Howl’s Moving Castle (Hauru no ugoku Shiro)

Studio Gibli

Howl’s Moving Castle is based on the enchanting novel of the same name by English writer Diana Wynne Jones, loved and cherished by readers for over 20 years.

The movie follows the young Sophie Hatter, the eldest of three daughters and a woman doomed to the boring life as a hat maker. Sophie resigns herself to her fate, but destiny has other plans for her. Cursed by the Witch of the Waste with the body of a 90-year-old woman, she finds her way to a moving castle inhabited by the wizard Howl, rumoured by all to devour the souls of young girls. Howl too is cursed by the Witch, and is seeking the love of a young girl to help him break it.

Howl’s world is very steampunk with its mix of Victorian Age clothing and of course the steam-driven, metallic, chicken-legged moving castle. Seeing Sophie, one can imagine how it feels to, in the blink of an eye, suddenly find yourself old and feeble, trying to do things you could have done with ease earlier - an aspect well portrayed in the movie. The artwork is excellent and the voice actors in both the dubbed English dubbed and the original Japanese versions convey the emotions of the characters rather amicably.

The movie was created by the world renowned Studio Gibli with Hayao Miyazaki as director. He is certainly one of the most influential forces in bringing anime to the west, responsible for such gems as Spirited Away, Mononoke Hime (Princess Mononoke) and Porco Rosso.

Howl’s Moving Castle is Studio Gibli at its best, a movie filled with feelings of melancholy, as well as wonder, for example, the fact that there are doors in that castle that can open to any place in the world. Throw in some magic and this movie is bound to captivate its viewer.

FullMetal Alchemist (Hagame no Renkinjutsushi)

Bones

Through the arcane science of alchemy, two brothers try to resurrect their dead mother. But something goes wrong, and the resurrection fails, exacting a high price on both brothers. Older brother, Edward Elric loses his entire right arm and part of his left leg, with his little brother Alphonse nearly dying. He’s plucked from death as Edward desperately fuses his brother's soul to a suit of armor before passing out. Alphonse takes Edward’s body to their adoptive family, the Rockbells, who happen to be prosthetic (called automail in this world) experts, where they fit Edward with automail limbs.

After recovering and learning more about alchemy from a mysterious master, they set out on a journey to become State Alchemists. This will help Edward to do research in order to get their bodies back. When we enter the story they are looking for an important artifact called the Philosopher's Stone, the first step into a great adventure.

FullMetal Alchemist is a great anime, which Steampunk fans will love. The proof is in its amazing storyline and character building; you learn new things about the characters in every episode, making you feel as if you know them personally at the end of the series. Fans of steampunk will find the anime caters for them in a big way, with Victorian era fashion mixed with technology throughout the story.

The anime is dark at times, dealing with issues of loss, as well as raising the question if it is right to experiment on living creatures and people. Luckily it also serves up a dish of humour regularly to make sure the viewer does not succumb to the more somber aspects. A great example is Edward - over-conscious about his height and always freaking out when the people think he is Alphonse's little brother.

The animation is precise and well-drawn, plus the soundtrack is excellent. It includes talents such as the popular artists Porno Graffitti and L'Arc en Ciel to name a few - some of the songs you might remember for years after.

Also watch: Other Steampunk themed anime to recommend is D. Gray-man, Castle in the Sky as well as Last Exile

About our contributor: Allen Simpson is a blogger and a published poet who has a deep passion for anime. He is also co-owner of AnimeFanatika, a reliable source of information on Anime providing fans with the latest news, reviews and goings on in the industry. Visit their website and become a Fanatik today. Sugoi!