Osamu Tezuka

Osamu Tezuka's works continue to be adapted and reimagined across media, with new manga reimaginings from Scholastic, an animated film based on Ribbon no Kishi streaming on Netflix, and a live-action NHK special based on his autobiographical manga premiering in August.

Synthesized from 8 Yomimono stories · updated 2d ago

Osamu Tezuka's legacy is being carried forward through a wave of new adaptations and reimaginings. Scholastic's Graphix imprint, in partnership with Tezuka Productions, is building a line of reimagined Tezuka manga, with five new titles announced after the success of Unico: Awakening. The Netflix film The Ribbon Hero, based on Ribbon no Kishi, began streaming in August, marking the first anime project in the Princess Knight franchise in 27 years. The film updates the story of Sapphire, a princess who fights to protect her new home, with a cast that includes VTubers in their first feature-length anime roles.

Tezuka's work is also being explored in live action and documentary form. NHK is producing a live-action special based on his autobiographical manga Paper Fortress, which depicts his wartime childhood. The upcoming documentary TEZUKA! God of Manga includes a segment where director Jorge Gutierrez reflects on how Astro Boy resonated with Mexican audiences. A new French-produced Astro Boy series, Astro Boy Reboot, introduces a secret identity for the robot hero, a narrative addition that required Tezuka Productions' approval.

Merchandising continues as well, with the Tezuka Osamu Characters Sofvi Collection adding figures of Hyakkimaru and Dororo. The breadth of these projects, from a European classic paired with anime at Busan to a reimagined line of graphic novels, shows that Tezuka's creations remain a live source of material across formats and audiences.

Key facts

Scholastic Graphix titles: Five reimagined Tezuka manga titles announced: Atomcat/Astro Cat, Princess Knight, The Three-eyed One, Triton of the Sea, and Zero Man. ↗
The Ribbon Hero release: Netflix began streaming The Ribbon Hero on August 8, 2026. ↗
First Princess Knight anime in 27 years: The Ribbon Hero is the first anime project in the Princess Knight franchise in 27 years. ↗
Astro Boy Reboot secret identity: Astro Boy Reboot gives the character a secret identity, a narrative addition approved by Tezuka Productions. ↗
NHK live-action special: NHK is producing a live-action special based on Tezuka's autobiographical manga Paper Fortress, premiering in August. ↗
Documentary appearance: Jorge Gutierrez discusses Astro Boy in the documentary TEZUKA! God of Manga. ↗
Sofvi figures: Hyakkimaru and Dororo sofubi figures are the 6th installment of the Tezuka Osamu Characters Sofvi Collection, scheduled for December 2026. ↗

Timeline

Sep 2, 2026 Busan Adds Anime Spotlight Strand With Rintaro, Angel's Egg, Metropolis
Aug 29, 2026 Dororo Figures Join Tezuka Osamu Characters Sofvi Collection
Aug 20, 2026 Scholastic's Graphix Imprint to Release 5 New Tezuka Manga Titles
Aug 7, 2026 Netflix Film The Ribbon Hero Based on Tezuka Manga Starts Streaming
Aug 4, 2026 The Ribbon Hero Final Trailer Adds Five Cast Members Ahead of Netflix Premiere
Jul 22, 2026 Jorge Gutierrez Says Astro Boy Was More Mexican Than Tezuka Realized
Jun 27, 2026 Astro Boy Reboot Gives the Robot Hero a Secret Identity
May 19, 2026 Osamu Tezuka's War Manga 'Paper Fortress' Gets Live-Action NHK Special

Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every fact links the story it came from.

Facts

Noted: Osamu Tezuka has a film in the program · 2026-09-02

Connections

Writes: princess knight, astro boy, the three eyed one, triton of the sea, zero man
Produces: astro boy
Music by of: the ribbon hero

Structured graph also available as JSON at /public/entities/osamu-tezuka. CC BY 4.0.

Claim activity

When a claim about Osamu Tezuka was confirmed, debunked, or disputed against open-web sources. The record stays even after a claim drops off the facts list.

Confirmed Osamu Tezuka writes Astro Boy 3d ago · source
Confirmed Osamu Tezuka writes Triton of the Sea 3d ago · source
Confirmed Osamu Tezuka writes Princess Knight Aug 30 · source

All coverage

Sep 2

Busan Adds Anime Spotlight Strand With Rintaro, Angel's Egg, Metropolis

The Busan International Film Festival has added a curated anime strand to its 31st edition. Titled Japanese Animation Special: Masterpieces of Madness, Exhilarating Prospects 12+1, the program pairs 12 anime films with one European classic, Paul Grimault's The King and the Mockingbird. The selection spans Taiji Yabushita's The White Snake Enchantress, Osamu Tezuka's Phoenix 2772, Mamoru Oshii's Angel's Egg, Rintaro's Metropolis, and new works from Shingo Natsume and Ryo Katanosaka. Rintaro, now working on a new Galaxy Express 999 feature, will appear at the festival.

Aug 29

Dororo Figures Join Tezuka Osamu Characters Sofvi Collection

Kenelephant's Chūkū Kōbō studio is releasing Hyakkimaru and Dororo sofubi figures as the 6th installment of the Tezuka Osamu Characters Sofvi Collection. Both figures reproduce the conversation scene from the episode "Muzanbari no Maki" and are scheduled for sale in December 2026, with advance reservations open from August 28 to September 18.

Aug 20

Scholastic's Graphix Imprint to Release 5 New Tezuka Manga Titles

Scholastic announced five new titles under its Graphix imprint in partnership with Tezuka Productions, each reimagining a manga by Osamu Tezuka. The lineup: Atomcat/Astro Cat, Princess Knight, The Three-eyed One, Triton of the Sea, and Zero Man. Samuel Sattin returns as writer, continuing from Unico: Awakening, with Japanese artists handling illustrations. Unico: Awakening launched August 6, 2024 with art by Gurihiru and will end with its eighth volume; volume three shipped July 7.

Aug 7

Netflix Film The Ribbon Hero Based on Tezuka Manga Starts Streaming

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.

Aug 4

The Ribbon Hero Final Trailer Adds Five Cast Members Ahead of Netflix Premiere

Netflix began streaming the final trailer for The Ribbon Hero, the new anime film based on Osamu Tezuka's Princess Knight manga, on July 30. The trailer previews the English dub and reveals five new cast members who play Sapphire's coworkers at a mining site. Yoshimasa Hosoya voices Rock, Mito Tsukino voices Hecate, Yusuke Tezuka voices Chorogy, Lunlun voices Chick, and Debidebi Debiru voices Tack. Mito Tsukino, Lunlun, and Debidebi Debiru are VTubers affiliated with NIJISANJI, and these are their first roles in a feature-length anime. The film stars Saya of comedy duo Lalande as Sapphire, in what Netflix says is her first leading role in a feature-length animated production. Seiran Kobayashi voices Pine, Koki Uchiyama voices Velvet, Mayumi Shintani voices Zirco, and Haruhiko Jo voices Pope. Yuuki Igarashi directs the film at his new studio OUTLINE, marking his feature-length directorial debut. The film premieres exclusively on Netflix worldwide on August 8. The story follows Sapphire, a princess who loses her homeland of Silverland to a calamity called Nergal, then finds hope in Goldland before Nergal returns.

Jul 22

Jorge Gutierrez Says Astro Boy Was More Mexican Than Tezuka Realized

In a clip from the upcoming documentary TEZUKA! God of Manga, director Jorge Gutierrez recalls discovering Astro Boy on Mexican TV in the 1980s. He argues the serialized storytelling felt familiar to audiences raised on telenovelas, and that Tezuka's work was more culturally aligned with Mexico than the creator knew.

Jun 27

Astro Boy Reboot Gives the Robot Hero a Secret Identity

A new French-produced Astro Boy series, Astro Boy Reboot, was presented at the 2026 Annecy Animation Film Festival. The show gives the classic character a secret identity: young boy Atom hides that he is the robot superhero Astro. The series combines sitcom and sci-fi elements, with each episode split between Atom's daily life and Astro's heroics. It is set for a 2027 release.

May 19

Osamu Tezuka's War Manga 'Paper Fortress' Gets Live-Action NHK Special

NHK is producing a live-action television special based on Osamu Tezuka's autobiographical manga 'Paper Fortress,' which depicts his wartime childhood. The special, titled 'Tezuka Osamu no Sensō,' will also draw from Tezuka's short story 'God Father's Son' and interweave his life in 1973 with his alter ego's story in 1945. Kengo Kōra stars as Tezuka, and Konosuke Harada plays the protagonist Tetsurō Osamu. The special premieres in August, with filming starting in May in the Kansai area.