User Reviews

I used to watch this show when I was a kid .This and "Astroboy " were some of first Japanese animated TV -shows ,both inspired in comic books of the father of the anime ,Tezuka Osamu . Anime have changed a lot in the recent years ,so maybe for the fans this story would be a bit corny ,but I think that deserves the credit for being one of the first anime shows in the story ,and it is a very good choice for children . The recent movie of Disney , "The Lion King " have a clear influence of Kimba ,but I like both."Kimba the White Lion " could be a bit dated ,but for those who grow -up watching it ,would be reason for a sweet melancholy .

I really enjoyed this series. had a very good argument, with good characters and good morals; Despite having a sad ending and some very unrealistic scenes. I really recommend it. MOVIE INFO

A good series with great characters and storyline. However, the Canadian dub is horrid and I recommend the original Japanese language version if you're able to find it, or the American dub.

The story follows the lion cub Kimba who lost his parents to human hunters. His father was shot by the hunters and his mother died when the ship carrying her and little Kimba sank. Alone, he must adapt to life. But with his friends he forgive mankind and tries to teach the animals the best of human kind. Including talking and school. The series follows Kimba and how he tries to adapt to being alone and teach the other animals human rituals. A good series for the entire family.

When I was a very little boy, there were only three or four TV stations. I was too young to "get" most of the programming, so my mom would sit on the floor next to me and try to explain what was going on. I'd be okay for a while but would soon get confused. I'd look up at her questioningly and she'd interpret what was happening in "kiddie" terms I could grasp.

In 1972 I enrolled in kindergarten and soon discovered "Kimba" was on right about the time I walked home. I loved it. The theme song was great and Kimba was nice without being sappy. All his animal friends were sincere and likable too. From then on, I didn't walk home from school, I ran so as not to miss any more than I had to (it came on at 3:30, just when school let out).

Of course, just as it became part of my daily routine...I suppose they'd call it "appointment" TV nowadays...the show was pulled and never returned. Still, I never forgot this was the first TV series I loved and watched regularly. I hope you enjoy it, too.

I'm writing because I felt really angry with last comment. Note that I first watched Kimba this Year.

Just for beginning, Kimba was the first Anime in being made in full color, if you watched it for the first time during the XXI Century then you might think animation is quite crappy... but for those times it was outstanding, specially for a Japanese cartoon.

What makes Kimba so different from the other cartoons of time is that each character has depth by itself. Along the different episodes they grow, learn and keep the essential lines about their personalities. The main character, Kimba/Leo, has many doubts about himself and his ability to rule at the beginning of the series, but along them he gain experience and self-esteem enough to don't live behind the shadow of his father's greatness. Also each episode deal with a lesson on morality and justice.

Kimba specially explores the relationship between Humans and animals and delivers a simply message of understanding to everyone.

Is it childish? Well, of course it isn't the same to watch it being a kid than an adult, but you can now certainly understand things that by that time you couldn't. Besides, if you watch any cartoon made for kids, of course that you should spec it to be childish!!

Kimba the White Lion is at all, the perfect merge between Japanese Anime's storytelling and depth, and American cartoon's cuteness, charming characters and sense of humor that make it easy to bare for young children.

A fun anime that shouldn't be taken too seriously. The Great Osamu Tezuka created this in the 60's and then it was syndicated in America. Kimba is a white lion, ruler of an unknown part of Africa. His father is killed and the throne usurped. Aided by a wise baboon and his girlfriend Kitty, Kimba sounds familiar eh?

This really brings back memories! This cartoon was ahead of its time. It taught loyalty, trust and friendship, in a way that children would understand. Each episode had Kimba in some sort of situation that now looking back at it was a learning experience. I recommend having your youngsters have a chance to watch and learn!👍🏻⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I remember this Japanese import when it was aired in the 1960s. I honestly tried to watch the show, but couldn't because it seemed pretty stupid to me at age 7. It just seemed like it was made for 4 or 5 year-olds and I was "too cool" to keep watching it. The stories and animation just weren't very well made.

Interestingly enough, though, I was totally surprised when I realized that Disney completely stole the story of Kimba for THE LION KING! Why would Disney bother to steal such a crappy cartoon? Well, for whatever reasons, the similarities are too strong for there to be any other conclusion than they stole it. Take a look:

KIMBA-- -a white lion who SHOULD be the king of the jungle but was forced to run when his father was murdered -the name "kimba" rhymes with "simba" -the bad lion's sidekicks are hyenas -the lion has a girlfriend and friends much like Simba's

The similarities go on from there, but I can't remember them all. All I know for sure is that there are unconfirmed stories that Disney later paid the Japanese producers an undisclosed amount of money to make any lawsuits disappear. For more info, try this web page: http://www.kimbawlion.com/rant2.htm

I recall seeing this as a child in the 60s and early 70s in black and white, and was a bit surprised to discover that it was actually a color series. (We only had a black and white TV at the time, as it happens...) This was beyond the resources of the production company, (which had earlier brought us Gigantor and Astroboy) so they partnered with NBC in the US for both financing and expertise in color animation. NBC also had considerable input into the direction of the story, some of it contrary to what the Japanese write wanted to do. The result was highly successful in both the US and Japan. A sequel, "Jungle Emperor Leo", which featured an adult Kimba (renamed Leo) with a less upbeat tone and more realistic violence, was declined by NBC and was not as popular in Japan as the original.

I bought the series on DVD a little while ago, so I was able to refresh my memory of this delightful series. Kimba is a white lion cub, son of great Caesar the white lion, king of the jungle. He has a goal, that all the jungle animals should live in peace. Inspired by human civilization, he convinces all the carnivores to adopt vegetarian ways and strives to single-handedly (pawedly?) bring about an agricultural revolution and cooperative living among the animals. Although he encounters significant animal resistance, his greatest challenges come from encounters with humans.

This works well, despite some awkwardness in the initial episodes, including a visit to Paris that's glaringly out of place. It helps that Kimba's the cutest little thing that ever beat up an adult rhinoceros. The theme music is addictive and unforgettable.

Significantly, some characters, general themes, and specific scenes were heavily "borrowed" by Disney for "The Lion King". This is discussed in the DVD interview with Fred Ladd, the NBC executive responsible for bringing Kimba to the US. The wise old baboon advisor, the enemy adult lion with the scar across one eye and the comic relief hyena henchmen, and the excitable avian companion are all present. Individual scenes include Kimba looking at his reflection in a pool and wondering how he compares to his father, visions of Kimba's parents in the clouds and stars, and a difficult trek across a desert. The moment in Mufasa's death scene where Simba comforts himself by snuggling next to the body is an echo of Kimba habit of curling up upon his father's pelt (recovered from the hunter who shot him) for comfort in moments of distress or self-doubt. "Simba", the Swahili word for lion, was a name considered for Kimba but rejected during series development. The theme of the exiled lion cub returning to regain the kingship from a vicious usurper was no doubt also inspired by Kimba. This is not to say that "The Lion King" isn't a fine piece of storytelling or excellent animation. It is, and needless to say the animation is far superior to that in Kimba. But the source of many of the ideas for "The Lion King" ought to be of interest to anyone who enjoyed that movie. This is rarely brought mentioned outside a fairly limited anime fan community.

Loved Growing Into This Series as A Viewer & Being Part of The Community!

Although I remember Kimba from the early 1970s, it says here that the show began in 1966. This show was very popular in its day. Kimba wanted to turn all the jungle predators into vegetarians so everyone could live in peace and harmony. Actually it does sound like a show from the 60s. This show was based on a Japanese mangra (comic book)called Jungle Emperor. While there are some differences from Disney's The Lion King, there are enough similarities that somebody somewhere could have made a few bucks had they decided to protest. Kimba got into lots of fights with everything from mutant grasshoppers to saber-tooth tigers.

The article was just being polite about what Disney did with The Lion King, but The Lion King is Disney's rip-off of Kimba.

The animation of The Lion King was good, and it would have been a good show of it hadn't been a rip-off of Kimba. I remember Kimba as a kid and it was one of my favorite shows. And The Lion King being a rip-off of Kimba is disappointing. They should have written a whole story-line of it's own for The Lion King.