"Howl's Moving Castle" is a popular movie created by the famous Studio Ghibli, which is based off the book by the same name written by Diana Wynne Jones, a British author. Both the book and the movie are well represented in their own world of entertainment, but compared with one another, they are almost two completely different stories.
The world of Studio Ghibli is known for having strong lead female characters and beautifully animated movies, and this is true for their rendition of "Howl's Moving Castle."The movie itself was a huge international hit and remains to be one of Ghibli's classics even after being released for 12 years. Many of the characters and backgrounds for the movie were hand drawn and hand painted by the animators, which was a process that took them the majority of the production time.This lengthy process of animation sets Studio Ghibli apart from many animation studios and has made them a common name when someone mentions anime that is fit for a newcomer in the anime genre.
Diana Wynne Jones' book is one that could be considered a children's classic. The writing is geared toward children between the ages of 9 and 12, and is able to create characters that are interesting and well developed. There are aspects of the book that were not included in the movie adaptation; Howl's connection to the world of Wales, the fear of Turnip Head the scarecrow, and the other sister Martha are only three things that did not make the cut into the movie. Although these were cut from the movie, they do not take away anything from the basic message of the movie. The book, however, is able to use these tidbits of information to further the meaning of family values and the urge to protect those whom you consider family.
Both the movie and the book use Howl's vain tendencies to further the story and make conflicts that create character development within the plot. Having said this, there are changes to the character of Sophie. Within the book, Sophie's curse is stronger than it seems to be in the movie and it has different reactions to Sophie's emotions. There are also more tropes from common fairy tales found within the book than in the movie. Since Sophie is the eldest, she is considered the more plain, and simple of her three sisters; moreover, she thinks of herself as not being able to find much of a fortune for herself.
Overall, both book and movie are worth the time to pick up, share with a friend, and bring out the movie theater candy for.
