Napping Princess

Name: Napping Princess
Genre: Sci-Fi, Drama, Animation
Released: September 8, 2017
Duration: 110 min
Rating: 69
Cast: Arata Furuta, Brina Palencia, Chris Niosi, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, Doug Erholtz

2017

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 5 Critics

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 11 Ratings

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4.3

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4.3	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 11 Ratings

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Napping Princess

Movie Details & Credits

Not Rated

GKIDS | Release Date: September 8, 2017

Starring: Arata Furuta, Brina Palencia, Chris Niosi, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, Doug Erholtz, Mitsuki Takahata, Rie Kugimiya, Shin'nosuke Mitsushima, Tomoya Maeno, Yôsuke Eguchi

Summary: The year is 2020, three days before the opening of the Tokyo Olympics. While she should be studying for her exams, Kokone Morikawa is often dozing off, stuck between reality and a dream-world full of fantastic motorized contraptions. But after her father, a talented but mysterious mechanic, is kidnapped for stealing technology from aThe year is 2020, three days before the opening of the Tokyo Olympics. While she should be studying for her exams, Kokone Morikawa is often dozing off, stuck between reality and a dream-world full of fantastic motorized contraptions. But after her father, a talented but mysterious mechanic, is kidnapped for stealing technology from a powerful corporation, it's up to Kokone and her childhood friend Morio to save him. Together they realize that Kokone's dream-world holds the answers to the mystery behind the stolentech, and they embark on a journey that traverses dreams and reality, city and country, and past and present. Their mission uncovers a trail of clues to her father's disappearance and ultimately a surprising revelation about Kokone's family.… Expand

Director: Kenji Kamiyama

Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Drama, Animation

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 110 min

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Critic Reviews

Los Angeles Times - Charles Solomon

Sep 7, 2017

Inventive and imaginative, Napping Princess confirms [Kamiyama] as one of the most interesting writer-directors working in Japanese animation. Read full review

Total Film - Matt Looker

Aug 15, 2017

As reality and fantasy blur, we’re taken on an occasionally confounding but enchanting quest with poignant reveals in store. Read full review

Time Out London - George Art Baker

Sep 7, 2017

This is a fun action adventure that resonates because it doesn’t glamorise everything. You feel a warmth after watching it, as there’s something in its depiction of imperfect, loving family relationships that stays with you. Read full review

The Hollywood Reporter - John DeFore

Sep 5, 2017

Kamiyama, a vet of the Ghost in the Shell franchise, brings plenty of sci-fi genre ingredients to what at times might look like a Miyazaki coming-of-age adventure. Though occasionally lopsided, the mix works well. Read full review

The Guardian - Mike McCahill

Aug 24, 2017

It starts feeling fairly mechanised itself, every clank of those boysy Transformer knock-offs further drowning out its wistful heroine. Read full review

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User Reviews

Fortifier

Oct 22, 2017

This film isn't anything close to being a masterpiece like "Your Name", yet it is still an enjoyable film nonetheless.

The story of the film is "fantastical" as it combines both fantasy and reality together in (mostly) interesting ways. While the fantastical scenes are very fun to watch,This film isn't anything close to being a masterpiece like "Your Name", yet it is still an enjoyable film nonetheless.

The story of the film is "fantastical" as it combines both fantasy and reality together in (mostly) interesting ways. While the fantastical scenes are very fun to watch, have a surpisingly good level of detail, and do have deeper meanings to them, to me it was an obvious way for the studio to advertise itself and its animation capabilities which sort of ruins the feel of the film. Most of the story comes across as childishly simple and makes the movie come across as a "feel good" flick, there are a few good life messages and more complex parts of the story that the movie does get across if you look hard enough. As for the animation, it does have a good level of quality and depth to it, yet nothing completely outstanding by today's "masterpiece" standards (in fact, not even by "Akira" standards). Also, there are some very noticeable mistakes in both animation, editing and story flow in various areas of the movie; especially at the end with the stretched out running scenes. In conclusion, this film is incredibly plain in every way imaginable, yet the good kind of plain that we all need a dose of once in awhile.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

justwibi

Aug 19, 2018

the transition between dream life and real life isn't very smooth.. not confusing tho... just.. the results made me feel uncomfortable

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Max1well

Dec 27, 2018

This film while very great in terms of Japan's anime creativity is too bogged down with Japan's modern imperial revival propaganda. It feels similar to Kantai Collection where they take a part of their history of conquest and war crimes and turn it into an emotional tale of Japan's strugglesThis film while very great in terms of Japan's anime creativity is too bogged down with Japan's modern imperial revival propaganda. It feels similar to Kantai Collection where they take a part of their history of conquest and war crimes and turn it into an emotional tale of Japan's struggles against the evil foreign powers. (In this case they couldn't outright use America so they went with "aliens")

While Napping Princess doesn't automatically sound the same since it is about telling propaganda of Japan's future and not revisionist history to cover their sins of the past the anime is really (unfortunately) clear about its political motives. The whole story talks about Japan's stagnating industry and gives excuses for why it hasn't done anything revolutionary in the last 20 or so years. It sets the stage based on its aspirations for the coming 2020 Olympics where news has gone out for a while that they hope to present their self driving cars in the opening ceremony shuttling all the athletes to the stadium. The anime makes it seem like 20 years ago they could have easily had this technology but it just so happened that the industry leaders were too traditionalist and didn't think self driving or software in general could compete with their well made cars. (Japan's car industry is still very big and Toyota specifically is still the world's leading car brand) Finally it paints a sad story about how being so traditionalist cost Japan and on a personal level also cost the industry leaders bright minds that could have revolutionized it years ago.

But I will admit that if you don't pay attention to the obvious propaganda message then this movie is pretty good. A fantastic story about a girl with an overactive imagination whose dream reality mixes into what is really happening in the real world. I want to end off just by listing out the angles this anime used to promote the propaganda.
So obviously the king or President Shijima is there to represent the old industry and how Japan's economy has stagnated. But instead of talking about its poor politics and economic management it blames Japan's problems on being too traditional. Just like any good propaganda there is a hint of truth. Japan is a very traditional society. But everybody that paid attention to it knew that being traditional wasn't their problem.
Ancien and Kokone of course represents the modern world and that Japan needs to embrace new technology specifically AI and self driving in this case. There's tons of attention thrown at how people weren't comfortable with a car that can drive itself and how Kokone and her father were trying to change that belief.
The colossus is where the anime makes it painfully obvious that its propaganda. The monster represents the media and public opinion of self driving tech. At first its just this thing that is holding "heartland" back and they have to fight against it literally at first with old car tech (engine heads) which is ineffective and then with "magic" or cars that "want to fight of their own free will!" which is effective. This all comes to a head when the evil Watanabe sends out a text "curse" against Shijima which the anime (manga more clearly) shows is just a slander campaign to worsen the fears of self driving tech. This changes what was just a single monster into a flood of black bats that starts burning the country to the ground and spreading everywhere. (just like a viral media campaign)
Finally there's the "magic" tablet. This is the tablet that holds the original autonomous vehicle program that was perfected by Momo. Not only does it really show self driving tech in a positive way it almost makes it like miracle power. Through the tablet the Ancien and Kokone can bring stuffed animals to life and motorcycles into deus ex machinas and of course turn just any old "engine head" into like an Evangelion! As soon as the "magic" is placed into the final engine head it literally sprouts wings and reaches the heavens to stop the monster's attack "saving the world."

To wrap this up. Great anime. Bad propaganda.… Expand

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