Synopsis
Continues the story of Kimba the White Lion
Leo, a white lion, is born on a sinking ocean liner near a bustling city and grows up learning human language and customs, yet he feels incomplete. Driven by a longing to find his true home and family, he travels to Africa with the goal of becoming the King of the Jungle. His journey revolves around promoting peace between humans and animals, who often clash over resources. As he matures, Leo confronts many obstacles, including Africa's harsh terrain, rival predators, and hunters who kill lions for sport. Believing that communication and mutual respect are key to settling conflicts, Leo hopes his unique knowledge of human society can help bridge the gap. "Jungle Taitei" chronicles a young lion's struggle to survive in a perilous world.
In this installment
After the massive success of Jungle Emperor in Japan, Dr. Tezuka created a sequel series in 1966, locally titled The New Jungle Emperor or Onward, Leo!. Unlike the first series co-produced with NBC, this sequel was an independent production that closely followed Tezuka's original manga. As a result, it had a darker tone, with significant character deaths and sorrowful episodes. NBC deemed the content unsuitable for its viewers and refrained from airing it in the US until 1984, after they had already used up their initial 52-episode run. The show then broadcast as Leo The Lion. Set years after the original Kimba series, the story features an adult Kimba, now with Kitty as his mate and two cubs. The plot mainly follows their son Rune as he matures and strives to match his father's strength. Due to legal issues preventing the use of the name Kimba in the English dub, the characters were given their original Japanese names instead.
