The Ribbon Hero Review: A Fresh Take on One of Osamu Tezuka’s Simpler Works

The Ribbon Hero Review: Based on Osamu Tezuka’s Princess Knight manga, The Ribbon Hero combines fantasy, action, and a classic hero’s journey.

The Netflix Anime film (Ribon Hīrō / リボンヒーロー), with a runtime of around 110 minutes, stars Saya, Seiran Kobayashi, Koki Uchiyama, Mayumi Shintani, Haruhiko Jo, Banjo Ginga, and Aya Hisakawa in the voice cast and is directed by Yuki Igarashi.

The Ribbon Hero Review

Is The Ribbon Hero a shoujo anime?

The Ribbon Hero has classic shoujo elements mixed with the basic structure of a heroic tale. Here, the protagonist gets through a great misfortune and then rises from the bottom to the top. She also has a mysterious source of power and is basically the chosen one, who must eradicate an evil entity. Thus, this is most definitely a shoujo movie, with a lot of action involved. Interestingly, apart from shoujo, it also adds magical girl tropes. We get a classic magical girl transformation that is bound to impress.

Does the story go beyond a simple hero-versus-monster narrative?

Even though there was plenty of action, we also get some religious motifs. On one hand, there is a creature that gets feared by everyone, and the protagonist is meant to kill it. On the other hand, there are some forces who consider that creature a divine entity and try not to do anything with it and just sacrifice humans to appease it. That is where a conflict of interest emerges, and we see more than just a normal story of the hero defeating an otherworldly monster.

The characters in general were complex in nature. Even the antagonist came with a world view and had a reson to do what they were doing.

What Tragedy Sets Sapphire’s Journey in Motion?

Princess Sapphire is the protagonist who hails from the Silverland. There, a monster called Nergal wreaked havoc and completely destroyed her Kingdom. Nergal is a mysterious entity whose origin is not known. We only learn that it emerged one day, and only a fated hero could defeat it.

Princess Sapphire’s parents also died in the conflict with Nergal. Later, she becomes the only one, along with an old lady, to escape. To preserve herself, she and her companion travelled to the Goldland, where her adventure further begins.

How Does Sapphire Embrace Her Role as a Saviour?

Princess Sapphire begins her character as a happy-go-lucky princess even though she went through a great misfortune. Her core characteristic does not go through much development, but she definitely evolves as a saviour. After discovering her mysterious powers, she quickly takes it upon herself to save others even if it meant sacrificing herself. However, she could be considered a stock heroic persona with a strong sense of justice. Yes, it is an admirable trait, but also far too predictable.

Is Nergal Really the Story’s True Villain?

Nergal is supposed to be the main villain, but the leader of the religious group in this anime feels even more like the real bad guy. He doesn’t care about much and thinks humans are basically worthless. He believes a sacrifice is the only way to keep the monster away. He never really tries to save everyone, and he only cares about protecting the few powerful people he can. Even though Princess Sapphire could have protected everyone, he refuses to trust her.

Does the Animation Bring the World of the Anime to Life?

The best part of this anime is definitely its animation. It was breathtaking to watch, and the different animation techniques worked really well. I also loved the vibrant colours and the whimsical feel of every scene. The animation was smooth and fluid, which made the action scenes even more enjoyable.

Does The Ribbon Hero Deliver Enough Action?

This anime did not skimp out on its action sequences, and we see a lot of fights. The Ribbon Hero had more fights than many other shonen anime. Here, we also get not just short range, but also long range combat sequences. Plus, the usage of magic, along with a sword, further enhances the fights scenes.

What worked and what did not work?

Even though this was a fun anime movie, it did not offer anything particularly new, even for people who are not anime fans. The story was decent but nothing too different or groundbreaking. However, it was still an enjoyable movie with enough complexity to keep things interesting. Overall, it was an entertaining watch for people of all ages.

Watch The Ribbon Hero on Netflix. What are your thoughts on the movie? Let us know in the comments below!