If you thought the industry had no more classic works left to dust off, prepare for a direct hit to nostalgia. The mythical story of The Princess Knight, known in Japan as Ribbon no Kishi, is the masterpiece of the legendary Osamu Tezuka — often called the Da Vinci of manga. This 1950s work laid the foundations of the modern shoujo genre, and it will return to our screens after 27 long years of absence.
The official website has just released the first trailer for The Ribbon Hero — an all-new anime film with an exclusive world premiere on Netflix on August 8.
That means a clean, simultaneous worldwide release — no staggered rollouts, no regional barriers. Every otaku on the planet gets access at the same time.
The Voice Behind Sapphire — A Bold Casting Choice
For the lead role of Princess Sapphire, the production committee made a rather unusual but fascinating decision. Instead of going with a veteran voice actress, they cast Skirt — a comedian from the duo LALANDE and vocalist of the band Raisan.
It’s a left-field choice that feels less like a gamble and more like a calculated injection of raw, unfamiliar energy into a legendary role. You don’t get a classic feel by using the same old instruments.
The Creative Team — A Safeguard Against Blind Nostalgia
The project is in the hands of director Yuuki Igarashi, with animation by Studio Outline. Character designs were adapted by Issei Arakaki, based on the original artwork of Kei Mochizuki — ensuring the fantasy world looks spectacular for new audiences.
A Soundtrack Built to Give You Goosebumps
Where they really didn’t skimp was the music. The soundtrack is provided by Satoru Kousaki and Ryuuichi Takada — members of the acclaimed group MONACA. They’re the same duo behind the sonic landscapes of recent gems such as:
- Kusuriya no Hitorigoto (The Apothecary Diaries)
- Summertime Render
They’re not just scoring a film — they’re audibly building a bridge between Tezuka’s vintage fantasy and modern auditory expectations.
The Story — Quietly Revolutionary Since the 1950s
The story transports us to a fantasy realm where the law dictates only a man can inherit the throne. To prevent power from falling into the wrong hands of an evil duke, the kings decide to hide a huge secret.
Their first-born daughter, Sapphire, has been raised from birth as if she were a male prince.
Possessing both the brave heart of a boy and the gentle soul of a girl, young Sapphire must navigate a dangerous double life — dealing with royal intrigue, exciting sword-wielding adventures, and her own deeply personal conflicts of identity and self-worth.
It’s not just adventure — it’s a nuanced exploration of societal masks and gendered power. A princess raised as a prince to secure the throne, grappling with who she truly is in a world where gender dictates everything.
The Real Question
This isn’t some obscure rehash. This is an archaeological dig into a foundational cornerstone of anime history. The 27-year absence was a strategic pause — not an oversight. They were letting the memory marinate.
So the real question isn’t just whether this will be good. It’s whether they’ve cracked the code on how to revive a sacred text without merely photocopying it. Can you honour the architect’s original vision while letting a new generation build their own rooms in the house?
When a story is this foundational, does a reimagining risk diluting its historical significance — or is it the only way to ensure that significance actually survives? And what does it tell us about our current moment that we’re now mining the 1950s for our fantasies of rebellion?
Will you give this reinvention of an absolute classic a chance — or are you one of the purists who prefers to stick with the anime of the sixties?
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