"Mirai shônen Konan" (1978) TV series

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)

Series Directed by
Hayao Miyazaki		(26 episodes, 1978)
Keiji Hayakawa		(16 episodes, 1978)
Isao Takahata		(2 episodes, 1978)

Series Writing credits
Alexander Key		(unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
Shinichirô Ikebe		(26 episodes, 1978)

Series Art Direction by
Nizou Yamamoto		(unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Hayao Miyazaki	....	storyboard artist (unknown episodes)
Isao Takahata	....	storyboard artist (unknown episodes)

Series Animation Department
Nobumasa Arakawa	....	animator (unknown episodes)
Yoshiaki Kawajiri	....	animator (unknown episodes)
Hideo Kawauchi	....	animator (unknown episodes)
Nobuyuki Kitajima	....	animator (unknown episodes)
Yoshifumi Kondo	....	animator (unknown episodes)
Jôji Manabe	....	animator: Oh! Production (unknown episodes)
Hayao Miyazaki	....	character designer (unknown episodes)
Kôichi Murata	....	animator: Oh! Production (unknown episodes)
Tsunehiro Okasako	....	animator (unknown episodes)
Hidenori Ôshima	....	animator (unknown episodes)
Yasuo Ôtsuka	....	animation director / character designer (unknown episodes)
Shunji Saida	....	animator: Oh! Production (unknown episodes)
Masako Shinohara	....	animator (unknown episodes)
Nobuo Tomizawa	....	animator (unknown episodes)
Kazuhide Tomonaga	....	animator: Oh! Production (unknown episodes)
Shôjurô Yamauchi	....	animator: Oh! Production (unknown episodes)
Natsuyo Yasuda	....	animator (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Nippon Animation Co. Ltd.

Distributors

• Divisa Home Video (2005-2009) (Spain) (DVD)

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 2 - Taiga daibôken" (1999)

Miyazaki's Best TV series

This was Miyazaki's first TV series he directed. It aired in Japan back in 1978 a year before his first film "Castle of Cagliostro".

It's about an alternate future when WW3 ended in 2008. After that most of the earth's continents are underwater. And forming small separate islands.

On one Island there's a young Boy who's no ordinary kid. Has super strengh and can hold his breathe for a long time. Lives alone with his Granfather on a lonely island where several people use to live on.

One day how ever when a girl appears on the shore of the island that's when Conan goes on his adventure to see the rest of the existing world he didn't know existed.

"Future Boy Conan" is a unique anime series. It showed how great Hayao Miyazaki was way before he got into movie making. A total of 26 episodes each one continues from the other. It's like watching a really long movie.

Has everything you'd expect from a Miyazaki made Anime. A Boy and Girl with mysterious powers or past, Anything that can fly, pigs, women with good role play, and hope for a brighter future.

This was known to be Miyazaki's earlier version of "Castle in the Sky" the 2 Main Characters look a lot like Pazu and Sheeta, and the main villain looks almost like Musca too. This anime had a lot of reused ideas he used for his later anime films too.

Sadly this anime has never been debuted into English before. Even if it did 20 years ago TV Cencorship of America would edit out the violence and certain drug use.

When will it be available in English, only time will tell. It's highly recommended to those who admire Miyazaki and anime. Conan deserves to be on the top 10 classic Animes of all time.

Those who want to see it, try Fansubs or internet search to see the series. It's worth watching.

I give it a 9/10 for a cool anime.