Anime studio Twin Engine posted the second trailer for The Ribbon Hero, its new anime film based on Osamu Tezuka’s Princess Knight (Ribbon no Kishi) manga, on Tuesday. The trailer announces more cast members, and it also announces and previews the theme song “Reborn” by the Japanese/Korean group Girls Archives.
The newly announced cast members are:
Image courtesy of Netflix
© TWIN ENGINE
Image courtesy of Netflix
©TWIN ENGINE
Netflix describes the story:
Sapphire is the princess of a kingdom that no longer exists. Having lost everything in her homeland of Silverland to the calamity known as “Nergal,” she wanders in despair until she finally arrives in Goldland.
Though burdened by her past, she begins to find a glimmer of hope as she encounters the kindness of the people there. But as if to sneer at her peaceful new life, the calamity Nergal appears once more. The very despair that once reduced her homeland to ashes now threatens to steal the light from this land as well.
“I won’t lose anything ever again. And I won’t let anyone else lose anything either.” Brushing away her tears of sorrow, the girl takes up her sword. This is the story of a lone hero who ties her ribbon and resolves to defy her fate.
Saya of comedy duo Lalande stars as Sapphire. According to Netflix, this is Saya’s first leading role in a feature‑length animated production.
Yuuki Igarashi (Star Wars: Visions “Lop & Ocho, Jujutsu Kaisen first ending sequence) is directing the anime film at his new anime studio OUTLINE as his feature-length directorial debut. Kei Mochizuki (LOOPERS visual novel, Twin Star Cyclone Runaway novel, Criminal Girls X game) is designing the characters, with character design cooperation from Mai Yoneyama (Kiznaiver, “COLORs” music video). Issei Arakaki (Vladlove, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Detonation, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha EXCEEDS Gun Blaze Vengeance) is the animation character designer. Cédric Hérole (Wait for Me, Magikarp) is credited for artistic direction. Satoru Kōsaki (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya) and Ryūichi Takada (Shangri-La Frontier), both from MONACA, are composing the music.
The additional staff members include:
The film will premiere exclusively on Netflix worldwide on August 8.
This year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival is featuring the film as part of “Annecy Presents,” one of the festival’s non-competitive sections. The event is running in Annecy, France from June 21-27.
Kodansha USA Publishing most recently released Tezuka’s Princess Knight manga as a one volume omnibus in August 2022.
Tezuka launched the manga in Kodansha’s Nakayoshi magazine in January 1958. Vertical released the manga in two volumes in print in 2011 and digitally in 2015.
Sources: The Ribbon Hero anime’s website, Comic Natalie
