Eye-wateringly joyous anime optimism gets centre stage in Studio Colorido and Studio Chromato’s “Cosmic Princess Kaguya!”, distributed by Netflix. It’s a beautiful modern film adaptation of The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, a centuries-old fairytale about a princess from the moon. Cosmic Princess, while taking its roots from the story, is a vastly different tale than the original however.

The 142-minute anime film, directed by Shingo Yamashita, follows Iroha (Anna Nagase; Dawn M. Bennett in the English dub), an independent teen worn down by the demands of living, whose fate crosses with Kaguya (Yūko Natsuyoshi; Jeannie Tirado), a moon-dweller on a quest for fun. As fantastical as that sounds, Cosmic Princess is set in modern day Japan, using the limitlessly imaginative scenes of virtual reality gaming as the canvas for all the major plot points.

The film is gorgeously animated, flourishing with details that could only leave the pen of digital artists who thoroughly enjoy their work. Even the most down of Debbies won’t be able to resist the joy it offers. Yamashita’s masterpiece is like Kaguya herself: an anime hero reaching out their hand for you to join them in seeking happiness and change.

The voice actors are stellar in their roles, with Kaguya’s putting on a particularly convincing excitable extraterrestrial girl. The songs are never out of place, and while sounding very typical of the magical girl defying fate, they are beautifully executed and produced. Lyrics such as ‘I’m not that smart or talented / But there’s one thing I can do / So whatever it’s worth, I’ll do it for you’ evoke all the love and pureness beating throughout the story.

What we didn’t expect are the buckets of tears this seemingly light and happy story brings you. Cosmic Princess refuses to accept a sad or bittersweet ending, and so should you. 

Cosmic Princess Kaguya! is available to watch on Netflix.