Netflix has officially announced the premiere date for the anime film THE RIBBON HERO リボンヒーロー, which will begin its exclusive global stream on Saturday, August 8, 2026. Alongside this announcement, the studio unveiled a key visual, the first trailer, and the lead voice cast all at once.
From Classic Manga to the Screen
This film is adapted from the beloved manga Ribbon no Kishi (リボンの騎士) by Tezuka Osamu, widely recognized as the first shojo manga to feature a “fighting female protagonist” as the lead. The teaser visual released last month generated tremendous buzz, trending at number 1 on Yahoo! Trend and number 3 on X (Twitter) in Japan. The film was also selected to screen in the Annecy Presents section of the prestigious Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2026.
Key Visual and First Trailer
The newly revealed key visual is stunning, featuring exquisite artwork of Sapphire, the film’s heroine, holding a sword with determined eyes full of resolve. At the center of the visual, Sapphire is shown in her pre-transformation form wearing a large red ribbon as a distinctive motif, alongside three other new characters whose identities have not yet been revealed.
The first trailer opens with a powerful image of a kingdom, wounded soldiers, and Sapphire’s anguished cry as she bears countless wounds. Something then appears before her — a ribbon wraps around Sapphire’s body and grants her the power to transform. She makes her vow to rise and fight with the declaration, “For everyone who is suffering,” amid a hall filled with hope, yet retreats into a character’s knowing smile. It closes with the iconic line: “Ribbon no Kishi, mairu!”
Saya (Laland) Voices Sapphire
The voice actress cast as the lead, Sapphire, is Saya from the comedy duo Laland (ラランド), making this her first voice acting role in a feature-length anime. She shared that she felt a slight flutter of nervousness when she first received the offer, given her deep respect for the highly detailed and ceremonious world of anime. She added that the director told her Sapphire’s life and backstory closely resonated with her own, which made her mind up instantly. She believes Sapphire shares the same spirit as herself — a fighting spirit she relies on when life gets hard, even if others question whether she belongs as a professional voice actress. She expressed her determination to bring out Sapphire’s inner voice as faithfully as possible, and her hope that everyone will enjoy it.
Saya’s Comment
“I am Laland’s Saya, and I will be voicing Sapphire. I’ve confidently taken on every kind of job throughout my career, but this is the first time I’ve felt even a small flutter of nervousness when offered a role — because I have such deep respect for the incredibly detailed and ceremonious world of anime. Ribbon no Kishi was the first manga to feature a ‘fighting woman’ as the lead in a shojo manga. When the director told me that Sapphire’s life and background closely resembles mine, I made up my mind on the spot. I think Sapphire shares my spirit of fighting back when life pushes you down. There’s no other job in my past 30 years that I’ve thrown myself into with this much excitement or enjoyed this level of challenge. I hope everyone will watch it!”
There are still many more details about this film yet to be revealed. Fans in Japan and around the world are eagerly awaiting further updates.
Source: aniani
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