Product Info

Studio

Sanzigen

Director

Shōji Kawamori

Genre

Adventure, Animation, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Rated

NA

Theatrical Release Date (NA)

May 10, 2026

Film Length

1hr 55min

Purchase From

Labyrinth (2025), unrelated to the 1986 fantasy classic, is a full-length animated film filled with interesting ideas that occasionally struggle in execution.

An Anxious Adventure

Labyrinth follows a young high-school girl named Shiori who dreams of online stardom. Unfortunately she has chronic anxiety and insecurities with public perception. After becoming trapped inside a parallel world within her smartphone, Shiori discovers her charismatic alter ego living her life in reality. Shiori will need to find the answer on how to cope with her anxiety and stop her digital doppelganger from taking over her life or disappear forever as a text message sticker if her other self reaches a million likes.

As Shiori retreats further into insecurity, her digital counterpart flourishes online to achieve the goal Shiori couldn’t do, become one of the most popular girls in Japan. Changing her identity as Shiori@Revolution, she strives to reach a million likes. The updated character design effectively creates a persona that resembles what a popular content creator would look like, glamorous nails and two-toned hairstyle, and a more stylish attire. With the help of Suguru Kagami, the mastermind behind the software that created the labyrinth, her goal is reachable in a short timeframe. This older college-level male character gives off a creepy vibe and is self-absorbed in his ideals, wanting to turn reality into a new virtual world. Supporting characters such as the rabbit sticker named Komori and Shiori’s classmates intertwine to help the lost main character stuck in another world. Komori, who has forgotten his real-world identity, provides comic relief while also serving as emotional support for the anxious Shiori.

Fast Moving Labyrinth

Labyrinth moves at a quick pace but quicker in the second half where some scenes need some time to breathe. The story’s climax becomes dense when it tries to tie everything together. Spreading the story further out to create more build-up could benefit the film and the audience’s attention. Development time between Shiori and Kento could have been more emotionally built on as we are only given pieces of their past. The film juggles a variety of themes of an identity crisis, social media satire, and psychological drama. When a film is going at a fast pace and tries to balance these themes, it makes it challenging to comprehend and lose focus.

One of the film’s highlights is the mecha battle scene, a reflection of Shōji Kawamori’s legacy in the genre. The scene’s visual details and special effects make it a feast for viewers who enjoy these types of action but it’s the only one.

Digital Beauty and Stiff as a Board

Visually, Labyrinth balances beauty and unease between its bright colors and dreary color palette. Character illustrations are well done, especially with Shiori@Revolution. However the film relied heavily on computer-generated Imagery (CGI) and it’s noticeable how awkward some of the character movements were since the beginning of the film. Still shots and environmental animation fare much better but the character movements feel doll-like and not as fluid as they could have been.

The film’s use of modern communication and technology creates an intriguing direction that Shōji Kawamori (Super Dimension Fortress Macross, The Vision of Escaflowne) wants to take. The Labyrinth mirrors Shiori’s world while twisting it into something darker and unpredictable. Text message stickers roaming that were once human, a giant mecha battle, and shadow-like hands seeking Shiori to turn her into a sticker. Instead of walls like a traditional labyrinth, the world shifts around the character. One minute you are running through a neon-lit tunnel filled with digital ads and before suddenly shifting into an empty space of loneliness, or strapped down to become a sticker.

The animated film uses some POP culture music such as “Sailor, Sail On” by ATARASHII GAKKO! in the movie to give it more of an authentic feel of the film’s social media theme. Some of the movie’s soundtrack blends into the background as it relies more on ambient synths and other sound textures. After watching both subbed and dubbed versions, the dubbed version felt better to follow mostly because of the main character. While the subbed version dialogue follows the film closer, the main character’s voice sounds rougher and unpolished. The voice artist’s vocal swings up and down along with voice cracks. The inconsistent delivery occasionally makes the character feel grating early on. The dubbed version fixes this for the most part.

The Final Sticker

Labyrinth (2025) is a visually creative and ambitious film by Shōji Kawamori. However it’s held back with its uneven pacing and doll-like character movement.

An early screening was provided for this review. Labyrinth (2025) arrives in theaters on May 10th and May 11th. Fans can visit the film’s official website for ticket purchasing and visit the official Japanese website for additional information.