Reviews & Ratings for
 "The Jungle Book: The Adventures of Mowgli" More at IMDbPro »"Janguru Bukku shonen Môguri" (original title)

Filter: Hide Spoilers:
Index 7 reviews in total 

7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
brilliant, 17 June 2005
Author: janepercival1 from United Kingdom

i love the jungle book my first experience was when i was four watching Disney's movie. i always wanted to be Mowgli. my love for the movie made me stumble upon this anime i was looking around a video store and i found this version made by Nippon animation the tape only included episodes one and two. but i instantly fell in love with the version. and collected all the videos available unfortunately the first ten episodes were only available. but being such a big fan i wondered through TV channels on sky looking for the show after a couple of years i found the show on a Chanel named Chanel east i videoed the episodes i needed but then the Chanel stopped showing them and i have never seen the whole series. after the red dogs episode. but for anyone who loves jungle book or anime this is great. i personally love it more than the Disney version. to witch the show is very different. if you find any videos buy them. overall excellent viewing David Percival aged 19 from the UK.

Was the above review useful to you?

3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
A Great Take On Rudyard Kipling's Classic Tale!, 22 August 2009
10/10
Author: Dawalk-1 from Hialeah, Florida

I never forgot about this version of The Jungle Book. I remember first seeing this at some point, when I was between being a toddler and a preteen. Looking and thinking back on/to this, I was wondering if this is another example of anime judging from the animation style and I'm right that it is. Didn't know what this drawing style was called at the time when I was little/younger and since it is anime, this is the first (if not only one among others) anime that I ever saw and to which I was exposed. The first VHS tape from the series "Mowgli Comes To The Jungle" is haplessly the only one out of it that I own. But I rented and seen some of the other episodes (I don't think I remember ever seeing the whole series). It's somewhat hard to believe that in less than 2 months, it will be 20 years since this show premiered. It would be great if copies of a DVD set were released right now to commemorate its 20th anniversary. I don't even know for sure if it's even aired on American t.v. at all, and if it has, then I missed it and it must be such a rare anime. It's more worthy of taking some airtime/space than some, certain stuff that's on now.

I can't say for sure which version of Mr. Kipling's story I like more, since I'm partial to both this and Disney's, but I'd agree that it is the far more superior of the two. Because this one delves even deeper into the world of the hero Mowgli and the animals. For those who haven't seen it, I'll give one explanation of what the message of this is: A lesson on how people and animals have to learn how to coexist on the same planet harmoniously. Anyone who's ever heard of (if not read) the author's original tale knows the basics of how Mowgli is taken into the home of a pack of wolves and getting adopted after becoming an orphan, and is also looked after by a kindly black panther named Bagheera. Mowgli grows into his preteens and has adjusted to the wild lifestyle, but then he eventually has to leave for the "man village" and join his own kind. I like how most of the animals treat him well as they try their best to avoid Shere Khan from getting his claws into him, on the way to keeping him safe and in one peace.

I won't give away anymore of the story, particularly this take, especially since it's been so long since I've seen it and most of the episodes I've seen I don't remember quite as well as the first (probably because I used to watch that one a lot, so that's the only, really familiar one to me). In fact, I saw "Mowgli Comes To The Jungle" for the very first time in over a decade last night/early morning on Veoh, but when I watch the other episodes on there, I'll get reacquainted with them. This is one version and anime that's not to be missed. Highly recommendable because of the story lines, which is perhaps mainly for those. It's really captivating, which is why I say that's what makes it such a great take.

Was the above review useful to you?

2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
A true gem!, 25 November 2011
10/10
Author: Meaghan Edwards from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

When I was in grade three, this series was a staple of my childhood. Each day it was on, I would wake up early to watch it. Even if we had the VCR set to record it, there was nothing like seeing it live.

While Disney's adaptation was delightful to me, I too preferred this version over this. Not only was it more faithful to the original novel, I liked seeing a more in depth look to Mowgli's relationship with his wolf family. By far, my favourite character was Shere Khan. Mowgli had other enemies, including a man who had kidnapped him for a circus and enormous packs of dholes and rogue wolves, but none drew me in as much as the infamous tiger. My young Canadian self was sad to see him go.

The animation was beautifully done, particularly the lush landscapes. The character designs were delightful, sometimes detailed, sometimes simplistic, adding personality to the characters. It is my hope that the whole series is one day released on DVD, creating a new generation of fans!

Was the above review useful to you?

2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
--------------, 2 July 2006
10/10
Author: Lonewlf from Canada

This show first came into my life in 1990 here in Canada... yea, about 16 years ago. But as the years went by I never forgot it completely, however it's a hard-to-finder. I've got 12 of the video tapes in no particular order but I'd like to have all 52 episodes. About in the era of a decade ago... 1995-ish I discovered the next best thing which became a favorite, The Animals Of Farthing Wood, I'm probably not the only one who followed this trend if you found both shows you'd see the same eye-catching criteria between them. They had both aired before school, early in the morning so it made for a never-miss-an-episode system because there was nothing else you could be doing at that time of day and not be home for it. it worked perfectly. Anyway, I ramble a bit but if anybody finds a source to purchase The Jungle Book series in it's entirety, post something up here.

Was the above review useful to you?

1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
A truly unforgettable tale, a rare masterpiece and the best adaptation yet of Kipling's works!, 3 June 2012
10/10
Author: anaswakhani from United Kingdom

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Words fail to describe what this series meant to me but I must tell you that nothing defines my childhood more than this series.

From what I have heard from the other reviewers on this site and elsewhere, in most of the countries the series was shown in the early hours of the day, which worked to its advantage and most of us saw it before heading off to our schools. I remember how I myself used to get up early in the morning with my younger sisters just to watch this live on television and, during each episode, we always used to be at the edge of our seats hoping that Mowgli would triumph and would fear that no one would get killed.

I remember how terrible I felt when Alexander, Mowgli's adopted wolf father, died very early in the series. It was even worse when Akela died towards the very end.

But believe me when I say this - if you like Jungle Book but have not seen this series you really do not know what you are missing! This is the ultimate Jungle Book animation series and stays true to Kipling's books. I would even go as far as to rate it a hundred times better than the version Disney tried to push at us! Sadly, this series has never gained fame the way it deserves, largely owing to licensing problems, and since it has never been properly shown in the US. But this series and its songs (in English, Hindi, Japanese and other languages) are the stuff of legends in India and in many countries across the world.

I am really disappointed that there was no sequel to the series and I am bewildered that it is not shown on television anymore, especially when it is so much better than anything else running on the channels these days. I really think it is a great disservice to the young children all over the world that this series is not being shown to them! Everything about this series (the story, the songs, the scenery) were of top quality and I would recommend this to everyone as a must watch!

Was the above review useful to you?

1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
A superior work of anime, both visuals and story, 29 October 2011
9/10
Author: griz1-199-491493 from Canada

If you've like the Disney adaptations of Rudyard Kiplings works but wish they had delved deeper, this series is for you. It takes it to the next level, opening up a depth in the various characters that makes one wonder why this series in English has remained so rare and hard to find. Young Mowgli, adopted by the wolves and never knowing anything of himself save as a wolf, learns to live according to the Laws of the Jungle; struggling with the fact that he is also "a hateful human". A fact apparently backed up in the few humans he encounters. Yet are all humans mean and hateful? Mowgli is a human with a human heart that the animals often don't understand and he lives in peace with the Jungle according to its laws. He finds that his lack of claws and fangs and speed is more than made up for by his inventiveness and ingenuity as he rises to become one of the Jungle's greatest hunters and champions.

A wonderful tale of self-discovery, community, honour, duty, coming of age, and coming to terms with the darker sides of the Human Condition. A warning to parents of younger children: the show depicts fluffy animals being taken down in hunts, main characters getting hurt, and even the death of a beloved main character. But it is skillfully done. The intent is to gently teach young minds and not to shock or sensationalize/desensitize. While it does come out of a different time and culture that is very patriarchal and the series is most definitely "shonen" it is wonderful to see a female wolf as one of the pack's most promising hunters and a female wolf leading one of the packs encountered. I heartily recommend to both the young and the young-at-heart.

Was the above review useful to you?

1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Version showed on national television India, 6 June 2010
8/10
Author: kirodi meena from India

It took some time to locate the original series on IMDb. I watched few episodes recently in Hindi and wanted to get the whole series but did not know what was the original version. Then I searched with director's name viz Fumio Karakoa and found this and verified with run time. I loved the series in school days around year 1995 when it was showed dubbed in Hindi on Doordarshan at morning hours on every Sunday. With "Sindbad the Sailor" this was a favorite watch on Sunday mornings. I have read the text by Rudyard Kipling as well but I really enjoyed this version more. With the opening sound track "Jungle Jungle baat chali hai pata chala hai, chaddi pahan ke phool khila hai" written by Gulzar this show has been one of the most popular among kids. With advent of Cartoon Network we have got access to other popular cartoon series in India but for me this series holds a special place.

Was the above review useful to you?

Add another review

Related Links

Ratings Plot keywords Main details
Your user reviews Your vote history