Even in a pandemic, progress continues in the entertainment world. Following last summer's announcement that Japan is working on an all-new theme park styled after the films of Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli, the prefecture where it will be located has revealed an exciting new addition. The many attractions featured in the aptly named "Ghibli Park" will reportedly include a real-life replica of the titular structure from Howl's Moving Castle.
Aichi Prefecture, the region chosen as the host of Ghibli Park, announced that the replica building will reside in the Witch Valley section of the park. This region focuses on attractions from Howl's Moving Castle as well as another Studio Ghibli classic, Kiki's Delivery Service, which also seems just as popular as ever. It's unclear whether guests will be able to enter the eccentric-looking structure or if it will simply be a detailed bit of decoration, but it seems likely that the former will be the case, given all the work being put in.
The castle itself won't be entirely at the same scale as fans will remember it from the Studio Ghibli film, but that doesn't mean it won't still be substantial. Even if it doesn't reach the heights of its inspiration, plans indicate that it will still stand at roughly 4 to 5 stories tall, lending credence to the idea that visitors may be allowed to go inside. While obviously not quite as "agile" as its movie counterpart, parts of the castle, such as its swiveling canons, will indeed move, giving the whole attraction a more "living" feel.
Howl's Moving Castle, loosely based on the 1986 novel of the same name, follows the young hat maker Sophie as she deals with a curse that turned her into an old woman. An encounter with a wizard named Howl leads her to use the situation as an attempt to reverse her unfortunate fate. Set during a fictional war in its fantasy world, Howl's Moving Castle was heavily influenced by the anti-war views of Miyazaki himself, who directed the film. The movie, released in 2004, went on to be a massive success and its popularity endures to this day, even well after Miyazaki's most recent retirement and departure from Studio Ghibli.
While this may not seem like the ideal time to focus on a theme park, it may in fact be a perfect time. The slow but sure vaccine rollout aside, many people tend to be at their highest spirits when they have something to look forward to. Just like planning a night out with friends once it's safe to be among people again, just knowing that such a surreal and captivating theme park is in the works will likely keep morale high for a good number of people looking to really let loose when the time comes.
Even if some may call this news ill-advised, at least there's still plenty of time before Ghibli Park is fully revealed. While the park itself is aiming for a 2022 opening, certain areas, such as the village based on Princess Mononoke as well as the aforementioned Witch Valley, will open to the public a year later. In the meantime, there's always the new film from Studio Ghibli to look forward to.
Studio Ghibli's Howl's Moving Castle is now available on HBO Max.
Source: Kotaku