Despite it's fame there is no way to save this movie, its only virtue is the drawing of backgrounds, landscapes and objects, because the drawing of the characters did not even convince me, something usual in Miyazaki's works, specially in this one and in Kiki's Delivery Service, where the characters don't merge with the background, it seems made by other people or other techniques that make characters look like shiny wax within a world that does have a nice texture and much more attractive colors.

Removing this everything else is a real nonsense. The history has no real interest, even if it plays with the supposed importance of its characters, princess, kings, prime ministers, soldiers of the kingdom, magicians, characters under terrible spells, witches, etc. Some "positions" that do not affect at all the depth of the plot, but without them the movie would not have so much mystique.

Nothing ever happens here, they travel to the castle, then the main character falls in love with Howl because... because one afternoon he helped her to reach to her cousin's shop and then ended up in his castle cleaning the living room, a romance that is below par even for a romantic story of a teenagers magazine for being too cheesy.

Then we have the story of the fire that keeps Howl alive, the residual witch with his heart, the scarecrow that turns out to be the prince of the kingdom next door, and what does that bring? Nothing, the scarecrow has nothing to do in the whole film, same with its true self, the prince of the kingdom, a kingdom that is at war with the other with the only reason that it is better to frame the movie in "Turbulent times of war". The importance of Darth Vader being Luke's father is precisely because of who Darth Vader is, not because the orphan suddenly discovers that his father is still alive and is the ship's engineer. Or those subjects about literally heartless, brainless, gutless characters are much better dealt with in The Wizard of Oz , a movie that use those concepts as a metaphor for deeper thoughts.

A movie that looks like a 120 minutes American trailer: "In times of war, a young woman is involved in an adventure dominated by magic, love, royalty. A journey and companions that will make her discover the value of what each of us carries inside. An unforgettable odyssey. NYT 5 stars: Miyazaki has done it again, children and adults will enjoy this wonderful adventure, do not miss it!".

Not the best example of Ghibli, better to watch Spirited Away or Grave of the Fireflies, masterpieces that are much more interesting than 'Howl's Moving Castle', imaginative, creative, moving, not just another bland and generic anime movie.