~~Howl's Moving Castle~~

Ah!!! I have just finished watching this anime today... after so long, (it's released in year 2004)
OK... if I were to compare, Miyazaki Hayao's latest 2 animation, Spirited Away, and Howl's Moving Castle, I prefer the previous one... as... for some reason, I didn't quite like Sophie (Howl's Moving Castle)

However... woo!!! ^_^ maybe one of the reason I didn't like Sophie, is because, I have fallen for Howl as well ^_^V
He is just too, PRETTY!!!

This anime is partly based on the fantasy fiction by Diana Wynne Jones, "Howl's Moving Castle", but Miyazaki Hayao definitely has interpreted it in the most beautiful and fantasy way... whatever you can imagine, he has it in the anime, whatever things that you cannot imagine, he has them there too ^_^

The part I like the most is when Howl first appeared in the show(immediately, Choong's nose-bleed)... when Sophie was stopped by some armies on the street, and suddenly this extremely cute handsome guy came from above (as a wizard, Howl can fly, and he can transform to other forms of life too) and rescued her from the 'harrassment'...
then, he brought her to a cool flying journey above the town where she lives... that time, there were parade, and parties on the street... I have to say, Miyazaki Hayao is really very imaginative... if I were to ask to visualise my dream, I will not be able to do so... ^_^ that's why, Miyazaki Hayao IS there, and I AM here ^_^V

Sophie... is a very cheerful girl... why?
well... when she was casted the spell by the Witch of the Waste, from a beautiful young youthful lady (even though she actually thought that she is never a beautiful girl, and she is somehow depressed with her progressing life, ie.keep the business running for the hat shop, the shop that's left by her deceased father and that, she cannot really do what she wants for her life) to a 70-80-year-old grandma...
OH!! if it's me... frankly, I was a little bit shock, when I saw that scene... cos, I didn't expect she'll be transformed to such an old grandma, just within that few second (I didn't read the sypnosis of the story)
if it's me, I guess, I will just sit there and cry for the next few days... it's a scary idea... I mean, turning old within one night...
but then, Sophie immediately got up and went out, to look for what she wants...
before she started her adventurous journey, she(as a old lady) said, "the benefit of being such an old lady, is that, you have nothing much to loose anymore"
(the next "benefit" that she later mentioned, is that, "you won't be frightened that easily anymore")

Then... she ended up entering Howl's Moving Castle...
and began her life/interaction with Howl...

Sophie has always been very inferior about her look (as she claimed, not beautiful, but then... I also think that, she's not one of those big eyes, outstanding personality, glamour type of girl, ya, even though it's just an animation...)
so, when she's in her OLD GRANDMA self, she actually is more natural, even when facing Howl, her prince charming... as she said, "there's nothing to loose", and due to the spell, she couldn't tell anyone that she's THAT YOUNG sophie...

Anyway... I am not going to write out the full story of this show... right?? ^_~;;

When I was watching this show... I was like... OVERJOYED!!! ^_^
cos... err... what can one does, to have my FAVOURITE Christian Bale, and my FAVOURITE Kimura Takuya together...
well... even thought they're not literally 'together'
but they are the voice cast for Howl...
see... Howl is already so charming, hearthrobbing...
IMAGINE!!! when it's with Kimura's voice or when it's with Christian Bale's voice... gosh!!! (nose-bleed again!!)

however... as I said, for some reason, I didn't quite like the younger Sophie, she was a little bit too reserved, and err... too not-outgoing... (???)
but there're 2 characters who are very cute in the show, one is Calcifer (the fire demon that has a contract with Howl) and Markl, the little boy who follows and lives with Howl, he called Howl teacher... (not that I get to see Howl teaches he anything)
and I have to stress that, ooh... the voice cast (japanese) for Markl, is my favourite boy, Kamiki Ryonosuke...

Hai... then, I have to say again... what else can be better??? ^_^