by Seiran Kobayashi has revealed how playing Pine in the new Netflix anime film THE RIBBON HERO became an important experience for her, particularly as she confronted the lack of confidence she says she has struggled with since childhood.
Based on the legendary manga Princess Knight by Osamu Tezuka, THE RIBBON HERO premiered worldwide as a Netflix-exclusive anime film on August 8, 2026. The film presents a modern interpretation of Tezuka’s classic story while introducing a new version of Princess Sapphire and a fantasy world filled with friendship, loss, adventure, and battles against the mysterious calamity known as Nergal.
Kobayashi voices Pine, a shy girl living in Goldland who becomes one of Sapphire’s first friends after the princess arrives in the kingdom.
For Kobayashi, Pine was a particularly meaningful character because of how closely she felt the character’s personality resembled her own.
The actress has worked in entertainment since childhood, appearing in television dramas and films before expanding into voice acting. Her previous anime voice roles include Okko in Okko’s Inn and Eri in My Hero Academia. She now takes on one of the key supporting roles in THE RIBBON HERO, a project that brings a legendary manga concept into a new era.
THE RIBBON HERO Brings Osamu Tezuka’s Princess Knight Into a New Era
THE RIBBON HERO is a modern anime film inspired by Osamu Tezuka’s Princess Knight, a landmark work first published in the 1950s.
The new film follows Princess Sapphire, the heir to the lost kingdom of Silverland.
Her homeland is destroyed by the mysterious calamity known as Nergal, leaving Sapphire with almost nothing. After fleeing Silverland, she eventually reaches Goldland, where she experiences the kindness of ordinary people and begins building a new life.
For a while, she is able to experience a sense of peace.
But that peace does not last.
Nergal eventually appears again, threatening to take away the safety Sapphire has found in her new home.
Rather than allowing herself to be consumed by despair, Sapphire wipes away her tears, takes up her sword, and chooses to fight.
The official film describes the story as that of a hero who ties her ribbon and chooses to defy her fate.
This idea of choosing one’s own path is central to the film and connects the new adaptation with the spirit of Tezuka’s original work while giving the story a contemporary visual and narrative style.
Seiran Kobayashi Finds a Connection With Pine
Kobayashi says that reading the script immediately caught her attention.
Rather than presenting a simple fantasy adventure, the story combines multiple layers, including the personal struggles of Sapphire, the situation surrounding Silverland and Goldland, and the different motivations carried by the supporting characters.
For Kobayashi, that complexity was one of the most appealing aspects of the project.
“It incorporates complex elements in a good way.”
She explains that the story allows viewers to understand what each character is experiencing and fighting for.
Sapphire has her own painful history, but she is not the only character carrying emotional burdens. The people around her also have their own goals, fears, and struggles.
That makes the world of THE RIBBON HERO feel larger than a simple hero-versus-villain story.
Each character has a reason for making their choices, and those individual motivations gradually intersect with Sapphire’s journey.
Pine Is Shy, but Her World Changes When She Finds Something She Loves
Pine is one of the characters who helps Sapphire adapt to life in Goldland.
She lives in the lower levels of the kingdom and becomes Sapphire’s first friend there.
Unlike the confident and determined Sapphire, Pine is much more reserved.
For Kobayashi, that was one of the reasons the role felt so personal.
The actress describes herself as very introverted, which made Pine’s personality particularly relatable.
She saw aspects of herself in the character, especially in the way Pine interacts with the world around her.
At first, Pine may appear quiet and hesitant.
However, when she becomes absorbed in something she loves, her personality changes.
Her inner world suddenly becomes much larger, and she begins expressing thoughts and feelings that she normally keeps inside.
That contrast is one of the things Kobayashi finds most charming about Pine.
“She Felt Like a Real 17- or 18-Year-Old Girl”
Another reason Kobayashi connected with Pine is that, despite the fantasy setting, Pine feels surprisingly realistic.
The world of THE RIBBON HERO contains kingdoms, magical elements, supernatural threats, and larger-than-life characters.
Pine, however, has a personality that can feel much closer to an ordinary teenager.
Kobayashi noted that Pine gave her the impression of a 17- or 18-year-old girl, making the character feel grounded within the fantastical world.
That realism is important because it gives viewers an emotional point of connection.
While Sapphire’s journey involves kingdoms, battles,s and a mysterious calamity, Pine’s feelings are easier to recognize in everyday life.
She can be shy.
She can struggle to express herself.
She can become deeply excited when something interests her.
And she can gradually open up when she finds someone she trusts.
Those qualities make Pine feel like someone viewers might recognize from their own lives.
Pine and Sapphire’s Friendship Is an Important Part of the Story
Pine’s relationship with Sapphire is one of the film’s important emotional connections.
Sapphire arrives in Goldland carrying the trauma of losing her home.
She is a princess, but she is also someone who has experienced enormous loss.
Pine’s friendship gives Sapphire a connection to the people of her new home.
At the same time, Sapphire’s presence also changes Pine.
This creates a relationship based on mutual influence rather than one character simply helping the other.
Kobayashi has previously described Pine as someone who can feel like a friend or even like a reflection of the viewer themselves. In an official cast comment released ahead of the film, she said she hoped audiences would enjoy watching the characters meet, influence one another and change through those relationships.
That idea of characters changing through their relationships is one of the film’s strongest themes.
A Story About Loss, Friendship and Choosing Your Own Fate
Although THE RIBBON HERO contains action and fantasy elements, its emotional foundation comes from the characters.
Sapphire has lost her homeland.
Pine has her own insecurities and limitations.
Other characters also carry personal ambitions and conflicts.
Their stories gradually overlap as Goldland faces the return of Nergal.
This gives the film several different emotional layers.
For beginners who may not know Princess Knight, the new film can be approached simply as a fantasy adventure about a young princess who loses everything, finds new friends, and decides to fight to protect the people and place she has come to care about.
At the same time, longtime Tezuka fans can appreciate the way the film reinterprets one of the creator’s most famous works for a modern audience.
The Film’s Main Character Is a New Take on Princess Sapphire
The protagonist is Sapphire, voiced by Saya of the comedy duo Lalande.
The new version of Sapphire is presented as a young woman forced to confront circumstances far beyond her control.
After Silverland is destroyed, she enters Goldland and begins rebuilding her life.
Her transformation into the Ribbon Hero becomes a visual expression of her decision to stop running from her fate.
The ribbon itself is therefore more than a decorative element.
It becomes a symbol of Sapphire’s determination.
The official synopsis emphasizes that she wipes away her tears and takes up her sword after deciding that she will no longer allow herself—or others—to lose everything.
The Supporting Cast Adds More Depth to the Fantasy World
In addition to Kobayashi as Pine, the film features several notable voice actors.
Saya as Sapphire
Saya voices the film’s protagonist, Princess Sapphire.
Seiran Kobayashi as Pine
Kobayashi voices Pine, Sapphire’s shy friend in Goldland.
Koki Uchiyama as Velvet
Uchiyama voices Velvet, a powerful figure connected to the religious organization Mitra.
Velvet has his own goals and ambitions, adding another layer to the conflict surrounding Sapphire.
Mayumi Shintani as Zirco
Shintani voices Zirco, Sapphire’s attendant and an important companion during her journey.
The official cast list confirms these four as the principal voice performers announced for the film.
Koki Uchiyama and Mayumi Shintani Join the Cast
The additional cast announcement helped expand the film’s character lineup before release.
Uchiyama plays Velvet, a character described as having a cool personality but also carrying a personal goal he wants to achieve.
Shintani plays Zirco, Sapphire’s attendant.
The contrast between these characters adds another dimension to the story.
Zirco’s relationship with Sapphire has a protective quality, while Velvet is positioned closer to the conflict surrounding Goldland.
The film therefore brings together characters with very different relationships to Sapphire and the world around her.
The Ribbon Hero Theme Song “Reborn”
The film’s theme song is “Reborn,” performed by the Japan-South Korea unit Girls Archives.
The song was announced alongside the second trailer, which introduced Pine, Velvet and Zirco and offered a closer look at the film’s action sequences.
According to Girls Archives, the song was created to connect with the emotional world of THE RIBBON HERO and leave a lasting impression after the film ends.
The second trailer also gives viewers a glimpse of Sapphire beginning her journey, meeting Pine and becoming involved in the larger conflict surrounding Goldland.
A New Interpretation of a Classic Tezuka Story
For anime fans unfamiliar with the source material, Princess Knight is an important piece of Japanese manga history.
The original work was created by Osamu Tezuka, one of the most influential figures in manga and animation.
THE RIBBON HERO is not simply reproducing that classic story frame by frame.
Instead, it uses the original manga as its foundation while creating a new interpretation for contemporary audiences.
Netflix describes the project as a bold new take on Princess Knight, with director Yuki Igarashi making his feature-length directorial debut.
That makes the film notable not only because of its source material but also because of the creative team behind it.
Yuki Igarashi Directs His First Feature Film
Director Yuki Igarashi is a highly regarded animator known for his distinctive visual work.
Before taking on THE RIBBON HERO, Igarashi worked on projects including the first season-ending animation for Jujutsu Kaisen and directed the Star Wars: Visions episode “Lop and Ochō.”
THE RIBBON HERO marks his first feature-length directorial project.
The film is animated by OUTLINE, the studio led by Igarashi.
The creative team also includes character designer Kei Mochizuki, character-design collaboration from Mai Yoneyama, animation character designer Issei Arakaki, and art director Cédric Herole.
The Animation Uses Several Different Visual Styles
One of the film’s notable creative features is its varied visual approach.
Rather than relying on one consistent animation style throughout, the production incorporates different forms of visual expression.
The film combines detailed fantasy environments with stylized character animation and more exaggerated comedic moments.
This allows the movie to shift between emotional drama, fantasy adventure, and action without becoming visually repetitive.
The approach is particularly appropriate for a modern interpretation of Tezuka, whose own work was known for combining different tones and visual ideas.
THE RIBBON HERO Is Now Streaming Worldwide on Netflix
The film premiered worldwide on August 8, 2026, exclusively on Netflix.
That means viewers around the world can watch the movie without waiting for a separate international theatrical release.
The official website confirms the global Netflix release date as August 8, 2026.
Netflix lists the movie as a Japanese anime film in the fantasy, adventure,e and action categories, with a runtime of approximately 1 hour and 49 minutes.
For viewers discovering the movie through Netflix, no prior knowledge of Princess Knight is required to understand the basic premise.
Why Seiran Kobayashi’s Role Stands Out
Kobayashi’s connection to Pine gives the character an additional emotional dimension.
Because she sees elements of herself in Pine, her performance is grounded in qualities that feel natural rather than exaggerated.
Pine’s shyness is not presented as her entire personality.
Instead, the character has a rich inner world that becomes visible when she encounters something she genuinely cares about.
That distinction is important.
A quiet character is not necessarily an uninteresting character.
Sometimes the most expressive personalities are hidden beneath a reserved exterior.
Pine’s journey demonstrates how meeting another person and finding something you love can gradually change the way you see yourself.
A Personal Connection Between Actress and Character
Kobayashi’s comments about her own personality make the role especially interesting.
She has spoken about being introverted, while Pine is also a shy and reserved character.
That similarity gave her a starting point for understanding the role.
However, acting is not simply about copying one’s own personality.
A voice actor must still determine how the character speaks, reacts, changes emotionally, ly and interacts with other characters.
In Pine’s case, Kobayashi had to capture both sides of the character: the quiet girl who can hesitate around others and the enthusiastic person who becomes much more expressive when something catches her attention.
That contrast is what makes Pine feel human.
A Message About Confidence and Self-Acceptance
One of the most relatable ideas surrounding Pine is the difference between being quiet and lacking something.
People who are introverted are sometimes assumed to be less confident, less capable, or less interesting.
But Pine’s character suggests another possibility.
Someone can be shy and still have strong feelings.
Someone can struggle to speak and still have an enormous imagination.
Someone can be uncertain around other people and still become passionate when they discover something meaningful.
That makes Pine’s relationship with Sapphire especially important.
Friendship can sometimes give people the confidence to express parts of themselves they previously kept hidden.
Final Thoughts
THE RIBBON HERO brings a legendary Osamu Tezuka concept into a new generation, but the film’s emotional core comes from its characters and their relationships.
For Seiran Kobayashi, playing Pine appears to have been particularly meaningful because she could recognize parts of herself in the shy Goldland resident.
Pine may not initially seem like the strongest or most confident character, but her personality becomes much more vivid when she encounters something she loves. Her friendship with Sapphire also allows her to grow and become more open.
The film itself expands that personal journey into a much larger fantasy adventure involving the destruction of Silverland, the return of Nergal and Sapphire’s decision to fight for the people and place she has come to care about.
With Saya as Sapphire, Seiran Kobayashi as Pine, Koki Uchiyama as Velvet and Mayumi Shintani as Zirco, the movie brings together a strong cast around its new interpretation of Princess Knight.
Meanwhile, director Yuki Igarashi and the OUTLINE team give the project a distinctive visual identity, combining classic inspiration with modern anime filmmaking.
For fans of classic manga, modern fantasy anime or character-driven stories about friendship and overcoming adversity, THE RIBBON HERO offers an accessible entry point into one of Osamu Tezuka’s most enduring creations.
And for viewers who connect with Pine’s quiet personality, Seiran Kobayashi’s performance adds another reason to pay attention to the character.
The film is now streaming worldwide exclusively on Netflix, making it easy for both longtime Tezuka fans and newcomers to experience this new interpretation of Princess Knight.
