Oh yeah - I'll point out that minakokenshou wasn't apprehensive about Sophie because Sophie was ugly in her old-lady form, it was because she wasn't young and energetic and vivacious.[1] It's a personality thing, rather than an appearance thing.


[1] Also note this was before she saw the movie, when she had a few assumptions about what a 90-year-old character would be like - old-lady Sophie is certainly energetic enough when it comes to eradicating cobwebs and tormenting Howl.