Movies like Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
The best movies like Howl's Moving Castle (2004) are Cardcaptor Sakura: The Movie (1999), The Black Cauldron (1985) and Poupelle of Chimney Town (2020). If Howl's Moving Castle hooked you with its fantasy and animation, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedSpirited Away (2001)8.5/10 from 19,206 votes
- NewestYou, Fireworks, and Our Promise (2026)Released 2026
- In JapaneseCardcaptor Sakura: The Movie (1999)Also in Japanese
Cardcaptor Sakura: The Movie (1999)
Sakura Kinomoto, a Card Captor, wins a game of chance and is awarded a trip to Hong Kong, along with her best friend Tomoyo and her rival, Syaoran Li. It turns out that the ancient rival of Clow Reed, the creator of the mysterious and powerful Clow Cards, summoned them, and she's out for revenge. A battle ensues, and secrets are revealed about Clow Reed's shady past and Sakura's connection to him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Black Cauldron (1985)
Taran is an assistant pigkeeper with boyish dreams of becoming a great warrior. However, he has to put the daydreaming aside when his charge, an oracular pig named Hen Wen, is kidnapped by an evil lord known as the Horned King. The villain hopes Hen will show him the way to The Black Cauldron, which has the power to create a giant army of unstoppable soldiers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPoupelle of Chimney Town (2020)
The story is about a young boy named Lubicchi and a trashman named Poupelle who meet on a Halloween night in a city that is full of tall chimneys. The chimneys pour out black smoke and the true sky cannot be seen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThat Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Scarlet Bond (2022)
A long-running conspiracy is swirling over a mysterious power wielded by the Queen in Raja, a small country west of Tempest. When a slime who evolved into a Demon Lord named Rimuru Tempest crosses paths with Hiiro, a survivor of the Ogre race, an incredible adventure packed with new characters begins. The power of bonds will be put to the test!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCinderella and the Secret Prince (2018)
Cinderella discovers a secret that could shake their world: an evil witch turned the prince into a mouse and replaced him with a look-alike. Cinderella and her friends must save the real prince and help him defeat the evil witch.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMary and The Witch's Flower (2017)
Mary Smith, a young girl who lives with her great-aunt in the countryside, follows a mysterious cat into the nearby forest where she finds a strange flower and an old broom, none of which is as ordinary as it seems.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Cat Returns (2002)
Young Haru rescues a cat from being run over, but soon learns it's no ordinary feline; it happens to be the Prince of the Cats.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThat Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Tears of the Azure Sea (2026)
After concluding the opening ceremony of the Demon Kingdom Federation Tempest, Rimuru and his companions are invited by the Celestial Emperor Hermesia of the great elven nation – the Magi Dynasty Salion – to visit her private resort island. As the group enjoys their brief vacation, a mysterious woman named Yura appears. A new incident unfolds against the backdrop of the boundless azure sea.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisChildren Who Chase Lost Voices (2011)
The film centers on Asuna, a young girl who spends her solitary days listening to the mysterious music emanating from the crystal radio she received from her late father as a memento. One day while walking home she is attacked by a fearsome monster and saved by a mysterious boy named Shun. However, Shun disappears and Asuna embarks on a journey of adventure to the land of Agartha with her teacher Mr. Morisaki to meet a Shun again. Through her journey she comes to know the cruelty and beauty of the world, as well as loss.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMy Little Pony: The Runaway Rainbow (2006)
Rainbow Dash loves the time of year when Ponyville and Breezie Blossom are all about celebrating rainbows. Meanwhile in a new magical place called Unicornia, Rarity is being taught how to be a Unicorn Princess and the importance of making the first rainbow of the season. But she is quite a little rascal and embarks on an incredible ride, a huge adventure (with lots of mishaps) as she tries to get back to Unicornia. Rarity soon realizes that getting home in time to create the first rainbow of season is not an easy thing to do --- but it is fun!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh Part 1 (2022)
Tristan, the son of Meliodas and Elizabeth, inherits the power of the Goddess Clan and can heal people’s wounds and injuries, but he often ends up hurting others due to his inability to control his Demon Clan power. To protect his family, Tristan heads to Edinburgh Castle and meets a host of new friends along the way.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKiki's Delivery Service (1989)
A young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Wonderland (2019)
The story follows Akane, a girl with no self-confidence. On the day before her birthday, she meets a mysterious alchemist, Hippocrates, and his student, Pipo, who both tell her they're on a mission to save the world. Together, they set out from the basement for "Wonderland," and Akane finds herself labelled Wonderland's savior.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSpirited Away (2001)
A young girl, Chihiro, becomes trapped in a strange new world of spirits. When her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, she must call upon the courage she never knew she had to free her family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisSleeping Beauty (1959)
Cursed to die by the evil fairy Maleficent when she was a baby, Princess Aurora is sent into hiding under protection from three good fairies. As she grows up far away, Maleficent becomes increasingly determined to seal the princess's fate.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMonster High: Why Do Ghouls Fall in Love? (2012)
Draculaura’s Sweet 1600th birthday is an extra special occasion to party at Monster High! But her high expectations lead to deadly results when she’s faced with the choice between practical boyfriend Clawd, and new vampire heartthrob, Valentine, a romantic blast from her past.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & animation
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisSailor Moon SuperS: The Movie - Black Dream Hole (1995)
The wicked Badiyanu has come to capture all Earth's children to gain enough power to absorb the planet in her Black Dream Hole. The Black Dream Hole is in Badiyanu's castle and absorbs the dream energy from children. The more children Badiyanu kidnaps, the larger the dream hole gets. The Sailor Team must save Earth's children and prevent the Black Dream Hole from enveloping the entire planet!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisA Tooth Fairy Tale (2025)
Van, the brave son of a tooth fairy leader, meets the goblins girl Gemma on his first mission. Despite the myths about ancient disputes between fairies and goblins, they share common values. When the greedy Spider Queen threatens both tribes, they must work together.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisKiki's Delivery Service (2014)
A young girl named Kiki must leave her home for a year to begin training in witchcraft. She leaves on her broom, but first says goodbye to her friends and family. Kiki then begins her new life with her trusted cat Jiji.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMaleficent (2014)
A beautiful, pure-hearted young woman, Maleficent has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable forest kingdom, until one day when an invading army threatens the harmony of the land. She rises to be the land's fiercest protector, but she ultimately suffers a ruthless betrayal – an act that begins to turn her heart into stone. Bent on revenge, Maleficent faces an epic battle with the invading King's successor and, as a result, places a curse upon his newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Maleficent realizes that Aurora holds the key to peace in the kingdom – and to Maleficent's true happiness as well.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDokidoki! Pretty Cure the Movie: Memories for the Future (2013)
One day, Mana Aida receives a wedding dress from her mother and grandmother that they had worn in the past. While thinking about who she would wear this beside someday, a mysterious man named Marsh appears, and Mana is thrown back into the past. She was happy to see her grandmother she loved and her old dog Maro, but she then realizes that Alice and Rikka aren't there because memories have been altered. In order to save precious memories, the future, dreams and hope, Mana transforms into Cure Heart.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & fantasy
The Aristocats (1970)
When Madame Adelaide Bonfamille leaves her fortune to Duchess and her children—Bonfamille’s beloved family of cats—the butler plots to steal the money and kidnaps the legatees, leaving them out on a country road. All seems lost until the wily Thomas O’Malley Cat and his jazz-playing alley cats come to the aristocats’ rescue.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Great Mouse Detective (1986)
When the diabolical Professor Ratigan kidnaps London's master toymaker, the brilliant master of disguise Basil of Baker Street and his trusted sidekick Dawson try to elude the ultimate trap and foil the perfect crime.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBrother Bear (2003)
When an impulsive boy named Kenai is magically transformed into a bear, he must literally walk in another's footsteps until he learns some valuable life lessons. His courageous and often zany journey introduces him to a forest full of wildlife, including the lovable bear cub Koda, hilarious moose Rutt and Tuke, woolly mammoths and rambunctious rams.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010)
This time around Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, along with their pesky cousin Eustace Scrubb find themselves swallowed into a painting and on to a fantastic Narnian ship headed for the very edges of the world.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisYou, Fireworks, and Our Promise (2026)
The coming-of-age romance is set during the Nagaoka Festival Grand Fireworks Show, one of Japan's three major fireworks shows that draws several hundred thousand visitors to Niigata Prefecture every year. What connects Makoto (a Tokyo high school boy without social skills or self-confidence) and Aki (a popular high school girl and class president with beauty and talent) is a drawing of a fireworks display. At the mercy of the drawing's mystery and fate itself, the two have to make a choice in a limited amount of time.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
The Silk Scarf (1989)
One night, while Alvin, the boring store clerk, is building yet another model plane at his desk, he shrinks to the size of his thumb and realizes his dream of flying
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy
Space Camper Chicchi (2022)
Chicchi, an ordinary office lady who works in Commercial Sector II of the solar system, heads to a space camp for a vacation. However, she crash-lands on a planet that is a "graveyard" for scrapped ships.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Bambi (1942)
Bambi's tale unfolds from season to season as the young prince of the forest learns about life, love, and friends.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKatyusha (2023)
The story follows the life of Katyusha and is based upon the legend of Baba Yaga, a ferocious old lady with magical powers.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Howl's Moving Castle?
The closest matches to Howl's Moving Castle are Cardcaptor Sakura: The Movie (1999), The Black Cauldron (1985) and Poupelle of Chimney Town (2020). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Howl's Moving Castle?
Start with Cardcaptor Sakura: The Movie (1999), the closest match to Howl's Moving Castle.
What is the highest-rated movie like Howl's Moving Castle?
Spirited Away (2001), rated 8.5/10 by 19,206 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Howl's Moving Castle?
You, Fireworks, and Our Promise (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like Howl's Moving Castle?
Yes: Cardcaptor Sakura: The Movie (1999), Poupelle of Chimney Town (2020) and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Scarlet Bond (2022).
How are movies similar to Howl's Moving Castle chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Howl's Moving Castle, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.