THE RIBBON HERO has released its second trailer, revealing additional members of the Japanese voice cast and the original theme song created for the upcoming Netflix anime film.
Inspired by Osamu Tezuka’s classic manga Princess Knight, the new feature follows Princess Sapphire after a devastating calamity destroys her homeland and forces her to seek refuge in another kingdom.
The latest trailer introduces three characters who will play important roles in Sapphire’s new life: her friend Pine, the mysterious religious leader Velvet and her loyal guardian Zircon.
The video also previews “Reborn”, the pre-debut song of the newly formed Japanese-Korean group Girls Archives.
THE RIBBON HERO will become available worldwide exclusively through Netflix on August 8, 2026.
THE RIBBON HERO Premieres Worldwide on August 8
Netflix will release THE RIBBON HERO globally on August 8, allowing viewers across more than 190 countries and territories to watch the film through the streaming service.
- Worldwide release date: August 8, 2026
- Distribution: Exclusive global streaming on Netflix
- Format: Original anime feature film
- Director: Yuki Igarashi
- Animation studio: OUTLINE
- Production company: Twin Engine
- Theme song: “Reborn” by Girls Archives.
The film marks Yuki Igarashi’s feature-length directorial debut after gaining recognition for his animation work on projects including Jujutsu Kaisen and Star Wars: Visions.
The New Trailer Reveals Sapphire’s Tragic Past
The second trailer provides the clearest presentation yet of Sapphire’s personal tragedy and the danger threatening the film’s fantasy world.
Sapphire was once the princess of Silverland, a peaceful kingdom destroyed by a supernatural calamity known as Nergal.
The catastrophe takes everything from her, leaving Sapphire burdened by grief and the memories of the people she could not protect.
She eventually reaches Goldland, where the kindness of its residents gives her a small opportunity to rebuild her life.
That fragile peace ends when Nergal appears once again and threatens to bring the same destruction to Sapphire’s new home.
Refusing to experience another devastating loss, Sapphire ties her ribbon, takes up her sword and chooses to confront the fate pursuing her.
Sapphire Becomes a Hero After Losing Her Kingdom
Sapphire is a princess without a kingdom and a survivor carrying the emotional weight of Silverland’s destruction.
The film presents her heroism as a decision rather than an inherited title. She does not fight because victory is guaranteed or because destiny has identified her as a perfect savior.
Sapphire acts because she understands what it means to lose everything and refuses to allow the people of Goldland to suffer the same fate.
The ribbon becomes a visible symbol of that decision. By tying it before battle, Sapphire transforms an object commonly associated with elegance and femininity into part of her identity as a swordswoman and protector.
Her journey is expected to explore grief, courage and the difficult process of finding hope after surviving a catastrophe.
Saya Voices Princess Sapphire
Saya, a member of the Japanese comedy duo Lalande, voices Sapphire.
The role marks Saya’s first performance as the lead character in an animated feature film.
Sapphire requires a performance capable of moving between emotional vulnerability and determination. She carries the trauma of losing Silverland but cannot allow that grief to paralyze her when Goldland comes under attack.
The new trailer offers additional dialogue from the character while showing her interactions with Pine, Zircon and Velvet.
Seiran Kobayashi Joins the Cast as Pine
Seiran Kobayashi voices Pine, one of Sapphire’s friends in Goldland.
Pine appears to be among the people who help Sapphire rediscover trust and hope after the destruction of her homeland.
Kobayashi described the character as someone who feels surprisingly relatable despite living inside a fantasy world.
Her comments also emphasize that the film follows characters who influence one another and change through their relationships.
Pine’s friendship may become especially important because Sapphire’s fear of losing more people could make her reluctant to form new emotional attachments.
Koki Uchiyama Voices Velvet
Koki Uchiyama joins the film as Velvet, an executive member of a religious organization called Mitra.
Velvet is described as a cool and composed character who intends to use Sapphire for an objective of his own.
His actions add a human source of conflict to a story already involving the supernatural destruction caused by Nergal.
Although Velvet appears manipulative, Uchiyama has suggested that the character possesses a particular goal he is determined to accomplish.
The reason behind that ambition remains unrevealed, leaving open the possibility that his decisions are shaped by beliefs or losses connected to the larger disaster.
The Mitra Organization May Try to Control Sapphire
The religious organization known as Mitra appears to hold influence within the film’s world.
Velvet’s attempt to use Sapphire suggests that her identity, royal background or connection to the force opposing Nergal may possess political and religious significance.
Sapphire may therefore need to defend Goldland while also resisting people who wish to control the symbol she is becoming.
This conflict reinforces the film’s theme of defying destiny. Sapphire is not only rejecting the destructive future created by Nergal, but also the roles that powerful organizations attempt to impose upon her.
Mayumi Shintani Voices Zircon
Mayumi Shintani voices Zircon, Sapphire’s elderly attendant and guardian.
Zircon supports the princess from a protective position but can also remain beside her as a friend.
Shintani praised the character designs, animation and expressive movement while describing Zircon as someone who shares both Sapphire’s happiness and sorrow.
As one of the people connected to Sapphire’s personal life, Zircon may carry knowledge of Silverland and the events that led to its destruction.
Her presence also gives Sapphire a surviving connection to the identity and family she lost.
Japanese Voice Cast
- Saya as Sapphire
- Seiran Kobayashi as Pine
- Koki Uchiyama as Velvet
- Mayumi Shintani as Zircon
Additional characters can be seen throughout the promotional material, but the complete Japanese cast has not yet been formally announced.
Girls Archives. Performs the Theme Song “Reborn”
The film’s theme song is titled “Reborn” and is performed by the newly formed Japanese-Korean group Girls Archives.
The track serves as the group’s pre-debut song and will be released shortly before the film’s worldwide Netflix premiere.
“Reborn” was created to connect with the film’s emotional world and its story of a heroine attempting to rebuild herself after an overwhelming loss.
Girls Archives. stated that the group hopes the song remains with viewers as a warm emotional memory after the film ends.
A portion of the track can be heard in the second trailer, accompanying scenes of Sapphire’s friendships, grief and battles against the returning calamity.
“Reborn” Reflects Sapphire’s Second Beginning
The song’s title directly reflects Sapphire’s emotional journey.
She cannot restore Silverland exactly as it existed or erase the trauma created by Nergal. Her path forward requires her to build a new identity from what remains.
Arriving in Goldland gives Sapphire another opportunity to experience friendship and hope, but the return of Nergal forces her to decide whether she will continue running from the past.
Taking up her sword becomes a symbolic rebirth. Sapphire is no longer only the princess who survived the fall of a kingdom. She chooses to become the hero capable of protecting another.
Girls Archives. Combines Real and Virtual Identities
Girls Archives. is a new group developed through a collaboration between INCS TOENTER and the Next Entertainment Business division of HYBE.
The project combines Japanese and Korean entertainment expertise while giving its members both real and virtual forms.
The group’s concept and story development are being supported by a team experienced in global music and intellectual-property projects.
“Reborn” will serve as the group’s pre-debut release through Universal Music Japan on August 7, one day before THE RIBBON HERO arrives on Netflix.
The Film Is Inspired by Osamu Tezuka’s Princess Knight
THE RIBBON HERO draws its foundation from Princess Knight, the influential manga created by Osamu Tezuka.
The original story follows Princess Sapphire, who is raised as a prince because the laws of Silverland prevent a woman from inheriting the throne.
Sapphire must conceal part of her identity while confronting political enemies seeking to remove her family from power.
The manga became one of Tezuka’s most influential works and played an important role in the development of adventure-oriented shojo storytelling.
THE RIBBON HERO is not being presented as a direct scene-by-scene adaptation of that manga.
Instead, Yuki Igarashi and the production team are using its central heroine, kingdoms and themes as the foundation for a new story involving Nergal and the destruction of Silverland.
The New Story Reimagines Sapphire’s Destiny
The film preserves Sapphire’s connection to Silverland and Goldland while significantly changing the circumstances surrounding her journey.
Rather than beginning primarily with a succession conflict, the new story presents her as the survivor of a destroyed homeland.
That change gives the film a more direct emotional starting point. Sapphire does not merely risk losing her kingdom in the future. She has already experienced that loss and must decide what to do with the life that remains.
The reimagining allows the production to honor Tezuka’s heroine while creating a standalone story accessible to viewers unfamiliar with the original manga.
Yuki Igarashi Makes His Feature Directorial Debut
Yuki Igarashi directs THE RIBBON HERO.
Igarashi previously gained attention for creating the first-season ending sequence of Jujutsu Kaisen and directing the Star Wars: Visions short “Lop & Ochō.”
His work is known for highly expressive character movement, carefully constructed emotional scenes and energetic action animation.
THE RIBBON HERO is his first feature-length film as director and is being produced through his animation studio OUTLINE.
The main trailer demonstrates the project’s combination of delicate fantasy imagery and forceful sword-based action.
Junko Komura Provides Screenplay Cooperation
Junko Komura is credited with screenplay cooperation.
The film must establish Sapphire’s lost kingdom, her arrival in Goldland, the relationships she forms there and the nature of Nergal within a feature-length runtime.
The screenplay also needs to balance Sapphire’s internal recovery with the external fantasy conflict and the political manipulation involving Velvet and Mitra.
Kei Mochizuki Created the Original Character Designs
Kei Mochizuki is responsible for the original character designs.
Mochizuki’s work gives the film an elegant fantasy identity while allowing each character to remain visually distinct during fast action sequences.
Mai Yoneyama provides character-design cooperation, adding the experience of an artist known for highly expressive illustrations and visually striking animation projects.
Issei Arakaki adapts those concepts as the animation character designer, ensuring that the detailed designs can move naturally throughout the film.
Nergal Has a Dedicated Creature Designer
okama is credited with the design of Nergal.
The calamity is presented as more than an ordinary enemy soldier or political rival. It is the force responsible for reducing Silverland to ashes and now threatens to consume Goldland’s light.
The exact nature of Nergal remains deliberately mysterious. The promotional material has not fully explained whether it is an individual creature, a supernatural phenomenon or a destructive force connected to a larger organization.
Its final design and origin are expected to become major elements of the film’s fantasy mythology.
Cédric Hérole Leads the Film’s Art Direction
Cédric Hérole serves as art director, working alongside art director Masanobu Nomura.
The film’s backgrounds combine storybook elegance with landscapes damaged by war and supernatural destruction.
Silverland must communicate the scale of Sapphire’s loss, while Goldland needs enough beauty and warmth for viewers to understand why she decides to defend it.
The contrast between those environments is central to the emotional impact of Nergal’s return.
MONACA Composers Create the Score
Satoru Kosaki and Ryuichi Takada of MONACA compose the film’s original music.
The score supports Sapphire’s grief, the magical atmosphere of the two kingdoms and the action surrounding her decision to fight.
Girls Archives.’ “Reborn” provides the principal vocal theme, while the instrumental score is responsible for carrying the film’s broader emotional and dramatic progression.
Main Production Staff
- Director: Yuki Igarashi
- Inspired by: Princess Knight by Osamu Tezuka
- Screenplay cooperation: Junko Komura
- Original character design: Kei Mochizuki
- Character-design cooperation: Mai Yoneyama
- Animation character design: Issei Arakaki
- Nergal design: okama
- Art director: Cédric Hérole
- Art direction: Masanobu Nomura
- Color design: Natsumi Watanabe
- CG director: Akane Nagamine
- Director of photography: Hikaru Fukuda
- Editor: Junichi Uematsu
- Music: Satoru Kosaki and Ryuichi Takada
- Sound director: Keiichiro Miyoshi
- Sound production: Tohokushinsha Film Corporation
- Production company: Twin Engine
- Animation studio: OUTLINE
OUTLINE Produces Its First Major Feature
OUTLINE is handling animation production under director Yuki Igarashi.
The studio’s involvement gives Igarashi greater creative control over the visual identity and animation approach of his first feature film.
The trailers emphasize expressive movement rather than relying only on static fantasy imagery. Sapphire’s body language communicates fear, grief and determination even when she is not speaking.
Sword battles also appear designed around speed and physical weight, supporting the film’s promise of polished action.
The Film Was Presented at Annecy 2026
THE RIBBON HERO was included in Netflix’s anime presentation during the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in 2026.
The event provided an international platform for the main trailer and highlighted Igarashi’s feature directorial debut among Netflix’s upcoming animation projects.
The presentation reinforced that the film is being positioned as a global release rather than a project created only for the Japanese market.
The Story Explores Recovery After Catastrophic Loss
Sapphire’s battle against Nergal is closely connected to her emotional recovery.
She initially reaches Goldland at the lowest point of her life, carrying memories of a kingdom she was unable to save.
The kindness she receives there gives her a reason to believe that another future remains possible.
When Nergal returns, Sapphire must decide whether the fear created by her past will control her or become the reason she protects others.
Her promise that she will not lose anyone again may give her strength, but it could also place an impossible burden on someone still processing her own grief.
What Remains Unknown About THE RIBBON HERO?
The film’s exact runtime has not yet been announced.
Netflix has not published complete lists for every regional dub, although worldwide distribution is confirmed.
Several characters visible in the promotional material have not yet received official names or casting announcements.
The precise nature of Nergal, Velvet’s objective and the role of the Mitra organization remain intentionally unrevealed before the premiere.
Final Thoughts
THE RIBBON HERO will premiere worldwide exclusively on Netflix on August 8, 2026.
The second trailer provides a deeper look at Sapphire’s tragic past, the destruction of Silverland and her decision to protect Goldland when the calamity Nergal returns.
Seiran Kobayashi joins the cast as Sapphire’s friend Pine, Koki Uchiyama voices the manipulative Mitra executive Velvet and Mayumi Shintani portrays Sapphire’s guardian Zircon.
The new Japanese-Korean group Girls Archives. performs the theme song “Reborn,” which will serve as its pre-debut release on August 7.
Yuki Igarashi directs the film at OUTLINE, with original character designs by Kei Mochizuki, character-design cooperation from Mai Yoneyama and animation character designs by Issei Arakaki.
By transforming Osamu Tezuka’s Princess Knight into a new story about grief, rebirth and a heroine who chooses to challenge a destructive destiny, THE RIBBON HERO is preparing to introduce Sapphire to a new global generation.
