Cosmic Princess Kaguya Review: Cosmic Princess Kaguya! is an original anime film debuting on Netflix on Jan. 22, directed by Shingo Yamashita, that reimagines The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter through music. Set in the virtual world of Tsukuyomi, it unfolds like a live performance blending original songs, dynamic visuals, and emotional storytelling. It follows a busy Tokyo teen whose life connects with a popular virtual space and its enigmatic figures.
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Cosmic Princess Kaguya Netflix Director
Shingo Yamashita
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Native Title
Chō Kaguya-hime! (超かぐや姫!)
The runtime of Cosmic Princess Kaguya is 122 mins approx.
Cosmic Princess Kaguya Review
Cosmic Princess Kaguya is an enigmatic and upbeat movie that combines a lot of genres to present its storyline. The plot revolves around Iroha, who is a typical high schooler struggling to survive in a fast-paced world. She does everything alone and considers herself a Jack of all trades but a master of none. She is good at her studies and maintains a proper status in her school, all the while being very diligent in her work and a relentless gamer in her free time. However, her seemingly normal life completely changes for the better or worse one evening when she finds a mysterious baby.
Being a kind soul, Iroha could not let a baby that was literally delivered to her in the weirdest way possible, leave alone. Thus, she takes the baby home and takes care of her despite being cautious of the abnormal growth rate the baby shows. Needless to say, within a week, the baby turned into a young girl with a quirky personality and boisterous nature. This premise is taken from the Japanese Folklore, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. Though there, an old man discovers the baby, here, it is a normal high schooler.
On top of that, the way the original story ended has nothing to do with this one because the Kaguya from here is not at all happy with a basic ending like that. She wants her own happy ending where she is free and able to do what she wants. And don’t let the folk tale fool you because the story goes in a completely different direction towards the end. The emotional beats of this anime hit hard, and even though it might start off as goofy, the conclusion solidifies it as a very impactful watch.
The highlight of this movie is definitely its animation, which does not stick to one single style. Here, we get to see a lot of experimentation in the artwork that blends everything pretty well. The 3D does not look out of place, and it does a decent job of depicting the background characters. Other than that, the visuals themselves are grand and majestic, something that might remind you of the movie Belle, which also depicted virtual reality in a very different way.
The other elements that make this storyline so much better are the added songs. The story is highly musical, and comical characters might give you the vibe of Bocchi the Rock!. But even though the movie might start off with silly characters, the second half actually becomes a lot more serious with its themes. We also explore dramatic backstories and unhealed histories, making the movie jam-packed with everything all at once.
Verdict
I really enjoyed this film, though I can see how its chaotic energy might not work for everyone. Still, I’d absolutely recommend giving it a chance because of how refreshingly unique it is. If you liked animated films like K-pop Demon Hunter, you’ll likely love this even more, as this one offers greater narrative depth that elevates the overall experience.
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