Sun Arrow Howl's Moving Castle S-2945 Calcifer Plush Figure Orange 14 cm

Product Information

The customization options allow you to have both sides of Califer’s personality and personalization for gifts.

An issue with Calcifer as a character is that, in essence, he is just fire with a face. He has very few distinct features that help to identify him beyond being a living flame. It’s dangerously easy to mistake Calcifer for a generic fire if you don’t have Howl’s Moving Castle in mind. The two different options differ in color. The classic Calcifer has the typical red, orange, and yellow colors. The Blushing Calcifer replaces the red with hot pink. I like this idea of changing the color but keeping it warm to maintain the fire look while changing the vibe. Pros Answer: Yes, Calcifer is Howl’s heart, so as Sohpie cares for the two, we see Calcifer growing fond of Sophie just as Howl does. Calcifer Plush: Conclusion I found this plush on Aliexpress, depicting Calcifer sitting on a pile of soot. I like this idea of adding some environment to the plush. It’s a great way to better identify him since, in the movie, Calcifer relies on fuel to live. The arms also help to identify him, even if they can be hard to see sometimes.I looked for good, warm colors and dynamic shapes that matched the look the plush was going for. Some are symmetrical and clean, while others are wild and a bit messy. Mass Produced Plushes Calcifer Pillow Plush His grumpy yet soft personality draws people to him, so his plush should convey that. Ghibli animates complex and evocative expressions, so there are many to choose from when making a plush. I ensured that each plush I chose somehow emulated some aspect of Calcifer’s personality through its expression. Fire Representation Some characters don’t often get plushes. Think of how many human characters get plushes compared to animal characters. There are so few because making a cute human plush is much harder. They often have goofy faces or strange proportions that make them less appealing. The fire is made by using a fur-like fabric across the whole body. This is an interesting decision since it mimics movement fairly well with the solid material. Yet, it runs the risk of being hard to shape and obscuring other features. The fur often gets in the way of Calcifer’s eyes, making the expression hard to read.

The face is done with huge circular eyes and a wide puppet-like mouth. The three-dimensional mouth adds depth to the expression but at the cost of shape. It’s just open without intention. However, it adds charm that I think people who enjoy puppets would love. Pros The fur is a combination of red and orange across the whole body. This helps create the illusion of movement but at the cost of the illusion of heat. By having the base of the fire be the same color as the tips of the flame, you make the fire look uniform in temperature when real fire, and the animated Calcifer, burn brighter and hotter toward the middle.

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Fire is difficult to represent in any medium. It doesn’t have hard lines or solid colors to copy and translate. Thus, we need to find workarounds to try and mimic the idea of fire. I choose Calcifer plushes that successfully convey the idea that he is living flame in effective and creative ways.