Product Details

• Actors: Billie Lou Watt, Hal Studer, Gilbert Mack, Ray Owens, Sonia Owens
• Format: Animated, Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Bayview Entertainmen
• VHS Release Date: April 18, 2000
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6305791163
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #227,822 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Osamu Tezuka based Kimba on his popular comic strip, "Jungle Emperor." It was the first color Japanese series to air in the U.S. when it debuted in 1966.

Kimba is born on a ship taking his mother to a European zoo. When the ship sinks, Kimba swims back to Africa, where he's hailed as the successor to his father, Caesar. With the help of his friends Dan'l Baboon and Pauley Cracker, a loudmouth parrot, Kimba protects all the animals. He insists on fair play, honesty, and trying one's best, sometimes to the point of priggishness. Kimba--who is, improbably, a vegetarian--organizes the planting of a communal garden to provide food during droughts in "Jungle Thief." Samson the Cape buffalo challenges Kimba's democratic ideas in "Great Caesar's Ghost." Dan'l and Pauley put on the rug made out of Caesar's skin and pose as his ghost in this very odd episode.

The animation is extremely limited, even by the undemanding standards of '60s TV cartoons. Kimba's oversized round head, large eyes, and huge ears look cute rather than feline, and may appeal to very small children. Kids over 8 will quickly grow impatient with the slow pacing and lack of action. For ages 3 and up; animals occasionally engage in mild cartoon fights. --Charles Solomon

Product Description

The original 1966 series, with the original, uncut dialogue intact! A fan favorite for years, this series is again available. Unlike today's other children's shows which are utterly devoid of meaning, Kimba stands alone... and it's now back to show new generations how good a show can be. Also, you might see for yourself the similarities to another big-screen picture about a lion king.

Four episodes per tape.

1. "Go, White Lion"
Caesar, like all fathers, wanted Kimba to live in a world where all lived in harmony and to rule justly when the time came to succeed him. Sadly, before his tiny lion son had a chance to be a child, hunters descended on the village and destroyed the family. Only little Kimba survived... and now he must assume the throne and its tremendous responsibilities!

2. "Jungle Thief"
In the wilds, the first concern is usually food. Never was that more true than now, as the reserves are quickly being consumed and the harmony that Kimba has striven toward is threatened. Only a miracle can save them!

3. "Dangerous Journey"
Plague has fallen upon the jungle! An outbreak of Stony Mountain Speckled Fever has stricken most of Kimba's friends! There is a cure, known to only one ancient sheep... but the task to retrieve the antidote is one filled with danger!

4. "Great Caesar's Ghost"
Samson does not agree with Kimba's lofty idea that all animals should live in harmony and work toward the common good. In fact, he thinks it might be better if he was the one making the rules... starting with which animals should be tonight's dinner!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another unapologetic Kimba fan, April 14, 2000

By 

B. Ryan Brady (Rochester, Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kimba the White Lion - The King is Dead, All Hail the King (Vol. 1) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Five stars for "Kimba", my favorite TV show ever! This series struck a deep emotional chord that still resonates twenty-five years later.

The animation really is better than the AMAZON reviewer describes. Yes, it looks choppy compared to "Aladdin", but no more than old "Huckleberry Hound" cartoons, and certainly no more than most of the children's cartoons currently coming out of Japan. The craftsmanship shines in the richly drawn jungle backgrounds and the brilliant musical score (recorded by the Japanese Philharmonic Orchestra). The action is quick, with lots of plot crammed into each 25-minute episode. The characters are usually talking (fast) or running somewhere, creating a hyperkenetic feel.

But what sets this cartoon apart is the story telling and character development. Kimba the white lion loses his parents early in life, and inherits the nearly impossible job of bringing peace and justice to the jungle. He proceeds by taking clues from the better aspects of human civilization, for instance establishing a farm and an "animal restaurant" (in Vol. 2) to ameliorate the constant battles over food. He relates to the other animals of his "kingdom" more like a playmate than a ruler, being a pre-adolescent throughout the series. A pacifist at heart, Kimba only fights when he has to ... which turns out to be really quite often. He isn't perfect though, and his friends (or the memory of his father) sometimes have to correct him when he's wrong. He often struggles with moral dilemmas and self-doubt (as in the episode "Jungle Thief"), and sometimes he even comes close to despair. But he's the leader we all wish we had, and the leader we all wish we could be.

Granted, not everyone is going to like these cartoons. The animation pales next to higher budget films. And much of "Kimba's" appeal rests on its die-hard idealism, not pointed wit or irony. Is it just childhood nostalgia, or would I still like "Kimba" even if I saw it for the first time today? I can't be completely sure. But I do know this: "Kimba" was the only TV show I saw as a kid that actually had a positive influence on me. Watch it and decide for yourself if you like it; I'm an unapologetic Kimba fan. Go, White Lion!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The original series - the way it was intended, March 31, 2000

By 

Shawne Kleckner (Grimes, Iowa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kimba the White Lion - The King is Dead, All Hail the King (Vol. 1) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

My kids watched this show straight through and loved it. Thisshow tells a tale with moral values and it brought a tear to my eye tosee it again. Anyone who watched this show as a kid will definitely remember the wonderful theme song. The publisher has spent the time to make sure that the picture and sound are of good quality, not the scratchy prints I've seen on bootlegs out there. There are SO MANY Lion King scenes in this video that you'll be amazed. Watch episode 1 and then watch the other, and you'll see.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Origional!, October 24, 2001

By 

"catladyj" (Carmichaels, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kimba the White Lion - The King is Dead, All Hail the King (Vol. 1) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Great tape! My 5 year old son loves to watch Kimba. I regret that I hesitated buying this tape because of the other persons review. This tape brings back great memories, for all of us who were born around 1960. The shows on the tape are the earlier ones of kimba. The soundtrack and dialogue is just as I remembered it. It's a very simplistic cartoon by todays standards but, my kids and I still enjoy it. Kimba teaches kids and reminds adults the value of morals and doing what's right.