Howl's Moving Castle

Name: Howl's Moving Castle
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Genre: Fantasy, Animation, Adventure
Released: 2004-09-09
Rating: 8.2

September 9, 2004· 1h 59m

Fantasy Animation Adventure

Directed by

Hayao Miyazaki

Cast

Chieko Baisho Takuya Kimura Akihiro Miwa Tatsuya Gashûin Ryunosuke Kamiki Mitsunori Isaki +51 more ↓

Cinemagraphs Score8.2

Sophie, a young milliner, is turned into an elderly woman by a witch who enters her shop and curses her. She encounters a wizard named Howl and gets caught up in his resistance to fighting for the king.

Audience Sentiment

Overall8.2

1 — Hated it5 — Neutral10 — Masterpiece

Critics

8+ Great

6-8 Good

<6 Poor

19 reviews·Last updated 2d ago

Peak Moment

Sophie's journey to the past

9.5at 1h 32m

Lowest Moment

Sophie meets the king's sorceress

6.8at 52m

Biggest Swing

From the confusing political middle section (6.8) to the transcendent time-travel sequence (9.5), representing critics' journey from plot frustration to visual awe

Critics consistently praised Miyazaki's visual imagination and emotional storytelling, though many noted plot confusion in the middle sections. The film peaks with its most magical sequences while maintaining strong character development throughout.

19 reviews analyzed|Sources: Guardian, Imdb, Tmdb