The original Kimba vs. the 1993 Kimba

Regarding all the misleadings between the original Kimba and the "original" Kimba that often take place in video/DVD shops (either real or on-line), I think that there are some things that should be cleared out:

The original Kimba is the one that was syndicated to the U.S. and shown on TV in the 1960s and 1970s, and featuring Billie Lou Watt as Kimba and the music from the original Japanese series (from which the original U.S. Kimba was dubbed in English) composed by Isao Tomita. It is the version of the series that most people cherish and remember, even now, 30 or 40 years later.

However, since U.S. rights to Kimba expired in 1978, years later a Canadian company decided to make a new English version of Kimba, which featured images from the Japanese tapes, but it had a completely new soundtrack, opening theme and voices. Although it isn't the show that fans of the original Kimba remember, according to Kimba W. Lion one of its good points is that its script was truer to the original Japanese scripts, with translations much closer to the Japanese original, and that (unlike in the original Kimba) the episode 1 of the 1993 series starts from the same beginning the original Japanese episode 1 does. However, it seems that (compared to the Japanese series) in the 1993 Kimba at least 3 minutes are cut from each episode. This version was aired on TV around the world for 13 years.

  The original U.S. Kimba The "Canadian" Kimba
Year it was produced 1965 1993
Number of episodes 52 26
Year it was aired 1966-1978 1996-2009 (around the world), 2003-2009 (in the U.S.)
Director Eiichi Yamamoto Eiichi Yamamoto 
Animated by Mushi Productions Mushi Productions
Voice of Kimba Billie Lou Watt Yvonne Murray
Voice characterizations Billie Lou Watt, Cliff Owens, Gilbert Mack, Hal Studer Jackie Pardy, Allen Kosonic, Don Neilson, Steve Thamer, Yvonne Murray, Robin Jordan, Peter Dufferin
Post-production sound Titan Productions Inc. Zaza Sound Productions Ltd.
Music by Isao Tomita Paul J. Zaza
Opening theme by Bill Giant, Bernie Baum, Florence Kaye Paul J. Zaza, Yvonne Murray
Opening theme's lyrics Kimba! (x8)

Who lives down in deepest darkest Africa? (Africa)
Who's the one who brought the jungle fame?
Who's the king of animals in Africa?
Kimba the White Lion is his name!

When we get in trouble and we're in a fight,
Who's the one who just won't turn and run?
Who believes in doing good and doing right?
Kimba the White Lion is the one!

Kimba! (x8)

 
Who lives down in deepest darkest Africa? (Africa)
Who's the one who brought the jungle fame?
Who's the king of animals in Africa?
Kimba the White Lion is his name!

 He's the greatest leader, there's no doubt of it
He's the one we count on night and day,
When there's danger he can get us out of it,
Kimba the White Lion lead the way!
Kimba, the White Lion
He's the bravest little guy in the land
Kimba, the White Lion
Lending all his jungle friends a helping hand
 
When ever we get into trouble he's the one
He does best to teach us right from wrong
He doesn't like for us to fight with anyone
He wants his jungle friends to get along
 
Cause he's Kimba, the White Lion
And he's not afraid of anything
Kimba, the White Lion
He's the bravest in the jungle, he's the king (he's the king; squawk!)
 
Kimba, the White Lion (heh heh that's me!)
Kimba, the White Lion (he's my pal!)
Kimba, the White Lion....
 
The lettering in the opening sequence lettering from the discontinued 2003 DVD box set lettering from the 2005 DVD box set lettering of the 1993 series lettering of the 1993 series
View the opening sequence RealVideo clip (1,1 MB) Windows Media Video clip (1,8 MB)
Video releases 1993 Kimba the White Lion australian video 1993 Kimba the White Lion australian video 1996 Kimba the Lion Prince video 1997 french Kimba video - Les Aventures de Kimba Le Roi de la jungle 2000 russian Kimba video
DVD releases

2003 Kimba the White Lion DVD box set (discontinued) 2005 Kimba the White Lion DVD box set2013 Kimba the White Lion Complete DVD box set

2003 Kimba the White Lion DVD (by Warner; discontinued) 2004 Kimba the White Lion DVD vol.1 (by Genius) 2006 Kimba the Lion DVD vol.1 (by Digiview)