History Literature / HowlsMovingCastle

* JackassGenie: The genie, in a nutshell. Every single wish he grants is almost certain to go wrong in some way.

* TheQuest: The princess Abdullah wants to elope with is suddenly abducted by a djinn. Abdullah resolves to rescue her.

* RedheadedHero: Sophie, when she's not cursed into looking like an old woman [[spoiler: or in disguise as a cat]].

*** Of course, [[FridgeBrilliance Howl is from our world. All the references he makes were probably deliberate on his part.]]

* CursedWithAwesome: subverted- Sophie's curse is genuinely terrible but it is only as an old woman that she is finally able to feel confident in herself.
** Though it helps that Howl used his own magic to make Sophies age endurable by taking away the natural aching that old people often suffer from.

** The first book has lots of them to ''Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz''.
*** The main antagonist is the Witch of the ''Waste'',
*** On her journey to the wizard's castle Sophie meets a scarecrow and a dog, and Howl himself is a wizard who deliberately cultivates an image of being a lot more terrible and powerful than he really is, [[spoiler:was born in our world, and - referencing a different character entirely - is literally heartless]].

** Also, Howl's sister's house in Wales is named [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings "Rivendell"]].

-->'''Witch of the Waste''': "...she told me 'over my dead body'. So I took her at her word."

* LiteralChangeOfHeart: Howl's character improves a little bit as a result [[spoiler: of having his heart returned to him]].

* GenreSavvy: Subverted. The book opens with a description of how the protagonist, who lives in "the land of Ingary, where such things as [[SevenLeagueBoots seven-league boots]] and cloaks of invisibility really exist", knows what to expect from life because everyone in Ingary knows how fairy stories work. The first dent appears before the end of the first chapter, with the introduction of two not-at-all ugly step-sisters, and as the book progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that a lot of what everyone knows is superstition or self-fulfilling prophecy (people make plans according to what everyone knows will happen, so that's what does happen). A major theme of the book is that life isn't as simple as in stories, even in a kingdom where fairy-story magic really exists.

* GenreSavvy: Subverted. The book opens with a description of how the protagonist, who lives in "the land of Ingary, where such things as seven-league boots and cloaks of invisibility really exist", knows what to expect from life because everyone in Ingary knows how fairy stories work. The first dent appears before the end of the first chapter, with the introduction of two not-at-all ugly step-sisters, and as the book progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that a lot of what everyone knows is superstition or self-fulfilling prophecy (people make plans according to what everyone knows will happen, so that's what does happen). A major theme of the book is that life isn't as simple as in stories, even in a kingdom where fairy-story magic really exists.

* MovingBuildings: Howl's castle glides across the ground with no visible means of propulsion.

* MovingBuildings: The titular castle, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin is moving]].

The book kicked off a series. The first sequel, ''Literature/CastleInTheAir'' (not to be confused with Miyazaki's other film, ''Laputa: CastleInTheSky''), continues the story from the point of view of a new character, in the midst of a war, wherein most of the characters he runs across are characters from the first book, only (a) disguised or otherwise not what they once were and/or (b) described in such a way as to make the reader unaware of the connection (seeing as the sequel's hero doesn't know any of them, he can't very well recognize them for us, either). It uses tropes and settings from the Literature/{{Arabian Nights}}.

** Even so, I really appreciate that even at the end, they're both still stubborn as a rusted nail. Neither admits to anything like love, just that this is an arrangement they could both likely tolerate forever. A hapily ever after with hair-raising times, and exploitation, and cut up suits!

* HappilyMarried: Sophie and Howl, in every book after the first. They [[LikeAnOldMarriedCouple bicker constantly,]] which leads most onlookers to wonder [[AttractionDissonance what they see in each other]]. However, they ''love'' to argue, since it keeps them both on their toes, and it's great fun, of course.

* LadykillerInLove: Howl is well known as a womanizer before, during, and after meeting Sophie. [[spoiler:Enforced, since the witch's curse will allow her to claim his heart if he stops.]]

* HappilyMarried: Sophie and Howl, in every book after the first. They [[LikeAnOldMarriedCouple bicker constantly,]] which leads most onlookers to wonder [[WhatDoesSheSeeInHim what they see in each other]]. However, they ''love'' to argue, since it keeps them both on their toes, and it's great fun, of course.

* LadykillerInLove: Howl is well known as a womanizer before, during, and after meeting Sophie.

* HappilyMarried: Sophie and Howl, in every book after the first. They [[LikeAndOldMarriedCouple bicker constantly,]] which leads most onlookers to wonder [[WhatDoesSheSeeInHim what they see in each other]]. However, they ''love'' to argue, since it keeps them both on their toes, and it's great fun, of course.

* GenreSavvy: The opening paragraph is about how Sophie is sure to have a less fortunate life than her sisters, due to being the eldest child of a rich family.

* GenreSavvy: The opening paragraph is about how Sophie is sure to have a less fortunate life than her sisters, due to being the elest child of a rich family.

The book was adapted into [[Anime/HowlsMovingCastle an anime film]] by HayaoMiyazaki.

* PapaWolf: Howl also has a moment in ''House of Many Ways'' when [[spoiler: Prince Ludovic]] threatens Morgan, leading Howl to punch him in the face. Twice.