Disney's two-disk DVD edition of Hayao Miyazaki's most recent anime feature, Howl's Moving Castle, debuted at #9 on the DVD sales charts compiled by Video Business Magazine.  During its second week of release sales of Howl's Moving Castle remained strong, dropping just two spots to #11.  Last year Miyazaki's Nausicaa reached #14 on the Neilson VideoScan list during its first week of release  (see 'Nausicaa Reaches #14 in DVD Sales').  Nausicaa wound up as the best-selling anime DVD release of 2005 and Howl's Moving Castle may well earn that honor this year.

Inside each Howl's DVD (and the accompanying My Neighbor Totoro DVD as well) is a full color flyer advertising all eleven Disney/Buena Vista Studio Ghibli releases on one side and Viz's Studio Ghibli Library editions of the Howl's Moving Castle (and Totoro) Film Comics (4 volumes per film $9.99), Picture Books ($19.99 and $14.99) as well as the glorious The Art of Howl's Moving Castle ($34.99) and The Art of My Neighbor Totoro ($29.99) on the other.  The covers of all the Viz volumes are shown in full color and a page of full color art from the film comics is also displayed.  Given the sales of the Howl's Moving Castle DVDs, stocking these advertised volumes may make sense for many retailers, and now is certainly a good time to display any Miyazaki-related merchandise items prominently.