Kim is a 2008 Italian animated series created by Mondo TV in association with Rai Fiction, loosely based on the picaresque novel of the same name by Rudyard Kipling (taking cues from the 1950 movie adaptation). It is the novel's first Animated Adaptation.
The series can be seen in YouTube in CARTOON CHANNEL
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This series provides examples of:
- Adaptational Heroism: Flower of Delight was a devious streetwalker who was in cahoots with other spies to extract information from Mahbub Ali. In this adaptation her name is Jasmina, and not only does she actually love Redbeard, she also spies on her boss, the rebel Nawab, on behalf of him.
- Adaptational Jerkass: "Jerkass" is a strong word, but Teshoo is very short-tempered and grumpy, and has a low tolerance for Kim's occasional bullshit, more in line with a Stern Teacher than the calm and charismatic Magical Asian from the original novel.
- Adaptation Name Change: Kim's father's name, and presumably Kim's own, was changed from "Kimball" to "Kimberly".
- Downplayed with Lurgan Sahib, the man who introduces Kim into the Great Game, who is named "Lurdon" here.
- Age Lift: Mahbub Ali was described in the novel as a very old man, around his seventies, whose red beard was the product of dyeing his grey hairs. In the 1950 film he was portrayed by then-40-year-old Errol Flynn, although that could be attributed to a case of Hollywood Old. Here on the other hand, Redbeard is as young as he appears to be, easily around his thirties.
- Canon Foreigner: Kim receives an Animal Companion in the form of Dree the cricket.
- Colonel Creighton has a daughter of Kim's age named Elsa.
- Externally Validated Prophecy: Teshoo gives one in relation to the nascent Indian Independence Movement, while explaining to Kim why he should go to school in order to strengthen both his mind and body.Teshoo: The day that India will be full of educated men, the English will be at the exit door without a single gun shot. And for generations to come after that they will be asking themselves how it happened.
- Gang of Bullies: The Skulls are an exclusive fraternity that terrorizes the students of St. Saverio. They're led by Meeks, who uses his father's influence and connections to the Crown to keep his colleagues in line, including those of his own clique.
- Gratuitous Animal Sidekick: Kim has a cricket called Dree. He's there to deliver messages, find secret passages, and help him get out of trouble, besides looking cute.
- Misplaced Wildlife: In one episode, while going into the woods, Kim and Elsa encounter a skunk, an animal endemic only to the Americas and, if counting stink badgers, the Sunda islands of Indonesia, but not India.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain!: At a party for a Maharaja, Captain Bennett, out of petty dislike, has Kim expelled by making him trip on purpose. Outside, Kim uncovers a plot to assassinate the Maharaja, and he and Redbeard burst in time to foil it. Had Bennett not expelled him, the assassination could've been carried out successfully.
- Obviously Evil: Captain Bennett is a smug, snarky Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette who makes no bones about his hatred for Kim and tries to get rid of him at every chance he's got. It's no surprise that he's the Big Bad who has been working with the rebels. The real surprise is WHY was he working with them.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: Mahbub Ali is never called by that name in this series, going instead by the moniker Redbeard (Barbarossa in earlier episodes), his same nickname from the 1950 film.
- Race Lift: In the original novel both of Kim's parents were Irish. He passed as Indian from years of living in the streets, under the sun, and being raised in the local culture, to the point the English themselves couldn't tell him apart. Here, he's mixed race: his mother was Indian.
- Spared by the Adaptation: Teshoo's previous chela, although still remains an unseen character. In the novel he caught a fever and died. In this series, he abandoned him.
- Super-Persistent Predator: While climbing a tree to get some fruit, Kim is attacked by a cobra, who continues to chase after him even after he got down of the tree.
- Thick-Line Animation
