Simba vs Kimba: The Lion King and Kimba The White Lion Controversy

Kimba the White Lion and The Lion King Controversy

Kimba and Simba

Kimba The White Lion was an animated TV series way before The Lin King was even thought of. With a lot of evidence stacked against Disney stealing Tezuka's original work, most people believe it is a rip off. The history of the two men working together, the undeniable copy scenes, and the characters all give reason to believe it is a rip off though.

Disney and Tezuka

Tezuka met Walt Disney back in 1964 at NY's World Fair. The two talked and eventually Disney had people help Tezuka's men to properly color his animated series Kimba The White Lion. Disney even said to Tezuka that he wished to create something like Astro Boy. Tezuka also got the rights to adapt Bambi into a manga series at this time.

Disney is an over zealous company. They even once demanded that Mickey and Minnie Mouse pictures be removed from a daycare center. So when it comes to copyright issues, Disney is no fan of taking it. However they do like to create it. When they created The Lion King in 1996 they say they had no idea of the 1966 Kimba The White Lion series. When the Disney movie aired in Japan theaters over 1,100 anime artists and fans signed a petition demanding Disney to acknowledge their thievery of Tezuka's original work. Disney of course refused saying they had no knowledge of its existence. But how can this be when an investigation revealed that three people working in The Lion King had knowledge of the Tezuka work. They admitted to this as well. They later denied this fact stating the two were completely different stories.

Tom Sito, the head of the animators' union and past worker of The Lion King said:

"We were more than halfway through production with most of the story locked when one animator found a Kimba comic with a setting that looked very close to Pride Rock. He posted it and we were all very amused by the similarities but none of us felt we were ripping it off."

Some say at this point that the references were subliminal and that the creators may have pulled from past knowledge of the anime not remembering they watched it as a child. The fact that many people from Disney had previously worked on Kimba The White Lion and then The Lion King Gould be proof enough that the story was stolen even if it was subliminal.

The Similarities

The Similar Scenes

Many questions surround the Kimba and Lion King controversy. The fact that Disney made The Lion King years later an even had a hand in distributing Kimba the White Lion in the USA, many believe they ripped off Tezuka's original work.

1. The name of the main characters: Kimba and Simba.

2. Both are destined to be kings.

3. Both cubs see their fathers in the sky.

4. Fathers died by traitors.

5. Both cubs are followed by an annoying bird.

6. Both have a wide and crazy baboon

7. Both cubs have 'cute' girlfriends waiting for them.

8. Hyenas are always attempting to take over their land.

9. Antagonists in both have only one eye and have similar names: Claw and Scar.

10. The jutting rock pose in both animations.

These are just the most notable similarities which lead most people to believe it is not just a coincidence. Of course Disney denies any rip off state that it is all coincidence and based solely from Shakespeare's Hamlet and the Biblical story of Mary and Joseph. Ten similarities is no coincidence.

Original Artwork for Simba

With evidence like this, people still side with Disney and say it is just a coincidence. So I will leave the post with one more note. In the original artwork drawn up for The Lion King Simba was suppose to be a white lion, yes a white lion. At this point it is beyond coincidental and now just a rip off. Do not get me wrong though, The Lion King is my favorite Disney movie and will always be my favorite. I hate that it was a rip off of an anime. The only thing I ask and the many Tezuka fans ask is that credit is given where it is due. I feel it is due here.

Death Note Chapter 109

Death Note the Extra Chapter

Chapter 109

So I finally found a copy of the extra chapter from Death Note. It was pretty good and I actually liked how it ended. Near is a little more grown up now and seems to have become ‘L’ fully. He still has his old happens like building things and playing with his hair. He seems to be a bit more like ‘L’ as well in personality.

Plot of Death Note Chapter 109

Cries for Death

Recently a lot of elderly people have been dying. Mostly only the ones who want to die. The investigators from the Japanese Police Force that fought Kira notice a familiar trend. Someone is using a Death Note. Near’s team also notices the trend.

 

The Kira Kingdom show is going to be airing a special where people will debate what is going on. They will of course be covered up by glass so their faces will not show. People break through an beg C-Kira to kill them. He grant their wishes. Soon Near airs as L and announces he is not interested in this Cheap Kira. He leaves everything to the Japanese Police Force. It is here that you get a little back story with Near. He mentions that he heard L speak one time at his orphanage and that after that meeting with the children, L chose Near and Mello to be choices for his successors. He chose them because they said nothing to him and had a ‘nasty’ look in their eyes.

 

Meanwhile in the Shinigami world, Ryuk is asked if he is responsible by a fellow Shinigami. He explains that another had brought apples from Earth and asked for a second Death Note. He gave it to a human to do as Ryuk had. He comes back at the end of the chapter disappointed. He explains to Ryuk that his human sat still for three days after he killed the people on TV. He then wrote his own name in the Death Note. Ryuk said his human was not mentally capable like Light Yagami. Ryuk stated that his human was weak.

Near

Like I said it was pretty cool. I enjoyed reading it and liked that it was not just a continuation. I see that too often with great anime’s, they have to add more plot line just to get more money. It’s not great, but just enough to keep the really loyal fans involved. I digress though, sorry :3. Anyways it’s a good extra chapter and in my opinion worth the read.

 

Overall Grade: 9 out of 10