Did You Know? ¡®The Lion King¡¯ Was A Rip-Off Of The Japanese Anime Series ¡®Kimba¡¯

This might come as a shock to many of you and might even shatter some beautiful childhood memories, but did you know that 'The Lion King' was actually a rip-off from a Japanese anime series called 'Kimba'?

'The Lion King' Was Ripped Off From A Japanese Anime Series

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There have been numerous instances where Hollywood movies have ripped off other cinematic masterpieces, or the other way around, when movies from places like the Hindi film industry take a little too much inspiration from the films made in the West. Well, the least I can say is that it runs the business.

A while back, it was discovered that the Disney movie ¡®The Lion King¡¯ had been greatly influenced by the Japanese anime series ¡®Kimba The White Lion.¡¯ It was a dagger to the heart when fans of the tear-jerking Disney classic found out that the tale of a lion prince whose father was killed in front of him was just a copy of a series produced in a different part of the world entirely.

I see Disney are making tons of cash off the Lion King again whilst failing to acknowledge that they shamelessly lifted the whole thing from the 1960s Japanese anime Kimba the White Lion. pic.twitter.com/SaUZ4yW4Qc

¡ª Upset Fish (@StormySturgeon) December 30, 2022

Although the creators of the film and Disney refuse to acknowledge the curious questions of the fans, the scenes of the two animations are too closely related for anyone to not suspect foul play. Kimba the White Lion is a manga-adapted series that aired between 1965 and 1967, and the classic animated Disney film was released in 1994.

The Manga And Its Anime Were Produced 30 Years Before 'The Lion King'

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The manga and its animated series were almost three decades ahead of the Disney remake, which makes it easy to determine just which one was the original idea. The manga¡¯s creator, Osamu Tezuka, even commented on the sharp similarities back on July 13, 1994, but these were eventually brushed off.

As for the similarities, apart from splitting images of the characters in the two productions, both stories are based on a coming-of-age trope that follows the life of a young lion. They are both based in Africa. The two lion cubs in both the series and the film have animal sidekicks; both lose their fathers, who are the kings of their pride.

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These deaths become a major turning point in the tale. Even Kimba¡¯s uncle in the series looks awfully similar to Scar. And then there¡¯s the scene with Simba¡¯s father, Mufasa, appearing to him on a cloud that is also a frame-by-frame sequence in the anime.

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