Apparently the reason why howl even has a moving castle is because HE TRIES TO AVOID TAXES. Absolute crime man

"really quite old, well into his twenties" That statement gave me heartburn.

The movie: How Howl recalls the story The book: How Sophie recalls the story

Someone said “book howl is how everyone sees howl while movie howl is how howl sees himself” and I honestly think that’s very accurate

It's incredible how, no matter the style, no matter the description, i can never stop simping for howl

My favorite thing I've seen people say about the movie vs the book is that the book is Sophie's version of how they met and the movie is Howl's version 🤣

I loved book Sophie’s sass and stubbornness so much. As for Howl, his drama in the novel had me in tears from laughing so hard. There’s this time where he gets a cold: “I feel ill,” he announced. “I’m going to bed, where I may die.” He tottered piteously to the stairs. “Bury me beside Mrs. Pentstemmon,” he croaked as he went up to bed. Howl’s voice was presently heard shouting weakly, “Help me, someone! I’m dying from neglect up here!”

My favorite part about Howl is that Diana Wynne Jones didn't understand why fans told her that they wanted to marry him. Her response to women falling in love with him was, and I quote, "much as I love him, he is the last person I would want to marry. Apart from anything else, I would want to get in the bathroom sometimes." 😂

the description of howl could’ve been shortened to “fancy blond prick” but the drawing was accurate nonetheless

Honestly the book version of Sophie is really underrated, after turning into an old lady Sophie basically becomes and aggressive menace to society with her constant invasive cleaning. On top of that, Sophie literally beats the witch by repeatedly whacking her over the head with a flaming stick.

Sophie in the books IS A SAVAGE i can't get enough of her running after howl with weed poison

Howl's Moving Castle is one of those rare instances where the book and the movie were completely different and yet I adore both of them.

I dunno if this is true, but: My favorite thing about the book version is that Howl is, apparently, a guy from _our_ world, who figured out magic and teleported himself to the magic world.

Quote from book Howl,"I assure you, that I am not drunk."

Fun fact: that "elaborate blonde hair" is probably a mullet. Diana Wynne Jones said that Andre Agassi was exactly how she imagined Howl and in the 80s (when she saw him) he had a WILD mullet ;-;

Fun fact! Book Howl could have removed the Witch's curse in a snap, but Sophie had already placed a second, much stronger curse on herself by affirming that she was, in fact, a boring old woman. She talked it into being, so neither Howl or Calcifer could remove it until Sophie changed how she saw and talked to herself.

me: hmm, howl’s character is snobby, vain, dramatic, annoy- also me: PRETTY BOY 🗣🗣🗣 PRETTY…PR

WHY IS NOBODY TALKING ABOUT HOW CUTE MICHAEL LOOKS!?

I think with Sohpie, her yellowish eyes was more regarding her scalera, since older individuals tend to have a yellowing in the eyes from exposure to the elements. She actually was described as having blue-green eyes! I only recall this because i drew her from the book once too, in highschool I believe. Lol

I would think it's a much higher honor for a writer to get a Ghibli adaptation than a Hollywood or Netflix adaptation. Even if they made a lot of changes from the source material, it doesn't feel like some kind of downgrade and that's really rare to see. I guess if I ever wrote a book that got animated by Studio Ghibli or a live action by Hollywood, I would be infinitely more excited for a Ghibli anomation.

> gets insipired form her drawing > start drawing > you can't draw, get depressed

I prefer Calcifur’s design in the movie instead of the book because he is so cute

"Hovering at his elbow" doesn't necessarily mean height; it means he is sticking close by him :)

My favourite thing about book Howl is probably just that he's this ridiculously awkward Welsh guy who just casually lives in a parallel world from his own and just lives under pseudonyms instead of as Howell Jenkins. And that he's somehow a game-dev and a sorcerer depending on what world you're in. (and let's not forget that he's an absolute drama queen)

Now I know we’re all freaking out over Howl (which is valid howl is beautiful) but Lavender’s drawing of Micheal is cute too, some appreciation is in place

Warning to the arachnophobic people who want to read the book: in the movie Howl's room is covered in golden trinkets and treasures, in the book is just spiders, lots of spiders

still love how howl in the book carries around a guitar even if he doesn’t know how to play it lmao

I prefer Michael’s book design over the movie, he’s more interesting then just “little messy boy” especially with the super polite trait. Interesting comparison overall!

Honestly, the anti-war sentiments in the film was probably added in due to Miyazaki's early aged experiences with WWII and his general anti war sentiments as well (I remember reading an article that described him particularly against the Iraq War, so that may have played some role as well, although depending on the storyboarding time frame maybe not so much). This is also reflected in The Wind Rises, which was his last full movie with Studio Ghibli. So it's genuinely not surprising that when there was a war-focused opportunity in the background of the original novel, he dragged it to the foreground for further discussion.

Lol finally someone ha pointed out the differences in characters in books and visuals or movies

Not gonna lie, I like the book more but it's due to the following reasons 1. The insane amount of pure stubbornness in Sophie and her relationship with Howl ~ let's not forget how COWARD this man is pls 2. Michael 3. Sophie's sisters

With the line "Elaborate blonde hair" I 100% believe he has a massive curly mullet :'D After all, he's from Wales in the 80s! There's even a quote from the author about how she saw Andre Agassi on tv being interviewed after a tennis game and immediately went "oh that's Howl!" I honestly love drawing him with a luxurious mullety mane, it's so ridiculous and it just fits his energy

The day after I finally got to watch Howl’s Moving Castle this is posted. The universe is spoiling me

Thank you for talking about how Howl’s personality changed, as well! It’s so interesting to me how drastically his personality was changed. He was made far more dreamy in the movie, however, in the book, where he starts out more as a womanizing childish man, he goes through much more noticeable character development. My favorite detail in the book is that Calcifer says, “The day you show up unshaved and without your hair dyed to save a woman is the day you’re in love.” Which Howl later does to save Sophie.

i think my fav part from the book is when howl takes sophie and michael to wales and sophie is completely losing her mind over cars lol and when howl gives his nephew(?) a videogame that is literally just a puzzle game based on his castle

"really quite old, well into his twenties" you just wait, Sophie

The chapter "In Which Sophie Expresses Herself with Weed Killer" still makes me laugh on name alone. I really am due for a re-read. XDD

I absolutely love Howl in the movie, but i just ADORE his book character. He's so whiny and vain and much more interesting than in the movie where he's more heroic and... Welp, basic. Just my opinion of course!!

I love the little details in the book like how Sophie is never really described because (even though it’s 3rd person), most people don’t describe the way they look or think too much about it, but fixate on the way others look. I also like how Howl was supposed to grow up to be this jock doctor and he actually became a recluse who dropped out of school to live in his sister’s garage and learn magic and just happened to stumble into a magical alternate world.

In case you peoples don't know, Howls Moving Castle is a Trilogy. So go check out the other two if your interested! They're really good. Howl and Sophie aren't the main characters anymore but they are still in the books and in my opinion are the highlight of the second two

"quite old, well into his twenties" oof, feelsbadman

i read the book recently and wow. the whole time i was reading i was just like “howl is a hot mess and i love him”. i still /adore/ the movie but their characters in the book are so good and the story is really fleshed out in a satisfying way.

I’m sorry I fucking lost it at the “that’s my girl” with that drawing. It really gave me the funny cringey “are you lost baby girl” vibe 😂😂😂

this Michael is so precious and he goes straight on the list of "characters I NEED to pat but can't solely because they are not real people"

Absolutely shattered by the fact that calcifer looks like the joker. Ignorance is bliss and you have burdened me with this cursed knowledge

No matter version we see, we can agree at something. Howl is forever a pretty boy.

Everyone should read Diana Wynne-Jones’ other books too! House of many ways makes me cry laughing in spots

WE WERE ABSOLUTELY ROBBED WHAT MICHAEL SOUNDS BEAUTIFUL WHY DID WE GET A CHILD

I love Howl so much just look at him🌼

Calcifer actually turns a blue tint at some point in the movie, which I thought was a tribute to his original design.

What a lovely video! I think when Diana said Michael was "hovering by Howl's elbow" she meant it not as a description of height but as a description of how close Michael was standing next to Howl, and with an intense focus on whatever Howl was doing.

I think the only thing I never forgave the movie for was how they didn't carry over Sophie's power's. She was such a badass in the book, where as in the movie she was kinda a doormat even at the end.

I read the book and watched the movie, and I agree that people should appreciate them separately. I said to my fiance not too long ago that the movie is more inspired by the book. I love both movie and book equally, because of how different they are. The story is my favorite. My favorite movie and one of my favorite books.

Calcifer looks like a weirdly coloured lettuce😂 Cute

Love encouraging people to read the book!!! I love telling people that book!howl carries around an acoustic guitar he doesn’t know how to play to impress women, and that he bought the guitar instead of basic necessities for Michael and Calcifer

As someone who read the book first and then ran to buy the movie. I actually really enjoyed both adaptions despite how wildly different they are. Howl's Moving Castle is hands down one of my favorite books. And the movie is also one of my favorites. Fun fact, even the author, Diana Wynne Jones really enjoyed the movie adaptation, even if the movie Sophie and Howl were a bit more polished then her messy characters. And she adores Miyazaki's castle, and had several models of it around her home

Y’all are sleeping on how cute book Michael is : ( I love him he’s so cute

never thought that i would have a ghibli + lavendertowne crossover video, but here i am, not complaining.

So happy to see the book getting some attention! It's one of my favorite books of all time. Book Howl's hair being more "anime" than in the anime is hilarious (the pink color was also described as "bacon and eggs", which always made me laugh). Micheal's definitely my favorite to see people interpret since he's so very different in the book! Great job.

I adore both the movie and the book, even though they're very different. I saw the movie first as a kid and then read the books as an adult and I do prefer the books as far as Sophie and Howl's characterization/development goes. I especially love the third book, House of Many Ways. They aren't the main characters, but getting to see them interacting as a domestic married couple is just so good 😫💖

Just watching howl and going: OMG he’s such a bird

I need to know where she got those adorable Undertale sticky notes

I wasn’t prepared for how incredibly cute Michael ended up being

I thought the "watery yellowish eyes" referred to how in old age, the whites of one's eyes gradually turn a dull pale yellow (or darker yellow if you've outlived your liver), and the outer edges of the iris grow paler so the border between the sclera and the iris isn't quite as high contrast as it is when we're younger. So the overall image of the eye gets murkier.

LOVE THE NEW INTRO JTS SO CUTE AAAACCCCKKKKK

I actually just finished reading the book the other day and I love both of the pieces of media! I like to think of it as Miyazaki was retelling the story to his own interpretation of the characters. There are a lot of differences in both of them, but I think I enjoy them both equally!

I was obsessed with howl’s clothes while I read the book. The fact that he only wore about four outfits (technically two, but magic) and how each were portrayed were so interesting to me. The blue suit he started in was charming, and after it was slimed during the tantrum and cut into a hundred triangles by an angry and spite-driven Sophie, not to mention grown to about a mile long, it was fixed. The grey suit was accidentally enchanted by Sophie’s gift of speaking life into things. I remember freaking out over the section where Sophie was complaining that the grey suit couldn’t have ‘caught’ her with its alluring spell, but the blue suit (which wasn’t enchanted) worked the same on her, which was the nail in the coffin that she actually fell for howl. The rugby outfit, which was just the grey suit transformed, was messy but cute, showing more of his old home life and how his sister sees him vs the noble and extravagant Howl everyone else sees. And the black suit, which was just the blue suit transformed, showed his mourning for the teacher the witch of the waste had killed, who was like family to Howl. Plus, Sophie was insisting to know what suit was underneath, mostly to make sure no more girls were getting caught in the grey suit’s “trap” since she was growing more and more jealous. She insisted on making sure it was the blue suit and that he didn’t wear the grey suit while “trying to court” Miss Angorian.

When I finally read the book, I was pleasantly surprised to find out Sophie was originally some sort of strawberry blonde. As an auburn haired person myself, it made me really happy haha - especially because the descriptor wasn't "flame red" or "ginger" its so tiresome hearing those they always sound artificial and unflattering but the way they described her hair was so nice lol

I actually read Howl’s Moving Castle Before before watching the movie and I was absolutely confused watching it but I absolutely love the adaptation either way. Remember, you can love both :>

"That's my girl" I died.

THE WAY YOU DREW MICHAEL IS LITERALLY EXACTLY HOW I IMAGINED HIM WHEN I READ THE BOOK PLS THIS IS PERFECT I ADORE IT

Oml your rendition of micheal is so utterly adorable I instantly fell in love with him. What a good sweet boy. I do like markl from the movie but micheal was definitely the one character I wish had gotten more screen time and had been closer to the book because he was just so pure and his romance with his girlfriend was so cute and I just love that boy so much lmao.

"Calcifer is... The Joker."

I like how the movie and book almost feel like two different stories since things diverge so much in the climax, it helps me enjoy both of them on their own terms. I don't like when people argue one is better than the other, so I appreciate your even handed approach at acknowledging the differences without that combative energy. These are really nice book design interpretations!

I wonder how would the book versions of the characters react to their movie versions. First thing that came to mind was Michael's movie version being all giddy and excited at how cool and tall his book version.

I just finished the book… it was so so good! I love the movie and the book sm now. I read it to understand the plot of the movie better but um… it had a completely different plot 😅 I did just start reading it like it’s own book instead of comparing it to the movie which really helped. Your art also helped me visualize the characters and it made the whole experience so much better. I love both versions of Howl and Sophie so much! And the last scene of the book was so good 😭 Would love to see a drawing of that with your beautiful character renditions!

Happy to see a comparison for Howl's Moving Castle! I was one of the people who read the book first before the movie, and I was definitely surprised at how things were changed for the film. After I watched it, I was initially disappointed in how different it was to the book, but now I've come to love the film just as much for its own story. I think that on their own, both the book and the movie have a lot of heart, even if they're fairly different in plot.

Calcifer - Gets described as looking similar to the Joker My brain - We live in a society Howl ps. love the drawings ^^

Michael looks so good! And I love how Howl turned out too, his outfit is so flamboyant - it feels right. I love both the movie and the book, even though the plots are wildly different I think they compliment each other so well.

By 'hovering near the elbow' it doesn't mean his head is near his elbow, omg... just his body Giant Howl is a cursed thought

I wanted to marry book Howl and just Howl in general ESPECIALLY WHEN VOICED BY CHRISTIAN BALE

I clicked faster than you could say "Hey everyone it's LavenderTowne!"

The book is wildly underrated. Not only is it hilarious, but it's well written with a classic idea and an interesting premise. The characters, foreshadowing, and magic system is so cool. And I adore Sophie with all my heart. She definitely doesn't get enough credit. And the Witch of the Waste and her grand plan was sadly cut. But I also appreciate Miyazaki's version for it's touch on war and the fact that it creates its own creative liberties that, while while going out from the book most of the time, stands up as it's own

HELL YEAH!!! this book was my favorite when i was younger and i was always so bitter that it got overshadowed by the movie. i'm over that now, lol, but it's still super cool to see you draw these characters that meant so much to me

cant be the only person who appreciates “leblehblehbleh”

howls redesign: dramatic fruity wizard continues to be dramatic and fruity

Because of this video, I read the book, and I have to say: WHAT A WONDERFUL BOOK, like my gosh, it was so good. It was funny, cute and kinda romantic, even if I didn't read any of their (Howl and Sophie's) interactions as romantic. It's just, it was really good. It gave me that chill, that wonder of immersing myself in a magical fantastical world and gosh, I really missed that. Highly recommended.

Howls moving castle is one of my all time favourite books, so when I saw the movie it just irritated me! I know it’s a lot of people’s favourite, but as you pointed out the two stories are really really different. They definitely have to be appreciated as separate stories with the same beginning premise. Sophie gets turned into an old woman and goes to seek help from a nearby wizard, adventure ensues. That’s most of what they have in common.

It's interesting how in both the book and the movie, the whole thing with Howl is that he's "heartless", literally. The book is the one that actually explored this as a literal and metaphorical concept more by kinda... making the book version him a bit of an asshole. I still love both of him tho uwu

Would you mind doing How To Train Your Dragon, next?

My favourite author of all time is Diana Wynne Jones, so when she collaborated with my favourite anime producers Studio Ghibli my little high school girl heart flipped. I still remember how excited i was to watch the movie but I was definitely taken aback at how different Howl was compared to the book. Even now a decade later, after rereading the book (for the fifth time) I still enjoy it and I'm so happy to see the movie became mainstream! Thank you for reimagining the characters from the book, your drawings are beautiful hehe although my image of Howl is definitely more obnoxiously and flamboyant with lots and lots of gem rings on his fingers and earrings and necklaces on top of his frills and scalloped sleeves.. You should read the continuation: Castle in the Air and The House of Many Ways: there might be more descriptions of Howl. Sophie's shy demeanor has changed too and they have a son! It's cute~

Finally, some appreciation for the book! I read the book before watching the movies, and I've always had in the back of my mind whenever I watch the movie, "That's not what Howl looks like--" I love what you've done here! I don't think you'll see this, but just YES.

In the version of the book that we have in my house, the beginning of each chapter has an image of what the characters look like (that matter in said chapter). You got Calcifer pretty close. Though I must admit that I was a little put off by how different Micheal is from book to movie. In the book he's about 15, but in the movie he looks about 9...

No one: Lavendertowne: *fixes fire*

michael is the one thing that i would have changed from the movie 😭 he’s so freakin sweet and adorable in the book and i love markl don’t get me wrong but MICHAEL-

Michael is my favorite character in the book, the guy drawn crazy trying to clean up after howl's messes 🤣

"really quite old, well into his twenties" this made me die inside even though I am not twenty

This was such a fun video! I myself like the book better because I love how unperfect the book characters are, Howl is so vain and silly and Sophie is so fiesty and self sufficient, and they make a nice pair. I do love the movie, but for some reason it seems more thin than the book to me. Idk. I still love both dearly.

I love this series so much! It's charming and interesting to see how these characters differ. I very much adore your interpretations and style. Please keep drawing!

I LOVE book Michael soooo much. I kinda wish they’d kept him as is in the movie!