the Badlands wanted to pursue Howl’s heart, but her magical powers were taken away by Madam Suliman. She is then taken back to Howl’s castle, where she lives as an old woman.
In the book, however, things are not quite so neat. The Witch of the Wild is possessed by her own demons, who have contracted her. She wants Hal’s handsome head to complete the “perfect existence” she has built so that he can reign as king and she as queen. The witch hunts Howl with all her might, cursing him that one day he will have no choice but to come see her. She is a real force of evil, and at the end of the novel, instead of being merciful, she is killed by Hal.
Sophie and Hal .’s relationship
Although the book and the movie Howl .’s Moving Castle Shows how Hal and Sophie’s relationship develops, and in both cases where the two eventually come together, each version of the story is a little different.
In the movie, the two come together more smoothly, although sometimes they are frustrated with each other, but it does not last long. On the other hand, Hal and Sophie argue for much of the novel, and for most of the story, Sophie thinks Hal loves her sister, Letty. However, in any version, the two also genuinely care about each other and have a happy ending.