Just The Ladies - Revisited

Who lives down in deepest darkest Africa?

Not JUST our snowy-pelted hero that's for sure, or else the Jungle Emperor series would've been a pretty poor excuse for children's entertainment indeed!

Those of you who have tolerated my antics the longest during my stay here at DeviantArt might recall a period of time when I almost exclusively created fanart of nothing else but Kimba the White Lion. Might any of you happen to remember this monstrosi-- erhm... this piece? [link]

Well, so did I. With deep shame and unbridled self loathing, I might add. You see, I had been innocently dilly-dallying about the older sections of my gallery one morning when I came across the aforementioned train wreck above, and was immediately seized by the overwhelming urge to come up with a more recent version - it was as if the great Panja himself were breathing down the back of my neck, threatening to end my very life with one quick snap of his glistening white fangs unless I soon corrected the mistake of portraying his bloodline with such hideously impossible body proportions.

What else could I do but appease the former Jungle Emperor?
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For those of you who might be unfamiliar with the Kimba franchise, please allow me to equip you with the basics. Kimba the White Lion (also known as Jungle Emperor Leo) is an animated children's classic from the mid 1960's (an earlier example of anime be precise, although back in the day it would've been referred to as "Japanimation"!) centering around a white lion prince. Many Kimba lovers are suspicious that Disney's The Lion King (1994) was a blatantly obvious imitation of this lesser known classic, and with good reason!

But even if you're already somewhat acquainted with the series, there may have been a handful of characters which you overlooked. Allow me to introduce them!

(WARNING, KIMBA SPOILERS ARE LOCATED BELOW)

Snowene (The lioness basking at the top of the large stone. Also known as Eliza.) was Caesar's (a.k.a. Panja's) mate which would naturally make her the biological mother of the current monarch, Kimba (a.k.a Leo). Snowene was captured and utilized as bait by hunters in order to lure Caesar into an ambush where he was shot and killed. Shortly thereafter she is loaded onto a cargo ship (bound presumably for a circus, zoo, taxidermist, or wealthy private collector's home) where she gives birth to the young prince. As soon as he is old enough to walk, she urges him to escape the ship and return to his ancestral homeland so that he may take his rightful place as a wise and benevolent ruler like his father before him. After some coaxing and a teary goodbye he follows his mother's instructions and leaps overboard only to be greeted by a horrible storm. The cargo ship eventually sinks beneath the waves after sustaining irreparable damage from this natural disaster and poor Snowene tragically drowns.

Leona (milky-blue eyed lioness to the far left) is Kimba's older sister. She resides in a dilapidated hut in an old abandoned village where she watches over the skinned pelts of her deceased white lion ancestors (who in the past were regarded as protector gods by the natives). Although still possessing a warmer side resembling her mother's, to me Leona's personality always appeared to lean heavily towards that of her father Caesar who could be impatient and reprimanding at times (although it really is no wonder as to why she turned out this way, what with having been orphaned at a very young age and tasked with the normally monotonous and sometimes extremely dangerous task of guarding dozens and dozens of ancestral pelts from thieving humans, father time, and mother nature's natural disasters alike while still trying to look after herself, too! I reckon I'd be a wee bit snappish myself after such an ordeal.)

Lyra (Also known as Kitty, Lyre, Leah, Laia, Raija, Raiya, and Raya. The red-headed lioness on the left) is Kimba's childhood sweetheart as well as the eventual mother of their twin cubs. Lyra is is also the young niece of King Specklerex, which would seem to imply that she is royalty (and would certainly explain her dignified ladylike composure!)

Lukio (also known as Rukio. The only lion cub found in this picture) is the daughter of Leo and Lyra. She is the twin sister of Lune, her reckless white lion brother. Very little is known about her and it is a rare occasion indeed when she is given a major part to play in either the movies or the animated series. When she DOES play a part however, Lukio typically stands in for Rune's non-existent voice of reason and caution. (P.S. Don't fret, the chipmunk isn't in any danger. Lucky for him, none of the would-be carnivores in Kimba's jungle eat meat any longer and have learned to substitute their usual diet with plants, fruits, nuts, berries and even insects!)

Bella Donna (the sinister looking lioness on the far right) merely appeared in just one single episode in the 1966 series where she stars as the villain. Under the instruction of her cold-hearted human trainer, she tricks Kimba into believing she is his long lost aunt before leading him into a trap. She later apologizes to him, apparently regretting her actions and is forgiven by the white lion cub, ultimately proving herself to have a conscience and a decent heart.

Misc. Spotted Lioness (must you really ask me to point her out? It ought to be obvious!). In ancient times long since past, all lions wore spots. They once numbered in the millions and populated nearly every land mass, but today there are only a slowly dwindling handful ruled by old king Specklerex. The spotted lions are an honorable and highly traditional breed who are often loath to accept new ways of thinking and behaving. Sadly, this has only contributed to their slow but steady fall from grace. This speckled lioness is not an actual character but, as there were never any lionesses portrayed among Specklerex's mottled pride, I thought I was entitled to SPECulate a little bit!...No? You're right, that may be pushing it...

Tawny-Furred Lioness (bottom right) another nameless, uncanonical character. Average lions are occasionally seen throughout the series, and so I thought that I'd include her in this picture if for no other reason than to illustrate the obvious differences concerning colouration between a normal lioness and characters such as Bella and Snowene.

And you thought that this was going to be more Lion King fanart!