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.
