Hauru no Ugoku Shiro (Howl's Moving Castle)

Translator's notes in yellow.

2/7/04 (Sat.)

There's a "photography completed" shelf for the use of the production team, and when we started on Howl, we set aside as much space as we thought we would need, but our estimate was extraordinarily bad, and lately we have started to run out of places to put material. Today, we hurriedly bought a new shelf and started putting it together in the evening, but it still doesn't feel like it will be enough. What will we do?

2/9/04 (Mon.)

These past few days, the pace of the in-between animation has not increased as expected and the pinch has continued, but today a bundle of in-between animation was finally finished. Production has started to gradually feel a little relieved, but we're still in a pinch. Since the beginning of editing is an urgent matter, we'll have to urge on and check the key animators and in-between animators insistently and thoroughly from now on.

2/10/04 (Tues.)

Editing of R-1 and R-2 was finished without incident, but there's still more editing waiting. We will decide the schedule for the next editing session based on the progress of key animation.

Even if the editing time and date are set, editing cannot begin without material. We'll have to talk about the schedule with the key animators working on material involved in the next editing session, and blast our way through.

2/12/04 (Thurs.)

Since the tracing machine broke down before the holiday, we contacted the manufacturer today and had parts sent. But, until the parts arrive, since it wouldn't do not to be able to use the machine, we carried out some emergency first aid. It was unusually effective, and we are able to use the machine without any problems. Still, since it was only an on-the spot fix, when the parts arrive, we still plan to repair it.

2/13/04 (Fri.)

Today was Friday the 13th. In the world at large, this day is not seen as being too lucky a day, but from a production standpoint, it was just the reverse. Including retakes, the number of cuts in the regular rush check was 90, the highest so far. We passed the halfway mark in the overall number of cuts. Furthermore, today the key animators finally passed the 1000-cut mark. There are about 400 cuts remaining. There's a long way left to go, but it still feels as if we have passed a milestone. We will work hard to avoid a slackening of spirits and not to slow down.

[No entry for 2/11/04, Foundation Day]

2/14/04 (Sat.)

Two weekends running, the key animation output has increased, but if you compare it with Spirited Away... Up until now, the key animation for Spirited Away at the equivalent time was always ahead, but it looks as if next week we will exceed that mark.

Today was Valentine's Day. "Love-filled" chocolates in great quantities were placed here and there around the office. Some people even ate too much and skipped dinner.

2/16/04 (Mon.)

At the regular production meeting, it was reported that the in-between animation production rate had surpassed 6000 sheets. However, because last week was slow, if you average it out, the weekly rate is just at the planned rate, and we are still in a pinch.

If you compare the key animation rate to Spirited Away at the same time, we are only one cut ahead. If we don't work hard this week, we will really fall behind. Hmm...

2/17/04 (Tues.)

Today, the last animation planning meeting was finally held. Since the internal key animators finished more quickly than was planned, we hurriedly had an animation planning meeting. It ended without incident.

Itoh stayed late to take care of photography for the next editing session. There was a sudden scream of "Aggh!" It seems the machine somehow froze. Since there was nothing to be done, we had to reset the machine. "The data . . . Give me back my two hours," muttered Itoh. When we checked the machine after resetting, somehow the data was restored. Everyone, please be sure to save your data.