The Lion King has been broadcast on TV, however this article is about Kimba the White Lion, a manga released in an anime version in 1965 that was created by Osamu Tezuka. This Japanese author was a great friend of Walt Disney's.
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Kimba the White Lion and The Lion King tell the same story, the story of the main character who loses his father. Kimba and Simba are lions who do not eat meat and are advised by a monkey and a bird. In addition to these commonalities, watch the video above to see that some of the shots from the two animated films are very similar.
Disney even went so far as to ask for a boycott of Osamu Tezuka's animated films by American channels to avoid any controversy and contestation regarding a possible inspiration. This boycott lasted until 1990 and it was not until 2001 that Disney apologised.
But no complaints or repercussions have taken place because Kimba the White Lion’s creator considers that The Lion King is more a tribute to his work than a plagiarism. But be careful, even if Disney's cartoon is largely inspired by Kimba the White Lion, the message is not the same. Simba learns how to become a good King, while Tezuka's work shows us the impact of man on nature.
Check out our comparison of the two films in the video above!
