View source for Kimba the White Lion (TV series)

{{short description|Japanese animated television series}}
{{for|the Japanese ''[[Shōnen manga|shōnen]]'' [[manga]]|Kimba the White Lion}}
{{Infobox television
| image        = 
| genre        = [[Anime]]
| creator      = [[Osamu Tezuka]]
| based_on     = {{Based on|''[[Kimba the White Lion]]''|Osamu Tezuka}}
| native_name  = Jungle Emperor Leo
| director     = [[Rintaro|Hayashi Shigeyuki]]
| opentheme    = "Jungle Emperor Leo's Theme"
| num_episodes = 52
| voices       = {{plainlist|
* [[Yoshiko Ōta]]
* Yoshiko Matsuo
* Hajime Akashi
* [[Kinto Tamura]]
* Hisashi Katsusa
* [[Seizo Kato]]
* Kiyoshi Kawabuko
* [[Kazuo Kumakura]]
* [[Nobuaki Sekine]]
* Yoshiko Yamamoto
* Junji Chiba
}}
| company       = [[Mushi Production]]
| runtime       = 23 minutes
| network       = [[Fuji TV]]
| country       = Japan
| language      = Japanese
| first_aired   = {{start date|1965|10|6}}
| last_aired    = {{end date|1966|9|28}}
}}

'''''Kimba the White Lion'',''' originally known as '''''Jungle Emperor Leo''''' ([[Japanese language|Japanese]]: ジャングル大帝, [[Hepburn romanization|Hepburn]]: ''Janguru Taitei'') in Japan, was a 1965 television series produced by Mushi Production. This series was based on the [[manga]] written and illustrated by [[Osamu Tezuka]]. The series was broadcast on [[Fuji Television]] and other stations from October 6, 1965, to September 28, 1966;<ref>{{cite book |last1=Erickson |first1=Hal |title=Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 |date=2005 |edition=2nd |publisher=McFarland & Co |isbn=978-1476665993 |pages=474–475}}</ref> as such, it was the first full-colored Japanese anime broadcast on TV. This series consisted of 52 episodes and won a few awards like Special Award of the 4th TV Editors' Award 1966 and the Cultural Award of Children's Welfare under the Ministry of Health and Welfare 1966.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tezukaosamu.net/en/anime/33.html|title=Jungle Emperor Leo｜animation｜Tezuka Osamu official|website=TezukaOsamu.net(EN)|language=en|access-date=2020-03-06}}</ref> Since its first airing, there have been sequel TV shows, films, and remakes made.

== Plot ==
{{main|List of Kimba the White Lion episodes}}

The series begins in Africa where a group of human hunters begin capturing many of the animals. Among these animals are a lion cub named Kimba (Leo in the Japanese version) and his mother Snowene (Eliza in the Japanese version). Kimba's father Caesar (Panja in the Japanese version), who is the king of the jungle, is killed trying to save Kimba. The ship that captured Kimba and his mother starts to sink and his mother provides Kimba a way to escape and he finds his way back to the jungle.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tezukaosamu.net/en/anime/subtitle/a0033/index.html|title=Jungle Emperor Leo｜EPISODES｜TEZUKA OSAMU OFFICIAL|website=TezukaOsamu.net(EN)|language=en|access-date=2020-03-31}}</ref> Throughout his journey, Kimba returns to his home in the jungle and becomes a leader of the animals like his father and tries to bring peace between humans and animals.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Kuwahara|first=Yasue|date=Summer 1997|title=Japanese Culture and Popular Consciousness: Disney's The Lion King vs. Tezuka's Jungle Emperor|journal=The Journal of Popular Culture|volume=31|issue=1|pages=37–48|doi=10.1111/j.0022-3840.1997.3101_37.x|issn=0022-3840}}</ref> Some of the ways Kimba does this is by adapting human techniques into the animal kingdom such as farming.

== Characters ==
Voice Actors for the Original Japanese Series. To see a full list of voice actors for the English dub, see ''[[List of Kimba the White Lion characters]].''

* Leo/Kimba: voiced by Ota Toshiko
* Lyre: voiced by Matsuo Keiko
* Tommy: voiced by Akashi Hajime
* Coco: voiced by Tamura Kinto
* Mandy: voiced by Katsuta Hisashi
* Totto: voiced by Kato Seizo
* Dick: voiced by Kawakubo Kiyoshi
* Bo: voiced by Kumakura Kazuo
* Kenichi: voiced by Sekine Nobuaki
* Mary: voiced by Yamamoto Yoshiko
* Higeoyaji: voiced by Chiba Junji

==International syndication==
Other than the original broadcast in Japan in 1965, the series has been broadcast in many countries around the world.

In Asia, it was broadcast in [[Indonesia]] on [[tvOne (Indonesia)|Lativi]], [[antv]] and [[SCTV (Indonesia)|SCTV]] (1995–96); in [[Iran]] on [[Channel 1 (Iran)|Channel 1]]; in the [[Philippines]] on [[TV5 (Philippines)|ABC 5]]; in [[Saudi Arabia]] on [[Saudi TV]] and in [[Sri Lanka]] on ART TV.

In Europe, it was broadcast in [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]] on RTVUSK; in [[Croatia]] on ATV Split/[[TV Jadran]], Nezavisna televizija (NeT), TV Nova Pula and Gradska TV Zadar; in Germany 1977 in ZDF; in France on [[ORTF]] (1972) and on [[TF1]]; in Italy first in syndication from 1977 and lately on [[Italia 1]] (in 1999 and 2003 with the title ''Una giungla di avventure per Kimba'' [literally "a jungle of adventures for Kimba"]) and [[Boing (Italy)|Boing]] (2010) and in Spain on [[TV3 (Catalonia)|TV3]].

In North America, it was broadcast in Canada on [[Knowledge Network|Knowledge]]; in [[Mexico]]
on [[Boomerang (Latin American TV channel)|Boomerang]]. It was broadcast, with English-dubbed voices, in the United States and other English-speaking markets, beginning on September 11, 1966. It was first commissioned for U.S. development by NBC Enterprises (the original version, now part of [[CBS Television Distribution]]) and adapted by [[Fred Ladd]], for syndicated broadcast, with Kimba voiced by [[Billie Lou Watt]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kimbawlion.com/kimbawlion/history.htm |title=Kimba The White Lion: History of the original series |publisher=Kimbawlion.com |date= |accessdate=2014-07-19}}</ref> In 2005 the original 1965 dub of ''Kimba the White Lion'' was 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. The series was re-dubbed into English in 1993, featuring the voice of Yvonne Murray as Kimba and having a new opening, with an all new soundtrack composed by [[Paul J. Zaza]]. In 2012 [[BayView Entertainment]]/Widowmaker releases "Kimba the White Lion: The Complete Series" 10 DVD box set of the original 1965 series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C6ATG98/ref=assoc_qcb_im/ |title=Kimba the White Lion: The Complete Series|website=Amazon |date=9 July 2013 }}</ref> It was broadcast several times in the United States: on [[KCAL-TV|KHJ-TV]] (1965–67; [[Billie Lou Watt]] dub), on [[NBC]] (1965–77, re-runs until 1980; [[Billie Lou Watt]] dub), on [[Broadcast syndication|syndication]] (1965–77; [[Billie Lou Watt]] dub; 1993, re-runs until 1995; Yvonne Murray dub), on [[Kids & Teens TV]] (1993 re-runs; 2005–2009) and on Inspiration Life TV (1993 re-runs; 2005–2009). The series was (partially) dubbed to Spanish and published in the United States on several cartoon-compilation DVDs by East West DVD Entertainment in the mid-2000s, bearing the titles ''Kimba y sus amigos'', ''Kimba y sus amigos 2'', and ''Kimba y sus amigos 3''. On the DVDs, the episodes were presented alongside other unrelated, Spanish-dubbed cartoons. It is unknown if these DVDs together contain the entirety of the series.<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NnMYvdd9uc
|title=Kimba y sus amigos 3 (collection)
|access-date=2024-08-16}}</ref>

== TV sequel, films, remakes ==
All of the TV and film titles are translations from the Japanese version.

=== ''New Jungle Emperor, Go Ahead Leo!'' (1966) ===
This series is a sequel to the original 1965 series where it takes place in the future when Leo is now a full-grown lion. Osamu Tezuka's dream was to create a series that went through all phases of Leo's (Kimba's) life. The episodes follow Leo and his family, Lyre, Rune and Rukkio as they face many different challenges in the jungle.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tezukaosamu.net/en/anime/34.html|title=New Jungle Emperor, Go ahead Leo!｜ANIMATION｜TEZUKA OSAMU OFFICIAL|website=TezukaOsamu.net(EN)|language=en|access-date=2020-03-31}}</ref>

=== ''Jungle Emperor Leo'' (1966) ===
This feature-length film is based on the manga of Jungle Emperor Leo, but the plot is not related or a continuation of the 1965 TV series. It is another retelling of the original story by Osamu Tezuka. This film was awarded the St. Mark's Silver Lion Award at the 19th Venice International Film Festival in 1967.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tezukaosamu.net/en/anime/6.html|title=Feature Film: Jungle Emperor Leo｜ANIMATION｜TEZUKA OSAMU OFFICIAL|website=TezukaOsamu.net(EN)|language=en|access-date=2020-03-31}}</ref>

=== ''Jungle Emperor Leo'' (1989) ===
This series is a remake of the 1966 series made by Tezuka Productions. It aired on the TV Tokyo Network from October 11, 1989 – October 12, 1990 and was made up of 52 episodes similar to the original series. Much like the 1965 series, this series focused on the early life of Kimba (Leo).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tezukaosamu.net/en/anime/46.html|title=Jungle Emperor Leo (New)｜ANIMATION｜TEZUKA OSAMU OFFICIAL|website=TezukaOsamu.net(EN)|language=en|access-date=2020-04-04}}</ref>

=== ''Jungle Emperor Leo'' (1997) ===
Released on August 1, 1997, the feature film ''Jungle Emperor Leo'' follows a similar story line to the original manga and goes through Leo's life. The notable difference in this retelling compared to the previous anime is that the 1997 film features the original ending that Osamu Tezuka intended for Leo. While the 1966 sequel TV series features a happy ending to accommodate the younger audiences, this film ends with Leo's sacrifice in order to bring peace to all life.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tezukaosamu.net/en/anime/21.html|title=Jungle Emperor Leo: The Movie｜ANIMATION｜TEZUKA OSAMU OFFICIAL|website=TezukaOsamu.net(EN)|language=en|access-date=2020-04-04}}</ref>

=== ''Jungle Emperor Leo: The Brave Changes the Future'' (2009) ===
A remake of the original Television series. This series follows a new story line set in the future of 20XX, where there is an artificial jungle created by man. In this artificial jungle, a lion cub named Leo is born and grows up in this environment. This TV series is meant to be a retelling of Jungle Emperor Leo for a newer generation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tezukaosamu.net/en/anime/137.html|title=JUNGLE EMPEROR -THE BRAVE CHANGES THE FUTURE-｜ANIMATION｜TEZUKA OSAMU OFFICIAL|website=TezukaOsamu.net(EN)|language=en|access-date=2020-03-31}}</ref>

== Claims of resemblance to The Lion King ==
In 1994, [[Walt Disney Pictures]] released an animated featured-length film, ''[[The Lion King]]''. Soon after its release, news circulated of the visual similarities that the film had with Kimba the White Lion. Some similarities included the plot point of a lion cub's father's tragic death, an evil lion with a scar under their eye (though in Kimba, said the lion, Claw, is not related to Kimba), and a baboon as a sage.<ref name=":0" /> Although many other plot points like human interaction in Kimba the White Lion differ from The Lion King's absence of humans, there were several design similarities. The Lion King's director Rob Minkoff claimed that he was unaware of the television series and also acknowledged these similarities and believed that within the elements of telling stories in Africa, there are bound to be similarities between all of these.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-07-13-ca-15117-story.html|title=A 'Kimba' Surprise for Disney : Movies: 'The Lion King' is a hit, but reported similarities to the Japanese-created American cartoon of the '60s are raising some questions.|date=1994-07-13|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-06}}</ref> Moreover, this controversy has garnered huge media attention. For example, it was referenced in a 1996 episode of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' entitled {{"-}}[['Round Springfield]]". In this episode, Lisa looks into the clouds where [[Mufasa]] from the Lion King appears and says to her "You must avenge my death, Kimba, I mean Simba," referencing the similarities between the two works.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/12/17/how-simpsons-lost-its-edge/|title=How 'The Simpsons' Lost Its Edge|last=Cunningham|first=Phillip|date=December 17, 2019|newspaper=The Washington Post|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=April 4, 2020}}</ref> [[Matthew Broderick]], the voice actor for the Adult [[Simba]], recalled in an interview back in 1994 that he once believed that he was cast in a project about Kimba, bringing up memories of watching the series as a child.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/lion-king-kimba_n_6272316 | title=Was 'The Lion King' Copied from a Japanese Cartoon? Here's the Real Story | date=27 January 2015 }}</ref>

In 2019, Walt Disney Pictures released a CGI remake of their film [[The Lion King (2019 film)|''The Lion King'']], which resurfaced the controversy between Kimba the White Lion and The Lion King. When the Disney remake was released, an article by The Washington Post discussed the copyright issues between the remake and Kimba the White Lion. The Tezuka Family and director of Tezuka Productions claims that copyright laws are slightly different in Japan and therefore, The Lion King is not viewed as infringing copyright. They both viewed that the two works featured similarities in broad elements about nature, and copyrighting facts would not be possible. Furthermore, Billy Tringali states that it is common for Japanese writers to take inspiration from each other; however, as a result, the controversy in the American production of The Lion King lies in the lack of acknowledgment or similarities.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/07/26/lion-king-has-been-clouded-by-intellectual-property-controversy-years-heres-story-behind-it/|title='Lion King' has been clouded by intellectual property controversy for 25 years. Here's the story behind it.|last=Denham|first=Hannah|date=|newspaper=Washington Post|language=en|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-04-03}}</ref> The release of Disney's [[Mufasa: The Lion King|Mufasa]] in 2024 is likely to again rekindle the controversy, especially since Disney seems to be acknowledging the similarities by making Mufasa's adversaries [[White lion|white lions]]. It is as yet unclear whether Afia, Mufasa's biological mother, will drown at sea.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}} 

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Jungle Emperor Leo}}

[[Category:Japanese children's animated adventure television series]]
[[Category:Jungle Emperor Leo]]
[[Category:Fuji Television original programming]]
[[Category:Animated television series about lions]]
[[Category:Television shows set in Africa]]
[[Category:1965 anime television series debuts]]
[[Category:Anime and manga set in Africa]]