After years of worrying about AI risks, online mental fatigue, and streaming’s built-in exploitation, it’s refreshing to enter a world that highlights the positives of all three. That’s exactly what Netflix’s Cosmic Princess Kaguya! excels at: an anime that reimagines an old legend in a cyberpunk future, with an unshakably hopeful take on virtual reality.
Loosely inspired by the , Cosmic Princess Kaguya! reworks the into a cheerful tribute to streamers, Japanese VTubers, and anyone who’s lost hours in a deeply immersive game. Its focus is niche and its pacing is busy, but you don’t need to be glued to the internet to connect with its appeal.
Cosmic Princess is, in many ways, a wish-fulfillment story. It’s easy to feel for Iroha Sakayori (voiced by Anna Nagase), the film’s overworked protagonist who’s lived alone since moving to the city on a high school scholarship. Once a piano prodigy, her overbearing mother crushed her passion for music. Now, she balances part-time jobs to stay at the top of her class, eating bland meals to make rent. Any free time not spent studying or working goes to Tsukuyomi—a virtual world where players can be anyone they want. Even there, she stays on the sidelines, quietly admiring AI pop star Yachiyo (Saori Hayami)—until Kaguya (Yūko Natsuyoshi) enters her life.
One night, walking home from work, Iroha finds a baby sleeping in a glowing bamboo stalk. Concerned for its safety, she takes it to her tiny apartment—and in just a few days, it grows into an energetic teen. Since the girl says she’s from the moon, like the princess in the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, Iroha names her Kaguya. Kaguya quickly disrupts Iroha’s rigid routine: while alone, she hacks Iroha’s computer and uses all her savings to buy VR contact lenses. She’s a coding genius, and she discovers even more skills when she first logs into Tsukuyomi.
Needing to find a way to support herself, Kaguya decides to become a streamer. Yachiyo is running a contest: the person who gains the most followers in a set time gets to perform on stage with her. Even though she’s only about 10 days old, Kaguya signs up eagerly—and takes to streaming naturally. Cosmic Princess is most vibrant when it shows Kaguya trying out different streamer microgenres, mastering new games, and winning fans. But its strongest moments come when Kaguya’s chaotic journey finally gets Iroha to let go of stress and start truly living.
Iroha lets Kaguya use old songs she wrote to boost her Tsukuyomi profile, but she’s hesitant to create anything new. Everyone can tell she’s holding back from her true passion, too caught up in surviving her harsh daily life to flourish. Iroha finally sees this herself only when her body breaks down and she has to turn to Kaguya for help. The heartfelt moments between the two girls—both in Tsukuyomi and the real world—are Cosmic Princess’ finest. Kaguya softens Iroha, pushing her to embrace her playful side, while Iroha gives the moon princess a purpose to focus on.
These are the moments that truly feel like wish fulfillment. It’s fun to watch these e-girls battle in gladiator-style matches with absurdly large hammers, or go up against their biggest rivals, Black onyX—whose leader (Miyu Irino) wears an unnecessarily sexy outfit. The film’s visuals are also impressive: it’s the first feature from Shingo Yamashita, the creator of the wild opening sequences for Chainsaw Man and Jujutsu Kaisen. He brings Tsukuyomi to life with bright, glowing visuals, but most importantly, he puts characters first.
Cosmic Princess is an escapist fantasy—an isekai of sorts for anyone who’s lost time customizing characters in games. But it makes a smart choice by balancing the real world and the fantasy. Its take on the original legend is loose, making this a more chaotic retelling, but a touch of chaos only adds to the story’s allure.