Cosmic Princess Kaguya is a weird film. It is a digital-first Netflix Original anime film that is also Yamashita Shingo's debut as a director. At the same time, it could be absolutely none of those, and it would make zero difference on the film. In some cases, it might even make it better. I was looking forward to watching this because of all the fun colors and character designs on the KVs and trailers, but I am coming out just...disappointed? Not even angry about having watched a bad film, because it is not a bad film. It's just...disappointing.
Spoilers!
Plot and Characters
This is where I think the film falters the most. Because there is a really good story in here. A girl who has lost all passion for music because of the growing pains of adulthood being contrasted with the classic tale of the Princess Kaguya is an amazing idea. There is real heart to that core. The film wants to celebrate never letting go of the pure heart that allows you to dream and find joy in the small things, but then...let's go of it on its own. The entire metaverse plotline with Tsukuyomi feels tacked on, as if it was a requirement to be added to the film, and then the script had to be written around the idea of Yachiyo being a permanent character.
And by all means, that is not a particularly bad twist either. Not in its emotions, at least. It rejects the idea of growing up permanently by literally having her have to live through thousands of years of waiting to finally reach Iroha again. But its entire execution is very shaky, just like the rest of the plot. The time travel device comes out of nowhere for a complete deus ex machina, and then neatly wraps up by addressing her apparent disillusionment in a matter of a minute with a single scene.
The film wants to deal with a mature concept, but does not want the baggage that comes with it. It wants to tell you that Iroha cries herself to sleep, but would rather speed through those parts instead of letting you linger and feel her pain for some time. It will have her narrate terrible things her mother told her, but never show any of it happen in real time. That is because it wants to be loud and flashy and appeal to the widest audience because that's how Netflix makes money. Why would 13-year-old kids watch a genuine meditation on the nature of Princess Kaguya's myth if they can have a Japanese version of KPop Demon Hunters instead?
And that is the film's greatest misstep. Not the lack of thought behind the plot; because there is thought behind the plot. But the dishonesty with which it handles it. The comedy works. The music works. The main idea works. But the themes don't. They are always in a constant battle with how they are portrayed. You cannot have your cake and eat it too.
Presentation
This film is dazzling to look at. It really is. There are very few mistakes it makes on the visual style of it all. It is always consistent, meaningful and has a clear vision. Characters move with insanely satisfying precision and still have a stylistic charm to every single one of their expressions. All that said, I could say the exact same things about many different properties. For example - Frieren, Jujutsu Kaisen, Oshi no Ko, Shoushimin Series, One Piece, etc.
But do you see the difference between them and this film? Precisely. It is supposedly a film, but can be compared to television productions. And that, I think, is the fault of the composition and lighting. While it not bad, by any means, it is also not justified. Cosmic Princess Kaguya looks more like eight episodes of a high-budget anime television show put together rather than an actual film. It lacks the insane cinematography of Shinkai's best, the scale of Miyazaki or the experimental styles of SHAFT. There is nothing distinguishing it from just another anime. So, why isn't it? Why did it even need to be a film?
Finally, we need to mention Yamashita Shingo himself. He has done some fantastic work on the openings of shows like Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man, and all credit to him for those. They are absolutely iconic openings that stay in your mind long after the show is over. But that works to his detriment in this film. That is because he translates the same storyboards over to a feature-length work. It might all look good, but there is absolutely zero coherence or choreography to the action sequences. Every single fight scene (and this film has quite a few), is composed of very short 3-5 second clip that focus more on being flashy and making the characters look cool instead of letting the audience keep up with what is happening. Why is this an issue, you ask?
Put simply - you can completely check out during an action sequence and come back, and you will have missed nothing. The entire 3v3 League of Legends fight section is a confusing mess. The rules of the game are not clear, the fights are not clear, and you only really understand who won because of one flashy cut at the end of the 'fight'. The announcer is more of a clue than the actual visuals. Then, it becomes absolutely horrendous in the fight against the moon people. How are we supposed to understand if our heroes are winning or losing if we have no spatial awareness during the fight? Kaguya dances until the moon people just appear in front of her and take her away. Where were the others? How far were they fighting? How far back did the moon people push them? The premier action sequence of this film has absolutely no stakes or tension in it.
I won't say much about the music, because it is actually quite good! That is to be expected considering the voice talent on display here, but they do give some pleasant tracks with groovy melodies. The concert scenes are also quite well-animated and might be the best parts of the film overall. The main voice actors are also putting in some incredible work, with Iroha's Nagase Anna probably being the most standout overall member of the cast right from the beginning.
Conclusion
Honestly? Watch it if you're into the art style and vibe. It is still a good "turn-off-your-brain-and-enjoy" type of classic anime film with pleasing animation and good music. But don't look too deep or try to parse what is going on during the action scenes, because there is absolutely nothing to be found in either of those cases. The film was definitely edited for the modern TikTok attention span, so you will hardly find yourself getting bored at any given point.
And if nothing else, then watch it to enjoy the genuinely heartfelt and wholesome half-hour that is the very beginning of this film. Once they enter the Hatsune Miku-ruled metaverse, it is time to cut your losses and run!
