However, her body looks almost ‘sculpted,’ given that she seems to have a protuberance of neck-flesh under her face.
#CHARACTERS TAKEN OUT OF HOWLS MOVING CASTLE MOVIE FULL#
When we get our first full look at the Witch of the Waste, she definitely looks a little ‘off’.’ She has the appearance of an older woman, somewhat full-bodied. Amazingly enough, no one in the village seems to notice these strange, tall, featureless ‘men.’ She is usually accompanied by several ‘blob men,’ who wear brightly-colored clothing and masks. During her first appearance, she stays hidden within the walls of a small, ornate litter. Much like Howl seems to be close to the village where Sophie lives, there is rumor that the Witch of the Waste is nearby. Instead, Miyazaki chose to make her a character of age, vanity, and superficiality. Much of her involvement with our main characters does not follow the storyline of Jones’ book.
Of course, Miyazaki took many liberties with the characters from Diana Wynne Jones’ story, and the Witch of the Waste is no exception. One theme throughout the entire film, is how every other character has a false front regarding just who they are, and by the end, they have shed these fake personas, and come out stronger, and more accepting over who/what they are. Though Howl and Sophie are the main leads of Hayao Miyazaki’s film Howl’s Moving Castle, another character who is just as integral to the storyline, is The Witch of the Waste.