9 Famous Storylines That Hollywood Stole From Anime

7. The Lion King (Kimba The White Lion)

The similarities between Kimba The White Lion and The Lion King aren't immediately obvious; aside from the similar names that the the lion cubs in each series share i.e. Kimba and Simba. However, if you've seen both several times, you'll increasingly start to realise that the two are almost identical in terms of the story that they tell. Both stories centre around the cub of a mighty lion that rules over not only his own pride, but a giant conglomerate of anthropomorphic animals that live in an idyllic location. Mufasa and Panja (said pride leaders) desire, above all else, harmony, cooperation and mutual respect between all forms of life that they come into contact with, hoping their vision will live on in in their children in what is essentially a coming of age story. In Kimba, this is visualised through the murder of his the titular anime's father and the capture of his mother at the hands of humans. In The Lion King, a similar method is employed, wherein Mufasa is murdered by his jealous brother, who then proceeds to take control of the pride - bringing it to ruin.

Both cubs are able to escape their captors and go into hiding, so they can one day exact revenge on those that wronged them, and take back control of what they once lost. In The White Lion, Kimba is found by two humans when he escapes the boat that holds his mother captive, and learns valuable life lessons from them while in their care. This is mirrored almost exactly by the characters of Timon and Pumba in The Lion King. The meerkat and warthog duo care for Simba while also teaching him morals and the rights and wrongs of life.