Howl’s Moving Castle: 10 things you only get after watching the movie twice

Howl and Sophie's relationship is filled with adventure and love (Image Credits: Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki)
Howl and Sophie's relationship is filled with adventure and love (Image Credits: Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki)

One of the most popular and beloved movies from Studio Ghibli is the amazing Howl’s Moving Castle. The movie tells the story of Sophie, a normal girl who works as a hatter until a jealous and vengeful witch curses her to look like an old lady. Sophie runs away after being cursed, and her journey takes her to the titular location aka Howl's Moving Castle where she meets the inhabitants.

A stunning visual treat, the movie presents a heartwarming and beautiful story that never ceases to charm viewers. Rewatching the movie feels just as magical, which is a blessing in disguise because the fast-paced and convoluted plot can be difficult to follow the first time. It is easy to miss certain small, hidden details when watching Howl’s Moving Castle for the first time because there is just so much to take in.

We have listed below 10 things in the movie that only become perceptible after you watch the movie twice.

Disclaimer: The article reflects the author's opinion, and contains spoilers.


10 things you might have missed when watching Howl’s Moving Castle for the first time

1) Calcifer takes the form of a heart

Calcifer is a small fire demon who happens to be very friendly and charming. He helps the inhabitants of the castle with their daily activities. However, he has a more significant role to play since he is also Howl's heart. We only learn this towards the end of Howl’s Moving Castle after seeing the contract they made when Calcifer was still a dying star, but the film dropped a hint earlier.

When Calcifer starts to lose his fire, he becomes a weird palpitating blob that is only kept alive by a small blue flame. It is not until Howl gives him a breath of life that Calcifer comes back. However, if you look at the scene a second time, you will see that Calcifer was actually not a blob. Instead, he showed his real form as a beating heart.


2) The Witch of the Waste is Howl’s past lover

The Witch of the Waste is one of the main antagonists in Howl’s Moving Castle. She is a powerful witch who uses her magic for profit and is obsessed with looking young. She curses Sophie almost immediately the first time we see her. She is also seen trying to take Howl’s heart for herself, setting herself on fire in the process. The film implied that she used to be Howl’s partner, and she became obsessed with the idea of getting him back after the break-up.


3) Sophie’s journey is one of self-love

Sophie used to be a normal girl who was always preoccupied with others’ opinions about her. After she gets cursed, she slowly starts to become more confident and starts living her life to its fullest. She realizes that she does not have to care about what others think as an old woman.

As her confidence soars, she starts taking care of herself and her loved ones, which is when she becomes young again. Sophie needed to learn to love her true self without caring about others in Howl’s Moving Castle.


4) The castle reflects Howl’s mental state

When Howl’s Moving Castle begins, the titular castle is a complete mess, as is Howl’s mental state. He is obsessed with his looks and the idea of never ageing. He also dreams of stopping the war all by himself.

As the movie progresses, however, Sophie’s influence on him becomes palpable. She helps him heal, which improves his mental health. By the end of the movie, he is living a new and happy life after having left all the damaging habits in the past.


5) Howl was looking for Sophie in the past

When Howl first finds Sophie at the beginning of the movie, he tells her that he has been looking for her everywhere. We, the audience, regarded this as a cover for him to run away with her since he was being followed. However, when Sophie goes back into the past by crossing Howl’s black door, he tells her to look for him in the future. Howl was waiting for Sophie, the one he had loved for a long time. This time around, Sophie knows how to help him.


6) The film has an anti-war theme

The eponymous book that inspired the movie Howl’s Moving Castle does not have any war developing in the background. However, the film adaptation presents the war as one of its main themes.

Creator Hayao Miyazaki has talked about this a few times. He confessed that the war subplot was added to the film to criticize America’s invasion of Iraq. He knew that the movie would receive some degree of backlash because of that, but he was firm in his decision to portray war as a senseless act.


7) Heen used to be a wizard and is Suliman’s spy

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Heen is a cute and lazy dog who becomes part of the adventure after he follows Sophie and Howl when they are escaping from the Queen. While he seems to be clueless, he was apparently tasked by the monarch to spy on Howl and his friends.

There is so much more to him than meets the eye. His intelligence and eventual betrayal of the Queen are explained by his role as one of her apprentices. He was turned into a dog and a familiar to the monarch at some point before the beginning of Howl’s Moving Castle.


8) Howl’s arc is about growing up

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Howl is in denial of the fact that he has to grow up in Howl’s Moving Castle. His obsession with his appearance might have appeared dramatic to most people, but it stemmed from his deep-rooted fear.

The reveal of the Black Door being a portal into his past helps us understand his psyche better. Howl is afraid to move on and become like one of the adults he has always been surrounded by. At the end of Howl’s Moving Castle, we see him leaving this burden behind, much to everyone's joy.


9) The parallel of Calcifer’s flame and the fires of war

Calcifer is a warm and kind character in Howl’s Moving Castle. His fire rarely ever hurts anyone, and it is mostly used to keep the castle functioning. His direct link to Howl’s lifeforce as his heart also means that his heat is a representation of his owner's passion.

However, the fire we see during the war scenes is filled with rage and a desire to hurt, unlike Calcifer’s flame. This is an anti-war symbolism and shows us that warm, homely fire can also become a weapon of mass destruction if we allow hatred to overcome us.


10) Sophie and the Witch of the Waste are opposites

Upon seeing Sophie and the Witch of the Waste side by side, it is difficult to conclude immediately that they are opposites. However, their differences become clearer as Howl’s Moving Castle progresses.

When young Sophie gets cursed by the Witch of the Waste, she takes the form of an old lady and has to hide her true identity for the majority of the film. On the other hand, the Witch of the Waste is hiding the fact that she is an old woman with the help of her powerful magic.

While Sophie wants to help Howl be free of his burdens so he can be happier, the Witch of the Waste wants to possess him and control his affections.


Disclaimer: All external media in this article are the property of their respective owners, and Sportskeeda claims no ownership of the same.

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Edited by Mohini Banerjee
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