Kimba the White Lion
Encyclopedia
, known in the United States
as Kimba the White Lion, is an anime
series from the 1960s. Created by Osamu Tezuka
and based on his manga
of the same title which began publication in 1950, it was the first color animated television series created in Japan
. The manga was first published in serialized form in Manga Shōnen
magazine. The anime was produced by Mushi Production
and Tezuka Productions
, and produced along with Mushi Productions for the later series.
This anime series has enjoyed popularity worldwide — including in the United States
, Australia
, Europe
(where it has been translated into several languages such as: French
, Italian
, Catalan
, Spanish
, German
, Dutch
etc.) and the Middle East.
A new TV special premiered September 5, 2009 on Fuji TV. Produced in commemoration of Fuji TV's 50th anniversary, it was directed by Gorō Taniguchi
in his first directorial venture since Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2, written by noted novelist and drama
writer Osamu Suzuki, and featuring character designs from noted illustrator Yoshitaka Amano
.
during the mid-20th century, as mankind encroaches, the white lion
Panja gives the jungle's wild animals
a safe haven
. However, he angers nearby villagers by stealing their cattle
, their food, to feed the jungle carnivores. (In the English dub Panja merely frees the cattle.)
A professional hunter
, Viper Snakely (known as Ham Egg in the original Japanese), is called in to stop these raids. He avoids directly attacking Panja. Instead, he records the sounds of Panja and uses them to trap his mate, Eliza, who then becomes bait in a trap for Panja. Panja is killed for his hide, and the pregnant Eliza is put on a ship, destined for a zoo
.
Kimba (Leo in the Japanese-language version) is born on the boat. Eliza teaches him his father's ideals. As a huge storm nears, she urges her cub out through the bars of her cage. The storm wrecks the boat, and he flounders in the ocean
. The fish help him learn to swim. As he begins to despair, the stars in the sky form the face of his mother, who encourages him. Guided by butterflies
, he makes it to land.
Leo/Kimba lands far from his ancestral home and is found and cared for by some people. He learns the advantages of human culture, and decides that when he returns to his wild home he will bring culture to the jungle and stand for peace like his father.
The show follows Leo/Kimba's life after he returns to the wild, still a young cub, and how he learns and grows in the next year. Leo/Kimba soon learns that only communication and mutual understanding between animals and humans will bring true peace.
and Spanish
versions were created in 1966. The show has also been translated into many other language
s (see Worldwide translations, below).
[and "translated" by Fred Ladd
], for syndicated broadcast).
Japan (Original)
United States
Australia
Canada
Mexico
Sri Lanka
Saudi Arabia
Catalonia
Iran
Indonesia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
An entirely new series with a different cast performing the voice-overs was produced in 1994. It carried exactly the same name.
1993 English dub (Canada)
As a number of media journalists and fans watched Disney
's animated feature film The Lion King
, they began to notice that certain characters and situations in the story resembled those of Kimba. Although The Lion King has a different screenplay
, there are a number of strong artistic similarities, including scenes that appear to be copied from those in Kimba. One similarity is the protagonists' names: Kimba and Simba. Although the pronunciations of two name are similar, the word simba means "lions" in Swahili. Another similarity is the situations; for example, in the pictures on the right, a comparison of Panja (Caesar) and Mufasa on Pride Rock, the two frames of two different cartoons are fairly similar. For the controversies, Disney has stated that the similarities are all coincidental. Also, the filmmakers have said the story of The Lion King was inspired by William Shakespeare's Hamlet
.
Matthew Broderick
has said that when he was hired as the voice of Simba in The Lion King, he presumed the project was related to Kimba The White Lion. "I thought he meant Kimba, who was a white lion in a cartoon when I was a little kid," said Broderick. "So I kept telling everybody I was going to play Kimba. I didn't really know anything about it, but I didn't really care."
The Tezuka-Disney connection extends back decades before the movie. Tezuka met Walt Disney at the 1964 New York World's Fair
, and Disney said he hoped to "make something just like" Tezuka's Astro Boy. Tezuka then asked for and got the license to adapt Disney's Bambi into a manga for the Japanese audience. More recently, Disney animators were hired to train Tezuka's crew in the use of color when production was started on the Jungle Emperor/Kimba the White Lion TV series. It was said that an animated film of Kimba the White Lion was planned but later scrapped.
The controversy has been referenced in a number of national newspapers in the United States, including a June 2007 Los Angeles Times
article. In a 1995 episode
of The Simpsons
, a parody of the Lion King's Mufasa says to Lisa Simpson, "You must avenge my death, Kimba...er, I mean Simba!"
and sung by Mieko Hirota
. The American theme song known as "Leo the Lion" was written by Mark Boccaccio and Susan Brunet of SONIC-Sound International Corporation in 1984.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as Kimba the White Lion, is an anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series from the 1960s. Created by Osamu Tezuka
Osamu Tezuka
was a Japanese cartoonist, manga artist, animator, producer, activist and medical doctor, although he never practiced medicine. Born in Osaka Prefecture, he is best known as the creator of Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion and Black Jack...
and based on his manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
of the same title which began publication in 1950, it was the first color animated television series created in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The manga was first published in serialized form in Manga Shōnen
Shonen
The term refers to manga marketed to a male audience aged roughly 10 and up. The Kanji characters literally mean "few" and "year", respectively, where the characters generally mean "comic"...
magazine. The anime was produced by Mushi Production
Mushi Production
Mushi Production , or Mushi Pro for short, is a Japanese animation studio headquartered in Nerima, Tokyo, Japan....
and Tezuka Productions
Tezuka Productions
Tezuka Productions is a company created by Osamu Tezuka. His son, Makoto Tezuka has the goal to extend Tezuka's manga series with new issues and publish posthumous works...
, and produced along with Mushi Productions for the later series.
This anime series has enjoyed popularity worldwide — including in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
(where it has been translated into several languages such as: French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, Catalan
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
etc.) and the Middle East.
A new TV special premiered September 5, 2009 on Fuji TV. Produced in commemoration of Fuji TV's 50th anniversary, it was directed by Gorō Taniguchi
Goro Taniguchi
is a Japanese anime director, writer, producer and storyboard artist, who is among Sunrise's noted new directors.-TV anime:*Zettai Muteki Raijin-Oh...
in his first directorial venture since Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2, written by noted novelist and drama
Japanese television drama
, also called , are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including murder romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, and many others...
writer Osamu Suzuki, and featuring character designs from noted illustrator Yoshitaka Amano
Yoshitaka Amano
is a Japanese artist. He began his career as an animator and has become known for his illustrations for the anime Vampire Hunter D and for his character designs, image illustrations and title logo designs for the Final Fantasy video game series developed by Square Enix . His influences include...
.
Plot
In AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
during the mid-20th century, as mankind encroaches, the white lion
White lion
The white lion is occasionally found in wildlife reserves in South Africa and is a rare color mutation of the Kruger subspecies of lion . It has been perpetuated by selective breeding in zoos around the world...
Panja gives the jungle's wild animals
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
a safe haven
Safe harbor
The term safe harbor has several special usages, in an analogy with its literal meaning, that of a harbor or haven which provides safety from weather or attack.-Legal definition:...
. However, he angers nearby villagers by stealing their cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
, their food, to feed the jungle carnivores. (In the English dub Panja merely frees the cattle.)
A professional hunter
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
, Viper Snakely (known as Ham Egg in the original Japanese), is called in to stop these raids. He avoids directly attacking Panja. Instead, he records the sounds of Panja and uses them to trap his mate, Eliza, who then becomes bait in a trap for Panja. Panja is killed for his hide, and the pregnant Eliza is put on a ship, destined for a zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
.
Kimba (Leo in the Japanese-language version) is born on the boat. Eliza teaches him his father's ideals. As a huge storm nears, she urges her cub out through the bars of her cage. The storm wrecks the boat, and he flounders in the ocean
Ocean
An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
. The fish help him learn to swim. As he begins to despair, the stars in the sky form the face of his mother, who encourages him. Guided by butterflies
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
, he makes it to land.
Leo/Kimba lands far from his ancestral home and is found and cared for by some people. He learns the advantages of human culture, and decides that when he returns to his wild home he will bring culture to the jungle and stand for peace like his father.
The show follows Leo/Kimba's life after he returns to the wild, still a young cub, and how he learns and grows in the next year. Leo/Kimba soon learns that only communication and mutual understanding between animals and humans will bring true peace.
Global syndication
EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
versions were created in 1966. The show has also been translated into many other language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
s (see Worldwide translations, below).
Broadcast history
The animated series was first broadcast in Japan, in October, 1965. Then it was broadcast, with English-dubbed voices, in the United States and other English-speaking markets, beginning in September, 1966 (it was first commissioned for U.S. development by NBC EnterprisesNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
[and "translated" by Fred Ladd
Fred Ladd
Fred Ladd , is an American television and film writer and producer. He is notable as one of the first to introduce Japanese animated cartoons to North America....
], for syndicated broadcast).
Broadcast countries
Japan (Original)
- Fuji TelevisionFuji Televisionis a Japanese television station based in Daiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, also known as or CX, based on the station's callsign "JOCX-DTV". It is the flagship station of the Fuji News Network and the ....
(1965)
United States
- NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
(1966–67, re-runs until 1978; Billie Lou WattBillie Lou WattBillie Lou Watt was an actress in theater and television, including several voice acting roles for commercials and animated series...
dub) - syndication (1993; Yvonne Murray dub)
- Kids & Teens TVKids & Teens TVKids & Teens Television, or KTV, is a 24/7 Christian children's channel that is exclusive to Dish Network and Sky Angel's IPTV service providing entertainment, and religious educational programming intended for viewing by young ages, from toddlers to teens.KTV offers a variety of programming geared...
- i-Life TV (Currently airs re-runs)
- America OneAmerica OneAmerica One is an over-the-air television network in the United States. The network serves over 170 LPTV, Class A, Full Power, Cable and Satellite affiliate stations...
Australia
- ABCAustralian Broadcasting CorporationThe Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
Canada
- Knowledge
Mexico
- BoomerangBoomerang (Latin American TV channel)Boomerang Latin America is a 24-hour cable television channel owned by Turner Broadcasting System, a unit of Time Warner broadcasting in all Latin America. Initially it was focused on classical series and shows, as the Latin American version of Boomerang from the United States. In 2006, it...
Sri Lanka
- ART TVArt TVArt TV is a privately-owned television station in Serbia. Self-financed, without subscriptions or other subsidizing, it was established in 1991 and began broadcasting on July 31, 1992...
Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Tv
Catalonia
- TV3TV3 (Catalonia)TV3 is the primary television channel of Catalan public broadcaster Televisió de Catalunya, a subsidiary of the CCMA. TV3 broadcasts programs only in Catalan, with an optional dual track in the original language for some foreign-language series and movies...
Iran
- channel 1
Indonesia
- antvAntvantv is an Indonesian television network based in South Jakarta. It is owned by PT Visi Media Asia,Tbk.-History:antv was launched on 1 March 1993 as a local television station in Lampung province. In the same month it was awarded a government license for nationwide broadcasting, and moved its...
- Bali TVBali TVBali TV is a privately-owned Indonesian television station covering the island of Bali.The station became well known for regularly broadcasting in the Balinese language. Some examples include the broadcast of Balinese songs and ceremonies. News is also broadcast, in Indonesian....
Bosnia and Herzegovina
- RTVUSK
An entirely new series with a different cast performing the voice-overs was produced in 1994. It carried exactly the same name.
Characters
Note: The original Japanese names are given first, with the English names given in parentheses. If no English name was given to replace the character's original name, then no parentheses are given.- Panja (Caesar): A white Masai Lion, Leo's father and Emperor of the Jungle. He is killed by Ham Egg while trying to rescue his wife and queen. His skin is in his son Leo's lair and under his care. Leo uses his hide as an attraction for a festival in episode 24. He was Specklerex's rival. He appears in certain episodes in flashbacks.
- Eliza (Snowene): Leo's mother, used as bait by Ham Egg and Kutter. While on the ship, she gives birth to Leo and urges him to escape; she is then drowned.
- Leo (Kimba): The main character of the story who in the original manga is followed from birth to death. He believes that there would be peace between animals and humans if each understood the other. In Jungle Emperor LeoJungle Emperor LeoJungle Emperor Leo, known in Japan as is a 1997 animated movie focusing on the last half of Osamu Tezuka's epic manga, Jungle Taitei...
, the lion leads Dr. Moustache and his assistant to Mt. Moon, and he commits suicide by falling on Dr. Moustache's krisKrisThe kris or keris is an asymmetrical dagger or sword nowadays most strongly associated with the culture of Indonesia, but also indigenous to Malaysia, Southern Thailand and Brunei. It is known as kalis in the southern Philippines. The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade , but many have...
so that Dr. Moustache will have food and shelter from the cold. - Leona (Riona): Leo's older sister. In the 1989 remake, she was Leo's aunt and something of a foster mother to Lyre.
- Lyre (Kitty/Leah/Laia/Raija/Raiya/Raya/Lyra): A lioness who would later be Leo's mate and bear him a son and daughter. She is the niece of the old mazori Specklerex and lives with him after her parents are slain by hunters. She notices things that Leo sometimes overlooks. She is always there when he needs advice, a "better nature" to calm him down in anger or impatience, a shoulder to cry on, or a warrior at his side. In the movie, Lyre falls victim to the speckled fever and slowly dies.
- Rune (Lune): Leo and Lyre's son. He looks like Leo when he was cub.
- Rukkio (Lukkio): Leo and Lyre's daughter. She looks like Lyre when she was cub.
- Tommy (Bucky/Tony/T.K.): A Grant's gazelle that always gets into mischief. Almost always seen wearing a straw hat, which Leo had used to appoint him Secretary of the Jungle Economy.
- Coco (Pauly Parrot): A green parrot who spent some time living with humans and believes that he should be put in charge of mentoring Leo. He came to the jungle to rescue his girlfriend. He met Panja when that happened; Panja was going to kill him until a group of birds told Panja that Coco has rescued them from the humans. Panja then sees him as a hero and permits him to stay in the jungle.
- Buzara/Mandy (Dan'l Baboon): A wise old mandrill, Leo's mentor. He was known as Buzara in the original manga. His name was changed to Mandy for the original anime series, but changed back to Buzara for the 1997 movie.
- Bongo (Speedy Cheetah): One of Leo's cubhood friends (a leopard cub in the original Japanese version).
- Pagoola (Kelly Phunt): A stubborn African bush elephant who never trusts humans or human culture.
- Bubu (Claw/Jamar): The main antagonist, this one-eyed barbary lion with a jagged scar on his face wants Leo and his family dead so that he may take the role of Jungle Emperor for himself. Bubu tries to capture Lyre so that she would become his queen, or shows affection toward her. This romantic interest was not in the 1989 remake.
- Sylvester (Cassius/Shaka/Totto): A black panther working with Bubu to dethrone Leo and the white lions. He often acts as Bubu's advisor.
- Dick (Tom): A tall, lanky hyena, almost always seen with his confederate Bo, who works with Bubu and Sylvester in their fiendish plans. Invented for the show to help provide comic relief.
- Bo (Tab): A short, squat hyena, almost always seen with Dick, who works with Bubu and Sylvester. Invented for the show to help provide comic relief.
- The Black Four: A group of four panther assassins with almost supernatural power to fade and manipulate their bodies in the darkness. In one episode they are summoned by Sylvester to do away with Leo. Many of their scenes were cut from the American dub, including their trademark song.
- Kenichi (Roger Ranger): Shunsaku Ban's nephew who takes Leo in after he is washed ashore. After a year living with Leo in human civilization he decides to go to the jungle with Leo and live with him and the other animals. He teaches the animals how to speak to humans. In the 2009 movie in Japan, he is one of the main heroes and helps Kimba/Leo return all the animals back to the "real" Jungle from the human created preserve called "Neo-Earth."
- Mary: A young girl who was in love with Roger Ranger, but who then lost her memory for a while. During this time she was the animal hunter Tonga. She regained her memory and left the jungle with Roger and Mr. Pompous. In the movie, Mary was the circus girl who lost her parents and takes good care of Rune, Leo's son.
- Dr. Mustache (Mr. Pompous): Kenichi's uncle who helps take care of Leo on the Arabian peninsula. He then helps return Leo to the jungle and is one of the first to discover Mt. Moon. He often tries to get his nephew Kenichi to return to human civilization. Mr. Pompous has appeared in many of Tezuka's works as a detective under his real name of "Shunsaku Ban." In the movie, he saves Lukyo, Bizo, and other animals from the dreaded speckled fever (a.k.a. the great plague).
- Dr. PlusDuke RedDuke Red is a fictional character created by Osamu Tezuka. His first appearance was in Metropolis, and quickly became one of Osamu Tezuka's most notable villains. While several of Tezuka's characters would reappear in different roles throughout his works, Duke Red was almost always portrayed as a...
: A head of the Science and Technology Agency who will to pay Ham Egg for leading them to the source of the Moon Stones. He has also gathered information on Ham Egg's activities and will blackmail him if necessary. - Dr. Minus: A member of the Science and Technology Agency who hopes to use the Moon Stone to provide a clean and potent energy source for the planet. His assistant is Mr. Lemonade.
- Tick & Tuck: (Kenichi and Mary in the 1997 movie)
- Mr. Lemonade: an associate of the Science and Technology Agency who seeks the Moon Stone. He, like Shunsaku Ban, is appalled at Ham Egg's actions.
- Ham Egg (Viper Snakely/Jake): A poacher who will do anything for money. He causes most of the death in Leo's jungle. He wants the Moon Stone so he might make a fortune from it. Ham Egg has appeared as a villain in many of Tezuka's works.
- Kutter (Tubby): A sidekick to Ham Egg who has reservations about what the two of them are doing. Kutter resembles WimpyJ. Wellington WimpyJ. Wellington Wimpy, generally referred to as Wimpy, is one of the characters in the long-running comic strip Popeye, created by E. C. Segar and originally called Thimble Theatre, and in the Popeye cartoons based upon the strip...
from PopeyePopeyePopeye the Sailor is a cartoon fictional character created by Elzie Crisler Segar, who has appeared in comic strips and animated cartoons in the cinema as well as on television. He first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929...
. - Rommel: A recurring character in Tezuka's works.
- Boss Rhino: Leader of the black rhinos.
- Samson: A Cape buffalo who sometimes opposes Leo's ideas
- Specklerex: An old marozi, Lyre's uncle, who lives in the mountains with a small pride of his own. He misjudges Leo, for the cub's father Panja was his rival. He went insane, causing havoc in a city. Because of his age, his mane is almost pale blonde.
- Silvertail the Renegade: A timid masai lion who was rumored to be stealing village livestock. He is often afraid of hunters who would kill him because of this rumor. Silvertail is an old lion like Specklerex, though he is two years younger and lacks the leopard rosettes. He only appears in the last episode.
- Puffyadder: A Maltese Python who once lived and ruled among humans. He is a warlock, able to cast a spell and control his victim. He flees due to the offensive stench from the timid reeking bird named Rancid. He and Rancid only appear in episode 17.
- Gargoyle T. Warthog: A warthog who is the laughing stock of every other animal except Leo. He hates his primitive warts and wants to kill himself, but is prevented from doing so by Wildey. He attacks a gang of vicious mandrills in a small woodplain north of Leo's Jungle and wins the medal that belonged to a champion. His mother, Ms. Warthog, only appears in episode 18, but he appears as a background character in later episodes.
- Gypsy: An African Scops Owl, an old alchemistAlchemistAn alchemist is a person who practices alchemy. Alchemist may also refer to:-People and groups:*The Alchemist , a hip hop music producer and rapper*Alchemist , an Australian progressive metal band...
who lives in Descelation Grotto. She had been Sylvester's friend, but she could do no more potions until she gave Leo a potion that changed his color from snow-white to lavender, knocking him into a comaComaIn medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
. She afterwards saves his life and attends the festival with the skin of Panja as the main attraction. She only appears in episode 24. - Big O: A light brown mandrill who wants revenge against Dan'l. He has a special boomerangBoomerangA boomerang is a flying tool with a curved shape used as a weapon or for sport.-Description:A boomerang is usually thought of as a wooden device, although historically boomerang-like devices have also been made from bones. Modern boomerangs used for sport are often made from carbon fibre-reinforced...
that can blind his victims with pepper for a short time. He only appears in episode 21. - Pop Wooly: An Iberian Ibex who leads a herd of his own. He is old but he can still run. He once falls victim to the speckled fever, but Leo, with help from Panja, saves his life. Pop Wooly and his herd only appear in episode 22.
- Newton: An iguana/chameleon hybrid who wants to have friends. Because of his insanity, he always tells stories about problems, like Kitty's encounters with Claw. His alarms also save everyone's lives from a pack of African Wild Dogs. He only appears in episode 27.
- Wily: a Serval who lost his mother to hunters. He is also accused of stealing and abuse. When he understands Leo's words 'United we stand. Divided we fall,' he joins with the lion to fight hunters. He appears in episode 28, and as a background character in a few other episodes.
- Bella Dona: A lioness sent by Tonga to slay Leo. She tricks him into believing that she is his aunt, realizes what she did was wrong, and is forgiven. She only appears in one episode.
- The Shimera: The Shimera, also known as the Atlas Bear, is a legendary beast feared by humans and animals alike. There were once thousands, but one sow and her cub are the last. Some legends state that she steals cattle from farms. The mother shimera and her cub only appear in episode 43.
- Fancy Prancy: A female cheetah with a southern-accent who had lived in the city until she is sent home by her owner and rejoins her brother, Dash. She worries that Dash will get slaughtered when an impala tells Kimba that the jungle was raided by over a million ants. She only appears in one episode, but her brother appears in other episodes.
- Flyger: A flying Bengal tiger who was created by a crazy scientist. He was once a feared animal but turns good and returns to the jungles of India with his master. He only appeared in the episode Flying Tiger.
- Longisquama: A flock of extinct,flying lizards who attack Leo while he was trying to save Pop Woolly. They only appeared in "The Speckled Fever" but flightless versions also appeared in "The City of Gold".
- Giant Diapsid: A giant, carnivorous diapsid that fought the Shimera while it was trying to get her cub. He was later killed when Leo made him fall into a lake filled with flesh eating piranahs. Referred as "the lizard" in the series.
- Black Bear: An unnamed, American Black Bear that Leo met while he was in the zoo as a cub in episode 44.
- Archeopteryx: A bird-like, flying dinosaur that appeared in the 1989 remake episode, "Red Wings".
- Orchid: A humble and timid honey badger that is forced to lie to Leo by Sylvester in episode 7.
- Tuskar Hippo: A former member of Hippo Boss's herd. He made a deal with Bubu in destroying Leo, but he later got fired for beating up Lyre.
- Floppo: A South African fur seal that Leo accompanies on his travels to see the world. Boss Rhino refers to him as a "toadstool" and he only appears in episode 50.
- Mokele Mbembe: A giant,aquatic sauropod that tried to eat Leo and his friends while they were trying to help Floppo in episode 50.
- Congolese Giant Spider: A giant, cryptidCryptidIn cryptozoology and sometimes in cryptobotany, a cryptid is a creature or plant whose existence has been suggested but is unrecognized by scientific consensus and often regarded as highly unlikely. Famous examples include the Yeti in the Himalayas and the Loch Ness Monster in...
spider that tried to prey on the residents of Leo's kingdom. He was defeated when the animals throw wasps nests at him. - The Chemosit, the Grim Reaper and the Franken-Tree: The monsters that haunt Leo in his nightmares in episode 29.
Voice casts
1966 English dub (United States)- Billie Lou WattBillie Lou WattBillie Lou Watt was an actress in theater and television, including several voice acting roles for commercials and animated series...
- Kimba, Eliza, Dodie Deer, Gypsy - Gilbert Mack - Coco, Mr. Pompous, Viper Snakely, Claw, Tab
- Hal Studer - Roger Ranger
- Ray Owens - Narrator, Dan'l Baboon, Caeser, Cassius, Tom, Stork, and Specklerex
- Sonia Owens - Kitty, Mary, Mammoth, Bella Donna
1993 English dub (Canada)
- Yvonne Murray - Kimba
- Steve Thamer - Narrator, additional voices
- Jackie Pardy
- Allen Sonic
- Don NeilsonDon NeilsonDon Neilson is a Canadian country music artist. Neilson recorded three studio albums for Epic Records. He charted twelve singles on the Canadian country music charts, of which the highest was the #9-peaking "You're My Hometown" in 1993. Neilson was nominated for Best Country Male Vocalist at the...
- Steve Thamer
- Robin Jordan
- Peter Dufferin
Chronicle
- 1950 — Original Jungle Emperor story started in Manga Shōnen (Comic Boy) magazine.
- 1965 — Anime series started as the first color TV anime series in Japan.
- 1966 — Theatrical version of Jungle Emperor (Dir. Eiichi Yamamoto) released in Japan. Jungle Emperor Symphonic Poem (by Isao TomitaIsao Tomita, often known simply as Tomita, is a Japanese music composer, regarded as one of the pioneers of electronic music and space music, and as one of the most famous producers of analog synthesizer arrangements...
) released on LP. Kimba The White Lion (translated version of Jungle Emperor TV series) airs in U.S. A sequel series, Jungle Taitei: Susumu Leo!Leo the Lion (anime)is a sequel to the Japanese-American co-produced series "Jungle Emperor", or Kimba the White Lion. Osamu Tezuka had always wanted his story of Kimba to follow Kimba's entire life, and the Jungle Emperor/Kimba series was such a hit in Japan that Dr...
(Jungle Emperor: Onward, Leo!) airs in Japan. Features Leo (Kimba) as an adult. - 1967 — Jungle Emperor theatrical feature awarded the St. Mark's Silver Lion Award at the 19th Venice International Film FestivalVenice Film FestivalThe Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
. - 1978 — Adult Leo character becomes mascot for the Seibu Lions (current Saitama Seibu Lions) baseball team.
- 1984 — Jungle Emperor: Onward Leo! finally comes to the US, as Leo the LionLeo the Lion (anime)is a sequel to the Japanese-American co-produced series "Jungle Emperor", or Kimba the White Lion. Osamu Tezuka had always wanted his story of Kimba to follow Kimba's entire life, and the Jungle Emperor/Kimba series was such a hit in Japan that Dr...
on CBNChristian Broadcasting NetworkThe Christian Broadcasting Network, or CBN, is a fundamentalist Christian television broadcasting network in the United States. Its headquarters and main studios are in Virginia Beach, Virginia.-Background:...
Cable Network. - 1989 — Dr. Osamu Tezuka dies at age 60 on February 9. A remake of Jungle Emperor is made and shown in Japan. This series bears little resemblance to the original manga or the first TV series, as the plot is extremely different and the characters have been completely reworked and changed.
- 1991 — A new animated film is created, using the Symphonic Poem for its audio.
- 1993 — The first Jungle Emperor/Kimba The White Lion series is dubbed into English again, featuring the voice of Yvonne Murray as Kimba and having a new opening.
- 1994 — In Japan, over 1100 manga and anime artists and fans sign a petition requesting that the Disney company acknowledge that their movie The Lion King was based on characters and situations from Jungle Emperor.
- 1997 — New Jungle Taitei theatrical feature (Jungle Emperor LeoJungle Emperor LeoJungle Emperor Leo, known in Japan as is a 1997 animated movie focusing on the last half of Osamu Tezuka's epic manga, Jungle Taitei...
; Dir. Hiroo Takeuchi) released in Japan, based on the second half of Dr. Tezuka's original manga story. It is not entirely faithful however. - 1998 — Several heavily edited episodes of the 1989 remake of Kimba The White Lion are dubbed into English and released directly to video under the name: The New Adventures of Kimba the White Lion, by Pioneer Family Entertainment. It features the voice of Brad SwaileBrad SwaileBradley "Brad" Swaile is a Canadian voice actor. He has acted in several animated series, known mostly for his anime roles; particularly that of Amuro Ray in the original Mobile Suit Gundam series, Mousse in Ranma 1/2, and Quatre Raberba Winner in Gundam Wing...
as Kimba. - 2003 — The 1997 Jungle Emperor movie is dubbed into English and released on DVD under the name "Jungle Emperor Leo", by Anime Works.
- 2005 — The original 1966 dub of Kimba The White Lion is released as an 11-disc DVD set by Madman Anime of Australia and Right Stuf International of the U.S. It was a best seller.
- 2009 — A TV premiere was on air in Summer 2009. The movie bears almost no resemblance to the TV shows or the manga it was based on. The settings were be based on 20XX Earth in an artificially created jungle. In this movie, Panja and his mate, Eliza, are still alive, Coco is an unspecified female bird, and Sylvester, the black panther, serves as a secondary antagonist until he changes his ways when a young boy mends his leg.
Episodes
- Go, White Lion!
- Jungle Thief
- Dangerous Journey
- Great Caesar's Ghost
- Journey into Time
- Restaurant Trouble
- The Bad Baboon
- The Wind in the Desert
- Insect Invasion - The meat-eating animals try to go vegetarian. Meanwhile, locusts are coming to destroy the animals' new garden.
- Battle at the Dead River
- Scrambled Eggs - Speedy Cheetah gets all the birds' eggs mixed up and Kimba has to find their correct mothers.
- The Chameleon who Cried Wolf
- Gypsy's Purple Potion
- A Human Friend - Kimba meets Roger Ranger and learns human language. Note: in the Japanese dub Roger was searching for Kimba #ndicating that they had already met.
- The Wild Wildcat
- City of Gold
- The Last Poacher
- The Trappers
- The Hunting Ground
- The Legend of Hippo Valley
- Magic Serpent
- Volcano Island
- The Flying Tiger
- Running Wild
- The Destroyers from the Desert
- The Troublemaker
- The Gigantic Grasshopper
- The Mystery of the Deserted Village
- Jungle Justice
- Too Many Elephants
- Nightmare Narcissus - all of the animals are having nightmares, so Kimba investigates.
- Adventure in the City
- Such Sweet Sorrow
- Diamonds in the Gruff
- The Runaway
- A Revolting Development
- Silvertail the Renegade
- A Friend in Deed - the elephants are holding Roger captive. Kimba talks about how he met Roger.
- Two Hearts and Two Minds
- Soldier of Fortune
- The Day the Sun Went Out
- The Red Menace
- Jungle Fun
- The Pretenders
- The Monster of Petrified Valley
- Fair Game
- The Balloon that Blows Up
- The Monster of the Mountain
- The Sun Tree
- The Cobweb Caper
- The Return of Fancy Prancy - Speedy's sister returns from the city and has the animals act as her slaves.
- Catch 'em if You Can
The Lion King controversy
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
's animated feature film The Lion King
The Lion King
The Lion King is a 1994 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 32nd feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series...
, they began to notice that certain characters and situations in the story resembled those of Kimba. Although The Lion King has a different screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
, there are a number of strong artistic similarities, including scenes that appear to be copied from those in Kimba. One similarity is the protagonists' names: Kimba and Simba. Although the pronunciations of two name are similar, the word simba means "lions" in Swahili. Another similarity is the situations; for example, in the pictures on the right, a comparison of Panja (Caesar) and Mufasa on Pride Rock, the two frames of two different cartoons are fairly similar. For the controversies, Disney has stated that the similarities are all coincidental. Also, the filmmakers have said the story of The Lion King was inspired by William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
.
Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick is an American film and stage actor who, among other roles, played the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Adult Simba in The Lion King film series, and Leo Bloom in the film and Broadway productions of The Producers.He has won two Tony Awards, one in 1983 for his...
has said that when he was hired as the voice of Simba in The Lion King, he presumed the project was related to Kimba The White Lion. "I thought he meant Kimba, who was a white lion in a cartoon when I was a little kid," said Broderick. "So I kept telling everybody I was going to play Kimba. I didn't really know anything about it, but I didn't really care."
1964 New York World's Fair
The 1964/1965 New York World's Fair was the third major world's fair to be held in New York City. Hailing itself as a "universal and international" exposition, the fair's theme was "Peace Through Understanding," dedicated to "Man's Achievement on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe";...
, and Disney said he hoped to "make something just like" Tezuka's Astro Boy. Tezuka then asked for and got the license to adapt Disney's Bambi into a manga for the Japanese audience. More recently, Disney animators were hired to train Tezuka's crew in the use of color when production was started on the Jungle Emperor/Kimba the White Lion TV series. It was said that an animated film of Kimba the White Lion was planned but later scrapped.
The controversy has been referenced in a number of national newspapers in the United States, including a June 2007 Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
article. In a 1995 episode
'Round Springfield
"Round Springfield" is the 22nd episode of the sixth season of The Simpsons. It originally aired on April 30, 1995. In the episode, Bart is rushed to hospital after eating a jagged metal Krusty-O and decides to sue Krusty the Clown. Whilst visiting Bart, Lisa meets her old mentor, jazz musician...
of The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, a parody of the Lion King's Mufasa says to Lisa Simpson, "You must avenge my death, Kimba...er, I mean Simba!"
Music
The series uses several themes. The 1966 Japanese version uses an opening theme and a closing theme. The opening, entirely instrumental, is called "Junguru Taitei (Jungle Emperor)." The end song is "Leo and Leah´s Song". For the Japanese remake, the opening song is "Sabanna wo Koete (Past the Savanna)" sung by Ichiro Mizuki, and the ending is "Yuubae ni Nare" sung by Tomoko Tokugai. The opening song for the sequel series is "Go Ahead Onward Leo!" written by Isao TomitaIsao Tomita
, often known simply as Tomita, is a Japanese music composer, regarded as one of the pioneers of electronic music and space music, and as one of the most famous producers of analog synthesizer arrangements...
and sung by Mieko Hirota
Mieko Hirota
is a Japanese popular singer. Her nickname is Mico .Hirota was born in Setagaya, Tokyo. She grew up listening to pops and jazz in places like Tachikawa frequented by Occupation troops. She made her debut in 1961 at age 14...
. The American theme song known as "Leo the Lion" was written by Mark Boccaccio and Susan Brunet of SONIC-Sound International Corporation in 1984.
In popular culture
- Jungle Emperor characters have cameos in the GBA Astro Boy game, as well as a chapter from the Black JackBlack JackBlack Jack or Blackjack may refer to:- Games and cards :* Blackjack, the gambling game* Black Jack , also known as Switch, a name given to some variations of Crazy Eights in United Kingdom* The black Jack playing card- Products :...
manga and Naoki UrasawaNaoki Urasawais a Japanese manga artist.-Early life:He graduated from Meisei University with a degree in economics. In 2008, Urasawa had a guest teaching post at Nagoya Zokei University, where he taught classes on manga.-Manga career:...
's Pluto. - The Saitama Seibu Lions baseball team based their mascot on Kimba for many years
- The PokemonPokémonis a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
Shinx bears some resemblance to Kimba. - It is thought that Kimba was the model used as Sambas, a lion in World of WarcraftWorld of WarcraftWorld of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
See also
- Leo the LionLeo the Lion (anime)is a sequel to the Japanese-American co-produced series "Jungle Emperor", or Kimba the White Lion. Osamu Tezuka had always wanted his story of Kimba to follow Kimba's entire life, and the Jungle Emperor/Kimba series was such a hit in Japan that Dr...
(aka Jungle Emperor - Onward Leo!), the second season of Kimba the White Lion. - List of Osamu Tezuka anime
- List of Osamu Tezuka manga
- Osamu TezukaOsamu Tezukawas a Japanese cartoonist, manga artist, animator, producer, activist and medical doctor, although he never practiced medicine. Born in Osaka Prefecture, he is best known as the creator of Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion and Black Jack...
- Osamu Tezuka's Star SystemOsamu Tezuka's Star SystemOver the course of his career, Osamu Tezuka reused the same characters in different roles in different stories. The way that Tezuka used the characters in his "star system" can be seen as somewhat analoguous to a film director frequently casting members of a regular "stable" of actors in different...
Further reading
- Fred PattenFred PattenFrederick Walter Patten is known for his work as a historian in the science fiction, anime, manga, and furry fandoms, where he has gained great distinction through a substantial contribution to both print and online books, magazines, and other media....
. Watching Anime, Reading Manga: 25 Years of Essays and Reviews. ISBN 1-880656-92-2 - Frederik L. SchodtFrederik L. SchodtFrederik L. Schodt is an American translator, interpreter and writer.Schodt's father was in the US foreign service, and he grew up in Norway, Australia, and Japan. The family first went to Japan in 1965 when Schodt was fifteen. They left in 1967 but Schodt remained to graduate from Tokyo's American...
. Dreamland Japan: Writings on Modern Manga. ISBN 0-7567-5168-3 ISBN 1-880656-23-X
External links
- Essay on the connection between The Lion King and Kimba
- Fan site with full details on the show and its sequels
- Fan site with information on the 1989 series
- Kimba the White Lion: History of the original series
- TezukaOsamu@World
- Many links and texts including Machiko SatonakaMachiko Satonakais a Japanese shōjo manga artist. She debuted in 1964 with Pia no Shouzou in Shōjo Friend, for which she received Kodansha New Faces award. She has received multiple awards, including the 1982 Kodansha Manga Award for general manga for Karyūdo no Seiza and a Lifetime Works and Cultural Activities...
's letter to Disney signed by hundreds of Japanese animators - Worldwide History of Kimba on TV and video