Howls Moving Castle Book - Blog Posts

Book Howl designs from beginning, middle, and end of the story. My favorite drama queen, problem maker, and complainer. I adore the visual of his stupid sleeves trailing behind him so much. Especially during a couple of the fight scenes. Contemplating putting a bit of lipstick on him since its canon he wears makeup. Side tangent. Was gonna do a doodle of him saying “Welcome to my crib bby” and it’s just his squalor room behind him but couldn’t figure out a pose. I’m either gonna do his character illustration next or work on Sophie’s designs next. Idk yet.

Heres the raven black hair before he dyes it white too.

Not me reading Howl’s Moving Castle in two days. Such a wonderful book. I haven’t read like that in

Oh my god probably a decade. Or at least almost a decade. Not counting the five 3,000 word fics i could read in a night lol

Howl is such a pathetic drama queen and Sophie is such a girlboss. Michael is wonderful. Calcifer is Calcifer. I love them all dearly.

Sophie and calcifer <3

Book accurate Howl and Sophie,,

Uncropped vers under the cut, the composition just wasn't doing it for me :/

Sophie's denial is literally the best part of the book because in 300+ pages she:

a) Managed to convince herself that the smile Howl was using was a special smile that he used specifically to attract women. And that's the only reason she "fell" for it.

b) Listed absolutely everyone around, from people to dogs, as the reason for her recent anger, but didn't mention the real reason, which she knew perfectly well was Howl visiting ms. Angorian.

c) Describied Howl's beauty in one line with insults in his direction, and thought it was completely normal.

d) Sewed a suit for him and accidentally enchanted it to attract women, them began to explain any positive feelings towards him with this.

e) Was ready to literally destroy the garden when it turned out that the suit was not the case and so couldn't blame her emotions on one from now on.

f) Created a murderous weed killer among her jealousy and specific dislike for lilies. Still couldn't explain it to herself.

g) Almost killed that one crazy daredevil who decided to come and tell her that she's actually down for him pretty bad with it.

h) Went so far into her denial that the thought that the person she was in love with did not love her was a relief for her because it meant that nothing would change and she could continue to be in it.

i) Almost killed the above-mentioned person with the above-mentioned weed killer because she did not want to face her own feelings And because she chose murder.

j) Pushed a person out the door out of sheer jealousy. Still didn't do what she was expected to do, though.

k) When her own crush on Howl finally started to dawn on her, she decided to go save the person she thought he was in love with. He very obviously wasn't.

l) And, in the end, continued to think so even when Howl came to save HER in an absolutely terrible state, almost afraid of the thought that his appearance was a sign of true love.

What a woman.

"Howl Jenkins is swarming in girls falling head over heels for him" factoid is actually a statistical error. Average girl is tired of his existence. Sophie Hatter, who falls head over heels for his stupid overdramatic face at least once a day, is an outlier adn should not have been counted

i love the difference of sophie’s inner struggle between the book and the movie. how in the movie she believes herself plain and ordinary, not beautiful in the slightest. yet howl genuinely consoles her:

how in the book she battles with feelings of inadequacy, of being worthless, and yet howl encourages her:

in both adaptions, howl acts as the voice of love and support. every bad thing sophie tells herself are the values which howl cherishes. it’s about the love. i’m so sick i might throw up

^redraw of a behind the scenes pic from a bout de souffle

This doesn't happen on page because it's a childrens book but I know in my heart it happened.

and probably some former english major student somewhere recalling howell jenkins, circa 1980: