The Lion King's, Controversy
“Now, for the summer of 1994, Disney animators will take you deep into the wilds of Africa for Disney's 32nd all-new full-length animated feature, The Lion King. It's an extraordinary original story about a heroic young cub named Simba, destined to become king of the jungle.” (Disney's trailer for The Lion King) The Lion King would remain the highest-grossing animated film of all time for over 15 years. This event takes a turn for the worse when newspapers slammed Disney for theft and then behold a controversy of great portions. Kimba, the White Lion is the story where allegations over theft where The Lion King was at question. Kimba can trace its origins to Japan's cartoonist, Isamu Tezuka, who started in the 1940s. Walt Disney influenced Tezuka so much that he took inspiration from Bambi and the Mickey Mouse newspaper strips to create iconic manga. Tezuka would be considered the Walt Disney of Japan and the anime pioneer due to creating Mighty Atom (Astro Boy) and Jungle Emperor Leo (Kimba, the White Lion). Astro Boy's success took the world by storm especially the US on NBC which sprouted the idea to air the White Lion in 1965. Tezuka got his dream to Disney iin Los Angles, California, US, and the two started to form a corrspondence with one another. Before the death of Tezuka in 1989, he was possibliy disccussing a remake of Kimba, the White Lion through Disney's studios making it. This is only speculative at best but holds significant backing due to all of The Lion King's similarities to Jungle Emperor Leo. Simba means lion and Kimba was Tezuka's attempt to differentate form the name. There are evil lions in both animations where each one has black mains and the names of Claw and Scar. Mufasa and Ceasar are both set in traps right before their deaths in their respected source materials. Claw and Scar haves statches on their left eyes from Ceasar and Mufasa through battles. Kimba and Simba go in exile while the villian lion takes on the mantle of the African plains and jungle kingdom. The similarities are striking but the controversy is with Disney denying any influence from Kimba, the White Lion. Disney promotes The Lion King as an original story with influences from Moses, who leaves and comes back to free his people, and Hamlet, the Prine seeking revenge against his uncle who ascended to the throne. My problem with Disney is all of the recanting stories in the press whether they knew of Kimba, the White Lion or not, Disney scuffing at Japan's animation from that era, and other sketchy responses to the press. Both and Kimba and Simba in their stories live to the motto stated by Kingdom of the Lion “The Lion, as king of the beasts, set up a kingdom where he proclaimed that all animals, friends, and enemies alike, should live together in perfect peace and Harmony.” Just as Bambi was the footnote for Tezuka's inspiration for anime, Disney made Kimba, the White Lion a footnote under The Lion King animated film.
