When Disney stepped back from handling the international distribution of Studio Ghibli's films, GKIDS took over the role. As part of this transition, GKIDS re-released the full catalogue of Ghibli titles previously managed by Disney. They had access to the same English dubs and bonus features, resulting in DVDs that closely resemble Disney's editions, with minor variations. Considering how strong Disney's two-disc Howl's Moving Castle release was, it's no surprise that GKIDS' similarly produced edition is also excellent, offering high-quality video, audio, and supplementary content.
| Video: |
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While the overall video presentation shares similarities with the earlier Disney release, GKIDS has done an impressive job in crafting a visually strong and faithful transfer for this disc, although it's a hair short of the quality seen in the Disney release.
In all the visuals throughout are commendable, with an appealing and well-balanced color palette. Colors appear rich and well-saturated, though it's worth noting that brightness and vibrancy levels are slightly more subdued compared to the Disney edition. The source material used for the transfer appears to be virtually flawless, as expected given the age of the film. Compression is generally well-managed across the disc, maintaining a high level of clarity in most scenes. However, it does falter slightly during visually complex moments, particularly during the bustling parade sequence where rapid movement and dense detail lead to noticeable pixelation. Subtle signs of edge enhancement are also present, noticeable as faint halos outlining character designs and background elements if one looks closely.
In keeping with the approach taken by Disney, GKIDS includes both the original Japanese and localized US video versions on the disc. This means that if the viewer selects English as their preferred language, they will see on-screen text such as the film's title and production credits replaced with English-language graphics. Conversely, if Japanese is chosen, the original title cards and credits are showcased.
Howl's Moving Castle is presented in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and is enhanced for anamorphic widescreen displays.
| Audio: |
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The audio presentation on this release is exceptional across the board, offering viewers a rich and immersive sound experience. The disc includes three distinct audio tracks (Japanese, English and French) each mastered in 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround.
In terms of technical quality, all three tracks are clean and free from any noticeable distortions or audio artifacts. Dialogue remains crisp and intelligible throughout, whether you're listening to the original Japanese audio or one of the dubbed versions. The sound mixing demonstrates a clear and effective use of the surround channels, from quiet character moments to action scenes. Among the three tracks, the English dub stands out slightly in terms of surround channel utilization and overall clarity, though all versions maintain a high standard of audio excellence.
Complementing the audio options are removable subtitle tracks in English and French. The English subtitles are available in two different styles too, either providing captions for the English dub or translating the Japanese audio into English.
| Extras: |
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GKIDS presents this DVD with a blend of newly created content for the U.S. market and several familiar extras previously seen on the Disney release.
Among the new additions for English-speaking audiences is a brief, seven-minute interview with Diana Wynne Jones, author of the original novel. Though short, it's a thoughtful inclusion that offers insight into her perspective on the animated adaptation.
Another standout feature is a 19-minute video narrated by digital animator Mitsunori Kataama. He provides an in-depth look at the creative process behind bringing Howl's Moving Castle to life, detailing the blend of CG and traditional animation techniques used to construct the castle and animate the city. Presented in Japanese with removable English subtitles, this segment is particularly informative and engaging.
From the Disney edition, GKIDS retains the "Behind the Microphone" featurette, in which voice actors like Christian Bale and Billy Crystal share brief insights into their roles and experiences during the English dubbing process.
Also included is the segment featuring Hayao Miyazaki and producer Toshio Suzuki's visit to Pixar. The video opens with the two meeting John Lasseter, director of Toy Story and a key Pixar figure, at the studio's entrance. They present him with a huge Catbus prop from My Neighbor Totoro (1988), originally displayed at the Ghibli Museum. The feature continues with a private screening of Howl's Moving Castle at Pixar and some brief remarks from Miyazaki and Suzuki. It concludes with a personal interview with Lasseter, though largely a recap of earlier content. As for differences, this feature is now anamorphic widescreen, meaning black area to the right and left of the image was added as it was originally created in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio. Sadly, this extra is also very compressed here, even more so than the Disney edition which already compressed it pretty hard.
In terms of further differences from the Disney release, the GKIDS version omits the interview with U.S. dub director Pete Docter and the complete storyboard version of the film, the latter of which originally appeared on a second disc.
Additionally, this release offers an extensive collection of Japanese trailers and TV spots, more than what Disney included. Unfortunately, the video quality of the TV spots suffers from compression issues, most notably with red tones appearing smeared. These clips also come with removable English subtitles.
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Bottom
line, this DVD is very similar to the Disney release. I'd say extra wise this one is superior, unless one heavily enjoys the full storyboards in which case the Disney set is the way to go. However, from added compression and a different handling of the colors, I'd say the Disney one edges this one out when it comes to the video track.
For those trying to decide between them, either is a good addition to one's collection and while there are differences, they are minor. |
