Leo the Lion (Onward, Leo)

Leo the Lion (Onward, Leo!) ジャングル大帝・進めレオ (also known as New Jungle Emperor: Onward, Leo! is the sequel series to or second season of Kimba the White Lion (Jungle Emperor).

Onward, Leo! was broadcasted October 5, 1966 - March 29, 1967 on the Fuji Television Network in Japan. In the US, the series was given an English dub in 1984 and given the title: “Leo the Lion”. The series was dubbed by Sonic - Sound International Corp. and was broadcasted on CBN.

The series is noteworthy for exploring Kimba as an older character, as a few years have passed since the first series. Living with his wife, Kitty (Lyra), and introducing his children, Lune (Rune) and Lukio (Rukio). The ending of the series is very different from the original manga and the 1997 movie.

Production Staff[]

Director - Shigeyuki Hayashi

Music - Isao Tomita

Japanese Voice Cast -

Leo - Takashi Toyama
Lyra (Leah) - Haruko Kitahama
Lune - Kyoko Satomi
Lukio - Eiko Masuyama
Higeoyaji - Junji Chiba
Dr. Plus - Gorō Naya
Ronmel - Tōru Ōhira

Dub[]

Theme Song - Mark Boccaccio, Susan Brunet

Voice Cast -

Enzo Caputo – Leo
Jose Alvarez – Rune
Stuart Chapin – Parrot, Panther, Rhino, others

History[]

When production started on the second series with Kimba (Leo) as an adult, NBC Enterprises was not interested in working with Mushi productions and rejected their offer as NBC were satisfied with what they already had. In turn, Tezuka and Mushi Productions were allowed to make the series however they wanted without NBCE's direction and alterations.

Dubbing History[]

This series was dubbed into English by a company based in Miami, Florida in the United States known as SONIC-Sound International Corporation, and run at the time by Enzo Caputo between 1982-1988. Leo the Lion( so named because Leo was the Japanese name for the Kimba character) aired on CBN Cable Network in 1984, The theme song for the English dub was written by Mark Boccaccio and Susan Brunet. The English dub was so cheaply produced that it did not have any credits, not even a main title card.

Unlike Kimba, which had been extensively revised to tailor it to American tastes, Leo was an extremely accurate translation of the Japanese script. Most of the original names of the characters were used, such as Leo (Kimba) and Liya (Kitty). This was likely done to avoid a copyright conflict with the Kimba property. A few of the minor characters had their names changed such as Carl to Shamus, James D’Bond to Sterling Bond and the mammoth mother to Pachydermus.

International Dubs[]

See main page - Jungle Emperor - Onward, Leo! (International Dubs)

As stated, this series was dubbed in English in 1984. It was also dubbed in French, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, German, Turkish, Dutch, Portuguese, Bosnian, Polish (commentary only), Catalan, and Arabic.

Episode List[]

1. The First Adventure (Japanese title: "White King")

2. The Map of Danger ("Prairie showdown")

3. The Blue Lion ("Zamba of the Blue Mane")

4. The Last Hunt of the Ahabi People ("The Pygmys’ Death Dance")

5. Leo Becomes a Father ("Lune’s Adventurous Journey")

6. The Mighty Gorilla ("Donbe, the Huge Beast")

7. The Golden Bow

8. The Case of the Moonlight Stones ("The Secret of the Moonlight Stone")

9. The Falcons ("Bird of Terror")

10. Rick the Lycon ("Lycons Do Not Cry")

11. Panja’s Hide ("Panja Goes to Town")

12. The Poachers ("The Poacher’s Woods")

13. Duel at Lubar Valley

14. The Saber-Toothed Tiger ("The Glacier that Roared")

15. The Marked Giraffe ("The Lonesome Tomb")

16. Lily the Black Leopard ("The Black Monster in the Jungle")

17. Devil Falls

18. The Steel Monster ("Locomotive Battle")

19. A House for the Animals ("The Stone Fortress")

20. The White Cliff

21. Agura the Terrible ("The One Who Sold the Jungle ")

22. Candle Rock ("The Elephants’ Graveyard")

23. The Silver Wolf

24. Adventure at Volcano Island

25. The Green Plague ("The Sun Will Rise Again Over the Royal Castle")

26. The Eternal Mount Moon

Trivia[]

The series uses Kimba’s original Japanese name, “Leo”, for the first time in the US.

Kimba (Leo)’s cubs, Lune and Lukio, are nicknamed, “Runi and Rukki”, in this series.
Four episodes in the entire series (Leo becomes a Father, House of the Animals, The Green Plague, and The Eternal Mount Moon) are episodes based on the events that occur in the original manga.
In 1967, the 6th Japan Telefilm Technology Award was given (for Episode 14).
"Duel at Lubar Valley" and "The Poachers" have the highest death count of all the episodes in the series, both capping at five named characters.