
Kimba the White Lion has many of the same Shakespearean elements as The Lion King, such as the two comic relief sidekicks, a wise old advisor, etc. It’s a comic re-telling of The Lion King, with a lot of silly stuff happening in the background of the main story. The two goofy sidekicks even get their own version of the Tom Stoppard comedy, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, called The Lion King 1½. The nutty meerkat/ warthog combination of Timon and Pumbaa are The Lion King ’s equivalent to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. There is a talkative and boring advisor - Zazu is Polonius. He doesn’t act crazy, but he does need some time before he’s ready to face Scar. Simba is Hamlet, only without the soliloquies. In this scenario, Scar is effectively Claudius. Eventually, Simba gets his revenge on his uncle, although he doesn’t die in the end. The old king, Mufasa, is killed by his brother, Scar. Kimba’s story doesn’t have nearly as many obvious parallels to Hamlet. Simbaįrom the very start of the story, there are significant differences between Kimba the White Lion, and The Lion King. Kimba’s wife Kitty/ Lyra was first seen in an early chapter of the Jungle Emperor manga.
KIMBA THE WHITE LION SERIES
The new series introduces Kimba’s children, Lune/ Rune and Lukio/ Rukio. More stories of grown-up Kimba are told in a sequel anime series, New Jungle Emperor: Go Ahead Leo!, also known as Leo the Lion or Onward, Leo! Grown-up KimbaĮventually, Kimba grows up and has his own mate and cubs. Kimba also understands human language, which is a huge help. In both versions, Kimba believes that there can be harmony between the jungle animals and humans. Upon his return to his jungle kingdom, Kimba has numerous adventures with his friends. This lesson sticks with Kimba, and it shapes his outlook on humans, living in the jungle, and civilization. The exact details are different in the anime and in the manga, but the basic message is the same - not all humans are bad. Kimba manages to swim back to Africa.Īfter he escapes from the ship, Kimba is cared for by some humans. A huge tropical storm sinks the ship, and Kimba must escape. Kimba is white, like his father.Īs if things weren’t bad enough, things don’t go well on the way to the zoo. The hunter traps Eliza and kills Panja.Įliza is shipped to a zoo, and Kimba is born on the ship. The villagers bring in a hunter to stop Panja from raiding their cattle. The local human village’s cattle would seem to be ideal - and that’s where all the trouble starts.

He is also soon to be the father of a cub. Panja, a white lion, is King of the Jungle. People don’t seem to exist in the Lion King, but they are a problem in Jungle Emperor/ Kimba the White Lion.

The story is set in Africa when mankind is starting to push into the jungle. Kimba’s Storyīoth the manga and anime versions of Jungle Emperor tell the story of a pride of lions.
KIMBA THE WHITE LION TV
It would be made into an anime TV series, Kimba the White Lion, in October of 1965. Jungle Emperor would last from November 1950 to April 1954. This was in 1950, a year before Captain Atom - the manga which would lead to Astro Boy. Sometimes he is even called “The Walt Disney of Japan,” although that is a title that he shares with Hayao Miyazaki.īefore he created Astro Boy, Princess Knight, Phoenix, or Black Jack, he created a manga called Jungle Taitei, or Jungle Emperor. Or, you can combine the two and call him the Godfather of Anime. Tezuka is sometimes called the Father of Manga or the God of Manga. We’ll have more about “ Kimba the White Lion vs. Before we begin, let’s get one thing out in the open - yes, Kimba The White Lion is the jungle adventure anime which maybe/ probably inspired and/ or influenced Disney’s The Lion King.
