‘Cosmic Princess Kaguya!’ review: A classic fable gets a modern reimagining

With infectious energy and lovable protagonists, Cosmic Princess Kaguya! nearly strikes gold for Netflix.

It may be early to tell, but there’s a chance the charm of Cosmic Princess Kaguya! ensures it stands out throughout the rest of the year. Its excellence can’t be diminished! Based on the Bamboo Cutter fairytale, Cosmic Princess Kaguya! follows Iroha (Anna Nagase) as she sticks to the same daily routine that would make anyone lose their mind. Due to an estrangement from her mother, Iroha lives on her own in Tokyo, balancing schoolwork, a part-time job, and what little social life she has. Enter Kaguya (Yūko Natsuyoshi), a girl who claims to be a princess from the moon.

Writer and director Shingo Yamashita is best known for MAPPA adaptations such as Chainsaw Man and Jujutsu Kaisen, as well as other noteworthy series, Frieren and Baccano!. Cosmic Princess Kaguya! It is his first feature debut. The basis of the story isn’t anything new — both Sailor Moon and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya from director Isao Takahata are based on the same fairy tale — but Yamashita puts his own spin on it from the jump.

In her cherished downtime, Iroha spends a lot of time gaming in the virtual reality world, Tsukuyomi. She’s able to form a parasocial relationship with artificial intelligence idol Yachiyo Runami (Saori Hayami), who streams and performs concerts. Iroha interacts with her idol, purchases items, and enjoys the consumerist perks of being a fan girl without having to worry about real-world obligations in-game. It’s relatable for those of us who play gachas, are fans of VTubers, or simply enjoy being fans of anything that offers an interlude of escapism. I love being able to relate to a protagonist with something as silly as one of my hobbies.

The love story between Iroha and Kaguya is what makes the film special.

Love is at the core of Cosmic Princess Kaguya, and it would be remiss to say that Kaguya and Iroha are just really close friends. It can hardly be called subtext, given that Kaguya openly admits she is in love with Iroha. While some people may take issue with their relationship, let’s not forget that Kaguya is a princess from the moon. We never have any clarification on her age other than the fact that she is old enough to work on the moon and has enough free will to drop what she’s doing to visit Earth. Just because Kaguya appears as a baby the first time she’s introduced doesn’t mean she’s a child. That’s just moon magic, and Kaguya has to figure out her sea legs.

To write off the genuine sapphic undertones between the two girls would be to miss a huge part of what makes Cosmic Princess Kaguya! special. Their relationship grows into a genuine friendship, which is much more than just caregiver and care receiver. It only continues to grow as the two girls spend more time together and become closer. Iroha’s love for Kaguya is evident in the way she protects the latter from her brother during the battle scenes.

It makes sense both in terms of the specifics of the relationship with Kaguya and in her hands moving to protect the one she loves. Still, it thematically links up with the rest of Iroha’s story because it’s not just about her relationship with Kaguya, but also about how Kaguya helps Iroha process her father’s death and find new joy in life.

A potent thread of grief anchors the film in something relatable.

Iroha’s grief is extremely relatable. As someone who lost a parent, there’s an overwhelming feeling that takes over and makes it feel impossible to continue doing activities that you used to do with that person. For Iroha, it’s that very first song that she wrote with her dad. And while it might seem as if there wasn’t much focus on Iroha finally being able to finish that song, I don’t think she would have come to terms with her grief without Kaguya to push her.

Grieving someone can be a terribly isolating experience, especially for someone as young as Iroha. Without Kaguya by her side, forcing her to revisit that song and to begin living her life without her grief holding her back, she might’ve become stuck in that loop. It’s something that I don’t think Iroha would be able to do without meeting Kaguya.

Having a support system to help with grief might seem obvious to people who haven’t experienced it. But for those who have struggled with grief, reaching out can be hard, if not impossible. Witnessing Iroha’s journey and growth throughout is special, especially with how the film integrates this specific element into the story. The thread weaves itself throughout each act, but never overwhelms the story.

Yamashita and the production team deliver terrific animation throughout Cosmic Princess Kaguya!uya!. There isn’t a single moment throughout the film where things feel awkward or janky. In the concert scenes, the animation never looks or feels uncanny despite the different art style. The animation is consistently smooth, especially during fight scenes. It was enjoyable to watch from start to finish, mostly because there was no reason to pick apart odd bits of animation.

Cosmic Princess Kaguya! struggles to stick the landing.

The movie’s different animation styles add a nice layer of charm. Not only does Yamashita have a nice, familiar anime style throughout the movie, but the pixel animation and the deep-fried, staticky stylization when Kaguya is on the moon bring it home. These distinct animation styles remind you that these worlds are unique despite being in the same universe. Even if all Yamashita did was show off his animation chops, it brings the movie to a whole new level.

The movie isn’t without its issues, though. The pacing leaves a lot to be desired, leading to moments when I was confused about the timeline. Specifically, during their summer together, it wasn’t clear how much time had passed while Kaguya was trying to gain fans. At one point, it seemed almost as if she shot to stardom within a week when it was over the course of a month. This frantic pacing only does a disservice to the film.

Additionally, the time skip at the end of the movie is abrupt. Not only is it unsatisfying, but it was extremely rushed for what is supposed to be a nice bow on top of an otherwise enjoyable movie. With a runtime of two and a half hours, you need to stick to the ending. It comes together as a cobbled mess, knocking an otherwise solid movie down.

Cosmic Princess Kaguya! is a wonderfully refreshing take on a classic fable that brings it into the future for a modern audience. It’s a wonderful story that explores grief, love, and even the connection between fans and celebrities in a way anyone who’s online can understand. The production and quality exemplify what the anime industry is currently capable of. The pacing could have done with an extra edit, and the endings needed a solid finish, but overall, it’s an adorable film that’s worth the messy moments for the enjoyable adventure it takes you on.

Cosmic Princess Kaguya! is now streaming on Netflix. Watch the trailer below. 

---

Images courtesy of Netflix.