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Rommel ロンメル is a member of the Osamu Tezuka star system. In the Jungle Emperor universe, he is the general of the Country B expedition for the Moonlight Stones. He is related to a former WWII general, hence his direct and strict nature.
Physical Appearance[]
Rommel wears a brown general outfit and wears a spectacle on his left eye. In Leo the Lion (Onward, Leo), he also has a cigar.
Personality[]
He is very unforgiving to anyone or anything expect for his current loyalty to Country B and it’s mission to find the stones. He will cheat and steal from his enemies if it means that he can get what he wants. Despite this, he is a great commander to his crew and is crucial to their survival on Mount Moon.
Appearances[]
In Jungle Emperor (manga)[]
Rommel is leading the unnamed "Country B" expedition in finding the moonlight stones. For political, social, and financial gain, Countries A and B race to the top of Mount Moon in order to grab the Moonlight Stones and find this legendary scientific breakthrough first. Rommel and his crew stumble upon Country A's party, taking shelter in a cave from the pouring rain. Country A is defenseless due to their severe stomachaches and Rommel decides to take their supplies and weapons for their own gain and leave towards Mount Moon.
While the crew gets a head-start, they are attacked by Mount Moon's dinosaurs when they run out of ammo. Rommel remains stubborn and loyal to Country B, even if the enemy's aid is offered. Even when the countries' crews spend Christmas together on the harsh mountain, Rommel ignores his enemy and makes his cause benefit Country B.
After a long battle against two dinosaurs of Mount Moon, Rommel is ultimately killed stating his last words: "Country B will prevail..."
In Leo the Lion (Onward, Leo)[]
Rommel appears only in the last two episodes that act as a two-part finale: ep 25 The Green Plague and ep. 26 The Eternal Mount Moon. He arrives on a boat with his crew to the jungle in search of Mount Moon and the Moonlight Stones. Along the way, he manages to shoot at Leah (Laiya) before Higeoyaji (Dr. Mustache) stops him so that she can escape.
During the trek down from Mount Moon, he acts to mutiny on the group, and leaves them when he saw an opening in the snowstorm clouds, believing that they all will die lost and he will be fine. Ironically, he was never seen again afterwards (This scene effectively replaces Pierre last moments play out in the Jungle Emperor (manga)).
Trivia[]
- Rommel's name, and background as a World War II General is a reference to the real-life Erwin Rommel a German General during the Second World War, that was involved in the German invasion of France, the North Africa campaign, the Battle of Normandy, and was implicated in the July 20th Plot.
- Despite his name, Rommel is visually based on a real-world German Actor from the 1950s.
- Rommel's appearance in the original 1950 manga serves as a further reference to the Nazi German 'Ratlines' (where Nazi officers fled Germany in the aftermath of the Second World War to escape persecution from the allies for their warcrimes) much like the 1950 manga version of Hamegg
- In the Leo the Lion (Onward, Leo) 1982 English dub, Rommel's background as a former German General during the Second World War has been left out, most likely due to due to ex-Nazi German fugitives being inappropriate (for the young western audience), and irrelevant by 1982.
- In the original 50s version of Tezuka's manga, Rommel and his crew appear earlier than the revised 1977 version. Their journey starts as early as when Kimba (Leo) meets the mammoth for the first time. Country A's group also starts during this time as well.
Gallery[]
Resources[]
1. Tezuka in English, Rommel Page (https://tezukainenglish.com/wp/?page_id=1257)