When it comes to Weekly Shonen Jump, the manga publication routinely creates some of the biggest anime adaptations the world has ever seen. Capitalizing on this fact, Netflix has been carving out a place of its own within the anime world. While the streaming service houses major Shonen series such as One Piece, Hunter x Hunter, and Jujutsu Kaisen, it has also brought exclusive Shonen adaptations to its platform, including Blue Box, Shaman King, Dandelion, and Sakamoto Days. This summer, Netflix is venturing into the world of shojo as The Ribbon Hero will aim to be one of the platform’s biggest anime exclusives.
Videos by ComicBook.com
For those who might be unfamiliar with The Ribbon Hero, the upcoming movie is based on the manga series known as Princess Knight. The original manga was first released in the pages of Shojo Club in 1953, with several manga series released in subsequent years to further flesh out this universe. The first anime adaptation of the Shojo series arrived in 1967, netting fifty-two episodes before ending its story in 1968. The franchise would return to the screen in 1999 with a short film, but the August release will be the first time we’ve seen The Ribbon Hero in action in decades. You can check out the new trailer for the Netflix exclusive below.
Who is This New Anime Hero?
The official description for the upcoming anime film reads as follows: “Yuki Igarashi, regarded as one of the industry’s most versatile animators, directs the film. He first drew wide attention for the sophisticated animation he handled alone as key animator on the ending sequence of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1. His directorial debut, Star Wars: Visions – Lop & Ochō, received high praise in Japan and abroad for its delicate storytelling and dynamic action scenes. The Ribbon Hero marks Igarashi’s first time directing a feature-length film. Bringing together a team of highly skilled creators, the film depicts the story of a lone hero who chooses to defy a harsh destiny, set in a delicately crafted world and brought to life through polished action.”
The Ribbon Hero was far from the only anime offering that was a part of this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival. On top of this shojo franchise, Netflix revealed major news about titles like The One Piece, Fool Night, Bass x Machina, Blue Eye Samurai Season 2, Sparks of Tomorrow, and more. While many of these will be arriving to fill out the platform’s 2026 roster, others will be released later after this year’s end. While Netflix might be the platform for this Princess Knight revival, it will be animated by Twin Engine, which has previously worked on series such as Witch Hat Atelier, Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, The Ancient Magus’ Bride, and many more.
What do you think of this new look at The Ribbon Hero? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
More Anime
-
Courtesy of 20th Television Animation -
Courtesy of Shueisha -
Courtesy of Toei Animation -
© Taiki Kawakami, Fuse, KODANSHA/ “Ten-Sura” Project -
Courtesy of Kadokawa -
Image Courtesy of TOHO -
Image Courtesy of Madhouse -
Image Courtesy of Bandai Namco Pictures / Netflix
