Netflix Film The Ribbon Hero Based on Tezuka Manga Starts Streaming
Director Yuki Igarashi said he aimed to recreate the impact Ribbon no Kishi had in its time, updating its pioneering female hero concept for a global audience.
Key Facts
- The Ribbon Hero began streaming on Netflix on August 8, 2026.
- The film is based on Osamu Tezuka's 1953 manga Ribbon no Kishi.
- Yuki Igarashi directs the film, his first feature-length directorial work.
- The Indonesian dub of The Ribbon Hero was handled by Kantana CS Pro Indonesia, with Guritno as dialogue director.
- The theme song is Reborn by Girls Archives.
Reporting from 3 sources: GAME Watch (Impress), KAI-YOU, The Indonesian Anime Times.
Netflix began streaming the animated film The Ribbon Hero on August 8, 2026. The movie is based on Osamu Tezuka's 1953 manga Ribbon no Kishi, also known as Princess Knight. Director Yuki Igarashi leads the project, marking his first feature-length directorial work. Character designs come from Kei Mochizuki, known for Fate/Grand Order and Touken Ranbu ONLINE, with Mai Yoneyama, who worked on Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, as character design collaborator. Animation production is by OUTLINE, with production by Twin Engine. The story follows Sapphire, princess of the lost kingdom Silverland, who loses everything to a calamity called Nergal and arrives in Goldland, where she decides to fight to protect her new home. The cast includes Saya from the comedy duo Lalande as Sapphire, Seiran Kobayashi as Pine, Kouki Uchiyama as Velvet, and Mayumi Shintani as Zircon. The theme song is Reborn by Girls Archives. The film is also available with Indonesian dubbing, handled by Kantana CS Pro Indonesia with Guritno as dialogue director.
- Animation character design is by Kazunari Shingaki, with art direction by Cedric Herole and Nergal design by okama.
- Music is by Satoru Kosaki and Ryuichi Takada of MONACA, with sound direction by Keiichiro Miyoshi and sound production by Tohokushinsha Film.
- Additional cast includes Haruhiko Jo as Pope, Yoshimasa Hosoya as Rock, Mito Tsukino as Hecate, Yusuke Tezuka as Chorogi, Runrun as Chick, and Debidebi Debiru as Tack.
- Igarashi told KAI-YOU he aimed to "recreate the impact" Ribbon no Kishi had in its time, describing the original as a "white Tezuka work" with little of the darkness found in his other titles.
- He noted the manga's roots in Takarazuka, where Tezuka grew up, and said he deliberately did not address modern gender or LGBTQ+ readings directly, feeling he was not suited to that task.
- Igarashi said the project began around 2022, after his 2021 Star Wars: Visions short "Nora Ropp and the Crimson Sakura Butterfly," and that the original plan for a more faithful adaptation was dropped in favor of a bolder, action-focused approach.
- He described Sapphire's story as a "kishu ryuritan" (noble wandering tale), a term coined by folklorist Kunio Yanagita, and said he wanted the hero to accept her fate rather than resist it.
- The Indonesian dub features Maria Cicillia as Sapphire, Esty Rohmiati as Pine, Nanang Niskalla as Velvet, and Lady Carmelita Novita as Zircon, with Guritno directing dialogue.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 3 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- GAME Watch (Impress) 手塚治虫氏のマンガ「リボンの騎士」を原案とするNetflix映画「THE RIBBON HERO リボンヒーロー」本日配信開始
- KAI-YOU 『THE RIBBON HERO』五十嵐祐貴監督が語る、現代のヒーロー像──手塚治虫『リボンの騎士』の衝撃を再演する
- The Indonesian Anime Times Ayo Nonton The Ribbon Hero Dengan Dubbing Indonesia di Netflix!