"Mirai shônen Konan" (1978) TV series

User Rating:

9.1/10   

Writer:

Alexander Key (novels)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

4 April 1978 (Japan)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Sci-Fi | Animation

Plot:

A boy and his friends fight for the future of the world!

Plot Keywords:

Manga | Human Relationship | Utopia Quest | Ocean | Flying Machine

Cast

Noriko Ohara	...	Conan (26 episodes, 1978)
Masatô Ibu	...	Opening Narration (26 episodes, 1978)
Mieko Nobusawa	...	Lana (25 episodes, 1978)
Kazuyo Aoki	...	Jimsy (23 episodes, 1978)
Ichirô Nagai	...	Captain Dyce (23 episodes, 1978)
Rihoko Yoshida	...	Monsley (19 episodes, 1978)
Takuzô Kamiyama	...	Dongoroth / ... (16 episodes, 1978)
Tetsuo Mizutori	...	Kuzo / ... (15 episodes, 1978)
Masato Yamanouchi	...	Dr. Bliack Lao - Lana's Grand Father / ... (13 episodes, 1978)
Iemasa Kayumi	...	Lepka (12 episodes, 1978)
Hiroshi Masuoka	...	Gutch (12 episodes, 1978)

Also Known As:

"Future Boy Conan"
"The Adventures of Adnan and Lena"

Runtime:

24 min (26 episodes)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Portuguese | Korean | Cantonese | Italian | Spanish | French | Japanese | Arabic

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Nippon Animation Co. Ltd.

Trivia:

Loosely based on "The Incredible Tide" by Alexander Key. It is rather difficult to find this book today. The basic premise is same, but the story in the anime is mostly Miyazaki's original. In the book, Conan is 14 (in the anime he is 11), and doesn't have superhuman strength like Conan in the anime does. Miyazaki said he didn't like the book very much. When the project was brought to him, he made sure that he could change the story however he wanted.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Mirai shônen Konan Tokubetsu-hen: Kyodaiki Giganto no Fukkatsu (1984)

Shame it's never been on UK TV, we're missing out

How I wish I was a child seeing Conan, if not to enjoy without knowledge of Hayao Miyazaki, but to have been able to go to school and talk about it with all my friends. It would have been my favourite show. Instead I've made do watching older, it's excellent though.

To explain the plot, the world has been partially destroyed by man through use of nuclear weapons, tilting the world on its axis, thus sinking most of the land and destroying civilisation as we know it. 30 years later the few survivors are on living on a small island, Conan an 11 year old boy lives with his grandfather peacefully, until a girl washes up on the beach. It would be criminal to go much further since one of the best features of 'Conan' is its storytelling, and at 26 episodes it can take it's time.

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki with some help from Isao Takahata, Conan displays many of the traits of a Ghibli movie, best described and a cross between 'Laputa: Castle in the Sky' and 'Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind', both in plot and design. It could be said that these films improved and expanded on the ideas in Conan which could be taken that Conan isn't worthwhile, but it's more like Conan is an opportunity to see 13hrs of Miyazaki doing what he does so well.

Personally it's very difficult to review Conan, I know I love it, but there's so much to write. The plot is pretty complex, its twists and turns are genuinely surprising. The characters are great, since it's early Miyazaki there's a lot of slapstick, much in the vein of Miyazaki's Lupin III movie, the art direction is certainly of lower quality than his later offerings, but it was his directorial debut. Conan is dated in terms of animation, but again like in Lupin the characters are simplified, thus allowing animation to go smoothly, plus the backgrounds are beautiful, the ideas flowing, the design of the main boat is cleverly an upside down boat adapted to sail, at least I think it is! Its a few years before Joe Hisaishi is working with Miyazaki, so the music is less grand, but sweet and catchy.

Conan is a fantastic, while dated is as good a show a child or adult could watch today, plus another excellent Miyazaki project for the converted. I really can't praise Conan enough!