Nijisanji VTuber Tsukino Mito Cast in Netflix's Osamu Tezuka Anime Film 'THE RIBBON HERO'

Additional cast members and the third trailer for the upcoming Netflix animated movie THE RIBBON HERO (scheduled for exclusive worldwide release on August 8, 2026) have been revealed. Based on Osamu Tezuka's classic masterpiece Princess Knight (Ribbon no Kishi), the film will feature popular VTuber Tsukino Mito from the agency Nijisanji as the major character Hecate.

In addition, VTubers Runrun and Debidebi Debiru have been cast as the twin characters Chik and Tack. This marks the first time Virtual YouTubers will serve as voice actors in a feature-length anime film, putting them alongside veteran voice actors such as Yoshimasa Hosoya and Koki Uchiyama.

Following the announcement, fans flooded social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) with excitement and praise for Mito's performance in the trailer. Comments included "Voice actor Tsukino Mito has finally become reality!", "Her acting is great and her voice quality is amazing," and "She is the perfect fit for Hecate." The high level of expressiveness shown in the preview has significantly boosted expectations ahead of the film's release.

The Context

Princess Knight (Ribbon no Kishi), created in 1953 by Osamu Tezuka—often hailed as the "God of Manga"—is considered one of the foundational works of modern shojo (girls') manga. Virtual YouTubers (VTubers) are digital avatars controlled by live performers, a phenomenon that originated in Japan and has grown into a major entertainment industry. Nijisanji is one of Japan's top VTuber agencies. Casting prominent VTubers alongside established voice actors in an adaptation of a seminal Tezuka work reflects the expanding role of virtual talent in mainstream Japanese media and international animation productions.

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