Netflix is releasing yet another major anime film on August 8th as The Ribbon Hero comes to the streaming platform. The film is slated to be “inspired by” Osamu Tezuka’s classic 1950s-1960s manga Princess Knight. Based on the trailer, it looks like it is very loosely inspired by the source material as this looks significantly darker and edgier. From what little we can gleam from the trailer, it looks like a dark and action packed magical girl title, possibly inspired by Puella Magi Madoka Magica, the grandmommy of the dark and gritty magical girl warrior genre.
Here’s the trailer:
The official synopsis reads as follows:
“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.”
That synopsis itself also reads heavily into the possibility of this being another dark magical girl warrior title. It’s been a while since we’ve had a major hit like Madoka and when this genre is done right, it gets significant attention. Also notable is that this film will be the debut of new studio OUTLINE. Netflix’s last major anime film to be released on the platform, Cosmic Princess Kaguya, was pretty well received so has a good chance of continuing Netflix’s success.
