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is a 2004 Japanese animated fantasy film scripted and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. The film is based on the novel of the same name by British writer Diana Wynne Jones. The film was produced by Toshio Suzuki, animated by Studio Ghibli and distributed by Toho. Mamoru Hosoda, director of one episode and two movies from the ''Digimon'' series, was originally selected to direct but abruptly left the project, leaving the then-retired Miyazaki to take up the director's role. The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on 5 September 2004, and was released in Japanese theaters on 20 November 2004. The film is one of only three (out of a current 18) Studio Ghibli films which were not released in July. It went on to gross $190 million in Japan and $235 million worldwide, making it one of the most financially successful Japanese films in history. The film was later dubbed into English by Pixar's Peter Docter and distributed in North America by Walt Disney Pictures. It received a limited release in the United States and Canada beginning 10 June 2005 and was released nationwide in Australia on 22 September〔(Madman In Cinemas )〕 and in the United Kingdom the following September. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 78th Academy Awards in 2006, but lost to ''Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit''. ==Plot== Sophie, an eighteen-year-old hatter, encounters a mysterious and powerful wizard named Howl on her way to visit her sister Lettie. Upon returning, she meets The Witch of the Waste, who transforms her into a ninety-year old woman. Seeking a cure for the spell, Sophie travels to the Wastes and encounters a living scarecrow whom she names "Turnip Head," who leads her to Howl's castle. There, she meets Howl's young apprentice, Markl, and the fire-demon Calcifer, who is the source of the castle's energy and magic. When Howl appears, Sophie announces that Calcifer has hired her as a cleaning lady for the house. Meanwhile, Sophie's country is caught up in a war with a neighboring country, following the mysterious disappearance of the other country's Crown Prince. The King summons Howl (Pendragon and Jenkins) to fight in the war. However, Howl decides to send Sophie to the King under the pretense of being his mother, to profess the cowardice of one of Howl's two aliases. Before leaving, he gives to Sophie a charmed ring that connects her to Calcifer. He also assures her that he will follow her to the palace in disguise. At the palace, Sophie runs into an asthmatic dog, Heen, who she thinks is Howl undercover. She also meets the Witch of the Waste, whom Suliman, the king's magic advisor, punishes by draining all of her power, causing her to regress into a harmless old woman. When, Suliman tells Sophie that Howl will meet the same fate if he does not contribute to the war, she protests in his defense, causing the Witch's spell to temporarily weaken to reveal her true form. Suliman realizes Sophie's true relation to Howl and her feelings for him. Howl arrives to rescue Sophie; Suliman tries to trap him, but with Sophie's help, they escape, taking Heen and the former Witch of the Waste with them. Sophie learns that Howl transforms into a bird-like creature in order to interfere in the war, but each transformation makes it more difficult for him to return to human form. She fears that Howl is preparing to leave them, as his remaining time as a human is limited. Sophie's mother — under Suliman's control — arrives and leaves behind a bag containing a "peeping bug." The former Witch promptly destroys the bug by tossing it into Calcifer, who then becomes sick and weak, rendering him unable to protect the castle from being discovered. A few hours later, Sophie permanently returns to her young form just as the city is carpet bombed by enemy aircraft. Suliman's henchmen invade the group's abode. After healing Calcifer, Howl tells Sophie that he is not going to leave because he wants to protect her. Deducing that Howl is trying to protect the castle and everyone inside it, Sophie moves everyone out, removes Calcifer from the fireplace and destroys the castle. She offers Calcifer her braid, allowing him to power a portion of the remaining castle. The former Witch realizes that Howl has given his heart to Calcifer and therefore clenches Calcifer, refusing to let go of him even when it burns her. A panicked Sophie pours water onto the Witch, which douses Calcifer, making him lose his power. The castle is split in two; Sophie and Heen fall down a chasm and are separated from Markl, the Witch of the Waste and Calcifer. Making her way toward Howl's heart with the charmed ring, Sophie enters into the "black region" of the broken portal door and discovers how Howl and Calcifer met: as a boy, Howl took pity on a falling (dying) star—Calcifer—and gave it his heart. The act bound Calcifer to Howl indefinitely; however, by losing his heart, Howl was emotionally trapped in adolescence. Sophie finds Howl, having now lost his human consciousness, in bird form. They head back to Calcifer with the Witch and Markl; a wooden platform is the only remaining part of the castle, which is moving along a cliff. The Witch gives Sophie Howl's heart and she places it back inside Howl, returning him to life and freeing Calcifer. With Calcifer gone, the remaining platform collapses and falls down the mountain making Turnip Head use his pole to brake the platform. Sophie kisses Turnip Head as thanks, which breaks his curse, revealing that he is actually the missing prince from the neighboring country and was trapped in the form of a scarecrow until he received true love's kiss. Howl wakes up and Sophie embraces him. Although Calcifer is now free, he returns to his former company, while Suliman decides to put an end to the war. Howl, Sophie, and the others are seen high above the bomber planes upon a new flying castle, while the bombers return from the war. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Howl's Moving Castle (film)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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