Netflix has been quietly spoiling anime fans lately, and I am not complaining. Just when you think you know what kind of anime the platform will throw at you next, along comes “The Ribbon Hero” with a giant monster, a magical ribbon and a princess who is much more interested in saving people than waiting around for her kingdom to be restored.
It is colorful, strange, sweet and, at times, gloriously over the top. And honestly, that is part of the fun.
“The Ribbon Hero” follows Sapphire, the princess of Silverland, whose world is destroyed when a gigantic otherworldly creature known as Nergal attacks her kingdom, killing her parents and leaving her homeless.
Sapphire escapes to neighboring Goldland with her loyal attendant Zirco, carrying survivor’s guilt and the enormous responsibility of figuring out what comes next.
Naturally, peace does not last long.
When Nergal threatens Goldland, Sapphire discovers that a magical ribbon can transform her into Princess Knight, giving her the power to fight the monsters threatening her new home.
But this is not simply another sparkly magical-girl adventure. The film is a loose reimagining of “Princess Knight,” the classic manga by legendary creator Osamu Tezuka, best known for “Astro Boy.” And “loose” is doing a lot of work here. Rather than faithfully recreating Tezuka’s original, “The Ribbon Hero” takes its basic premise and runs in its own direction.
The first half is easily its strongest. The animation is beautiful, the adventure moves at a good pace and Sapphire’s story carries enough emotional weight to keep the colorful spectacle from feeling empty. Despite all the destruction, the film refuses to become relentlessly miserable.
And thank goodness for that. There is something genuinely refreshing about a fantasy story that believes kindness can still be a superpower. “The Ribbon Hero” is warm, optimistic and surprisingly wholesome without becoming too sugary.
Then comes the final act, when the movie suddenly puts its foot on the accelerator. The plot becomes bigger, stranger and more complicated, throwing ideas at you so quickly that you may wonder whether you accidentally skipped a chapter. I call it “anime nonsense,” in the most affectionate way possible.
The shift is entertaining but makes the finale less coherent, while some CGI creature designs clash with the otherwise gorgeous hand-drawn animation.
Still, director Yuki Igarashi deserves credit for making the film visually adventurous, moving between detailed 2D backgrounds, European-inspired fantasy imagery, playful chibi sequences and theatrical shadow-play.
Is “The Ribbon Hero” perfect? Absolutely not. Does it occasionally lose the plot? Undoubtedly.
But did I enjoy watching a princess transform with a magical ribbon and battle gigantic interdimensional monsters? Absolutely.
Sometimes anime does not need to make perfect sense. Sometimes you just sit back, enjoy the animation and let the magical ribbon do its thing.
It is a colorful, hopeful fantasy adventure that stumbles in its final act but remains an enjoyable watch for anyone who likes their anime with plenty of magic, monsters and unapologetic optimism.
