"Super Princess Kaguya!", the first feature-length animated film directed by Shingo Yamashita, premiered as a Netflix movie on January 22nd and, due to its success, began its theatrical run on February 20th. It has become an unusually big hit for a film that was initially released on Netflix. Many people may have heard the title, as it has been a hot topic on social media, but may not know much about the film itself. This article will explain the "super-popular" "Super Princess Kaguya!".
◇First feature film as a director becomes a huge hit - full of unusual circumstances
Director Yamashita has worked on the opening sequences for popular anime such as the first season of "Jujutsu Kaisen," "Chainsaw Man," and "Urusei Yatsura," as well as the original anime "Twilight Wings" for "Pokemon Sword and Shield," but this is his first time directing a feature-length anime. The production is being handled by Studio Colorido, known for "Penguin Highway," and Studio Chromat, led by Director Yamashita, so it has been attracting attention among anime fans even before its release.
The announcement of the project had a huge impact. It was announced that a number of top Vocaloid producers, including ryo from the creator group "supercell" (known for hit songs like "Melt"), would be providing music. A Teaser trailer featuring the main character, Tsukimi Yachiyo, voiced by Saori Hayami , singing a newly remixed version of a popular Vocaloid song, "World is Mine CPK! Remix," was released last November, and in less than a month, it surpassed 15 million views on social media.
When it premiered on January 22nd, it got off to a great start, reaching number one on Netflix's "Top 10 Movies of the Day" in Japan the very next day. Numerous fans expressed their desire to see it in theaters on social media, leading to the decision to release it in theaters. Ahead of its theatrical release on February 20th, tickets sold out instantly at theaters, with many screenings completely sold out. Some theaters even had to hastily add extra screenings, showing the film more than 10 times a day, an unprecedented situation.
The film has shown astonishing momentum since its theatrical release. Initially showing in only 19 theaters, it grossed approximately 291.22 million yen and attracted approximately 148,000 viewers in just four days. The screening period, which was initially limited to one week, was extended, and the number of theaters showing the film was expanded. Even amidst the release of major spring films, it remained in the top 10 of the movie attendance rankings (according to Kogyo Tsushinsha) for 10 consecutive weeks, and has continued to be a hit, surpassing 2 billion yen in box office revenue and 1.02 million viewers. A crowdfunding campaign conducted for an online event achieved an astonishing record, with the final amount raised reaching 4057% of the target. The cumulative circulation of related books, including novels and comic adaptations, has exceeded 500,000 copies, making it a hot topic in many areas.
◇Princess Kaguya aims to become a streaming idol in the near future!
So what kind of story is it? As the title suggests, "Super Princess Kaguya!" is based on "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter," Japan's oldest and most well-known story. Just as the bamboo cutter finds Princess Kaguya inside a glowing bamboo stalk at the beginning of "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter," in "Super Princess Kaguya!", high school girl Aya Sakayori encounters Kaguya who emerges from a telephone pole that shines with seven colors.
The story is set in the near future. Separate from the real world, there exists a virtual space on the internet called Tsukuyomi. Kaguya, now grown up, wants to become a live streamer on Tsukuyomi, which is managed by Tsukimi Yachiyo, a popular live streamer whom Iroha also admires, and Iroha agrees to help her. As Iroha creates music as a producer and Kaguya sings as a live streamer, the two gradually grow closer. Like "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter," it also hints at a "farewell."
It fuses well-known classics with modern elements such as virtual space, AI, streamers, Vocaloid, and idols.
◇A selection of songs that will resonate with the "Vocaloid generation," along with powerful action sequences.
A major characteristic of "Super Kaguya-hime!" is that it is a "musical anime" that makes extensive use of songs by renowned Vocaloid producers. In addition to newly written songs, arranged versions and covers of popular Vocaloid songs such as "World is Mine," "Melt," and "Happy Synthesizer" are used as songs in the show, making it a selection that will resonate with the "Vocaloid generation." Yuko Natsuyoshi, who plays Kaguya, and Hayami, who plays Yachiyo, are both known for their singing abilities, and the music videos for each song released on YouTube are also gaining popularity.
In particular, "ray Super Kaguya-hime! Version," which plays as the ending theme, has become a song that symbolizes "Super Kaguya-hime!". It is a newly arranged version of the famous song "ray," released in 2014 as a collaboration between "BUMP OF CHICKEN" and Hatsune Miku, and is covered by Kaguya and Yachiyo in the film. In an interview, Director Yamashita said that he had a feeling that the mysterious AI Yachiyo "overlapped with Hatsune Miku," and that "Hatsune Miku is a factor in both 'Super Kaguya-hime!' and 'ray.' I thought it was a miracle that they could be connected in that way," and that the decision to use "ray" as the "final piece" was made.
In addition to live performance scenes, this film also offers plenty of battle scenes to enjoy. Set in Tsukuyomi, Kaguya, Iroha, and Yachiyo team up to take on the popular professional gamer group "Black Onyx." Director Yamashita excels at creating powerful action sequences that make the most of 3D camera work, and the battle scenes, which span approximately 14 minutes and feature over 300 shots, are truly breathtaking.
◇The main focus is "relationships," influenced by visual novels.
"Super Princess Kaguya!" is a work with many elements, including "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter," a virtual world, idols, music, and battles, but at its heart is the relationship between Kaguya and Iroha. In an interview, director Yamashita said that he tried to depict the characters' emotional movements "with ridiculous care and unwavering honesty."
"In recent anime, you might think, 'They'd probably skip this scene,' but we did it carefully here," he said. "If you watch it without knowing the whole story at first, there might be moments that seem a little slow, but that's precisely why we want people to see it through word of mouth, so I think it's a bit of an unusual type of work for Netflix. It's made in a way that's like an old-fashioned visual novel. We made it with that in mind," indicating that the influence of visual novels has led to the creation of the work.
"While there are elements of science fiction, VR, and combat, these are merely stage props," he says, emphasizing the delicate portrayal of the relationships between characters that deeply resonate with viewers. The story is filled with intricate plot twists, making it a work you'll want to rewatch a second and third time. I highly recommend experiencing it for the first time. (Shiroinu/MANTANWEB)
