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Howl’s Moving Castle

A Studio Ghibli classic that brings to life a fantastical world based on the famed British novel.

Created by Hayao Miyazaki | MoreLess about Howl’s Moving Castle

Sophie thinks of herself as plain and boring, especially compared to her vivacious younger sister Lettie. Sophie expects to spend the rest of her life quietly making hats in the back room of her family's shop, but as her country prepares for war, she is forced to set out on an extraordinary adventure!

Hayao Miyazaki is one of Japan’s most beloved animation directors. His first feature, The Castle of Cagliostro, was released in 1979. His film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, based on his own manga, was released in 1984. In 1985, Miyazaki cofounded Studio Ghibli, through which he directed the box office smashes Princess Mononoke (1997) and Spirited Away (2001), which won the Golden Bear at the 2002 Berlin International Film Festival and the Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature Film in 2003. Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) received the Osella Award for technical achievement at the 2004 Venice International Film Festival. In 2005, VIFF awarded Miyazaki the Golden Lion Award for Lifetime Achievement.

His other acclaimed films include My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service and Ponyo. Miyazaki’s essays, interviews and memoirs have been collected in Starting Point: 1979–1996 and Turning Point: 1997–2008. His final film, The Wind Rises, was nominated for both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award®. In November 2014, Miyazaki received an honorary Academy Award® at the academy’s sixth annual Governor’s Awards. Presenter and Pixar head John Lassetter declared Miyazaki “the most original filmmaker to ever work in our medium.”

Howl’s Moving Castle Film Comic, Vol. 4

With the Royal Sorcerer hot on their heels, Howl moves house, and Sophie finds herself back where she started, in her family’s hat shop. But she isn’t the same plain and timid Sophie—she’s been cursed, chased, and even fallen in love with an infamous wizard! Now her new strength will be tested as the war breaks out in the skies above town and Howl’s life is threatened by mysterious magic!

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