ハウルの動く城
Miyazaki | 2004 | Japan

First watch – indeed, my first ever Ghibli. 2026 is the year of the watchlist so far. Viewed subtitled in cinema, which made the wait to crack this particular seal feel worthwhile. I was already familiar with the game here – the beautiful animation, the fablistic storytelling – and the hype is real. It’s all rather magical, really, and feels like a warm hug, even in its tensest moments.

Animation often makes me sleepy (especially “adult animation” – I love Bob’s Burgers but midway through a second episode, I’m ready for bed) but I had no such problem here. Indeed, this is surprisingly pacey – two hours goes by in the blink of an eye (the beat of a heart?).

Frankly, it’s nice to see a story where everybody is giving everybody else the benefit of the doubt. There’s a war going on in the background, but infinite grace in the foreground. In between those two planes is literal magic. How could you not get swept away?

Viewed at Lido Cinemas in their Studio Ghibli retrospective.