Product Details

• Actors: Billie Lou Watt, Hal Studer, Gilbert Mack, Ray Owens, Sonia Owens
• Directors: Eiichi Yamamoto
• Format: Full Screen, Color, Dolby, DVD, Limited Edition, NTSC, Original recording remastered, Subtitled
• Language: English, Japanese
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 11
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: RIGHT STUF
• DVD Release Date: November 29, 2005
• Run Time: 1205 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000BBOF90
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #109,223 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Studio: Bayview/widowmaker Release Date: 11/29/2005

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant! The original theme music and voices!, November 4, 2005

By 

Anne Garnett (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kimba The White Lion Ultra DVD Box Set (Limited Edition) (DVD)

This is the one that fans of Kimba the White Lion have been waiting for! It contains the original theme music and voices from the 1965 version! The video releases of some Kimba episodes in the 1990s were disappointing, containing a new, somewhat boring theme tune, and different character voices. This box set is superb - all 52 episodes are fully restored, complete with the original soundtrack, and the discs are beautifully presented. It brought back wonderful memories, and the new generation just love the stories!

55 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is THE Kimba set to get!, September 16, 2005

By 

Kimba W. Lion "kimbawlion.com" (the East Coast) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kimba The White Lion Ultra DVD Box Set (Limited Edition) (DVD)

Kimba The White Lion is one of the greatest animated series of all time. It has been (and is) shown all over the world and is still popular today, 40 years after it was first made. It is accessible to the youngest children, and its themes of love for all life and the need for understanding between humanity and the animal kingdom keep it alive in adults' hearts.

Kimba is publicized as the first color anime. You might then think that it is primitive, but the use of color in the show was truly joyous, and the quality of animation is fully the equal of any TV anime today--often superior. The rich, expressive full-orchestral score by Isao Tomita (played by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra) is a major asset, too.

For the American dubbed version, experienced radio actors were employed to give voices to the characters. (Billie Lou Watt, the voice of Kimba, had an impressive list of credits reaching up to the recent Courage The Cowardly Dog.) Their superb skill and talent make me wonder what happened to the art of dubbing since then.

Kimba the White Lion is a brilliant, fun, and thoughtful show. Everyone to whom I've shown this show, loves it.

The shows on this DVD set are the original, 1966 version with Billie Lou Watt as Kimba. I have seen test pressings of these DVDs, and they present Kimba looking better than ever before. You can safely trash any and all Kimba DVDs you might have bought before. These are that much better.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very enjoyable product!, August 23, 2006

By 

Rick Hobson (Boise, ID USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kimba The White Lion Ultra DVD Box Set (Limited Edition) (DVD)

I had never seen Kimba before, although I was certainly aware of the Japanese animation appearing on American television in the '60's. Along with Kimba, there was Speed Racer, Marine Boy and Astro Boy, as well as many others. I purchased this product based on word of mouth and the reviews online, including here at Amazon.

I was not disappointed at all. Physically, the product arrived as advertised. All the DVDs were packaged in high quality materials, brightly designed. I couldn't wait to view the programs and extras.

The included booklet and bonus features disc were informative and entertaining. The inclusion, on the bonus disc, of songs from the original Japanese version made me wish I could understand Japanese. A minor nitpick: Subtitles would have been nice here, but subtitles -are- included for the included original Japanese version of the first episode.

No worries though, as the rest of the 52 original episodes, as they appeared on 1960's American television, had been expertly dubbed into English at the time.

The Japanese version of Kimba was the first anime series broadcast in color in Japan. Kimba is an odd sort of cartoon, a kind you unfortunately don't see much on television these days. Certainly it was designed for children; there are bright colors, songs and entertaining and sympathetic characters. I would suggest Kimba for any family with children.

But there's more. There are lessons here for children and adults alike. Tezuka's original story, as it appeared in manga (Japanese comic books, basically) in the 1950's, had very adult themes at times. The main character, orphaned by humans, fought against his own animal instincts and desires for revenge in an attempt to live peacefully with all creatures, including humans. Death happens, usually leading to an epiphany for the main character or a sort of "deathbed" conversion of the unfortunate. These are certainly odd topics for an American cartoon of the 1960's, made even more odd by the dubbing and editing attempts made by the Americans to soften events.

"Kimba" tells the story of the first half of the life of the young lion prince. The adult portion of his life was covered in the 1960's Japanese animated series "Jungle Emperor: Onward Leo" as well as in a big-budget theatrical release in 1997 called "Jungle Emperor Leo." This movie is available from Amazon. Be warned though, both the sequel series and the movie are darker and more realistically violent, while retaining there lessons about life and family. The movie ends as the orginal manga did, with the ultimate sacrifice of a major character, and the promise of the continuation of the main character's progeny. NOT for small kids, in my opinion. But worth seeing.

The music in Kimba is incredible, once again above and beyond anything in "Made in America" cartoons. This is because the music, scored for full orchestra and choir, was created by Isao Tomita. Tomita went on to create great electronic music in the 70's and 80's, but it is said that he believes his works for Kimba (especially in it's Japanese form Jungle Emperor) was some of his best.

In summary, Kimba is worth having for it's historical and nostalgic value. Moreover it has important messages for children (and adults!) who may otherwise be lost in a sea of violent videos and cartoons. I highly suggest you give it a look. You can find more information on Kimba at http://www.kimbawlion.com/