Therapist Reacts to HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE

[@nataliabrasil931]

Fun fact: the movie plot is quite different from the book, but Diane Wynne Jones (the author) loved it because she thought the movie was an amazing different point of view about her story. She said she laughed out loud several times in the premiere, especially in the scene where the Witch of the Waste is climbing the stairs with Sophie and they're insulting each other 😂

[@frozenyogurth]

Honestly, I adore both the movie and the book so much. I think the movie works, because it's such a genuine film. Like, you can *feel* how much care, and adoration for it's medium is behind this movie. From the beautiful visuals, to the music, to the characterization, it just oozes with whimsy and love for storytelling.

[@morganrrhaze]

This is one of the very few times I love a book and movie equally. They are so different but both are wonderful. It’s so refreshing.

[@rabidsamfan]

@@morganrrhazeThat is how I feel too. I wouldn’t give up either of them!

[@msk-qp6fn]

I think most of us laughed at the stairs scene, like it's kinda mood regardless of your age stairs are the worse but the cherry on top is all the banter 😂😂😂😂😂 sophie's THEN START STUDYING still gets me to this day

[@swishfish4289]

I remember one of the statements from the author being, "The movie is how Howl would tell the story and the Book is how Sophie would."

[@erinzoe4715]

I love the idea that his castle doesn't stay in one place until Howl settles down with Sophie. It's also beautiful to think that maybe the very end of the movie the castle is flying, because they are both free. In the books the castle moves so Howl can evade taxes, which is hilarious.

[@efoxkitsune9493]

Book Howl is just a whole other thing lol

[@HazbinCovenWitch]

Howl be like:"You can't take away my house for tax evasion if it moves!" 😂

[@msk-qp6fn]

I feel like a lot of the motivations in the books is a lot more relatable in regards to howl especially the tax evasion part 😂😂😂

[@IdentifiantE.S]

Its so poetic ! 😮

[@tiffanysack9659]

He baba yaga'd the house for TAX EVASION!?!

[@piagaardboe1947]

It’s like it’s so easy for Sophie to take on the identity of an old woman because it takes away all the pressures and expectations society has for young people (like having to be beautiful and finding a husband etc). It gives her this freedom to drop everything she was doing to please others (eg running her dads old shop) and follow her own path. Such a great movie!

[@catherinecotter8624]

Yes!!!! Well said. I was thinking this through the video

[@NN-zq9pn]

Yeah totally agree.she actually feels really free and relieved after being turned old. I would too

[@bloodieghostie]

Yes! I feel like Sophie decided that she was the older, plainer, traditional sister; compared to her younger sister, Lettie, she isn't as adored or conventionally beautiful, and she also insists that she _must_ take over the family hat shop, even though she seems lukewarm about it, lacking in real passion. I have a theory that the spell the Witch of the Waste cast on Sophie makes her look the way she feels about herself. I also have a less substantial theory that the Witch of the Waste has a similar curse; the second she has to climb all those stairs, she begins to age rapidly, like she's finally feeling all those years she's been missing out on...idk lol :]

[@clairelin0216]

@@bloodieghostie The spell also made sense from reading the book, in the book, Sophie remained an old woman until she had to confront the Witch of the Waste and also having figured out how to break the contract between Howl and Calcifer. The spell in the movie is actually genius, in the book Sophie can will her words into spells that gives life. But while she's "giving life" to everything around her by the positive words that she speak, she had been telling herself that she will be a failure, she had been telling herself that the only option for her is to continue the hat shop, and in the book, while Sophie is indeed beautiful, beautiful enough to catch Howl's attention(Who is also really handsome), she still thinks that she's not really worth to have real happiness. That's why Howl couldn't break Sophie's spell and the only thing he could do was to ease her pain while she was still under the spell, he tried everything he could to break it for her, but he realized that Sophie was the reason why his attempts to break the spell had failed and only she could break the spell at the end.

[@flutenanyidk1806]

I always thought the reason that Sophie turned into an old woman was that's because it's who she was inside already. She was acting like an old woman when she didn't want to go out with her friends, and wasn't living her life as a young person would. She was too heavily burdened by responsibility.

[@tri3348]

I love how Sophie doesn't have confidence, but she gives everyone around her confidence.

[@meanyapickles]

That's pretty accurate in real life I think. The two sort of general archetypes of people with any kind of issue or trauma or pain are "I'm in pain, so everyone else should be too" or "I'm in pain, nobody else should have to be" and Sophie is 100% the second one. "I'm not confident, so I wanna make sure everyone else is even if nobody does it for me in return, because this is a horrible way to feel."

[@tonglu3699]

In Buddhism, the Buddha supposedly taught his disciples that they could get closer to enlightenment through three forms of giving. In the order of increasing greatness they are: the giving of materials, the giving of methods, and the giving of fearlessness.

[@clairelin0216]

Howl is also insecure, but he had a way to hide it, once that was stripped away from him, you can see how he's a lot like Sophie, not confident and afraid of not being up to the standards set by the society, but then he still goes and tells Sophie that she's beautiful and trying to make her feel more confident about herself, it's really touching.

[@Sputterbug]

that was me in highschool fr

[@TacComControl]

So the fun thing is that in the book, that's her "power". She's actually also a witch, without realizing it. Minor spoiler there, but honestly the book is absolute shit at making that clear, so whatever. Basically she just kinda... makes things happen. Sort of a power-of-suggestion-over-destiny kind of thing, like when she sees a scarecrow with a turnip head, she talks to it like a person, poof, it's a person but it always was, that sort of thing. In the same vein, she can sort of speak into existence the confidence others need to overcome their own struggles.

[@cinderblockstudios]

The thread of the story of Howl "eating hearts" isn't just because he chases women, but it's a trickle down story about how he lost his heart in the first place. I love this movie because you never get everything until you see it again.

[@ruri1706]

Also in the book he himself spread that rumour around to get people to leave him alone, if my memory serves correct. But yes, also metaphor

[@jdvera__]

I swear every time I watch it I discover something new (the reason I've started bringing out my notepad every time I watch it lol)

[@hanon880]

@@ruri1706 YES! And also because he did mess up with another witch/demon who cursed him XDD So he is on a run away haha

[@frostfang1]

its also the time loop she creates going through the door to see howl giving his heart to calcifer, hes trying to find her in the future. he doesnt know when. So the woman hes... "womanizing" and eating their hearts? hes looking for sophie. Thats why when he saves her from the soldiers he says "there you are, ive been looking everywhere for you". Later he realizes she was asking him to find her later, as the bird, and he comes to her as the bird

[@krissfernandez2244]

You never get everything until you watch it again. Thank you for putting words to the thoughts that I've had the 20 times or more I've watched it.

[@ziridestaudios]

The love story in Howl's Moving Castle is one of my favorites because if you watch it, you're kinda confused by what Howl says "there you are sweetheart, sorry I'm late" (I thought he was just using it as an excuse to get the soldiers to back off), but when you watch it knowing that Sophie went back in time and told young Howl to find her in the future... He'd been in love with her since that first meeting and all those other girls he dated and ghosted, he was looking for her the whole time (at least that's what some people think)

[@NinoLenlegam]

... To say that my mind is blown is an understatement

[@mambabajamba5470]

Also, his ring is glowing when he finds her. He has indeed been searching for her the entire time.

[@ziridestaudios]

@@mambabajamba5470 Omg, I missed that part!

[@NinoLenlegam]

@@mambabajamba5470 ... Right !! Omg 😳

[@EM-cs7jw]

OH MY GOD I watched this movie when it first came out and never realized this until your comment. Mind. Blown.

[@sulliwrites5226]

For me it breaks my heart when Sophie says, "It's not all bad... your clothes finally suit you," etc. because her embracing being an old lady right away is almost like a relief of not having to meet beauty standards and expectations anymore. She is obviously unhappy to be cursed, but she also is glad she can be treated with respect (like when a man offers to help her down the stairs) without having to be beautiful - rather, she is respected for her supposed age and the wisdom that comes with it. It's heartbreaking because it reminds me of how exhausting living up to physical beauty can be for women and how sometimes we wish we could just be invisible or turn into an old woman where people no longer expect anything of us, and we can just be.

[@clairelin0216]

The curse also works immediately because of that line Sophie tells herself, with the body of an 18 year old young woman, she had the mind of a 90 year old grandma (Also the reason why she was 90 years old until the end of the book). It also showed us how much self depreciating words and thoughts could affect someone, and ultimately they had to made that decision to stop those thoughts. Other people could support them during the process but they can't break the self depreciating bubble for others.

[@DisasterAster]

+

[@naturallyamused]

Absolutely. I've always hated unsolicited attention - from men especially. Now that I'm approaching 40, the attention has begun to go away, and I LOVE it. I feel so much more confident, and so much less afraid of being in public spaces. It's a kind of anxiety I don't personally know anyone having, so it's lovely to see it in character form in this movie.

[@larrykelly-kf5pp]

I also think it’s about how age sneaks up on you and seems to come quite suddenly. And that’s what other people see and you just have to make the best of that. But the young girl with all her strength is still in there. Didn’t even know there was a book but love the film

[@PhoenixAurelius-138]

I was thinking when reading this comment, how I felt something similar when I was pregnant. It's a different kind of attention than age, but it's far removed from the typical beauty standards. I felt like I could wear anything I wanted, eat anything and not worry about a bloated stomach - all because the way people saw me was different.... Of course, I was still living in the lie of public opinion, but it was a blessed relief from the expectations put upon my former un-pregnant self.

[@Linaxtic]

I adore Howl's first appearance. "There you are, sweetheart. I've been looking everywhere for you." If you look closely, when he puts his hand on her shoulder, the ring glows briefly. This ties back to later in the movie when she calls out to young Howl "I know how to help you! Find me in the future!" And the idea that he's been looking for her after all this time is so great. I also read the idea that the book is how Sophie recalls events, and the movie is how Howl recalls them.

[@Blackrosecreater]

Why not the opposite

[@hvbg]

​@@Blackrosecreater because the book and the movie are completely different from each other, so it's very clear whose pov is from each

[@naturallyamused]

​@@BlackrosecreaterSophie is incredibly sharp tongued in the book 😅 I think it makes sense Howl sees her in a softer light like in the movie, since he's in love.

[@jhisk]

​@@Blackrosecreater also because howl was such a goober in the book. And Sophie is even appalled at the idea that she could fall for him. But here in the film he's very dashing.

[@tiannaspence9671]

So the lore around this movie is that because Sophie traveled to the past and told Howl to look for her in the future, he built the moving castle to travel the land in search of Sophie and until he finds her he doesn’t settle down. That’s why when he first saves her from those guards, he says “There you are sweetheart, I’m sorry I’m late, I was looking everywhere for you” 😊😍😍 also I loved that you guys covered this movie and I liked Sophie’s input as well. Please feature her more!

[@spotlightanimation6719]

It's so funny when you compare it to the book's tax evasion reason

[@lorek33perandfriends47]

@@spotlightanimation6719tbh this movie also has a similar reason along with searching for Sophie. He’s dodging the draft

[@castlenovelist97BOOKS]

I just bought this movie and I'm excited to get it!

[@hikaru8158]

Omg after 10 years I now know the reason behind the “moving castle” 😭

[@strawberrys0da714]

@@spotlightanimation6719 Don't forget dodging exes.

[@wayfinder174]

The one thing I love most about this movie is that Sophie’s curse is never broken. Howl (and eventually Sophie too) is able to see past all that and loves her anyway. I wish more movies emphasized accepting a love interest as a whole being and not just because they’re outwardly attractive.

[@clairelin0216]

For Sophie's curse, I would say that it's broken, but the broken curse left her with a gift, a gift that made her the way Howl sees her in his childhood. Since Sophie could literally control the curse being cast on her, I think she just left the hair to be silver because she preferred it that way without knowing that Howl first saw her with silver hair.

[@zainmudassir2964]

Movie is unclear but Sophie in the book has magic potential to be a witch,this is why the curse weakens when she expresses strong emotions

[@davidprince6877]

@@zainmudassir2964 My understanding with the book was that the way Sophie's magic work was tied to her belief in things. The witches curse largely wore off and Sophie stayed old because she believed she was.

[@mokko759]

No, no. Sophie broke her own curse. You can literally see how she reverts back to her correct age as she gains more and more confidence and the moment she second guesses herself, goes right back to Granny Sophie. Howl sees it, Suliman sees it, the Witch of the Wastes sees it. The only one who doesn't realize it's even happening is Sophie. Once Sophie finally finds her voice and her heart, the curse is broken. She is how she should be.

[@yeflynne]

She never was cursed, you can see when she is sleeping there is no curse. This part of the story is all about self belief and self esteem and not believing shit talkm

[@nataliabrasil931]

In the book there's another layer for Sophie's character. In the original story, she's the eldest of three sisters and, because of a common belief that the eldest is a failure, she believes in that as well. Later on she finds out that she's a powerful witch herself, and that her words have magical power - this is shown since the beginning, but she only makes sense out of it later on. Then we find out that the reason why the curse had not fade away, despite the efforts of Howl and Ms. Pentstemmon, was because she herself believed in the curse and kept saying "I'm the eldest, I'm a failure!" I thought this was quite interesting, as we all tend to believe more in our failures than in our own abilities, and often don't realize how this can deeply affect us.

[@AshenVictor]

Yeah, though there's also the other part of that which is that Sophie's belief in the determinism of birth order is based on the knowledge she's living in a fairytale world. In fairytales it's always the youngest who succeeds when they go out on adventures. A lot of similar playing with narrative determinism occurs in the early Discworld stories. (See also: The Tough Guide to Fantasyland)

[@ViridianForests]

​@@AshenVictor Its interesting how that's portrayed though. The framing and the world feel like something out of a fairy tale, but the world doesn't actually follow those rules necessarily. In her _mind_, she's in a fairytale world, where the rules of storytelling are law. Just like any teen who reads too much might blur books and reality. Part of her growing into herself, is also slowly leaving behind the rules from those stories she shackled herself with. The sisters make it clear they don't believe in those sayings, having gone off and decided to do what they'd prefer, and have it work out. So while the book is framed to make you think it's a fairy tale, and the world is very much anchored in that vibe, but not all the rules of it. To the characters, it is like our real world, just with actual accessible magic instead of science. But yes, I feel like it exists in both spaces, as a twist on a story rule, and as actual worldbuilding.

[@msk-qp6fn]

Fun fact: the jacket we see howl mostly wearing at the beginning of the movie matches the description of the jacker sophies fixed for howl and unconsciously brought it to "life"/cast a spell on to attract women 😂😂😂

[@Shapoufiiie]

Why does this statement attacked me in a physical level? It's not that I find this insulting it's that I do this sort of thing as well. Ughhhhhhg.....

[@LilianaKali]

Thank you all so much for telling me about the book! I'm honestly probably not going to read it, but I like hearing about it.

[@kiddpenn]

I just wanna point out that the magic ring Howl gives to Sophie doesn't just lead to Calcifer with your heart 'because Howl says so', but remember that Howl ate Calicifer's star magic and gave his heart in return. So it makes sense that Howl's magic (including the castle) is so inherently linked to Calcifer. The magic in this move does make sense if you look for connections! Even Sulimon's creepy page boys, they look just like Howl did when he was young only blonde. I suspect that they represent what Sulimon wanted Howl to be for her as her student, and he couldn't measure up even after gaining star magic. He may have even carried that with his 'my blonde hair is more beautiful" issue, but after meeting Sophie he accepts his natural hair color.

[@msk-qp6fn]

I think sullivan specifically was disappointed at howl for making a life pact with calcifer because it drains people of their humanity to varying degrees; howl did it to save the then dying star but it on the long run would lead to both of their down fall; an example in the movie is the witch of the waste although sullivan says she sold herself to a demon/devil considering that calicifer now is called a fire demon it is likely the witch also made a pact with a dying star, in the book the witch specifically also had a fire demon disguised as a human so again considering that calcifer is also a fire demon in the book the witch likely made a pact with a dying star too

[@claracosta7777]

Yes, thank you! The magic does make sense, and i think its very nicely writen tbh.

[@shelbylisette6921]

My favorite thing about this movie is that in the end, when Sophie travels back into Howl’s past, is she says find me in the future, and at the very beginning of the movie Howl says “there you are, I’ve been looking all over for you”

[@LilianaKali]

Yes!

[@j.munday7913]

And he's wearing the ring to lead him to her, you see its magic fading just as she sees him for the first time. Ugh

[@aysenur.tahmaz]

OMG 😭

[@clairelin0216]

Also when he said that to Sophie at the beginning of the movie, you can see the gem on his ring sparkled just a little as if it's a hint that he found the right woman, which he did.

[@zoopothecary]

Sophie accepting being an old woman very quickly (and that ultimately being the vehicle to her finding her self-worth) made perfect sense to me. She never was conventionally ‘attractive’ and as a young woman that can feel like a really big and important part of life. Turning into an old lady meant that expectation was immediately lifted, all expectations of what a proper young lady should be (pretty, social, accommodating, etc) were gone and she could just be Sophie. Free of trying to measure up to some internalized ideal, she could be herself and live her values wholeheartedly. Young Sophie might feel insecure about loving Howl romantically, but as an old woman where she felt that was kind of off the table she could express her feelings for him naturally (through acts of care, etc) - people get really hung up on the idea romantic love and sometimes seem to forget that love is love, if you love someone and it turns into a romance that is lovely, but if it doesn’t and you no longer love them then I’d suggest you were experiencing infatuation. As a woman of a certain age I can say that hitting 40 was a turning point as far as self-acceptance and self-confidence, and it’s only gotten more awesome since - other than the physical limitations I’m looking forward to 60, 70, and onward. Old age is freeing, and can be a key to letting go of expectations that were never a good fit for you. A vehicle to just embracing who you actually are (which usually leads to confidence). And ask any old lady what’s important in their relationships (romantic included) and the older you get the more you realize that love is not at all contingent on youth and conventional beauty!

[@clairelin0216]

I always view the witch's curse as a blessing in disguise, without the curse, Sophie would be stuck in the hat shop forever. It was because of the curse that she was forced to leave the hat shop, it was because of the curse that she found more people who love her and support her while she's working on realizing her own self worth. It's good to have someone who would react like Howl did when Sophie said that she wasn't beautiful, but that still only works as a way of support, whether or not Sophie is willing to listen is still dependent on her.

[@eccaetchings5587]

I love Howl. He’s been a special character for me. His arc from a superficial facade to authentic and genuine, and to see his arc mirror Sophie’s… They heal each other and both become confident and see their worth.

[@cosas_de_gatos]

It’s funny because in the book he doesn’t change at all 💀

[@screamingbean7509]

Actually in the book he does change! It’s just portrayed differently than the movie, the author herself even said “they’re more gentler” in the movie and admits they do love each at the end of the book. It’s just that Howl is WAY more bratty and Sophie is even more sarcastic and to be frank a brat wrangler (the way they argue is cute by the end), a chaotic relationship. For me it felt like an old marry couple who’s jabs at each with snarky remarks all the time😂

[@cosas_de_gatos]

@@screamingbean7509 yea that’s true, but it seems like his character doesn’t change much, all that changes is that he falls in love with Sophie

[@jacthing1]

​@@screamingbean7509lol Sophie is so snarky in the books. I have the sequel and Howl plays a bratty kid perfectly.

[@dietotaku]

howl being a hoarder and retreating to this tunnel that's packed with feathers is another trait that ties in to the moving castle - hoarders hoard things in order to either fill an emotional void or build emotional walls. in howl's case he's hopping from city to city and woman to woman but he is terrified of intimacy and commitment (until he falls for sophie). the clutter and the impenetrable tunnel of feathers are manifestations of how he closes himself off from people, especially those who care about him.

[@LdyVaJedi]

It is shown all through the movie that these 2 help each other to become better people and help heal each other.

[@claressadubs]

Love this perspective

[@HanayoSora]

I literally shrieked with happiness when I saw this notification Hayao Miyazaki is so good at creating such strong-willed, believable characters that anyone can learn from

[@laterreurrouge1917]

And so often it's strong female leads.

[@LittleHobbit13]

Technically Diana Wynne Jones created these characters, in the original novel.

[@laterreurrouge1917]

@@LittleHobbit13 doesn't take from the fact, that Ghibli often has capable female leads characters

[@LittleHobbit13]

@@laterreurrouge1917 I never said it did? I believe I specified "these characters", not "all Ghibli characters".

[@laterreurrouge1917]

@@LittleHobbit13 no, you didn't. But you shifted the subject a bit. That's all

[@maybepolly_]

the scene when sophie snaps at howl and yells "so you think you've got it bad?! well I've never been beautiful in my entire life!!" made me feel so seen, i always tear up no matter how many times i watch it. sophie's self-confidence issues and her role as the eldest child feeling more like a prison than anything else is so so relatable. again, thank you for doing a video about this movie!!

[@ultimatebishoujo29]

I understand what you mean

[@thattrickytrickster612]

How'ls Moving Castle is a very special movie to me. It's like therapy, almost. I watch it whenever I feel bogged down by the world, so I can fall in love with life and believe in magic again. I genuinely feel at peace, listening to the music, seeing the sights, watching Howl and Sophie eat breakfast. If I could be placed in a different world, I'd like to live in a world made by Studio Ghibli.

[@felinichtsdestoweniger7341]

that's exactly how i feel as well! Thank you for putting it into words

[@miarichele]

This commentary is everything. I can't explain what this means to me. My fiance just left me a month before our wedding. And the piles of lies that are being revealed are tearing me down completely. Everything we planned for our lives together is just gone. And the person that I thought he was before is gone. I've been just trying to stay above water, still in shock. I thought about watching this movie recently, I avoided it because he was the one who introduced me to it. But I'm going to take it back, and I'm going to feel what I need to feel. And I'm going to let myself cherish Sophie and everything about it. I've hit a point, and I need to pick myself up, trust God, and keep going.

[@lampenfieber]

I wish you the best of luck on your journey 🙏 I know it's tough but you can do this!!!

[@the_piano_nerd4960]

Reclaiming things that remind you of that person can be such a long and hard process. I know for me it took a few years to get everything (songs, artists, books) back, but bit by bit the things will be yours again and remind you of other good memories and other good people. It gets better, will all my sincerity I promise that it does. And until then you are welcome to grieve the future you thought you were going to have with the person he thought he was, that grief is as real and deep. And it is something that you can heal and overcome

[@rebasebastian4093]

Sending hugs! Reclaiming is strenuous, especially as it reminds you of them, but it also gives you yourself back. There are aspects of your life that you shared that are still, and will always be yours. 🫶🏼

[@bethanylawyer917]

The guy I was going to marry also introduced me to this movie. I really liked the movie and wasn't sure how I was going to watch it without it bringing him up. So I waited and then invited a good friend, who hadn't seen it, over to watch it with me. It's now our movie. I've thankfully been able to change restaurants, activities, movies, songs, etc and tie them to other less painful things.

[@emilynam6084]

This movie is part of the “not like it’s books, but it’s still an amazing movie” genre. ❤️

[@hallaloth3112]

There are so few adaptations like that. I think its because the movie emphasizes different things. I do wish we had gotten Welsh Howl and Micheal though.

[@katymartin9026]

@@hallaloth3112 I mean... technically Christian Bale is Welsh. Also I get the Michael-Markle change since adding another romance triangle to the mix would've been a bit distracting to squeeze in the length of a film. Simplifying it by having him be a young apprentice kept emotional beats between him and Sophie without risking romantic complexity.

[@hallaloth3112]

@@katymartin9026 I actually legit forgot Markel was present because they didn't address him and he has so little presence. . . >.> It is an understandable switch. . .Just sad because his relationship with Lettie is so cute. Not to mention it paints such a deeper character for Howl.

[@freshoffthehook904]

Diana has an interview where she describes the book as Sophie telling her story and the movie as book Howl telling "their story"... Just with a lot of embellishments and him as a self-sacrificing hero.

[@msk-qp6fn]

Funny thing is while I have some to appreciate both the movie and book, I liked neither as a child. I still don't really like like it either but I some of the comedic moments is great and sophie's growth is very touching ❤👍

[@marycollins848]

I really loved that the Witch of the Waste becomes the grandma of their family, Howl's assistant becomes the child, and Solomon's dog becomes their family dog. I always thought it was touching how they become a little family

[@hallaloth3112]

Howl's assistant Micheal isn't in the movie? Unless you mean Calcifer?

[@christianmonk5320]

The small redheaded boy in the movie

[@hallaloth3112]

@@christianmonk5320 >.> I honestly forgot about Markel because they didn't mention him and he has like, no plot relevance and I always impose him with Micheal from the books in my mind.

[@turtlebirdrox]

Ya, he's voiced by Josh Hutcherson ( who played Petta in the Hunger Games) when he was a kid.

[@marycollins848]

@@hallaloth3112 his name is Markl

[@dragoness7181]

Fun fact/spoiler in the original book: Sophie actually had her own powers that she didn’t know about, and was particularly keeping the curse on herself. The way her powers worked is she kind of spoke things into being. Like when she spoke while she made her hats she called them beautiful. But when she spoke about herself she was always saying she was old and putting herself down. Howl was even aware of the curse and tried to reverse it for Sophie, but since she was always speaking so badly about herself it counteracted Howl’s attempts to help her. Love this movie so much! I was so happy when I saw you guys doing a video for it! 💕

[@YanzerTheRagdoll]

This was always my favorite little tid bit that makes me want to read the book! I'm so glad you shared it here for everyone 😊

[@jenndement4671]

I wish this was conveyed more in the movie

[@PresidentFunnyValentine]

Is this from the original source material that the Gibhli movie is based from,?

[@tell-me-a-story-]

Why doesn't he just tell her about her powers.

[@AgFalcon84]

I love this movie, and I love the book too! I wish this detail had been more present/obvious in the movie.

[@marissabulso6439]

Howl experiences growth in his own confidence, too. Accepting his hair color, working to protect the people from the war, facing Madame Suliman (with help), refusing to run away, and eventually taking back his heart. And his castle doesn’t stop moving, it takes flight! Even better. It becomes stable, yet free.

[@Pippa87]

Fun fact: in the book it turns out that Howl “eating young girls hearts” is a metaphor for him dating them for a while and getting bored of them and ghosting them. Apparently the girls aunts keep turning up at the castle brandishing umbrellas and threatening howl so Mark (called Micheal in the book, and considerably older) encourages the rumour so he didn’t have to deal with the angry aunts 😂😂😂

[@hallaloth3112]

Gosh, I love Micheal, there's a part of me so mad he didn't make the film cut.

[@frozenyogurth]

Fun fact: In the german dub of the movie Mark is called Markel, which is really close to the english pronounciation of Michael@@hallaloth3112

[@clairelin0216]

The problem is that he doesn't have his heart on him, he got interested in Sophie because Sophie was beautiful, he got lucky that Sophie could talk life into things and got both him and Calcifer out of the contract alive

[@spotlightanimation6719]

The FUCKING aunts, man. They're the worst. They go for you with hat pins.

[@Talosbug]

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again, I enjoy watching cinema therapy’s breakdown of movies and then rewatching them with a whole new perspective

[@aninastorm4709]

I do the same thing!

[@MamadNobari]

I too love TheRapist reacts to movies series on youtube.

[@fullmetaldancer1]

THANK you so much for making this! My bro-in-law quoted this movie in his vows to my sister, I just adore the movie so much

[@s_napps]

Yes, completely

[@eowynmoonlight]

And then there is the book version. The one where Sophie has no problem to yell at Howl and throw weedkiller at him, the one where Howl is complaining about neglect after 2 minutes alone, the one where Howl is from UK, has a driving licence and a car and really bad relationship with his sister. The one where Howl actually flirts with everyone and in one point is also seeing Sophies sister. -2 thousand likes?! Am I seeing right?! Goddesses, thank you!

[@maybepolly_]

howl being welsh is my fave thing ever. just some bloke from the uk doing magic in a different world

[@inaju]

I LOVE the book. I like the movie too, but I wish it had been more faithful to the source material

[@helenl3193]

Howl is from Wales, not England. England and Wales are both countries within the UK, but not within each other. Like saying someone is a Texan if they were from New Mexico. They're American, but not Texan, in the same way Welsh people are British but not English. Hope that's clear..?

[@cellophane.flowers]

Yeah, book Howl is totally a mood 🤣

[@eowynmoonlight]

@@helenl3193 Yea thx

[@chowrites6179]

What I love is that Sophie retains her youthfulness at the end but her hair stays silver like her confidence has grown but there will always be a small remnant of insecurity but howl is so supportive she never shows her insecurity again.

[@jenfries6417]

Lots of people say Sophie's curse doesn't makes sense because of the way her appearance keeps changing, but to me, the curse is the simplest part of this story. I think the observation that, when Sophie's asleep, she's unburdened by her insecurities and the curse fades by itself, is the correct interpretation. Every time Sophie stops thinking about herself and is prompted to defend or care for someone else, or reacts strongly against unfairness of some kind, or just feels contented in the moment, she de-ages to some degree, and every time something makes her feel self-conscious, she ages again. I think the curse is the least confusing part of this story. The magic in the Howl world might seem arbitrary, but I think it's a "soft system" in which a system does exist, but it's not explained to the audience. We have to just pick it up as we go along. Of all the magic in the story, Sophie's curse is the clearest, in terms of its mechanics. It's a psychological curse, using Sophie's own issues against her - and maybe projecting the Witch of the Waste's insecurities as well, since she's a woman who tries to appear younger, more alluring, and more glamorous than she physically is. The other magic doesn't really matter. It does follow some ideas associated with classic occultism, and it embraces the concept of "fantasy" wholeheartedly, so some people who might have certain interests can make sense of it, while the rest of us can just accept the A Wizard Did It premise for the sake of the story and enjoy the gorgeous visuals. As for Howl himself, his callous, irresponsible, wandering playboy lifestyle and why he changes his ways for Sophie can't really be explained without revealing spoilers you didn't cover in this video. It boils down to the Finding the Right Woman trope, only not as trope-y as usual. His story is smarter than the trope it uses. He lives/wanders in the moving castle crammed full of mental and material clutter, and has all these problematic connections that he neglects or sabotages, because he is looking for someone. None of those other people he deals with (or dates) mean much to him because they're not who he's looking for, so he doesn't care about building relationships with them. If he was a responsible person, he wouldn't have dated the Witch of the Waste in the past, but he still needed to mature just like Sophie had to, so he broke her heart and then just avoided dealing with the consequence until it literally showed up at his door in the form of the cursed Sophie.

[@camnymymo]

So perfectly articulated 👏🏽

[@ee1ena]

I love this comment I recently rewatched the movie and keep coming back to this comment because it sums up the magic in Howls world and puts in words why Sophie’s spell it’s the least confusing. Her curse being psychological explains how she fades the curse away throughout the movie so by the end her hair staying silver grey is like a visual indicator that once something changes, it never fully goes back to “normal”

[@andreamorgan5945]

When I showed my ex-husband this movie for the first time, my son was about 8 months old. He was learning to crawl and would follow us around all the time. We started calling him “Turnip Head,” to the point that my son would answer to it. As time went on we shortened it to “Turnip.” Seven years later he’s still my little Turnip❤

[@sharkshakes]

"I watched a movie and now I call my child a vegetable hehe"

[@MaiaEmpyrean]

That is so cute omg😭

[@leelandluver]

Oh, I love that! ❤

[@msk-qp6fn]

So wholesome 💕💕💕

[@The1Dragonprincess]

Too cute!

[@Ellary_Rosewood]

One of my favorite films of all time. I've always connected most to Sophie more than any other Ghibli character. Watching her grow into herself and gain courage and confidence throughout the story, all while staying true to herself and never losing her kindness always filled me with so much inspiration. As someone who's always struggled with confidence and self worth, it makes me feel as though I can do and handle anything. ❤

[@hallaloth3112]

The book does her coming into herself even better because Howl is. if anything, slightly more silly and petty. He's still an lovable goof though.

[@Ellary_Rosewood]

@@hallaloth3112 I read the book about 20 years ago, so there's a lot I don't remember. I need to reread it again!

[@mittag983]

She's very relatable when she called herself ugly and worthless I had tears in my eyes

[@gilligen6834]

Something I need to share about this movie is the uncanny similarities between "Lottie" from Disney's Princess and The Frog and "Lettie" From howls moving castle. Both are the supportive friend insisting the lead woman is indeed beautiful. They also look extremely similar.

[@zethcrownett2946]

I don't remember if it's mentioned in the movie, but that's her sister.

[@chonchoco]

I felt the same way! Come to think of it, Ghibli and Disney has a partnership so maybe a bit why ^^

[@Mnemoniforma9.00]

Disney is just being Disney. Lion King and Atlantis, anyone?

[@transenby42622]

The only thing missing was the strong Southern accent and they could pass for twins, lol.

[@msk-qp6fn]

@@Mnemoniforma9.00 yup

[@marziandhermind]

i cannot put into words how much Howl's Moving Castle means to me in terms finding confidence and self love!!!

[@madmouse1016]

If you want a whimsical love story with a touch of how to love yourself, Howl's Moving Castle is it- But if you want the same thing plus a whole lot more laugh and "wtf" moments, then the book is the way to go 😂 But literally, both are amazing, I could listen to Merry Go Round of Life for hours- it's so beautiful

[@anhtheton]

the way that calcifer is howl’s heart and he was so obedient to her.. he was looking for her this entire time. “i’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

[@tenkomustdie]

bro 🥺

[@jkhaos1235]

I love the loop in it where she says "find me in the future".. And there he is, found her and saved her from the soldiers.

[@frozenyogurth]

This is one of the few instances, where I personally think, the movie adaption, while being different from the book captures the magic and essence of the story so well. This movie and the book will always hold a special place in my heart. Absolute comfort film.

[@justynas1167]

This is incredible timing- I’m working on my own self-confidence boosting journey and what better sign to get started than this video coming out?! Thank you guys so much! Much love to you all and everyone reading this! ❤

[@CinemaTherapyShow]

You got this! Thanks for watching!

[@eliseroos4173]

Let’s fuckingggg gooooooooo!!!!

[@cinder4181]

Likewise... this is insanely well timed.

[@kclightman]

Then may I also recommend the anime Fruits Basket. It's billed as a romance but it's really about trauma and how the different characters overcome it. Several have to deal with low confidence and they address it in different ways - by building community, by facing down things that make them uncomfortable, by finding just one person who believes in them. Highly highly recommend.

[@brittanybarthel1410]

@@CinemaTherapyShowplease do Spirited Away, and Princess Mononoke at least

[@MeikosArt]

I love this analysis, but the relationship between Sophie and Calcifer (no spoilers) it's so special, the metaphor is beautifully crafted. And that's is part of getting confident about herself and helping Howl find his own, too

[@aporajitabangali3827]

8:35 When Jonathan saw Sophie turn into her old self and said "I don't understand why", the first thought that came to my mind was "because it is the only time she doesn't hate herself". Being someone who has watched this movie a dozen times and have also read the book, I learned how she hated/ had a lot of self loath. As sad as it is, you will how she devalues herself a lot and until and unless she stops doing that she doesn't turn back into herself. That's why you can see her turning into young Sophie but then just like poping her bubble she turns old Sophie. And just when she admits loving Howl and that it is fine to love him because anyone can love anyone, that's when she returns into her oldself.

[@Bllue]

I feel like they cpuld have gone more into how her self worth was negated by the eay her stepmother made her feel. Her family absolutely loved her, but her mother emphasized her sisters's beauty and skills, while telling Sophie that she was suited for the hat shop (not that she wasn't), without realizing Sophie took it as "you're not good or pretty enough for anything else"

[@yasminecherif02]

Yes, my favorite Miyazaki film ! Liking before even watching it

[@joybellz3975]

Same! I liked as soon as I clicked on the video.

[@smileplease_91]

This and Whisper of the Heart are my favorites!

[@nefertariwinchester3177]

Me too and me too😂 Seeing this video makes my morning!

[@ginginchannel733]

My favorite movie, I love their character development, and I really learn so much from Sophie character 😊❤️

[@onepiecepirat]

Just got home from work and I'm instantly lifted up by seeing this, thank you ❤

[@gabriellagilbert5326]

What I love is that in the books it kind of explains that Sophie de-ages back to herself when she is truly vulnerable and does not care what others think. So in the movie that would be when she is defending him to Sullaman and again when she tells Howl she’s in love with him. When she is asleep she’s not concerned about who she is or what others thing so she’s showing her true unburdened self. And by the end of the movie she knows that she has to protect Markl, the house and Howl as best she can because she loves them and and has no time to worry about anything else.

[@flusel4949]

I loved Sophie‘s input in this episode! Would love to see her again on the channel, she‘s such a welcome addition!

[@IdentifiantE.S]

One of the best episode ! 😄

[@tgbluewolf]

Had a brain fart for a split second and thought "wait how did they get the character's input?!" 🤣

[@susannapoli2308]

She is great!

[@voyance4elle]

I agree :)

[@namabeni]

I relate to Sophie in so many ways. In a way, Howl's Moving Castle is a love story. Love between Howl and Sophie, but it's mostly Sophie's love for herself. I've always related to the fact that she might be plain and not a "pretty girl" but she was proud of running the hat shop and her craft. And I love how you highlighted that she is kind to others because people have been unkind, condescending and just dismissed her entirely all her life because of her appearance. I never had caregivers who spoke to me in a kind way or explained things in a kind way growing up, and as I grew up I learned that I want to be someone I never had as a young person. I love this movie so much and this channel covering Howl's Moving Castle is just my treat for the summer. Thank you so much. ❤ Being kind, being soft-spoken, being soft-hearted are not a sign of weakness. Kindness is not weakness. There is great strength in being kind when the world is so unkind. Again, thank you sm for all the work you do! ❤

[@clairelin0216]

In the book she was very beautiful and Howl noticed her. When she showed up in his castle with the curse, Howl tried everything he could to lift her curse but never succeeded as the curse was a way of showing that Sophie kind of put herself under a spell that diminished her self worth and denied her obvious beauty by telling herself that she will be a failure, she's not beautiful, and she'll never achieve happiness before the Witch of the Waste actually put the spell in place to make it show on her age. Howl still tried to get rid of the pain that comes with the spell though.

[@Elaaaame]

YAYYYYY SOPHIE IS BACK!! ❤️I love when she appears. Her chaotic energy balances out with the internet dad vibes.

[@solfolgarait3745]

I really relate to the whole confidence theme of the movie. The transformation of Sophie to an old woman makes sense to me in a different way. I've always felt different from my peers, specially in my teenage years because I didn't really care for or like things that teenagers did. I never liked parties or doing reckless things, so my "friends" used to make fun of me saying that I was like an old woman. I feel like Sophie also feels that way in the movie, she doesn't go out with her sisters and prefers to stay at home and work on her craft; and I also think that's why she didn't really have that much of a hard time with the transition, because that's how she saw herself and how she thinks other people see her.

[@milord-gibbo]

My all time favourite film! It's rare to see a gentle character like Sophie be celebrated in film, but so comforting.

[@harvestmoon_autumnsky]

one of my favorite books and movies. Sophie was happy to leave her family and happy to be old because it was actually liberating. She could break away from the expectations of herself that she put upon herself. She got to explore another "story line" vs the aging equating her lack of self confidence.

[@clairelin0216]

The witch's curse was actually a blessing in disguise in a way. Without the curse, Sophie wouldn't have left the hat shop that quickly.

[@videoket]

This is even clearer in the book, where her siblings and family are bound by fairytale conventions (I.e. one child goes on an adventure, one child learns magic, etc.) and Sophie’s fate is to be the boring one who doesn’t have an adventure.

[@rukeyburg1084]

CinemaTherapy gave so much joy & wisdom for me. I have loved the concept for so long since I discovered this channel like 1,5 years ago. The fact that a down-to-earth psychological guy and an emotional but smart movie writer just watch a movie together and just comment with their expertise is really wholesome genius. Alan and Jonathan are actually such great guys, the fact this channel is holding up with 1.4K subscribers and the way Jonathan is also giving Alan therapy,.. It's all amazing. So much Jonathan says, sees, thinks or finds, those are things I never _really_ hear from someone else. They talk about everything that is relevant and important to society and individuality and related to the movie, it's never dull and they still talk about it breezy or laugh about it. I can see how you guys improved the last few years, also because Jonathan didn't start as a licensed therapist but a going-to-be therapist right? I can see you guys have gotten more confident and wiser, but mostly becoming more powerful with words as being genuine. You guys said it even on this one; that respect doesn't come down with technique but with sincerity and right intentions. I have learned a lot from it and you guys not only keep me entertained through comments, but also entertain through which movies or shows I like(d), already have seen or sometimes even stimulate to watch it first. Jonathan's (and Alan's) knowledge is super helpful and they always find new stuff and observations to talk about. This channel is worth a lot for me, so here is something that might be worthy for you guys. Thank you for (still) being here with us! (part 1: There are 2 comments because I wanted to give like 40, not 25)

[@CinemaTherapyShow]

This is so lovely! Thank you so much! -alan

[@luna5031]

In minute 20:10 on how Sophie gets the heart from the witch, just wanted to mention that the way Sophie asks for it allows for the witch to get the opportunity to be kind (or not) - she chooses to be kind and give it back (although Sophie could have taken it by force!), I find suuuper valuable that she got the chance to choose to do good - this becomes her action and to her credit, and I love that capacity of self-transforming while still alive, even as v old and physically powerless ❤

[@dominiquewilson9964]

First off, I am obsessed with this channel! I work in the substance abuse field, and ive used some of your videos in my meetings. They have always been a hit and my clients have gotten so much out of your videos. Second, this is one of my favorite movies so i was very excited fo see this uploaded this morning! Thank you all for doing what you do!

[@CinemaTherapyShow]

Thanks for sharing our videos and thanks for watching! :)

[@sorcerousfang]

I heard somewhere that someone came to the conclusion that the book and movie were told from the perspectives of Sophie and Howl respectively. It's a fun way to explain the differences between them.

[@lottaraatikainen3942]

I've seen the same as a very well drawn meme. The movie is how Howl tells it (pretty, a bit chibi style Howl and Sophie walking sweetly together on air with big smiles on their faces) and the book is how Sophie tells it (red-haired Sophie with her long braid flying behind her and her indef finger pointed at an angry Howl, both with their mouths wide open having a yelled argument, both drawn in a rather angular way).

[@wolfishpotato6978]

​@@lottaraatikainen3942In fairness, that's a pretty accurate summary of the first 3/4 of the book XD Not the hair, but the cooonstant bickering. I absolutely loved it

[@AadenKDragon]

The movie is soooooo different from the book but both are so so so good. I'm so glad this finally made the cut Edit: also another reason why the Witch of the Waste chose Sophie is because sophie herself actually has magic. She sews magic into the hats she makes. She made a hat that had the mayor fall in love with the owner. She had another where the woman who bought it gained self confidence and was seen as the tiwn beauty shortly after. Its also why Howl had a bit if trouble finding and breaking the spell the witch put on her: because sophie sewed her own perception of herself into her own hat and clothes. Sophie unintentionally helped with witch's spell. If you havent read the book you should definitely go read it.

[@David_Axelord]

When Howl started excreting green slime and "calling the spirits of darkness," I thought to myself: "Wow, he's literally me." Also, Sophie is the best.

[@Starburst514]

Legit when my friend was upset over her hair coming out of color when she died it I sent her that clip and she cracked up 😂😂 we're close like that, so I knew she'd know I wasn't making fun of her, it broke the tension

[@thebluecat3925]

As a person of 27 having been diagnosed with osteoporosis 30 years early for the "party" this movie have become more and more relatable to the point where I'm about to craft my own Sophie cosplay but almost beeing unable to rewatch the movie without bawling loudly for its entire duration. Actually just watching you react is making me do that ❤ thank you so much ❤

[@MonicaGarcia-bd3ci]

The two sides of a Miyazaki film: Side A - a deep study psychoanalytic interpretation of each character and their possible meanings with infinite theories and all are to some degree correct. Side B: Movie good, pictures pretty, tears are shed, let's get ramen!

[@jema2609]

So, side A doesn't get ramen?! 😿

[@MonicaGarcia-bd3ci]

@@jema2609 They reward a good analysis with ramen, as well.

[@akihomurata7905]

I'm Japanese so I usually only watch the original voice acting in anime/Ghibli films if I can help it but Christian Bale as Howl is the one dubbing that I like as much as (if not more) than the original, so I relate so much to Sophie mentioning it at the beginning (I also love that line)

[@astoriarego8304]

I own the movie and have seen it a half dozen times, but have never watched the dub because they're usually terrible. I guess I'll have to watch it and rewatch this!

[@juliab3326]

​@@astoriarego8304Personally I think the English version sounds quite rough and not as magical (English synchro tends to be "powerful"). I prefer the German dub because their gentle voices remind me of the Japanese Original.

[@MMAddict39]

Man there really are some scenes in this movie where Christian is just flat out doing his Batman voice and it's absolutely hillarious.

[@ultimatebishoujo29]

I know right?

[@msk-qp6fn]

It honestly kinda kills it for me 😂

[@robynmontgomery9826]

Sophie is one of my most favorite heroines ever. I just love how kind, resilient, and practical she is.

[@fishstick7104]

I relate to Sophie rage cleaning so much! I love watching this movie to get me motivated for a deep clean!!! But then I also relate to her running outside and crying in the rain. She just cleaned Howls' whole house (and metaphorically cleaned up his psychological dumping ground). And she gets no thanks, but "you ruined my potions and now I'm hideous!". Sophie's had a lot to deal with in the last 3 days, and I feel like that was a breaking point, and I feel that moment in my SOUL. I've got to watch this movie again! ❤

[@Glimare]

From what I recall from the book, the curse made her as old as she felt. She lives in a fairytale trope-y world where, as the eldest daughter, she had certain expectations on her while her two sisters had other epectations, like learning magic and being popular. The epectations she had were to basically be an old maid and carry on the business. She often talked about herself as an old woman and when the witch's curse struck her, it reflected how she felt about herself. She became youthful in actions and feelings over time and admitting to herself that she was in love with Howl was a key reason she broke the curse. This transfered successfully to the film but was not explained. The end conflict and resolution though is completely different. You should read it. it's really fun.

[@aflameinthevoid8047]

Sophie’s smile when you guys compliment her- I love a supportive friendship ☺️

[@puddlel1ama327]

this is quite literally my favourite film of all time. thank you so much for taking a look

[@CinemaTherapyShow]

You're so welcome! :)

[@joanetteedwards920]

11:20 - I agree with what you are saying here and I wanted to comment before I forget what I want to say: I feel the fact that she became younger when she stood up for Howl is also sweet because she's forgetting about her own insecurities because she's defending or supporting the man she loves. Which is a lot like I am. I get really passionate when defending or protecting a loved one, but I back down quickly when I have to do the same for myself.

[@worminaround]

Sophie literally hit us with "I have no enemies"

[@TheAubelisk]

I wish you'd bring Sophie on more often, I relate to her and having her bring up things that I'm going through with a therapist in the room is very encouraging. It's also free therapy.

[@dani_dan_dan4296]

I both can and cannot believe you're both reacting to Howls Moving Castle! JUST, YES !!! THANK YOU !!! So excited!! 😭🙌💖

[@CinemaTherapyShow]

You're welcome! Hope you enjoyed it!

[@bratz-t3f]

they just summoned the fandom here 😂😂

[@harrisonhicks6853]

I was so excited when I saw y’all covered howl’s moving castle! it’s my all time favorite movie, and it’s helped me through a lot of very hard moments in my life. sophie is such a good example of determination and acceptance, and I love her found family. miyazaki put so much heart into this movie, and I think it really shows in how many different lessons people can take. people can learn reconciliation, acceptance, serenity, pacifism, and a whole lot of things. I love sophie’s line “a hearts a heavy burden.” for me, that rings true. it’s hard to care, to be invested, to have your heart start growing late in life. it’s hard to accept responsibility and be accountable to those around you. but it’s better. it’s better to have a heart

[@annalee9429]

idk why I always feel related to Sophie. Something about her insecurities of never find herself beautiful and always think bad about herself resonates to me. I don't know if it's because of all the traumatic events I have been through in my life or what. When Sophie retracted to her "shell" and saying something like the nice thing about being old is you've got nothing much to lose,it somehow always makes me sad because I feel it sometimes because I have the thinking of don't expect anything because your expectation will hurt you so when you expect nothing you got nothing to lose...

[@DRAG0NSPIRIT10]

I have a similar mindset, such as always expecting the worst so you won't be disappointed. Or just not seeing the point in ever trying, when you could lose it all in an instant.

[@dungeonlessdm6914]

I love how Howl, Mr. FakeItTillYaMakeIt confidence man genuinely admits that Sullimen terrified him. Not scared, not made uneasy, TERRIFIED him. Now all I want is a film on what the sorcerer's acedemy was like.

[@sarahgracewilliams4423]

My absolute favorite! I just got the notification of this video and I am so thrilled. This movie is beautiful! ❤ love your guys’ content

[@CinemaTherapyShow]

Thanks so much! Hope you enjoy the episode!

[@NicholasIrvin]

@@CinemaTherapyShow can you guys do john Rambo

[@laurenreviewsmoviestvshows9694]

​@@CinemaTherapyShowplease do from up on poppy hill. Such a good ghibli film makes me cry every time.

[@aapur]

I would call the magic system in this movie "Convenience Magic". It works based on convenience, rather than an established system with strict rules. Allowing it to better move the story forward. And it works because the magic itself isn't the core part of the story. It's a tool in the storytelling that helps push the story forward when it has to.

[@m3rrys0ngstr3ss]

I literally threw my hands up in the air with joy when I saw that you had analyzed this movie! This movie shows so well that beauty should be dependent on love, not the other way around, and not just in a romantic way. I feel like you get that even in the opening scene between Lettie and Sophie; Lettie knows her sister is dependable and kind and modest, and she won't let her talk down on herself. And of course, gorgeous as he is, I figure Sophie doesn't start falling for Howl until he stops moping. Alan, you're correct about Howl seeing through the curse; the book explains it a little further. Short version is that even if Sophie can't tell anyone what's happened to her, a curse of that magnitude is plainly obvious to other magic users and Howl spends most of the book trying to figure out why he can't lift the spell off of her.

[@WilloWik]

I always saw the curse as being a manifestation of Sophie’s focus on her own insecurities rather than her outward focus on others, but I think this ties into what you guys said very nicely! When we focus on helping others, we find confidence in ourselves as well, so when Sophie helps Howl and doesn’t focus on her own flaws so much, she finds confidence in herself. This is most apparent in the scene with the garden for me, where she’s so focused on this beautiful thing Howl has given to her, but as soon as he shifts the focus back to her, she becomes insecure and old again. That’s just my theory tho.

[@paramitch]

This was such a lovely analysis, and Sophie was a terrific guest and commentator, who obviously has so much care and thoughtfulness for others. I love that in HOWL, kindness is Sophie's superpower -- it should be everyone's. (Also, I am definitely with Sophie on Christian Bale's voice in this -- oh, man!)

[@kaylalian19]

I literally gasped when I saw this was uploaded! HMC and Sophie's character in particular was so important to me in middle school. I was not the most confident at the time, and this movie really showed me 1) the difference it can make in one's life when you believe in yourself and 2) how love and encouragement from others can help build up one's confidence. It doesn't just happen to Sophie, but she provides that to others too. Years later, I still think of this movie when I'm feeling low about myself, and it never fails to inspire me. So glad you guys are talking about this film!

[@nalublackwater9729]

The thing about Sohpie at the start of the story is not only about her self confidence, it's also about her feeling that her life was over and that there wasn't anything new waiting for her. At 18 she already had a career as a hat maker which let her make enough money to live, but she knew she wouldn't marry because she wasn't pretty enough, and with time all her friends would marry and leave her behind. There, she had done everything that was expected of her, and she had long decades ahead to keep trudging along the same routine.

[@jacquelynsmith2351]

This is one of my favorite movies! I absolutely feel a connection to Sophie! And your talk at the end reminds me... My one niece always says "OBVIOUSLY!" whenever someone doesn't know something she knows. Such as when she's teaching a friend to play a video game they've never played before. IT BUGS ME SO MUCH! The condescension! So her mom and I both go "it's not obvious to me, I've never played it before either!" We had a talk with her about how it can put people down. I also mentioned how 10,000 new people learn a particular fact every day, so their friend was one of the lucky 10,000 people that learned that one thing about that game that day. Huzzah!

[@ColoradoMntn1222]

The movie and book are so different and so fantastic too. The friendship and understanding for one-another’s art of storytelling is one of my favorite things to think about when I need an emotional lift among the chaos of the world with all of its misunderstandings. The really meaningful part of this for me is that Diana Wynne Jones suffered from chronic illness at a young age, and I did too. All of the feelings she conveyed in this story about it were so relatable. When she wrote the book, she didn’t think a lot about her confidence, but Miyazaki picked up on that and conveyed it beautifully. She loved that. I think it’s so cool that he could retell her story in a way that wowed and resonated even with her.

[@ravenbrinkley664]

Oh my gosh, I'm so happy you did this film. Me and my therapist went over Howl's moving castle, talking about how connected I was with Sophie's character. I even talked about how I was afraid of becoming 'old Sophie' in the fact that she was old. Like I'm afraid that I'll never gain that kind of confidence until im old and dying. I kinda wished you guys talked about Howl's arc a bit more because I feel they were foils of each other. Her with lack of confidence. Him with too much confidence (appearance wise). And then them giving each other confidence in the things they are shying away from in life.

[@noush4835]

i would love to see an episode on Violet Evergarden. seriously one of the most underrated animes. her journey to learn and understand different emotions is just>>>

[@milo_thatch_incarnate]

This was the first movie I ever watched of Miyazaki’s, and it made me fall in love with his work. I related very much to Sophie when I was in my teens; thankfully, now that I’m 23, I found my confidence! More Studio Ghibli videos please!!

[@annawu9346]

I love that y’all are talking about Sophie’s emotional growth! Seriously my favorite movie, and I love hearing y’all discuss it! One little observation: Sophie going in the cave to see beast Howl is a dream, thus the abrupt wake up and no one else recalls what Sophie experienced. And fun fact: This movie is also a spectacular master class in developing healthy boundaries!

[@deanospimoniful]

This movie holds a special place in my heart. I watched it the weekend before leaving for out of state college and leaving my childhood home. I'm a very shy, introverted person, who certainly lacks for confidence in a lot of respects, and I think in retrospect, I see a lot of myself in the main character. Also, the soundtrack is amazing.

[@sensenpommes05]

It's kind of a reversed spell for him... he sleeps and looks like a monster, she sleeps but is beautiful a.k.a. her inner self and unburdened by the world.. It's such a great and beautiful movie

[@annasahlstrom6109]

I've read the Howl's Moving Castle books and they are truly wonderful! This movie is my favorite Miyazaki film and yes, it differs from the book, but when you are a master storyteller like Miyazaki that doesn't matter. Everything he does is a masterpiece.

[@lianathewolflover4516]

This was my first anime movie ever! Thanks Ethan for starting my obsession. Howls Moving Castle is a masterpiece. I also have a shirt that says, “May all your bacon burn,” with Calcifer

[@daniellevinson6975]

The *other* reason Sophie leaves her family so easily is because her inability to tell them what happened means they'd evict her from her own home unless she leaves before they see her.

[@denisemckinney3973]

I agree with your guest. When I am not feeling well I pull out my dvd’s of Hayao Miyazaki films and watch over and over. Howl’s Moving Castle is one of my favorites.

[@O-Demi]

Oh this somehow helped me see the connection about how Miyazaki once said that some of his animantion was inspired by Soviet animantion works he'd seen, and I suddenly remembered the Soviet 'Beauty and the Beast' cartoon and now I understand that I see some aspects of it in this movie (like the 15:14 scene must've been somewhat inspired by it, the monstrosity of him, no doubt).

[@kpopf4nmom]

Yay! My favorite Miyazaki film! Thank you so much for doing this one! One of my favorite things about this movie is when the staff approached Lauren Bacall about the character. They were nervous about it! They explained to her that the character was "kind of despicable." Her response... "Darling, I was ^born^ to play despicable." 😂 Classic Lauren Bacall moment! She was such a treasure!

[@capuchinosofia4771]

thats amazing hahaha, thanks for sharing!

[@Snowdew234]

Sophie is great, glad to see her back on the show again!

[@asian435chen]

Thank you for discussing this topic!! I really took a lot from your discussion, especially at 24:22 where Sophie explains how she implements kindness in her life, because I still struggle with my sister's condescending statements and we all work together as a family. I'm still on my self confidence journey, to better myself and health and I'm almost 30. I used to delude myself and say I don't need positive affirmation, but the moment I get yelled at, I'd lash back or tune them out, peculiarly with family. I will try to be more empathetic and mindful of my responses and try not to take things personally when people lash out.

[@thoughtsofaleo2916]

wishing you nothing but the best on your self-confidence journey! it's not an easy road (I'm absolutely still on mine), but you've got this!

[@asian435chen]

@@thoughtsofaleo2916 thank you 💖💖💖 all the best to you on your journey as well

[@Katiewithdaffodils]

This movie is so special to me. It blows my mind to think there are other people out there who not only feel something like the same way about it, but also have different interpretations of all the little moments in it.

[@sparky082]

Regardless of context (tho I know she's a Ghibli fan and beyond) I'm so happy to see Sophie in an episode I always feel like she brightens up the room. And makes the whole episode more grounded in some way. I love you Sophie!

[@KirstenWakiesa]

I'm so happy that you did an episode about HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE it is my favorite Ghibli movie. And Sophie is back on board = super fun³. I just had a smile on my face for 25 minutes.

[@CinemaTherapyShow]

So glad you enjoyed it!

[@histoirettes]

Finally! I was waiting for an analyse of this movie for a few years. It's one of my three favourite movies ever. I was watching the movie almost everyday for almost 6 months.

[@blue_rosa_art]

So me and my mum watch your videos together, it's become this cute little slice of time that we make sure during dinner to sit together and watch, and the way she was SO HAPPY that you guys finally got to doing Howls Moving Castle, she's been waiting for you to cover this one since you did the Spirited Away one, but yeah this is literally her absolute favourite Ghibli movie (I even bought her the book as well), she really enjoyed hearing you guys go over it and interpret the movie etc. Was great, thank you for covering it!

[@MariaWestwood24]

I totally did not hear CB as Howl until you said it, and now I cannot unhear it. He really is insanely talented. What an amazing movie overall

[@DireZyre]

Sophie's back! Please have her on more, I adore her so much and she adds such a wonderful element to every episode she's in!

[@jayman9810]

I would love to see y'all do a break down of princess monoke!!! One of the best Miyazaki has to offer in regards with war, hate and belonging. Especially with the quote of "seeing with eyes unclouded with hate".

[@ultimatebishoujo29]

I agree with you