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The Lion King: That Time Disney Ripped Off an Anime
- Thread starter Don Fluffles
- Start date
It is known and ok that art and animation uses other work as reference material. It is very common and you can find endless examples across mediums.
And it is also possible that Disney maybe went a touch too far with how much singular reference material they used here.
These things do not have to be mutually exclusive.
And it is also possible that Disney maybe went a touch too far with how much singular reference material they used here.
These things do not have to be mutually exclusive.
Considering how ubiquitous the "it's actually just Hamlet with lions" retort is, it wouldn't surprise me if it was a deliberate meme sent out into the world to downplay and distract from how Disney clearly got caught copying someone else's homework.
What bothered me the most, was also the fact that I loved The Lion King so much and they kept claiming how it was their "first" original feature (which happened to be based off a theme).
After seeing these pics back like 20 years ago, it bugged me that Disney just kept denying ANY connection. One interview basically has creators/animators went on to say "oh yeah we watched Kimba but weren't directly inspired by it!" Simba was originally white etc.... It was all watered down to "pure coincidence", and that I don't entirely buy. I think it just bugs me the most about the whole thing.
After seeing these pics back like 20 years ago, it bugged me that Disney just kept denying ANY connection. One interview basically has creators/animators went on to say "oh yeah we watched Kimba but weren't directly inspired by it!" Simba was originally white etc.... It was all watered down to "pure coincidence", and that I don't entirely buy. I think it just bugs me the most about the whole thing.
To be fair he never really had the resources to do a Disney did
I still remember the first time I saw The Lion King, my mom (who is Japanese) was like "that looks like Jungle Taitei".
People just don't want to grapple with the fact that one of their favorite movies, definitely ripped-off some elements from another work.
I've seen this over the years and yeah it looks pretty bad, almost as bad as the responses in this thread. It's like as soon as someone mentions anime people completely lose their fucking minds. You're free to like the movie as much as you want, but they clearly ripped someone off, which is a bad look regardless of how bad the original may be.
Maybe the whole thing wouldn't be an issue if Disney didn't stop the people who made Kimba from releasing their products stateside.
It's kinda like if after the Hunchback of Notredame they lawyered up and forbade anyone from making an adaptation of Hugo's book.
And seriously this is way less blatant than the Nadia rippoff they did years later.
It's kinda like if after the Hunchback of Notredame they lawyered up and forbade anyone from making an adaptation of Hugo's book.
And seriously this is way less blatant than the Nadia rippoff they did years later.
https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_6272316
This was the article I read, complete with "look at these coincidences!" (Much better than the Cracked link in OP)
This was the article I read, complete with "look at these coincidences!" (Much better than the Cracked link in OP)
It's not people don't see the coincidence, it's just that many, like myself, simply don't care. So doing a deep dive into some camera angles isn't really going to change much in proving a point. I can see the similarities just fine. Kimba did a crap job taking from Hamlet. TLK were "inspired" by some scenes in Kimba and took from Hamlet, as well.
I also know Kimba doesn't have Jeremey Irons singing Be Prepared or the opening sequence. So 10 points to Gryffindor.
BLASPHEMY!
Next you're going to tell me that The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Pinocchio, Snow White, and Cinderella weren't original Disney stories!
More like LYING KING am I right?
Next you're going to tell me that The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Pinocchio, Snow White, and Cinderella weren't original Disney stories!
More like LYING KING am I right?
If there's one thing I have learned in 'lo these many weary years of the internet, it is this.
Kimba doesn't have sex
Kimba fucks
Honestly, I'm completely fine with this take. But there are definitely people who truly believe it's 100% coincidence and come up with lame excuses for it being similar. As I said, I love Lion King and I agree it's the better overall work.
Also Aladdin blatantly copied off Thief and the Cobbler, to the point where when the latter film was finally "finished" (read: butchered) and released in the US it would repackaged as an Aladdin knock-off.
There's no way anyone who studied animation wouldn't have known about Kimba if even The Simpsons could mock them about it.
The idea was probably pitched to some team of executives, who approved it as an original story, and no one on the production team would dare to say otherwise.
The idea was probably pitched to some team of executives, who approved it as an original story, and no one on the production team would dare to say otherwise.
I don't see how anyone can look at this video and say iTz JuSt a MeMe BrO!!1!
The replies in the thread are incredible to me.
I guess most people don't care about the respect of Intellectual Property.
Yes, both movies are based on Hamlet.
But yes, Lion King is also a huge rip-off of Kimba.
I mean, what if a japanese studio decides to do an adaptation of Hamlet, but with lions? And what if they took whole scenes from the Lion King?
Would it be ok?
I guess most people don't care about the respect of Intellectual Property.
Yes, both movies are based on Hamlet.
But yes, Lion King is also a huge rip-off of Kimba.
I mean, what if a japanese studio decides to do an adaptation of Hamlet, but with lions? And what if they took whole scenes from the Lion King?
Would it be ok?
Oh, I know they exist. It's pretty hard to deny the similarities, like MJ in Billie Jean being "inspired" by Bob Fosse in The Little Prince.
Acknowledge them, say you still don't care, and move on. Hell, Led Zeppelin fans do it all the time.
You should see what they did to the guy who published a book that was strangely similar to little nemo.
Guy didn't have the backing of big corp and was bullied out of his property.
This is... a lot more than I had thought. It's one too many "coincidences", really. This goes beyond Disney and using Hamlet/timeless fairy tales. Disney DID have to get permission to use IPs for stuff like Peter Pan. Kimba had only been made less than 30 years prior, so the timing thing is also something.
Well I mean yeah, its the remake of a remake of a remake. It sure aint fresh lol
so does that mean The Lion King live action remake will be the first successful live action anime adaptation
and ya know ghosts, two goofballs running around making jokes, fleeing their homeland, and killing the uncle in a fight
and yes hamlet runs away from home
maybe Disney shouldn't have been marketing it as an original feature that's described as "unique" and pushing that that for years...
some people in this thread think it's stupid and lame to bring this up, but if one of your beloved gaming companies/publishers were doing this shit, you would all up in arms
some people in this thread think it's stupid and lame to bring this up, but if one of your beloved gaming companies/publishers were doing this shit, you would all up in arms
This is even more egregious since the Disney movie is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo crap.Don't forget this
they can't even do a proper rippoff.
I didn't know so many people worked for Disney at ResetEra. Anyone trying to downplay the similarities is hilarious, The Lion King is a way better movie, but to act like the only thing they share is Hamlet is disingenuous.
Prince Caspain's story is also Hamlet as is the story of Uthred of Bebbanburg
