Jungle Emperor Leo: Hon-o-ji is a mini-movie shown exclusively at the Tezuka Osamu World in Kyoto Station Building. So far it has only been seen on YouTube, and not seriously subtitled. It appears to be animated in the same style as the 1997 film, and partially based on the manga. Given the information found on the Anime Network website, it may have been released in 2000.
Jungle Emperor Hon-o-Ji film (High Quality)
The film as seen on YouTube
According to what appears to be the official Osamu Tezuka website, it is a story told illustrate the best qualities of a King. In the short, introduced by Phoenix, a pet tiger cub named Paora falls off a jeep and wanders into the Jungle. There she jumps on every animal she sees, looking for a friend. Her behavior is considered barbaric, and causes an uproar in the Jungle. Leo observes the intruder calmly, accepting her as a friend so long as she keeps quiet in the jungle. Leo's uncle, Bubu, however, tries to expel Leo from the Jungle, taking advantage of the cub's gentle nature. Leo always gives others the benefit of the doubt, while Bubu takes advantage of everyone. "The confrontation between these two is reminiscent of a fight between the ideal king and real-life kings. The Phoenix then tries to delve into the concept of "the kind of quality required of a king" drawing on the history of Kyoto by introducing Oda Nobunaga, one of the unique leaders in Japanese history."
Gallery
Trivia
- Leo's eyes, like in the 1997 and 2009 films, are brown
- The website is available in both Japanese and English, and even when using Google to translate the Japanese page, Bubu (Claw) is referred to as Leo's uncle. Yet, Bubu is never stated to be such previously.
- Paora is stated in both Japanese and English to be a tiger cub, but she appears to be an ocelot.