Western or Japanese? Howl's Moving Castle

          

          Howl's Moving Castle, is a delightful animated movie by Miyazaki. There is lot of supernatural events occurring, decay, dark corridors, secret identities, curses, oppression and romance. These element of goth are familiar to both the Western and the Japanese. However what is different is how some of the trope are interpreted by the Japanese.

           Traditionally in Western Gothic oppression is usually expressed by a man's hold over a woman, but in Japan the transgressor is most often a woman, so in the movie there are multiple women oppressors. Sophie oppresses her self initially, by tying herself to a business because due to family obligation, which is also a subtle Japanese trope; that of obligation. Sophie is later the transgressive woman when she invites herself to stay at the castle as the housekeeper. Although, Sophie's oppression turns out to be a gift to all that live in the Castle. However, there are two other women that are witches who are not as good, the Witch of the Waste and Madame Seville. The Witch of the Waste has cast a spell on Sophie, which actually liberates Sophie   from her self made imprison, of the hat shop. Madame Seville is the true villain in the movie, attempting to control everyone and everything. She is the cause of the war that is taking place, by turning the Prince in to a scarecrow, which everyone thinks was a kidnap by the other warring kingdom. Which starting a war in Western culture is usually the male role in fiction, if not in history.

           The secret identities of the males in the story are a mix of both cultures. The Prince as the scarecrow gives you a like bit of Oz and Howl in his dark monster bird form gives you a little Beauty and the Beast which I believe is so Disney, Western. Then you have Calcifer and Howl's bond although supernatural it is Japanese, a pure love of two men that are obligated to one another, subtle so some westerns may not get it.

           I believe that another thing that some viewer of the west may not get is how the emotion of the character affect the physical features of the characters. Like when Howl is losing it because he has lost his beauty he begin to melt or decay into a be puddle of slime or how Sophie is morphing back forth from old to young depending on her mood. Or the emotion that is demonstrated regarding the war that is taking place in the kingdom, how Miyazaki's characters protest war. This bombing of house is Japanese, having experienced this type of warfare to their country. 

          I believe also what was Japanese is the self sacrifice that Howl exhibits when he is in his bird form. Knowing the he could possibly lose his human form if he stays in his bird form for to long he continues to go out to fight the evil that is propelling the war, it is reminiscent of the Kamikaze during WWII that would use themselves and their planes as human torpedoes.

          Howl's Moving Castle is romantic and it give us Westerns our happy ever after ending, the heroin gets the boy, and they all go off with their new make shaft family. This film has so many twist and turns to speak of I could go on for awhile, I suggest viewing it. It is a film appropriate for the whole family. This movie is great and beautiful, and I am looking forward to adding it to my collection.