This year has begun on an absolute tear for LBTQ+ Japanese media, with a number of movies and TV shows — both live action and animated — being released. And lucky you, you can read our views of some, like *The Boyfriend* Season 2 and 这就是我! Another out-of-the-gate hit this year has been the Netflix release Cosmic Princess Kaguya!, which has not only been popular with anime and yuri fans, but is also one of the rare Netflix film productions that will receive a post-launch one-week cinematic run, putting it in the same strata as K-Pop 猎魔人.
However, that is not the only new piece of news that has surrounded the anime movie over the weekend. The original movie, based on the myth of Princess Kaguya and the woodcutter, has been adapted into a manga, for anyone who doesn’t have Netflix (or anyone who just wants a copy to carry around with them), but the reception has been unkind; and if you continue reading, you’ll understand why.
Cosmic Princess Kaguwhaaaa!?
To remind faithful readers, or to inform our welcome newcomers, your devoted scribe enjoyed Cosmic Princess Kaguya!, though one of the flaws that I ascribed to it was that the relationship between the two leading ladies — Iroha and Kaguya — was kept primarily at a level of inference, and not displayed at a level of directness that one would expect in the big 2026.
That being said, perhaps one could understand — intellectually, if not morally — the desire to downplay openly sapphic character portrayals in order to appeal to a “normie” audience. However, the lesbian vibes were clear for anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear. It isn’t a surprise that even from the trailers, people were speculating on the yuri vibes of the movie — which were confirmed (albeit, to my view, half-heartedly).
However, many people who picked up the recently released manga adaptation have been taken aback by how much it has omitted or outright changed the details or context of the story to make it, seemingly, a lot more straight.
These changes include the male character, Mikado, being a lot more flirtatious with Kaguya, with the intent to actively romance her, rather than his general disinterest in the original movie. Additionally, scenes showing the two growing close in the real world have been dramatically truncated, and even small details, such as Iroha and Kaguya keeping their toothbrushes in one cup in the movie (a subtle sign of being a couple) being redrawn to show only one toothbrush in the manga, as was pointed out by Twitter user @sosonosonosono.
The Fandom, Menaced
These changes did not go unnoticed by those who were excited to read the manga adaptation, and who were dramatically let down by this adaptation of the animation.
Twitter user @Oracle_Morosis stated: “I did a review of Cosmic Princess Kaguya movie before and suggested reading the manga. I take it back, don’t read the manga. I was expecting the manga to expand upon the relationship of Iroha and Kaguya and backstory of Kaguya. None of that happened.”
They continued, “while in the original movie, there was no heterosexuality, the author intentionally distorted the story to make it look heterosexual. I would suggest only watching the movie.”
It wasn’t long before furious fans looked into the manga artist themselves, Tarou Yoneda, only to discover that they have previously said that they are personally opposed to drawing Boys’ Love or Girls’ Love images. Why the artist was approached, and why they decided to take the job, knowing that the film is about two women who find each other across time and space (both physical and virtual) is beyond the understanding of your writer, and was a cause of fury among fans.
“Get lost!! Change the manga artist already!!! Everyone, please boycott this, don’t buy it anymore!!!!!” one enraged poster exclaimed.
“Adding personal preferences by including content or stories that don’t officially exist is something you should apologize for,” another added. “If it were just a doujin work, no one would say anything, but […] you’re handling an official manga. Yuri works should depict the heroines properly, and forcing your own selfish preferences is professional negligence.”
Or, to put it as succinctly as sosonosonosono did: “GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY YURI STRAGGOT”
It seems a shame that Cosmic Princess Kaguya!, a movie that has brought joy to many, and which is on the verge of a cinematic run, has been somewhat marred by a poor choice of artist and their decision to let their antipathy towards same-gender relationships get in the way of accurately depicting the story portrayed on the screen. For now, JGG recommends saving your money for a movie ticket, rather than the manga.
