Why Hayao Miyazaki Thought Howl's Moving Castle Would Be Unpopular In The United States
Howl's Moving Castle is a Studio Ghibli movie, one of many Hayao Miyazaki's critically acclaimed anime films, and came out in the United States in 2005. The movie was based on a book of the same name by Diana Jones. The Studio Ghibli movie's plot revolves around Sophie, who is cursed by a witch to become an old woman. So she seeks out the wizard Howl to break her curse.
The movie has a lot of similar themes to other Studio Ghibli films such as compassion, pacifism, and critique of modernity. However, it was revealed in a book about the famous director, Hayao Miyazaki's World Picture, that Miyazaki actually did not expect the movie to be a hit in the United States. In fact, he thought it would make American audiences uneasy. Despite his thoughts, the film was a major success in the United States. As to why Miyazaki thought the movie would be unpopular in the United States, it actually has a lot to do with his politics and the 2003 Iraq War.
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In 2003, Miyazaki was invited to accept an Oscar for Spirited Away in the United States, however, he did not come. He later told theLA Times that he did not come because he did not want to visit a country that was bombing Iraq. This information did not come forward until years later, as Miyazaki explained that his producer did not allow him to share his sentiments publicly at the time.
Miyazaki is a pacifist and was influenced by growing up during World War 2, so it comes as no surprise that he would dislike the Iraq War. What is a little more surprising to fans is how the Iraq War specifically influenced how Miyazaki framed the war in Howl's Moving Castle. In the movie, the war is fueled by the desires of people in power rather than any form of
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