ANI-MOVIES, *The Ribbon Hero

Osamu Tezuka was the point of departure when anyone brings up the founding of anime and manga, and one of his lesser-known creations was Ribbon No Kishi, otherwise known in English as Princess Knight. This was a manga Tezuka came up with in the 50s, and had it turned into an anime series in 1967 which had a limited English dub that aired in syndication. Since then, there has been no new animated adaptations, even though this was one of the first anime heroines to lead her own series and began the concept of genderbending in anime which inspired shows like Utena and Rose Of Versailles. The story is about a princess who was born with the heart of a male and female and usually engaged in swashbuckling adventures you’d expect out of your average Musketeer tale. Cue ahead to 2026 where Netflix finally dusted the idea off for a new movie titled The Ribbon Hero and made the point that this is a reboot and not a remake as there are some hints to the original franchise that show up near the end. With all the gender-fluid anime out now, you’d think this movie would embrace the non-binary aspects, but instead the director Yuki Igarashi barely covered it and turned this into a compressed story under two hours long, so it’s almost like you’re watching a TV series compilation instead of a fully fleshed out plot. This is a shame because animation studios Outline and Twin Engine did manage to make it beautifully picturesque, even though there are moments of slapstick that hinder the experience.

Seven years ago, the kingdom of Silverland was decimated by a monstrous Nergal, a stone-skinned kaiju under control of the mysterious King of Ash, and one of the only survivors is the Princess Sapphire who lost an arm during the attack. The other survivor is the royal scientist Zirco who is a short old lady that uses a small hovercraft to get around and makes Sapphire a new mechanical arm. The two make their way to the kingdom of Goldland led by the Mitra forces which have kept the King of Ash at bay by making the occasional sacrifice with innocent young souls. Sapphire makes friends with the local girl Pine and the two of them for a very sapphic bond, but she gets a job working in the mines digging for a special crystal. On her first day, Sapphire uses her magical ribbon to transform into a warrior called the Princess Knight when a Nergal attacks. This attracts the attention of Mitra lord Velvet who gets Sapphire to attack several points on the map that Nergal could return from. Despite these efforts, Nergal slowly begin to invade Goldland, and it’s up to the Princess Knight to save the kingdom as the gigantic King of Ash finally appears to receive its sacrifice. It’s later revealed that Sapphire is the latest incarnation of the Princess Knight and it’s a position given to a champion forged to defeat evil, so Sapphire has inherited the title from her 1960s predecessor.

The Ribbon Hero is a radical departure from the original premise and incorporates elements of the magical girl genre, particularly from Madoka Magica. Lesbian fangirls will revel with the sapphic representation here, plus the addition of the androgynous Velvet helps diversify it. The problem with the film shifts from a serious world-shattering crisis to a Tex Avery cartoon in a heartbeat. The narrative seriously lacks context and has trouble centering on a singular objective as near the end the film switches to live-action shots of the anime studios that helped produce it like the fourth wall breaks in End Of Evangelion. It’s hard to compare this to the original Princess Knight TV series because it’s presented as a stage play divided into acts where each is like a condensed arc. Sapphire’s binary nature also isn’t as prevalent here as in the 60s show, but the story does succeed in delivering the idea that the tale of the Princess Knight can be retold for a new generation and continue as an enduring legend.