Analysis of existential death in Howl's Moving Castle according to Martin Heidegger's ideas in Being and Time

According to Heidegger, death is a form of existence that man accepts immediately upon his existence. He introduces man as being-in-the-world. The type of Dasein’s existence in the world is not like other objects in the world. The meaning of possibility is something that Dasein has the ability to become. Dasein stands in the possibility of possibilities, constantly engaging with what it could be. Death is a situation where a person answers the question of who they are. According to Heidegger, Dasein can dominate anything, but death is the only thing that cannot be avoided and always overcomes the power of Dasein. Heidegger believes that Dasein is strongly influenced by death, which is an event that only affects humans and not any other beings. He considers existential death as specific to human beings because humans are the only ones capable of thinking about death; other beings simply perish. Thinking about the event of death is a unique and original act that frees a person from ordinary and mediocre thoughts.
Existential death is still a unique experience for each person, one that cannot be taught or repeated. Authentic Dasein also takes into consideration the fact that death does not happen only after the end of life but is an inseparable part of life itself. Being-in-the-world is a way of being, and this inherently includes being-toward-death. Heidegger claims that death is different from the end, which is a kind of transcendental matter. Anxiety causes Dasein to face its true self, and it is determined by what we are anxious about and against. In the phenomenon of existential anxiety, the things that make us anxious seem to vanish, so we appear to be anxious neither because of anything nor against anything. When Dasein is immersed in the people and the world in which it lives, this immersion causes it to escape. Escape is the act of evading the fall from the “being-in-the-world” that it deserves. Therefore, anxiety and falling are opposites. In anxiety, the world is introduced to Dasein in such a way that it loses its previous significance. For this reason, Dasein turns inward, adjusting to its introspective being. Anxiety occurs when all the possibilities of Dasein appear insignificant, and its way of living in the world is revealed as a movement toward death.
Japanese cinema is one of the largest and most important film industries in the world, with over a hundred years of history in this field. Directors like Shōhei Imamura and Nagisa Oshima are very prominent in the third generation of Japanese filmmakers. Hayao Miyazaki, a celebrated director and animator, is also a key figure in this tradition. Studio Ghibli, best known for Miyazaki’s work, is behind renowned films like Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and My Neighbor Totoro. The studio has officially released 21 animated features. Other prominent works by Miyazaki include Ghost Land, Ponyo, Laputa: Castle in the Sky, Princess Mononoke, and others. Japanese cinema, like other film industries, strives to balance industrial and artistic cinema. Within this context, Japanese animation, or anime, has managed to recreate a world similar to live-action cinema while offering unique narratives.
Japan’s animation industry, which combines traditional and indigenous Japanese arts such as Ryukyu and manga (comic books), holds a distinct place in global cinema. In the past, animation in Japan was called Doga, meaning “moving pictures,” but since the 1950s, this term has shifted to “animation.” Osamu Tezuka, initially known as a manga artist and cartoonist, was instrumental in shaping modern Japanese anime. His contributions to the industry were extraordinary, and he is credited with making anime what it is today while popularizing it internationally. Tezuka’s influence continues to inspire creators even after his death. Due to Tezuka’s unexpected passing and Hayao Miyazaki’s subsequent rise, Miyazaki gained the title of “Japan’s Disney.” Miyazaki directed his first film in 1981 and has since created stunning works that explore many philosophical, sociological, cultural, and psychological concepts.
In the article discussed here, Howl’s Moving Castle is analyzed based on Heidegger’s philosophy of death and how it is represented in the animation. This study seeks to address the following questions: How is the concept of death defined by Martin Heidegger in Being and Time? How can this view be analyzed within the context of Howl’s Moving Castle? What visual and narrative elements in Howl’s Moving Castle are used to explore existential death? The research uses theoretical and qualitative methods, with data gathered from library documents. A review of existing studies in the Persian language revealed that similar research is lacking, especially in categorizing death based on Heidegger’s philosophy. Existing studies mostly describe Heidegger’s views or compare his ideas with those of other philosophers or poets. Research on Howl’s Moving Castle often focuses on its technical aspects or character analysis from a psychological perspective. However, this article combines both technical and content-based analysis, specifically examining the animation through the lens of Heidegger’s concept of death.
In Howl’s Moving Castle, the protagonist, Sophie, experiences existential anxiety and learns to live authentically through her confrontation with death. Sophie initially imagines she has plenty of time and avoids acknowledging her mortality. She continues her life according to predetermined patterns of common reasoning because this way of living feels safe. Sophie avoids anything unpleasant, maintaining her distance from her true self. However, her transformation into an older woman forces her to confront her mortality and the finite nature of life. Sophie begins to realize that she does not have much time to waste. This awareness causes her decision-making and behavior to become more deliberate, responsible, and meaningful. By accepting death, Sophie brings her life to a resolution.
The analysis shows that Sophie’s existential death arises from a failure to understand herself. Her aging serves as a reminder of the limited time she has, pushing her toward authenticity. Sophie realizes that the path she had been following is no longer viable, and she must face the anxiety of choosing a new, more authentic path. The journey of Sophie’s character is visually reflected in the animation through her physical transformation. Sophie is depicted as young and energetic at first, then as an old, stooped woman with a wrinkled face, and finally as a revitalized and motivated individual. These changes are accompanied by shifts in the animation’s visual style. Smooth and stable lines transition to curved, broken, and hedged lines. Similarly, the bold and vivid colors that initially dominate the scenes give way to neutral and muted tones, emphasizing the emotional and existential transformation Sophie undergoes.
This research concludes that in Howl’s Moving Castle, existential death is closely tied to Sophie’s character development. Her journey toward authenticity is marked by her confrontation with death and her transformation into someone who embraces life with newfound purpose. The visual and narrative techniques employed in the animation effectively depict the themes of existential anxiety and death. By analyzing the animation from Heidegger’s perspective, the study offers a new approach to understanding Howl’s Moving Castle while contributing to the broader discourse on the intersection of philosophy and animation. This research not only highlights the depth of Heidegger’s ideas but also demonstrates how these ideas can be applied to contemporary cultural and artistic works like Japanese animation.