There are so many elements of this film that would be echoed in subsequent works, from the moving castle to the character design to even elements of Joe Hisaishi’s stunning score.
Years later, it’s fun to watch what is technically the first Studio Ghibli title and see it as a sort of cinematic overture of what would come. There are so many elements of this film that would be echoed in subsequent works, from the moving castle to the character design to even elements of Joe Hisaishi’s stunning score. The story is simple enough — a boy and girl try to find a magic crystal and a castle in the sky — but it’s merely the skeleton for visual compositions that would be stunning even if they were released today. Not only is it easy to pick out how much this film influenced what Studio Ghibli would create, but you can see its DNA in everything from The Iron Giant to Pixar too. Many animated films are called magical, but this one truly lives up to that word.