Cosmic Princess Kaguya Review Calls It a Queer Musical Triumph
The review positions "Cosmic Princess Kaguya" as a rare explicitly sapphic animated musical film that successfully blends a classic folktale with modern VTuber and VRMMO culture, a combination the reviewer argues has received insufficient promotional attention.
Reporting from 1 sources: Anime Feminist.
Anime Feminist published a review of the film "Cosmic Princess Kaguya," calling it a sapphic musical animated movie that ranks among the best anime films of 2026. The review describes the story as a retelling of "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter" set in a near-future Japan where high schooler Iroha Sakayori, living independently to escape an abusive mother, finds a baby in a bamboo box attached to a telephone pole. That baby grows into a girl who is Princess Kaguya, and together they create music, stream online, and fight to keep Kaguya on Earth rather than return to the moon. The review praises the soundtrack, composed by Ryo of Supercell alongside multiple Vocaloid producers and Conisch, and notes the English dub features voice actors including Dawn M. Bennett, Anairis Quiñones, Max Mittleman, and A.J. Beckles. The reviewer gives the film a 4.5 out of 5 star equivalent, calling it fun, colorful, and openly queer, though noting the final twenty minutes feel muddled due to a time skip. The review emphasizes the film's themes of found family, community, and love.
The review highlights the film's musical pedigree: Ryo of Supercell, best known for the Vocaloid hit "World is Mine" (which is remixed in the film), collaborated with multiple unnamed Vocaloid producers and composer Conisch, whose credits include "Hetalia," "Recovery of an MMO Junkie," and several "Pokemon" anime entries. The soundtrack captures the contrast between Iroha's offline Japan and the high-tech Heian-themed virtual world of Tsukuyomi.
The reviewer draws comparisons to Studio Ghibli's "Howl's Moving Castle" for the film's larger-than-life fantasy setting, but argues "Cosmic Princess Kaguya" stands on its own. The English dub cast is described as stacked with modern voice actors, though the review only names Dawn M. Bennett, Anairis Quiñones, Max Mittleman, and A.J. Beckles. The reviewer notes the film runs two and a half hours and brought them to tears multiple times.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Anime Feminist Cosmic Princess Kaguya - Movie Review