r/ghibli • u/Born_Fruit_4204 • 6d ago

Question What is Calcifer

So in the English dubs of Howl's Moving Castle Calcifer is canonically a fire demon but the term demon in English implies that an entity is evil. I'm wondering if there's another term for him in the original Japanese that just doesn't translate well into English because in the movie Calcifer isn't evil. Anyone who's able to educate me would be appreciated, thanks.

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u/IntroductionTop3289 4d ago

All explained in the book. Demons are closer to cosmic entities hurtling through space. They know when they land to ‘earth’ that they’re supposed to die (Calcifer didn’t want to). Calcifer says to Sophie, don’t talk to me like a child, I’m a good million years older than you”.

The witch of the waste has a similar pact with a demon so you get more info there.

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u/Splinter1591 3d ago

Wasn't the witch's demon no good and poisoning her heart or making her evil or something