#2 Studio Ghibli's Phenomenal Casting

     Studio Ghibli is an incredibly influential animation studio based in Tokyo, Japan. It is known for its beautiful style and its appealing storylines that attract people of all ages. Studio Ghibli films are incredibly well loved all over the world and almost, if not every film has been dubbed over in english.  While I do not know to much about the cast list for the original japanese versions, the dubbed version of many of these films have an elite cast full of A-list actors and actresses. 

Christian Bale as Howl


 

    First off, and my personal favorite on the list, is Christian Bale. Known for his role as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, and as Batman from 2005 - 2012, Bale is nothing short of a celebrity amongst celebrities. He auditioned to play in the english dub for Howl's Moving Castle after he watched another Studio Ghibli film, Spirited Away.  He was cast as the lead male, a wizard named Howl who travels in his moving castle, just as the title says. Howl is a good contrast to Bale's other popular roles, as he is typically depicted in a more serious or intense way, like as Batman or as a serial killer, but Howl is seen as a flirtatious wizard who is obsessed with his beauty and worries about silly things, like having a breakdown when his hair color changes. Obviously there is a deeper meaning in his character, but on the surface his character is rather superficial and nonthreatening. 

Tina Fey as Lisa



    Tina Fey plays the mother of the main character in the sweet and lovable film Ponyo. Ponyo is a 2008 film about a little boy named Sosuke who finds a goldfish and she turns human to befriend him. Lisa is Sosuke's mother and main caretaker because his father is off at sea. Tina Fey gives a great performance as Lisa and conveys her emotional up and downs very well. Her tone of voice is genuinely motherly, which I imagine would be difficult to recreate, especially in an animated film. The first time I watched this movie I didn't even recognize Fey's voice because it fits Lisa so well and they did a perfect job casting her.

Billy Crystal as Calcifer


 

    Another great casting in Howl's Moving Castle is Billy Crystal as the voice of Calcifer, a fire demon that lives in and helps move Howl's castle. Billy Crystal is known for his hysterical roles in The Princess Bride, Monster's Inc, and City Slickers. Crystal's delivery compliments Calcifer's character perfectly and gives the movie a subtle comedic charm that makes it so lovable. When I made my mom watch this movie with me she was very fond of Calcifer and now only refers to the movie as "the one with the fire".  Calcifer is not the hero of the story my any means but his dialogue, and of course how Crystal delivers these lines, makes him such a lovable character that you'll watch the movie over and over just for him.

Thank you so much for reading and letting me share a little bit about some of my favorite movies!

Comments

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