Kimba the White Lion Original animation cel, with copy background Original hand drawn by the animators for the production of one episode of this famous serie. See images, very good. Kimba the White Lion, originally known as Jungle Emperor Leo (Japanese: ジャングル大帝, Hepburn: Janguru Taitei) in Japan, is a 1965 television series produced by Mushi Production. This series was based on the manga written and illustrated by Osamu Tezuka. The series was broadcast on Fuji Television and other stations from October 6, 1965, to September 28, 1966; as such, it was the first full-colored Japanese anime broadcast on TV. This series consisted of 52 episodes and won a few awards like Special Award of the 4th TV Editors' Award 1966 and the Cultural Award of Children's Welfare under the Ministry of Health and Welfare 1966. Since its first airing, there have been sequel TV shows, films, and remakes made.