The Vagabond Castle It is one of Studio Ghibli's most successful films. Howl's beautiful design, Sophie's aura and the magic added to the romance present us with a sweet delivery with sinister nuances that create a particular aura, however, the film goes beyond that. Now that we have completed 20 years, perhaps it is time to celebrate by watching the film again, while reviewing the messages hidden between the saturation and darkness that Hayao Miyazaki projects in his works.

The Vagabond Castle from Studio Ghibli – released in 2004 – adapts the novel by Diana Wynne Jones published in 1986. Wynne's fantasy novel won the 2006 Phoenix Prize for Children's Literature in the UK. And this year we celebrate the film's 20th anniversary.

The biggest fans of The Vagabond Castle You will know that there are some “small big” details that the director assimilated in a different way from the novel on which it is based, which left us with a film full of originality and with nuances that offer us new messages.

There's no denying that the novel is quite moving – there's nothing quite as intense as wartime or post-war love, as we see in Bittersweet The hill of poppies from the same Studio Ghibli or other types of deliveries such as Atonement based on the novel by Ian McEwan. So, The bond that is formed under the political and military structure is a fundamental detail that we must not ignore. Now that the film is twenty years old, we must ask ourselves: how much has the world changed since its release? And even more so, what have we done to change it?

What is Vagabond's Castle about?

The Vagabond Castle It is set in a magical world where kingdoms are at war, so different types of wizards and witches are called to render their services to the nation. One of these wizards called to war is a young, handsome and very powerful wizard named Howl who owns a castle that moves between mountain ranges.

The magician gets involved in several romantic problems and actually has no courage, so he tends to pay a lot of attention to the aesthetics of everything. One day, when the war becomes more dangerous, he meets Sophie, an insecure and hard-working girl who falls victim to a spell from the Witch of the Wastelands that condemns her young heart to live with the outward appearance of an old woman.

The issues of beauty and the creation of bonds are outlined in the story, which is permeated by a dense climate of war.. Although at the end of the film the main objective is the healing of the main characters, the environment in which this happens permeates the narrative and conveys a special message. What to do in the face of war? On the 20th anniversary of The Vagabond Castle Is it important to specify what birthdays are for? By referring to memory we could re-elaborate the need to re-apprehend the message of the film, which is far from being just fantasy and romance.

The moving message of the film Vagrant Castle and its current relevance

The Vagabond Castle marks the twentieth anniversary of its film adaptation and we know that, at the time it was released, Hayao Miyazaki's political position was clear in relation to the invasion of Iraq by US troops in 2003. Troops that, on the one hand, overthrew the dictator Saddam Hussein who had been president of their country for almost 24 years and, on the other, settled in the territory claiming the danger of generating nuclear weapons. The conflicts continued until 2011, when the troops were forced to withdraw.

Currently, some of the wars that occupy a significant place in the world – but which, unfortunately, are not the only ones taking place at the moment – are those between Ukraine and Russia and those between Israel and Gaza.. Two decades after witnessing the adventures of Howl and Sophie, it is worth remembering that the screens full of blood and violence, and the hatred that expands in the form of destructive fire are still present today and are far from resembling Calcifer.

After twenty years since the new release of The Vagabond Castle who criticized armed conflicts and showed impatience for peace, is that, with a feeling of acidity, we realize that Hayao Miyazaki's proposal is more current than we would like to accept.

The Vagabond Castle proposes a protagonist, Sophie, who fights to maintain kindness, peace, forgiveness and coexistence, all crossed, of course, by her light full of harmony and love. And it seems that we will continue to need this for a long time.

We still have a lot to learn from Sophie as a society; acts of kindness, understanding and empathy are essential to reducing the hate that surrounds us. As Miyazaki says, from the awareness that existence is complicated, but there is hope in the face of discouragement:

“True love is two people who inspire each other to live. Recognizing how hard it is to put one foot in front of the other every day, how easy it is to lose the passion for it. Living is suffering, it is difficult. The world is cursed, but we continue to find reasons to live.”

The Vagabond Castle It is a film full of light and shadows, which presents us with a universe full of fractures and kindness. Now that it is 20 years old, we must give it a look that refreshes our human nature, given the immensity of the hatred that structures the world through capital and the imaginary lines that guard territories and their beliefs.

The 20th anniversary of The Vagabond Castle It reminds us that there is much to build, love and question, and that everyone can fight from their trenches with the smallest gestures of kindness.

Where can I watch the movie Tramp Castle?

The Vagabond Castle It is available on the Netflix platform, lasts approximately two hours. It is worth remembering that other titles from the studio are also available on the platform, so just decide which one you want to watch today. Below is a list so you can be seduced by one of them:

• Kiki, home deliveries
• Marnie's Memory
• The Tale of Princess Kaguya
• Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
• Whispers of the heart
• Memories of yesterday
• Spirited Away
• The Secret World of Arriety
• Princess Mononoke
• The incredible vagabond castle
• My Neighbor Totoro
• The wind rises
• The hill of poppies
• Ponyo, the secret of the little mermaid
• Red Pig
• I can hear the sea
• The castle in the sky

Are you ready for a Studio Ghibli marathon?