History Manga / KimbaTheWhiteLion

* NoExportForYou: Vertical really wants to publish this in the English speaking world, but the rights are tied up in red tape. Thankfully there is a bilingual version available.

* DemotedToExtra: [[BrattyHalfPint Rune's a crybaby and kind of a jerk]]. Now Rukio? [[TomBoy Rukio's awesome!]] I can't wait to see more of... uh... why are you shifting to Rune's perspective? The ending doesn't even treat her fairly. [[spoiler:We don't see her as an adult and she's given a one liner mentioning how she's married off to another pride. [[HopeSpot Her main purpose is to give us a a glimmer of hope that things might end well]]. Depending on what version you are watching, they don't.]]

* ''Leo The lion'' (1966): Sequel series [[PostScriptSeason unrelated to the manga]] focusing booth on the now adult Kimba as well as his cub, Rune.

* CatsAreMean: Played straight with Claw, inverted by Kimba.

*** Later Inverted (or is it subverted?) when an artificial meat substitute is found

* GagDub: Stuart Chapin, (the guy behind pretty much the entire dub of ''Leo the lion'') would often reject the original Japanese scripts in favor of writing his own [[JustForPun Pun]] heavy ones. This includes turning an spy inspired episode into an full-on JamesBond parody, and have Leo at one point [[BreakingTheFourthWall explain why the dub-team of the original series changed his name to Kimba.]]

As an additional note, this was the first Japanese animated television series produced in color.

!!Tropes:

* CuteKitten

* CaramelldansenVid: Strangely enough. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRVcRi417Yc It can be seen here.]]

* CaramelldansenVid: Strangely enough. It can be seen [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRVcRi417Yc here]].

* BittersweetEnding: If you take the 80's reboot ''Leo the Lion'' into consideration, it's the ONLY version of the original story that doesn't end tragically. [[spoiler:Yet in spite of the high kill count, the near collapse of the animal's utopia when the humans' interest in their area is piqued, and Leo/Kimba's decision and ultimate fate... the last major threat to said kingdom has been removed, Rune has learned that there is good and evil in animals AND in humans finally understanding his father's [[KnightInSourArmor balanced perspective on the issue]], and through the actions of both father and son, [[EarnYourHappyEnding it's hinted that the animals are on the fast track to being considered sentient by humanity.]]]]

* AlternateUniverse: This version of the story takes place [[TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture in the future]], wherein mankind has screwed nature up so much they have to create an artificial environment for the animals to live in.
** AlternateContinuity

''Kimba the White Lion'' is a 1965 television series based on OsamuTezuka's manga "Jungle Taitei" (1950-1954), directed by Tezuka himself. The series follows a white lion named Kimba (Leo in the Japanese version), who due to the death of his father, is forced to become the king of the jungle. With the help of [[OldMaster an old baboon who once advised his father]] and a [[ThoseTwoGuys comically mismatched pair of buddies]], he must reclaim his kingdom from [[GoodScarsEvilScars a black-maned, scarred lion who has usurped the throne in his absence]].

However, for all the comparisons between ''Disney/TheLionKing'' and the show, Kimba's story doesn't just consist of reclaiming the throne, but rather focuses on the aftermath as he tries to reassert his authority across the jungle, and [[{{Utopia}} create a new paradise where every animal has rights and prove that even animals can overcome the laws of nature]].

In some adaptions of the story, this really doesn't end well. However, due to the fact that this particular series was a collaboration between Creator/{{NBC}} and Tezuka's Creator/MushiProductions studio, the anime series remains high on [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism the more upbeat side of the scale]].

As an additional note, this was in fact the first Japanese animated television series produced in color.

* BittersweetEnding: If you take the 80's ''Leo the Lion'' into consideration, it's the ONLY version of the original story that doesn't end tragically. [[spoiler:Yet in spite of the high kill count, the near collapse of the animal's utopia when the humans' interest in their area is piqued, and Leo/Kimba's decision and ultimate fate... the last major threat to said kingdom has been removed, Rune has learned that there is good and evil in animals AND in humans finally understanding his father's [[KnightInSourArmor balanced perspective on the issue]], and through the actions of both father and son, [[EarnYourHappyEnding it's hinted that the animals are on the fast track to being considered sentient by humanity.]]]]

** In the 1993 dub and original Japanese, it's shown that Kimba struggles with allowing the carnivores to use the locusts as a food source, but it's that or the predators continuing to attempt to eat the other animals in the jungle. Even Kimba is not exempt from his natural urge, occasionally going wild with hunger (but stopping himself from actually doing the deed)

* DarkestAfrica: Both Played straight and subverted. The main chunk of story takes place in the last bit of frontier on an Africa on the fast track to becoming a world power. Kimba himself joins in by reorganizing the jungle along the lines of human civilization. In fact, a running theme of the story is the battle between this modernization and nature itself. [[spoiler:[[BittersweetEnding It's a tie]].]]
* DarkerAndEdgier: The 1980's remake series. This is probably because Osamu Tezuka – gravely ill even during preproduction – had almost no input into the remake, dying after the sixth episode was completed. In the final episode in the Japanese version, half of the main cast, including those that didn't even die in the manga, just got shot after a whole freaking 52 episodes of them appearing regularly.

** The dub also played a bit with ThemeNaming, with [[Theatre/JuliusCaesar a certain Shakespeare play as an inspiration]] This is arguably an improvement, as one of the villains went from the rather laughable "Toto" to Cassius, better reflecting the nature of his character and his past with Panja/Caesar.

* HumansAreBastards: [[EgomaniacHunter Hamegg's near insane]], [[CorruptTheCutie Being left on her own in darkest Africa causes Merry to fall apart into a dominatrix leading a bloodthirsty tribe,]] and Lamp? Lamp is a bad man. There are several exceptions as seen with Kimba's human friends though, and ultimately [[spoiler: [[WorldHalfFull Kimba's sacrifice in the manga and movie is hinted to have bridged a very large gap between man and animal]].]]

* SparedByTheAdaptation: [[spoiler:Claw and Hamegg]] in almost every adaption. [[spoiler: Kimba]] in the 1966/1984 series.

** [[spoiler:[[DownerEnding The '89 series sort of throws this out the window though, making the deaths and sacrifices seem utterly meaningless.]]]]

* FollowTheLeader: It's an ersatz version of ''AnimalFarm''.

* SlidingScaleOfAnimalCommunication: At Level 8.

* CrossDressingVoices: Two female voice actors supply the voices for nearly every young character, [[{{Irony}} including the manliest, Kimba himself]].

* ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy: Unless a named character is called [[DeathByOriginStory Ceasar]], odds are that he or she will dodge any bullet that comes his or her way.

Yeah, in some adaptions of the story, this really doesn't end well. However, due to the fact that this particular series was a collaboration between Creator/{{NBC}} and Tezuka's Creator/MushiProductions studio, the anime series remains high on [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism the more upbeat side of the scale]].

* BilingualBonus: Arguably, Kimba is a corruption of Simba, the Swahili word for "Lion".
** Actually, Kimba was originally supposed to be named Simba, but the lead letter was changed due to its similarity with the name of a contemporary soft-drink product. At least, that's the story...
*** This theory has been disproved. The real reason is complicated and barely makes any sense, so we'll just go with that.

Yeah, in some adaptions of the story, this really doesn't end well. However, due to the fact that this particular series was a collaboration between Creator/{{NBC}} and Tezuka's [[MushiProductions Mushi Pro]] studio, the anime series remains high on [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism the more upbeat side of the scale]].

Yeah, in some adaptions of the story, this really doesn't end well. However, due to the fact that this particular series was a collaboration between Creator/{{NBC}} and Tezuka's Mushi Pro Studio, the anime series remains high on [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism the more upbeat side of the scale]].

** Slightly inverted in the case of Caesar in the Manga and original Japanese: while Caesar was a good king to his loyal subjects, he had little mercy for animals in captivity. Believing that in fact, animals that served humans were unfit to live and fair game for good eatin' – however in the dub this particular detail was generally omitted, and it was instead implied that Caesar was as progressive as his son. Though that makes some episodes somewhat awkward (like Sampson's return, who offers some former pack-mules to Kimba as an offering for a celebratory meal).

* WouldHitAGirl: