Miyazaki's impressive full-length feature tells the tale of Sophie Hatter, fittingly the operator of a hat shop. Her life is changed forever after she runs into the charming sorcerer Howl who helps her out of trouble when she is harassed by two problem-seeking guardsmen. The Witch of the Waste, who has a liking for Howl, does not like the way things are developing and casts a spell on Sophie that turns her into a 90-year-old woman. Heading out into the sphere where demons and magic rule, Sophie attempts to find a way to break the spell and ends up a cleaning maid in the moving castle owned by Howl.

Howl's Moving Castle took me on a fantastic ride into a seemingly familiar yet unusual world that I am often compelled to visit again. Featuring detailed, breathtaking art and unparalleled creativity, the film introduces intriguing characters including Madame Suliman's droll spy dog Heen, Howl's likeable apprentice Markl, the living scarecrow, Prince Turnip, and of course the heart of Howl's mobile abode, the crafty all-mighty speaking flame Calcifer.

Another highlight of the moving castle is its magic door which opens at totally different places according to a special pre-settable switch. Green, for example, equals the waste land, while black leads to the war zone. Sophie is also able to visit the place that she grew up by switching to yellow, and pink gets you to Howl's secret garden.

From Sophie's surprise over her sudden metamorphosis to the boyish yet gallant behavior of the amusingly self-absorbed Howl to the wonders performed by Calcifer who always seems to be under pressure, Howl's Moving Castle is full of strange inhabitants worth visiting. Fantasy once again comes alive in this landmark anime that features the perfect art composition typical of all Miyazaki works, perfectly intertwining idyllic landscapes with scenarios brimming with suspense. If you are interested in seeing floating aircraft with real wings or dogs flying through the air with their ears, then you've come to the right place in Howl's Moving Castle. Personally, each new viewing turns into a new fantasy trip for me that I never want to wake up from, especially since this unbelievable tale is so wonderfully complemented with Hisaishi Joe's fantastic score.