Studio Ghibli classics Howl’s Moving Castle and My Neighbor Totoro have both already seen a DVD release in North America, but this May will be the first time that either film has been released on Blu-ray. Disney is releasing a Blu-Ray combo pack of both films on May 21st of this year. Both are available for pre-order now through Amazon.
Howl’s Moving Castle is the story of Sophie, a practical girl who works in a hat shop while other girls whisper rumors about a wizard named Howl who, supposedly, prowls the countryside looking to steal the hearts of young women. She’s unimpressed by the stories and seemingly happy to live a quiet, uneventful life. Things change when she’s cursed by a vengeful witch who turns her into an old woman! Sophie has no choice but to go in search of the wizard Howl to try and regain her true form. The movie is loosely based upon the book Howl’s Moving Castle by English author Diana Wynne Jones.
My Neighbor Totoro’s story follows sisters Mei and Satsuki. The two girls move to the countryside with their father in order to be closer to the hospital where their sick mother resides. When they arrive at their new home, they discover that there is more to the world around them than meets the eye. They begin to see fantastical creatures, including beings they call totoro. The two girls start to befriend these strange new creatures while also learning to cope with their mother’s illness.
