TLG Interview

As much as I'd like to submit a wave of questions to the Executive Producer, Ford Riley.... little things like this also make me happy. 

Read Full Interview HERE

Some things that really stuck out to me was the fact that Riley is an anime fan. Bless this guy. The moment I read that line I KNEW it was due to the episodic storylines that Japan normally produces (generally through Manga fist before it's adapted but anyhoo). 

AE: What was your favorite cartoon growing up?

FR: Throughout all of my life I have been an Anime buff. Speed Racer and Star Blazers in grade school. Those two were my favorite TV shows. In middle school it was Robotech. I watched a lot of cartoons. I loved the Disney classics and the Warner Brothers stuff. For some reason it was the story arcs of Japanese Anime that really interested me.

Most US cartoons (and sitcoms) are garbage in terms of actual story telling. They're just short bits of entertainment that you don't have to follow. They have their pros, but it does nothing for growing minds and their ability to recall information to piece together a bigger picture. Only recently have we been getting cartoons that have that long, episodic storytelling such as Steven Universe (it's a bit hidden but it's there), Avatar/Legend of Korra, that show about the twins and the old man... They've started to really push through the mindless cartoon bubble in the last decade and I believe it's due the the Japanese influence. Anime is generally more enticing to people who enjoy things that last. Almost every Anime connects from episode to episode until you get to the finale where everything comes to light that has been building up. 

I fully believe he has implemented the style of Anime story telling into the Lion Guard while still keeping each episode where you can just turn it on and watch it without having to absolutely know what happened last episode. For those who do pay attention, we will get the benefits of small bits linking together and episodes that recall those comments and bits. For one thing, Kion heavily parallels Scar. From the slicked back mane (which is also similar to Mufasas), to being the second born, to being the leader of the guard, to having a hyena alley. In RotR, as Kion, Simba, and Rafiki leave the cave, the screen hovers over Scar's image with green smoke around his face and a clip of ominous music playing just a minute after Kion says he'll never be like Scar. Kion will slip into Scar's pawprints at some point, it has already been set up. Hopefully, Kion will make a serious error that cannot be fixed and he and the others must grow from it. 

Another comment he made was about Kiara. For those who STILL believe The Lion Guard does not connect to the other two movies... he has something to say about that.

AE: Your kids must think it is pretty cool to have a dad work on animated shows. I also heard that your son helped inspire you for The Lion Guard. Is that correct?

FR: Yes. I have a daughter and a son. My daughter is the oldest. My son is the youngest. It is kind of like Kiara and Kion. In developing The Lion Guard obviously Kiara was established in Lion King II. If we are going to have the boy character let’s let him be the second born. Let him be the youngest. Usually the youngest never gets to be the hero. It is the comedy relief of the younger brother.

I wanted this show to be about the younger brother who gets to be the hero too.

Kiara was established in The Lion King II. Meaning HER ENTIRE STORY STILL STANDS. It also says that Kion will be a hero TOO. Meaning yes, Kiara was a hero in her own story line, meaning her saving the two prides from utter destruction due to war does happen. They continue to push Simba's Pride into TLG with Kiara's mere presence, the appearance of Kovu, Vitani, and Nuka, Simba's cubs not being allowed in the outlands. TLG is a midquel. Kion's lack of presence in the second movie was due to obviously not being created yet, but him being missing is easily explained. He was not presented. He was probably playing with Bunga when Kiara met Kovu. The ending is the problem, but it could very well be due to Kion leaving the lands for a while, him being bothered with the Guard, or he dies. but 3 days is nothing to a lion, and that's all the time Kovu was at the Pridelands before the war. Hell, the lands were dry in the second movie... so dry a little flame lit the lands up in moments. Maybe Kion's helping migrating animals or something. 

Another thing is that Riley refers to the section of the outlands that the hyenas live in as the Highlands. I found that interesting. 


Edit: added small bit about fluffy

"Just like at the end of the original The Lion King film, Simba and Nala have a kid. In The Lion King II we see that she is Kiara and that she is going to grow up and be queen."

Here's another bit that states that once again, the cub at the end of the first movie is Kiara. When they ended the first movie with no idea they would continue it, they left out the gender, though they most likely figured it to be a boy based on its design. By the second movie, Disney decided it was going to be a girl. there had been no official statement saying otherwise, just a set of books that some guy wrote up with his own story in mind. I know this won't stop people screaming that the cub at the end is supposed to be Kopa, but it would be nice it is slowed it down a bit lol. Granted, we're still free to make the cub whoever we want in our fan theories, I have the cub as Naba myself in my main story.