Kimba the White Lion

Kimba the White Lion or Janguru Taitei ("Jungle Emperor, the Great") is a comic series from 1950's, created by Osamu Tezuka and several anime series from the 1960's based on the comic.

Much controversy surrounds the similarity of many elements of Kimba in The Walt Disney Company's The Lion King. The following description could apply to both works: A young lion cub, who's in line to be king of the jungle, loses his parent. The parent's ghost encourages the cub, by appearing in natural forms such as clouds and rippling water, to be the best king he can be. The cub is helped by several sidekicks, two of whom include a wisecracking but cowardly parrot, and a wise baboon. The cub must overcome enemies including his uncle, a lean older lion with a scar over one eye and two comedy-relief hyena sidekicks.

Table of contents

1 Chronicle 2 Further reading 3 External link

Chronicle

• 1950; Comic Janguru Taitei started at Manga Shonen (Comic Boy) magazine.
• 1965; Anime series started as the first color TV anime series in Japan.
• 1966; Janguru Taitei, the Movie (Dir. Eiichi Yamamoto) released. Symphonic Poem Janguru Taitei (by Isao Tomita) released.
• 1967; Janguru Taitei, the Movie awarded the St. Mark's Silver Lion Award at the 19th Venice International Film Festival. New series anime Shin Janguru Taitei, Susume Leo! started.
• 1989; Osamu Tezuka died. Remaked TV anime series started.
• 1994; Disney's The Lion King released.
• 1997; New Janguru Taitei, the Movie (Jungle Emperor Leo. Dir. Hiroo Takeuchi) released. Against former TV series (Susume Leo!), it has tragic last scene after comic version.

• Remake of Tezuka's Popular Story Turns Into Denial?
• Untold Facts behind "Kimba the White Lion" (multilingual version)