Hauru no Ugoku Shiro (Howl's Moving Castle)

Translator's notes in yellow.

12/3/03 (Weds.)

The production rate for the in-between animation fell a little over the last two weeks, but yesterday and today there was a fierce drive to catch up. When it's like this, the production team is a pleased and there is a lot of picking up of work from outside studios. However, since we send a few weeks' work out to outside studios as soon as animation direction is finished with it, stock is running out and we are a little worried. The production team silently prays, "Keep working hard!"

12/4/03 (Thurs.)

I just wrote yesterday about the in-between animation and so on, but today, there was no work to pick up. Unlike yesterday, today the entire production team were in their seats. It was a tough change.

Since the production rate fell over the last two weeks on account of Ghibli events and holidays, we started making regular rounds to inspect the status of the key animators. We'd like to get back to our original pace from this week on.

12/5/03 (Fri.)

Today is Friday. We carried out the usual rush check. There were no particular problems. If there had been problems, in our current state, it's possible we wouldn't finish the number of cuts we set as a goal to do this year. If we can't get one cut closer to our production goal before the end of the year . . .

Employees have to be at work at Studio Ghibli by 10:30 a.m., but today, for whatever reason, everyone in the production team was late. If things are going to be like this, we won't finish up what we have to finish. We have to get a grip on ourselves again and do our jobs.

12/6/03 (Sat.)

The production rate for key animation and in-between animation was especially good this week. Since we haven't yet made up for falling behind the previous two weeks, we are still in the same difficult situation, but still, it was a relieving week.

Usually, we have a chiropractor come to Ghibli on the weekends, and those who want to can be treated, but today it took longer than usual and the last person wasn't done until after 9 p.m. When we asked why, we were told that there were many people with severe problems. Hmm, how is it going to be as we hit the peak times ahead?

12/8/03 (Mon.)

We started off the week in good form, with key animation starting to get finished. However, considering how it has been up until now, the pace from here onward will be . . . No good, no good, recently we've started thinking negatively no matter what. We had an excellent week. If we can catch up now we will be all right.

Today we held a meeting about casting for Howl. I wonder what sort of people they are going to ask for?

12/9/03 (Tues.)

As expected, since animation direction and key animation have been working at different speeds, key animation has caught up with animation direction. This is causing the in-between animators some uneasy thoughts. But, since the animation directors are trying hard tonight to finish up some work, it will be helpful for them to have a little time. This has become a little like a message board, but that's the way things are right now with the Howl production.

12/10/03 (Weds.)

Today was the regular Ghibli general meeting. The topic was, inevitably, the status of Howl. "We're worried about the storyboards falling behind, and about the overall length." Also, from the administration, there were announcements about health examinations and about influenza. "If possible, we'd like everyone to have vaccinations done on their own, but on the off chance that you do come down with the flu, even during the final stretch, please do not feel it is your fault; be sure you are well and then come back to work.["] Quite right. Let's be careful watching our health every day.

12/11/03 (Thurs.)

Watanabe, Mochizuki, and Kamimura from the production team have been working for several days on suspicious activities like preparing data charts, writing reports, and wrapping themselves up in them for private meetings with Suzuki. Well, it must just be about the pinch that the Howl production is in. Ha ha ha.

While keeping an eye on the status of the storyboards, Kamimura called up some key animators he knows to ask how things are elsewhere, but all he found out is that it looks like things are in the same sort of state everywhere.