#10

Howl's Moving Castle has a totally different "look" than any of Miyazaki's previous films. Its animation takes place on multiple levels and directions (a quality that is natural to live action cinema but a recent endeavor for animated works). However I found that all these layers were not in complete sync. The road was moving a little too fast behind Sophie compared to her speed and the speed of the clouds in the sky and so fourth. This was like watching the scales on a fish or reptile move independently of each other during movement instead of unified. This attempt at a more "natural" or "complex" animation resonated with the movement of Howl's castle. This movement I found a pleasure to watch. The difference between these two may be that the former placed this aesthetic all around the frame while the latter took place on a traditional flat background.

As is true in all cases of seeing something new, it could be that my eyes were not used to seeing this on the screen. It may be because I have grown up with the traditional flat look of Japanese animation, but I think there is something wonderous in that. This attempt to cinematize animation is a little much...