アニメANIMATION

STORY

This is a saga depicting the law of the jungle and the relationship between humans and animals, with Panja the white lion and his son Leo as the main characters. As this was the first full-color animated TV program in Japan, the coloring process was done by trial and error. For the music, a solemn symphony was prepared right from the beginning, so that it could also be used for the theatrical version. (Japanese animated films still tend to have bigger budgets for music compared to camera-shot films, and the reason behind this is the success of "Jungle Emperor Leo." However, most films have not been able to copy this Hollywood style of recording, in which an orchestra plays while viewing the film as in "Jungle Emperor Leo.") It is well known that when Tezuka Osamu went to the U.S. to promote the film, the U.S. staff was astonished to hear such solemn music. This film was put on the air with the title "Kimba, the White Lion," and became very popular.

CREDIT

(c) Tezuka Productions Co., Ltd. / Mushi Production

Broadcast via Fuji TV network / 23 minutes /In color / 52 episodes
October 6, 1965 - September 28, 1966, Wednesdays 7:00 - 7:30 PM

Special Award of the 4th TV Editors' Award in 1966
The best annual TV film for the Central Children's Culture Association under the Ministry of Health and Welfare, in 1966
Cultural Award of Children's Welfare under the Minister of Health and Welfare, in 1966

CAST

Leo: Ota Toshiko
Lyre: Matsuo Keiko
Tommy: Akashi Hajime
Coco: Tamura Kinto
Mandy: Katsuta Hisashi
Totto: Kato Seizo
Dick: Kawakubo Kiyoshi
Bo: Kumakura Kazuo
Kenichi: Sekine Nobuaki
Mary: Yamamoto Yoshiko
Higeoyaji: Chiba Junji

STAFF

Original Manga: Tezuka Osamu
Producer: Yamamoto Eichi
Chief Director: Hayashi Shigeyuki
Animation Director: Katsui Chikao
Original pictures: Saito Hiroshi, Hikone Norio, Hirata Toshio, Masanobu Kozo, Ueguchi Teruhito, Sakaguchi Shozo, Uchida Yukihiko, Hayashi Masayuki, Akahori Kanji
Motion pictures: Numamoto Kiyomi, Ogawa Takao, Rachi Yoshitaka, Shindo Mitsuo, Uenashi Ichiya, Jingu Satoshi, Kanayama Akihiro, Saruyama Jiro, Araki Shingo, Nishimura Hiroshi
Art Director: Matsumoto Tsuyoshi
Art: Ito Shinji, Abe Koji, Yatsumura Hiroya, and Yoshiwara Kazusuke
Backgrounds: Suzuki Morishige, Hirabayashi Shigeru, Mizutani Noboru, Tanaka Masako, Owaki Shoko, Watanabe Tsuyoshi, Ishii Ken, Ho Iso, Tajima Wakako, Kataoka Junko
Processing: Shimizu Tatsumasa
Special Processing: Yasuda Takanobu
Editing: Furukawa Masashi
Music: Tomita Isao

Theme Songs:
"Jungle Emperor Leo's Theme": lyrics by Ishizato Okatake, music by Tomita Isao and vocals by Hirano Tadahiko
"Leo's Song": lyrics by Tsuji Masaki, music by Tomita Isao and vocals by Hirota Mieko
Conductor: Morita Goichi
Sound: Tashiro Atsumi
Recording: Iwata Koichi
Data Processing: Nozaki Yoshihiro
Animation Production: Koyama Teru
Production Coordinator: Mori Masaki
Managers: Kishimoto Yoshiisa, Yawata Tadashi, Mogi Soichi, Koyama Hikari, Adachi Noboru, Iwasaki Masami
Animal Supervisor: Obara Hideo
Idea: Kume Minoru

EPISODES
CATEGORY
TV series

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