<P> In 2013 Miyazaki said the film was his favorite creation, explaining "I wanted to convey the message that life is worth living, and I don't think that's changed ." The movie is thematically significantly different from the book; while the book focuses on challenging class and gender norms, the film focuses on love, and personal loyalty and the destructive effects of war . </P> <P> Howl's Moving Castle had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on 5 September 2004, and was released in Japanese theaters on 20 November 2004 . The film went on to gross $190 million in Japan and $235 million worldwide, making it one of the most financially successful Japanese films in history . The film received critical acclaim, particularly for its visuals and Miyazaki's treatment of its themes . It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 78th Academy Awards, but lost to Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were - Rabbit, in 2006, and won several other awards, including four Tokyo Anime Awards and a Nebula Award for Best Script . </P> <P> Sophie, a young milliner, encounters a wizard named Howl on her way to visit her sister Lettie . Upon returning home, she meets the Witch of the Waste, who transforms her into a ninety - year - old woman . Seeking to break the curse, Sophie leaves home and sets off through the countryside; she meets a living scarecrow, whom she decides to call' Turnip Head' . He leads her to Howl's moving castle, where she meets Howl's young apprentice Markl, and the fire - demon Calcifer, who is the source of the castle's magic . When Howl appears, Sophie announces that she has hired herself as a cleaning lady . </P> <P> Meanwhile, Sophie's nation is caught up in a war with a neighboring kingdom, who is searching for their missing prince . The King summons Howl to fight in the war; however, Howl decides to send Sophie to the King (under the pretense of being his mother) to tell him that Howl is too much of a coward to fight . Before leaving, he gives Sophie a charmed ring that connects her to Calcifer . Sophie meets Suliman, the king's advisor, and also the Witch of the Waste, whom Suliman punishes by draining all of her power, causing her to regress into a harmless old woman . Suliman warns that Howl will meet the same fate if he does not fight . Howl arrives to rescue Sophie; Suliman tries to trap him, but with Sophie's help, they escape along with the former witch . </P>

Who is markl in howl's moving castle