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Where to Watch Howl's Moving Castle

How & Where to Watch Howl’s Moving Castle Online From Anywhere in 2024

Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) is a gem of a film by Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki. If you’re having trouble tracking it down, stay tuned to find out how and where to watch Howl’s Moving Castle from anywhere in the world.

Kit CopsonAleksander HougenJasna Mishevska

Written by Kit Copson (Writer, Briefing Editor)

Reviewed by Aleksander Hougen (Managing Editor)

Facts checked by Jasna Mishevska (Lead Fact-Checking Editor)

Last Updated: 2024-01-30T08:12:39+00:00

All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.

If you can’t find where to watch Howl’s Moving Castle online in your country, it’s because regional restrictions put in place by streaming services limit content to certain locations. Don’t be disheartened — there is an easy fix. You can use a secure virtual private network (VPN) to access streaming services that have Howl’s Moving Castle.

Key Takeaways: Stream Howl’s Moving Castle

  • Howl’s Moving Castle is in various Netflix libraries, including Netflix U.K., France, Canada and Australia. It’s also on Max, home to Studio Ghibli content. 
  • If you’re in a country where Howl’s Moving Castle is unavailable, you can change your IP address location with a VPN to access Netflix or Max. 
  • We recommend ExpressVPN for streaming on Netflix and Max. Alternatively, you could try NordVPN or Surfshark, which are both great streaming VPNs. 

Not available in your country?

Watch Howl’s Moving Castle now on Netflix

Status checked 2024/04/20:

VPNs have servers in various countries, and if you connect to one of these servers, they change your IP address to make it look like you are in that country. This not only masks your real IP address — which is an important online security and privacy measure — but it also means you can access streaming services and content in that server country.

If you want a quick answer, ExpressVPN is our top streaming VPN recommendation. However, keep reading this guide to learn how to use ExpressVPN (or any VPN you prefer) to watch Howl’s Moving Castle

Where to Watch Howl’s Moving Castle Online

Howl’s Moving Castle is on Netflix in many countries, but not in the U.S. or Japan. You can find it on Netflix U.K., France, Canada, North Macedonia and Australia. If you’re outside one of these countries, you can change your Netflix region by connecting to a British, French, Canadian, North Macedonian or Australian VPN server to access Howl’s Moving Castle on Netflix.

In addition to Netflix, Howl’s Moving Castle is on Max, Hulu with an Max add-on (U.S.) and Amazon Prime Video with an Max add-on (U.S. — both Japanese and English versions available). You can also buy or rent it on platforms like Apple TV via iTunes, Google Play, Vudu and YouTube Movies & TV.

Where Can I Watch Howl’s Moving Castle Online Free?

Unfortunately, Netflix no longer offers a free trial, but you can get a seven-day trial with Max. Max is available in several countries outside the U.S., but it hasn’t extended to the U.K., Canada, Australia, France and African countries at the time of writing. 

Those in the U.S. can also get an Amazon Prime Video with Max or Hulu with Max add-on free trial to watch Howl’s Moving Castle on these platforms. If you’re traveling outside the U.S. but have a U.S. payment method to sign up for these free trials, you can pair a VPN provider’s money-back guarantee with your free trial.

How to Watch Howl’s Moving Castle With a VPN

If you have a Netflix account but Howl’s Moving Castle isn’t available in your country’s content library, all you need to do is connect to a VPN server in a country where it is available.

Similarly, if you have an Max account and you’re traveling, you can access your account by connecting to a U.S. server (or another location where Max is available). 

In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to watch Howl’s Moving Castle on U.K. Netflix by getting a U.K. IP address with a VPN. Alternatively, you can connect to an Australian, French, North Macedonian or Canadian server.  

  1. Get a VPN Subscription

    Pick a secure and reliable VPN and sign up for a plan on the provider’s website. Many providers offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, including ExpressVPN, our top VPN recommendation.

    get expressvpn
  2. Install the VPN

    Once you have signed up for a VPN, download and install it on your device.

    download expressvpn
  3. Connect to a British Server

    Open the VPN app and connect to a server in the U.K. 

    expressvpn uk
  4. Stream Howl’s Moving Castle

    Log in to Netflix and search for Howl’s Moving Castle. Click the play button to start watching. You can watch in a number of languages, including Japanese and English.

    howls moving castle uk netflix

The Best VPNs for Watching Howl’s Moving Castle

If you need a VPN for unblocking Netflix, but you’re not sure where to start, here are our recommendations for streaming Howl’s Moving Castle

1. ExpressVPN

expressvpn app uk
ExpressVPN is a pro at working around geoblocks on Netflix and other services. 

Pros:

  • Diverse server locations
  • User-friendly
  • Works smoothly when streaming

Cons:

  • Expensive

When selecting a VPN for streaming content on platforms around the world, you’ll want to look for a provider with foolproof security, great speeds and consistency. 

ExpressVPN offers all of these things, as well as a very approachable user interface, making it a great beginner VPN. These are the reasons why ExpressVPN consistently tops our best VPN recommendation roundups. 

Unfortunately, ExpressVPN is one of the more expensive providers, which can be off-putting, but this is a VPN that never disappoints. If you’d like to try ExpressVPN before you commit, you can take advantage of its 30-day money-back guarantee. To find out more about ExpressVPN, check out our ExpressVPN review

2. NordVPN

nordvpn app uk
NordVPN’s impressive speeds make it a solid streaming and torrenting VPN.

Pros:

  • Affordable long-term plans
  • Impressive desktop interface
  • Outstanding speeds 

Cons:

  • Finicky mobile app interface 

If ExpressVPN doesn’t float your boat, NordVPN is a more affordable alternative. NordVPN boasts the best speeds of all the VPNs we test on a daily basis. Its speed is a major bonus for those who stream regularly because it contributes to a smoother experience with fewer obstacles like lag, buffering and — every net user’s nightmare — slow connections.

Compared with ExpressVPN, there aren’t many major differences in terms of performance, but NordVPN is a little more difficult to use on the mobile app. The 30-day money-back guarantee is an option for those who want to test out NordVPN and see what it has to offer. Head over to our NordVPN review to learn more. 

Basic
  • *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
  • Unlimited GB
  • 6
  • Yes
Plus
  • *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
  • Unlimited GB
  • 6
  • Yes
Complete
  • *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
  • Unlimited GB
  • 6
  • Yes

3. Surfshark

surfshark open uk
Surfshark is a user-friendly VPN with excellent pricing and unlimited simultaneous connections.

Pros:

  • User-friendly
  • Affordable 24-month plan 
  • Unlimited simultaneous connections

Cons:

  • Inconsistent latency 

Surfshark is a VPN that combines great speeds and user-friendliness with a very reasonable 24-month plan, so it’s well worth considering if you’re looking to save a bit of cash. Its download and upload speeds are impressive, though we have noticed inconsistent latency when testing Surfshark. For this reason, Surfshark might not be the best option for gamers. 

That said, Surfshark works consistently with major streaming services like Netflix, Max and Amazon Prime Video, so we’re happy to recommend it. There’s a 30-day money-back guarantee on offer, and you can check out our Surfshark review for more. 

Surfshark Starter
  • Unlimited GB bandwidth, Unlimited devices, Secure VPN, Ad blocker, Cookie pop-up blocker. Plans renew: $185.40 for one year, $370.80 for two years
  • Unlimited GB
  • Unlimited
  • Yes
Surfshark One
  • Everything in Starter, plus Antivirus protection, Identity protection, Email Breach and Credit Card Alerts, Online Alias Plans renew: $191.40 for one year, $380.80 for two years.
  • Unlimited GB
  • Unlimited
Surfshark One+
  • Everything in One, plus Data removal Plans renew: $215.40 for one year, $430.80 for two years
  • Unlimited GB
  • Unlimited

Howl’s Moving Castle: Plot & Characters

Fantasy animation film Howl’s Moving Castle is the work of Hayao Miyazaki, the Japanese director who also created the legendary Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke. It was inspired by the 1986 novel by Diana Wynne Jones.

It tells the story of a shy teenage girl, Sophie, whom the vindictive Witch of the Waste transforms into an old woman. Stuck in her new 90-year-old body, Sophie finds refuge in an enigmatic wizard’s moving castle in the hopes that the curse will be broken. The main voice cast is as follows.

Character:Japanese Version English Version 
SophieChieko BaishoEmily Mortimer (young),
Jean Simmons (old)
HowlTakuya KimuraChristian Bale
CalciferTatsuya GashuinBilly Crystal
Witch of the WasteAkihiro MiwaLauren Bacall

Final Thoughts: Streaming Howl’s Moving Castle

If you were having a hard time finding where to watch Studio Ghibli movies like Howl’s Moving Castle both in and outside of the United States, we hope this guide has helped. ExpressVPN is our top VPN recommendation, but NordVPN and Surfshark are excellent alternatives. 

Do you fancy other Studio Ghibli movies? We recently published a guide on where to watch Ponyo. If you love Japanese fantasy animation, check out our guide on where to watch Demon Slayer movie.

What’s your favorite Hayao Miyazaki movie? Do you need a VPN to access the Studio Ghibli videos in your country? Let us know in the comments, and thank you for reading.

FAQ

  • Howl’s Moving Castle is on various Netflix libraries, but not the U.S. library. You can also watch it on Hulu with the Max add-on.

  • You can Watch Howl’s Moving Castle on Netflix U.K., Canada, France and Australia, and on Max. We have a complete guide on how to watch Max.

  • You can watch Studio Ghibli movies on Max. Some of the films are also in various Netflix libraries.

  • No, the Studio Ghibli movies’ streaming rights belong to Max.

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