Teaser: ‘Cosmic Princess Kaguya’ Reinvents a Classic Japanese Folk Tale with a Neon Pop Twist

A tale out of the mists of time is ready to burst onto screens in futuristic hyper color in the new year in Cosmic Princess Kaguya, an original anime movie coming to Netflix on January 22, 2026. Marking the feature film debut of director Shingo Yamashita, the dazzling adventure reimages Japan’s oldest folktale, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, through a modern lens, layered with music, fantasy and contemporary animation style.

Logline: Set in the virtual realm of Tsukuyomi, the story unfolds as a live performance marrying original music with Yamashita’s signature style of polished visuals, emotive pacing, and dynamic 3D camerawork to boldly transform this classic tale for a new generation.

The voice cast includes Yuko Natsuyoshi as Kaguya, Anna Nagase as Iroha and Saori Hayami as Yachiyo.

“This is my first full-length original animated film,” Yamashita told Netflix’s TUDUM blog. “I poured into it everything I’ve learned about visual expression, my love for unique characters, and my deep affection for the internet culture that’s continued since the 1990s. It’s a bright, fun film — so please sit back, relax and enjoy it!”

Yamashita has built a name with highly regarded work on the opening sequences for Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1, Chainsaw Man and the reboot of Urusei Yatsura.

The soundtrack for Cosmic Princess Kaguya features the music of prominent producers from the Vocaloid scene, including ryo (supercell), creator of the Hatsune Miku hit “Melt”; kz (livetune), 40mP, HoneyWorks, Aqu3ra and yuigot.

The animation is produced by Studio Colorido (Penguin Highway, A Whisker Away) in collaboration with Yamashita’s Studio Chromato. Character designs are by Hechima (The Idolmaster Gakuen) and Akihiro Nagae (Drifting Home).