Visually, the film is gorgeous in a soft, almost fragile way. The art style is bright and bold as well as the colours, used wonderfully in multiple different settings, helping enhance each scene. The music was alright, you'll survive. The pacing is uneven in a way that can be both beautiful and frustrating. The first half takes its time, lingering on quiet moments and emotional buildup, which I really appreciated. But the final half introduces a lot of big ideas very quickly - time, legacy, how Yachiyo came to be. It can feel rushed compared to how gently the story begins. I didn’t mind the slowness earlier on, but I did wish the ending had more room to breathe.
The relationship between Kaguya and Iroha is easily the heart of the film. It’s quiet, tender, and deeply intimate, even though the movie never feels the need to label it outright. Music, memory, and orbit are all used as metaphors for love - how it pulls, how it waits, and how it survives separation.
This is my own personal opinion and I'm aware many others may disagree - but emotionally, the ending is where I struggled the most. I understand what the film is trying to say, but it didn’t fully sit right with me. Kaguya returning through her consciousness in a new android body, technically still her, but not in the same physical continuity - hit that “same person, but not really” trope that always hurts for me, making their reunion feel rather bittersweet than whole. :((
Even though the movie frames this as hopeful, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the Kaguya Iroha originally loved is gone for good. Her memories and feelings survive, but the version of her that lived that life, in that body, at that time, doesn’t get to come back. The film seems to believe that love can survive transformation (of course it can, durr) but there’s still a quiet grief in realizing that survival isn’t the same as preservation.
Overall, Cosmic Princess Kaguya was a fun watch!! It's an emotionally ambitious film with a strong visual identity and a lot of heart. I liked it, and parts of it really stayed with me, even if the ending left me a little sad in a way I wasn’t prepared for. It’s the kind of movie that doesn’t give clean closure, instead asks you to sit with change, loss, and the idea that love doesn’t always return in the form you’re hoping for. (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)
