Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind vs Howl's Moving Castle

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

You can see Miyazaki's own hand in much of the animation, like the glowing spores of the toxic forest, the alien shapes of the Sea of Decay and Nausicaä's glider in flight. Because it's drawn, the world feels strange and closely observed at the same time.

Howl's Moving Castle

The backgrounds were painted by hand and the characters were drawn by hand before being scanned into a computer. The walking castle looks like a pile of scrap metal and old boards, and the drawn lines make it feel lived in. The handmade look makes a strange machine feel like a home.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

Miyazaki sets up his post-apocalyptic world largely through visual detail (the patchwork kingdoms, the giant insects, the ecology of the toxic jungle). The film builds the world with images and explains little. You put the rules together from what you observe.

Howl's Moving Castle

The kingdom has its own war, its own court sorceress and its own bomber fleets. Howl's castle links several places together, and at one point he connects its door to Sophie's old home. You accept the magic because every detail follows the same rules.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

Nausicaä is a complete protagonist: pilot, scientist, diplomat, warrior. Her gender never limits her and the story never treats it as an obstacle. Her authority is set in the opening scene, and nothing in how the film is built ever questions it.

Howl's Moving Castle

Sophie drives the story. She leaves home, takes over the castle, bargains with Calcifer and finally pulls him out of the fireplace. The Witch of the Waste and the king's sorceress Suliman also hold real power, so the plot never depends on a man rescuing anyone.