Jungle Emperor- Secret Spirits of the White Lion

Jungle Emperor- Secret Spirits of the White Lion is a Japanese computer-animated film that could be produced by Tezuka Productions and FUNimation. It is to be a remake of the 1997 anime film Jungle Emperor Leo and sequel to the 2009 special Jungle Emperor- The Brave Can Change the Future.

Summary
In the beginning of this film, Leo is an adult and has just learned that his mate, Lyra, has given birth to twin cubs: Lune (pronounced Lu-Ney) and Lukio. After a grand celebration, the scene changes drastically to a bustling city where a man named Ham Egg is traveling from jeweler to jeweler to try and sell a special stone he found in the Bajalu Jungle. After being turned down away at every pawn shop and jeweler he goes to, the jewelers all inform someone of Ham Egg’s whereabouts, and soon he is hauled away in a black car by intimidating men in black suits.

As it turns out, the stone that he’s been trying to sell is really the “Moonlight Stone”, a mineral that could be used as a power source and save the world from an impending energy crisis. A scientific organization led by Dr. Plus and Dr. Minus seek the help of Ham Egg to lead them to the source of the Moonlight Stone so it can be salvaged and used to help humanity. Ham Egg, however, is only interested in money, but is soon persuaded by Dr. Plus who is well aware of Ham Egg’s illegal poaching activities. Ham Egg agrees to work for them, but demands to be put in charge of the search. Accompanying Ham Egg is Mr. Lemonade of the organization, and Dr. Moustatche who is already stationed in the jungle.

When they arrive in the jungle, Dr. Moustatche and Mr. Lemonade are shocked by Ham Egg and his “friends” who want only destroy forest land and shoot any animal they come across, Dr. Moustatche constantly argues with them over being respectful to nature, as Mr. Lemonade records anything that happens in his journal.

As Leo’s son, Lune, becomes more and more curious of the human world, Leo continues to protect the animals of the jungle from whatever may threaten them, including Ham Egg’s sinister actions, dissent amongst the animals, and a deadly disease that is affecting the animals.

With his domain violated by humans in a relentless search for the Moonlight Stone, their actions bring death to the jungle and break up Leo’s family. Just as Lukio fell into a tar pit, got caught in it, and started sinking. She cries for help for Lyra, she comes, and saves her. Leaving Leo with the heavy responsibility of bringing peace to the jungle, his family, and even the humans.

Lune was flooded away from the jungle behind, and travels by a log in the water to a nearby city. Lune is found by fishers and taken to a circus. A girl from the circus decides to take care of him, and he befriends a rat named Jack. Eventually a bird from the jungle finds Lune and tells him of how the disease is killing off many animals and she leaves with her flock. Lune is frightened by what the bird said that his family may be dead. Lune tells the girl about what the bird told him, and then, attackers were coming to attack the circus and the other animals help Lune beat them up. Lune, Jack, and the girl who took care of Lune, kissing him, bid their goodbyes and Lune sneaks onto a boat that will help him get back to Africa. He never felt such love how the girl kissed him. In the jungle, Lyra is affected by the deadly disease and shortly “dies” for a while which she couldn’t open her eyes before Lukio begins to cry over her.

While setting up their tents, Ham Egg and Dr. Moustatche argue about the Moonlight Stone that it doesn’t make any sense until Lemonade quiets them both.

As they were about to bury Lyra on a hill, that Lukio is still sad about her, but cheerful about how the flowers are pretty. Although, she comes down with the same ailment, Leo realizes it was the flowers that causes it. He takes both back to the stone castle. Dr. Moustatche is able to cure them. Leo is hoping it would bring Lyra back to life. Just then on this morning, Leo was right. Lyra and Lukio get better from their illness.

Leo tells Lyra and Lukio about Dr. Moustatche traveling to find the moonlight stone and he needs their help. Lukio asks him how can she help, Leo replies to them he’ll be back, so will Lune, and Lukio replies to him it’s okay.

Leo, heartbroken by the disintegration of his family, decides to lead the humans to the center of the mountain where there are many moonlight stones. Many hunters are lost on the way, but finally they arrive.

Lukio cries as Lyra hears her because she’s been thinking that Lune will be back, but what if her father never comes back. Lyra tells calmly to her of how she first had him before, just before birds into the shape of them, then Lukio realizes no matter how love she can always feel and giggles just before her stomach growls, and no matter how starving she becomes.

As they discover the stones, Ham Egg shoots at the trio. Lemonade takes a boat back home. They soon discover the stones, and Ham Egg, blinded by greed, steals one of the stones and swallows it so no one else can have it, but dies shortly afterwards because the stone poisoned him, and caused him to fall into a pit of magma, offscreen. Dr. Moustatche and Leo had been friends for so long.

The film ends with Leo drifting on a river the same as Lune returning from the human’s world, he sees and reunites with his father, and Leo tells Lune all about his journey and they see Dr. Moustatche returning to his home in a helicopter as he waves. Then, as Leo and Lune walked into a meadow, they found Lyra and Lukio, and reunite with them too. Lune kissed Lukio because he faced his fear of kisses, nothing could ever tear them apart again, and all watched the sky, seeing clouds in the shape of Leo and Lune with the words "the end" appearing over the screen.

Additional Scenes

 * After the flood, Lukio falls into a tar pit and Lyra rescues her.
 * Ham Egg and Dr. Moustache argue about the Moonlight Stone while setting up their tents.
 * While Leo helps the men find the Moonlight Stone, Lukio thinks that Lune will be back but what if Leo never comes back and Lyra tells her how she first had Leo before. Afterwards, Lyra brushes her red hair on a thorny tree.


 * Ham Egg would fall into a pit of magma offscreen.

Scene Revisions

 * There would be a scene where Lune tells Mary about what the bird told him instead of the scene where Lune refuses to jump from the trapeze swing while worrying about his family.
 * Attackers come to attack the circus instead of a fire burning down the circus.
 * Lyra would get into a coma instead of dying from the plague. After Leo is about to bury her on a hill while thinking she died, he brings her and Lukio back to the stone castle. Lyra then wakes up the next morning after being cured.
 * Mr. Lemonade would take a boat back home instead of being shot by Ham Egg.
 * Leo and Dr. Moustache would be able to come down from Mount Moon.
 * Leo would be drifting on a river the same as Lune returning from the human’s world and he and Lune reunite. They would see Dr. Moustache returning to his home in a helicopter. When they walk into a meadow, they reunite with Lyra and Lukio. The whole family would watch the sky and see clouds in the shape of Leo and Lune and the words "the end" appear over the screen.

Japanese Cast
Leo- Nobuyuki Hiyama

Lyra- Hiromi Hirata

Lune- Hinata Igarashi

Lukio- Konomi Watanabe

Tommy the Gazelle- Kōki Miyata

Coco the Parrot- Ayako Kawasumi

Mandy the Mandrill- Naoki Tatsuta

Bizo- Kokoro Terada

Pagoola- Iemasa Kayumi

Ham Egg- Kazuya Nakai

Mr. Lemonade- Kenichi Suzumura

Dr. Plus- Akira Ishida

Dr. Minus- Noriaki Sugiyama

Dr. Moustache- Takeshi Kusao

Mary- Kanae Itō

Jack the Rat- Tomokazu Seki

English Cast
Leo- Derek Stephen Prince

Lyra- Kristi Kang

Lune- Asher Blinkoff

Lukio- Alma Varsano

Tommy the Gazelle- Bill Timoney

Coco the Parrot- Sunni Westbrook

Mandy the Mandrill- Sam Riegel

Bizo- Jason Maybaum

Pagoola- Jamieson Price

Ham Egg- Brett Weaver

Mr. Lemonade- Andrew Francis

Dr. Plus- Blake Shepard

Dr. Minus- Eric Vale

Dr. Moustache- Christopher Sabat

Mary- Brenna Larsen

Jack the Rat- Ian Sinclair

Other Notes

 * Lune would lack ear tips and have a golden tuft on his head like in the original manga, though his eyes would be green. Lukio would have the same appearance from the 1997 film but would have black ear tips. The model for both of the cubs would be the same as the ones from the 1997 film.
 * Coco the parrot would keep her appearance from the 2009 special, as well as Sunni Westbrook reprising her English voice role.