A thousand-year-old fairy tale that meets digital culture, author’s animation and the world of virtual music: “Cosmic Princess Kaguya!” is one of the most anticipated anime titles of early 2026 on Netflix. The animated musical film marks the directorial debut of a feature film for Shingo Yamashita, author of some of the most iconic openings of recent years, who now wants to offer a show capable of speaking to both the new generations and lovers of Japanese tradition. A luminous, pop and modern work.
One of the most distinctive elements of the film is the soundtrack, created with the collaboration of some of the most influential names in the Vocaloid scene, including ryo (supercell), kz (livetune), HoneyWorks, 40mP and Aqu3ra. The main song “Ex-Otogibanashi”, performed by Saori Hayami as Yachiyo Runami, is already considered a future cult hit.
Cosmic Princess Kaguya!: the plot
The story takes inspiration from “The Story of the Bamboo Cutter”, one of the founding stories of Japanese literature, but transports it into a radically new context. The protagonist is Iroha Sakayori, a seventeen-year-old from Tokyo, torn between school, part-time work and a virtual life that offers her refuge and freedom. His favorite place is Tsukuyomi, a digital world poised between dream and reality, where he supports a famous streamer and takes part in online competitions to earn a few extra yen. One day, returning home, Iroha comes across something impossible to explain: a light pole that gives off iridescent glows. From there emerges a mysterious little girl, who grows in a very short time to become a girl her age. The question he asks is disarming: “Am I Princess Kaguya?”.
The new Kaguya is charismatic, capricious, irresistibly attracted to the idea of becoming a streaming star in Tsukuyomi. Thus a creative partnership was born: Iroha behind the scenes as a producer and author, Kaguya in front of the screen as a singer and performer. But as success grows, threats also loom. Mysterious forces claim Kaguya, calling her towards a lunar destiny that seems inevitable.
As fans know, the ancient legend had a cinematic transposition, by Studio Ghibli, in 2013 with the animated masterpiece “The Story of the Shining Princess”, directed by master Isao Takahata, his latest film. But the universe of Cosmic Princess Kaguya! it is now also expanding into manga, novels and special publications, confirming a project conceived as a 360-degree narrative experience.
Technical and vocal cast
At the helm of the project is a very high profile creative team:
Director: Shingo Yamashita
Screenplay: Saeri Natsuo, Shingo Yamashita
Production: Studio Colorido, Studio Chromato
Original music: Conisch
Character design:
– Real World: Akihiro Nagae
– Tsukuyomi World: Hechima
Main Voices (Japanese/English):
Princess Kaguya: Yuuko Natsuyoshi / Jeannie Tirado
Iroha Sakayori: Anna Nagase / Dawn Bennett
Yachiyo Runami: Saori Hayami / Ryan Bartley (speaking voice), Frankie Kevich (singing)
Cosmic Princess Kaguya!: when it comes out on Netflix
“Cosmic Princess Kaguya!” is available exclusively on Netflix from January 22, 2026, simultaneously worldwide.
Cosmic Princess Kaguya!: the Italian trailer
undefined
