Hauru no ugoku shiro

Plot summary

A love story between an 18-year-old girl named Sofî, cursed by a witch into an old woman's body, and a magician named Hauru. Under the curse, Sofî sets out to seek her fortune, which takes her to Hauru's strange moving castle. In the castle, Sophie meets Hauru's fire demon, named Karishifâ. Seeing that she is under a curse, the demon makes a deal with Sophie--if she breaks the contract he is under with Hauru, then Karushifâ will lift the curse that Sophie is under, and she will return to her 18-year-old shape. Written by Sophie Ball

A young woman named Sophie is cursed by the Witch of the Waste, turns into an old woman, and is unable to tell anyone of her plight. Unable to continue her job at her mother's hat shop, she goes to the ambulatory castle of the notorious wizard Howl and insinuates herself into his household. Sophie befriends Calcifer, the fire demon who powers the castle and who is bound to Howl by a contract, the terms of which Calcifer cannot reveal. They promise to help each other with their problems. Like Calcifer, Howl can also see through the Witch's spell, and he and Sophie fall in love. Sophie helps Howl confront his former teacher, and the Witch of the Waste. Written by Ian

Young Sophie Hatter is cursed by the Witch of the Waste, and turns into an old hag. Ashamed of how she looks, she flees into the hills where a moving castle roams the hills. It is said to belong to the young and handsome wizard Howl, who has a bad reputation. Within the castle, Sophie befriends the fire demon Calcifer, who promises to help her become young again. One catch: she must help Calcifer to be free of Howl, and Calcifer cannot tell her how. However, Sophie agrees to stay and try to find out about the contract through other ways. Still, Howl can see that Sophie is under a spell like Calcifer can, and he falls in love with her for who she is and not for what she looks like. Sophie manages to bring life to the moving castle, and she helps Howl to face his former tutor, Madam Suliman. Written by Luisa

Cast of Hauru no ugoku shiro

	Chieko Baisho	...	Sofî (voice: Japanese version)
	Takuya Kimura	...	Hauru (voice: Japanese version)
	Akihiro Miwa	...	Arechi no Majo (voice: Japanese version)
	Tatsuya Gashuin	...	Karushifâ (voice: Japanese version)
	Ryunosuke Kamiki	...	Marukuru (voice: Japanese version)
	Mitsunori Isaki	...	Koshô (voice: Japanese version)
	Yo Oizumi	...	Kakashi no Kabu (voice: Japanese version)
	Akio Ôtsuka	...	Kokuô (voice: Japanese version)
	Daijiro Harada	...	Hin (voice: Japanese version)
	Haruko Kato	...	Sariman (voice: Japanese version)
	Jean Simmons	...	Grandma Sophie (voice: English version)
	Christian Bale	...	Howl (voice: English version)
	Lauren Bacall	...	Witch of the Waste (voice: English version)
	Blythe Danner	...	Madame Suliman (voice: English version)
	Emily Mortimer	...	Young Sophie (voice: English version)