It has been announced that Seiran Kobayashi, Koki Uchiyama , and Mayumi Shintani will be voicing characters in "THE RIBBON HERO," an anime based on Osamu Osamu Tezuka's masterpiece "Princess Knight Knight." Kobayashi will play Pine, Sapphire's friend; Uchiyama will play Velvet, an executive of the religious organization Mitra who tries to use Sapphire; and Shintani will play Zirco, Sapphire's attendant. It was also announced that the Japanese-Korean unit "Girls Archives." will be performing the theme song "Reborn," and a second trailer featuring the song has been released.
Kobayashi commented, "Although it's a fantasy world, Pine is a character that strangely evokes a sense of familiarity, as if you're looking at a friend or yourself. I hope you enjoy watching these unique characters meet, influence each other, and change!"
Uchiyama said, "Velvet has a cool personality, but there is something he wants to achieve. I hope you will watch the film to find out what it is. It is a work that can be enjoyed as a human drama about characters with various feelings, as well as a fantasy and an action film, so I hope many people will enjoy it."
Shintani commented, "All the characters have beautiful designs, and their movements and expressions are full of cuteness and dynamism, so I was determined to give a performance that would live up to the artwork! Zirco is wonderful because she supports them in a protective role, but at times she is also like a friend, sharing their joys and sorrows, and I thought to myself, I wish I could watch over young talents like that."
"THE RIBBON HERO" is the story of a hero who ties a ribbon and decides to defy fate. Princess Sapphire of a lost kingdom has everything taken from her homeland, Silverland, by the calamity "Nergal." In despair, she arrives in Goldland, where she experiences the kindness of the people and lives a peaceful life, but then the calamity "Nergal" reappears. Sapphire shakes off her tears and takes up her sword.
This marks the first animated adaptation of " Princess Knight " in approximately 27 years, since the original short anime " Princess Knight - Original Anime -" which was screened at Osamu Tezuka World (which closed in January 2011) in December 1999. It will be Yuki Igarashi's first feature-length directorial work, with animation production by OUTLINE, a studio led by Igarashi. Saya from the comedy duo "Lalande" will voice the main character, Sapphire. It will be exclusively streamed worldwide as a Netflix movie on August 8th.
" Princess Knight" was serialized in several magazines from 1953 to 1967. It follows Sapphire, a beautiful woman disguised as a man, as the brave "Princess Knight" who fights against evil plaguing the kingdom. A television anime adaptation aired from April 1967 to April 1968. An original short anime, "Princess Knight - Original Anime -," was screened in December 1999.
