Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

This may be my new favourite Ghibli movie. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this magical adventure. There's so much to love in the visual elements alone. Every character pops off the screen and has such an exciting and dynamic personality. I definitely need to give this film another watch because I forget some of the more subtle story details. Howl's Moving Castle is a bit of a slow burn in comparison to some of the other Ghibli films. The run time is well worth it to take some time to enjoy the gorgeous artwork on display. It's hard to compete with other films from this powerhouse of a studio, especially when some of those other films are much more ingrained in western pop culture. Howl's Moving Castle has a ton of heart and has a lot to do with the idea of being an outcast of sorts, which is poetic when considering how the film is perceived. This film is thematically dense like many of the other Ghibli films, so I won't get into the weeds on that. I would recommend to anyone who has seen those flagship titles from Miyazaki and his team and explore something a little different.