I fully agree. I love the movie, but I have mix feelings about it. I feel like you need to read the book in order to understand parts of the movie. The fact they left out Sophie's ability to bring things to life annoys me greatly. (Also, hot take, but as much as I respect Miyazki, not sure I feel about him taking someone's else story for an adaptation and then deciding to throw his own themes into it that weren't there aka the anti-war stuff and such.)

Howl's Movie Castle would have to be done in at least a mini series to be done right.