Future Boy Conan

Future Boy Conan

Cosplayers at Lucca Comics 2013
未来少年コナン
(Mirai Shōnen Konan)
Genre Adventure, Drama, Science fiction, romance
Anime television series
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
Isao Takahata
Keiji Hayakawa
Written by Akira Nakano
Soji Yoshikawa
Hayao Miyazaki
Music by Shin’ichirō Ikebe
Studio Nippon Animation
Network NHK, Animax
Original run April 4, 1978 – October 31, 1978
Episodes 26
Anime film
Mirai Shōnen Conan Tokubetsu Hen-Kyodaiki Gigant no Fukkatsu
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
Produced by Junzō Nakajima
Shigeo Endō
Written by Kensyo Nakano
Music by Shin’ichirō Ikebe
Studio Nippon Animation
Released March 11, 1984
Runtime 49 minutes
Game
Future Boy Conan: Love and Courage and Adventure
Publisher NewGin
Genre Pachinko
Platform Arcade
Released 2011

Future Boy Conan (未来少年コナン Mirai Shōnen Konan) is a post-apocalyptic science fiction anime series, which premiered across Japan on the NHK network between April 4 and October 31, 1978 on the Tuesday 19:30-20:00 timeslot. The official English title used by Nippon Animation is Conan, The Boy in Future. It is an adaptation of Alexander Key's novel The Incredible Tide.

Production

Spanning a total of 26 episodes, the series was produced by Nippon Animation and featured the directorial debut of Hayao Miyazaki, also contributing to character designs and storyboards. Other future prominent anime creators like Isao Takahata (storyboards, directing) and Yoshiyuki Tomino (storyboards) also worked on the series.

Story

The story begins in July 2008, during a time when humankind is faced with the threat of extinction. A devastating war fought between two major nations with ultra-magnetic weapons far greater than anything seen earlier brings about total chaos and destruction throughout the world, resulting in several earthquakes and tidal waves, the earth thrown off its axis, its crust being rocked by massive movements, and the five continents being torn completely apart and sinking deep below the sea.

An attempt by a group of people to flee to outer space failed, with their spaceships being forced back to earth and vanishing, thus shattering their hopes. But one of the spaceships narrowly escaped destruction and crash landed on a small island which had miraculously survived the devastation. The crew members of the spaceship settled there, as if they were seeds sown on the island.

Amidst these survivors, a boy named Conan is born on October 2010, bringing a new ray of hope to the earth. After several years, during which most of the other survivors had died and the only people left on the island were Conan and his grandfather, he meets a young girl named Lana, and their adventure begins. Between the different islands left in the world: Industria, High Harbor, Remnant, and others, the young group of adventurers travel and conflict rises between good and evil people. Throughout the series a pure love story develops between Conan and Lana.[1][2]

Characters

Conan (コナン Konan) Voiced by: Noriko Ohara
The main protagonist of the series, Conan, is an 11-year-old boy who grew up on the island and was raised by his grandfather. Conan is very strong, and can even hang from a ledge using only his toes. He is also a superb swimmer and can hold his breath for more than 3 minutes. His character is gentle and kind. Conan is friends with Lana for whom he develops romantic feelings.
Lana (ラナ Rana) Voiced by: Mieko Nobusawa
Lana who is also 11, is the first non-Remnant Island inhabitant, and the first girl Conan sees. Lana is the granddaughter of Dr. Lao and devotes herself to him throughout the story. Lepka wants to use her to get Lao to tell him the secret of solar power. Lana is referred to as possessing ESP, allowing her to communicate with a tern named Tikki, as well as sense the presence of her grandpa. She comes from High Harbour. Lana develops romantic feelings for Conan and a desire to be with him.
Grandpa (おじい Ojii) Voiced by: Masato Yamanouchi
Conan's elderly grandfather, who's alive after their spaceship crashes on the remnant island in the first episode, but dies in the second episode due to injuries he sustained after a rocket launcher exploded on him.
Monsley (モンスリー Monsurī) Voiced by: Rihoko Yoshida
A young commander of Industria's armed forces, Monsley is the second non-Islander Conan sees. Piloting the flying boat Falco, she follows Lepka's orders by helping capture Lana, and eventually leading the invasion of Industria to conquer the High Habor. Ultimately after the lost battle in the High Harbor, Monsley renounces Lepka's ambitions, and joins with Conan against him.
Jimsy (ジムシィ Jimushī) Voiced by: Kazuyo Aoki
A wild boy living alone on the first island Conan arrives at, Jimsy quickly becomes Conan's first 'companion', helping him rescue Lana. Jimsy is a master hunter, and motivated by his stomach. Initially, Jimsy has a negative view on women, but he gradually forms a relationship with Tera at the end of the series.
Dyce (ダイス Daisu) Voiced by: Ichirō Nagai
Dyce is a citizen of Industria, and the captain of the ship Barracuda. He was ordered to kidnap Lana prior to the start of series, but let her escape due to his obsession with his captive. Dyce is initially a comedic villain in the show, but eventually becomes one of Conan's allies .
Lepka (レプカ Repuka) Voiced by: Iemasa Kayumi
The head of administration of Industria, Lepka technically serves under the Industria High Council, a group of scientists. However over the course of the series he becomes the sole dictator of Industria, and the primary antagonist. Lepka desires to extract the secret of solar power from Lao to power his weapons, allowing him to rule over what remains of the world.
Dr. Lao (ラオ博士 Rao-hakase) Voiced by: Masato Yamanouchi
The grandfather of Lana, the main scientist responsible for the development of solar power for both civil and wartime usage. Originally a member of the Industrian High Council, he defected after he learned of Lepka's ambitions. He believes that the people of Industria must be taught to discard their weapons, and begin new lives. For this reason he escapes, bringing with him the secret of how to access the orbiting solar power station from pre-war times.
Umasou (うまそう Umasō)
Umasou, which means "Looks Delicious" in Japanese, is Jimsy's piglet.
Orlo (オーロ Ōro)
The coward and the traitor of the High Harbor, he follows the Industria and has an evil plot to become a leader of High Habor then he gives a demand to everyone to give up Industria.
Tera (テラ Tera)
Orlo's younger sister, she's injured by a rocket from Industria's soldiers and is the second leader of Orlo's men.

Anime

Future Boy Conan first aired across Japan on the NHK TV network between April 4 and October 31, 1978, during the Tuesday, 7:30pm timeslot. It has been regularly broadcast across Japan on the anime satellite television network, Animax, who have also later translated and dubbed the series into English for broadcast across its respective English-language networks in Southeast Asia and South Asia, under the title Conan, The Boy In Future.

The series was also translated into numerous other languages, including Cantonese, Mandarin, French, Spanish, Italian, Catalan, Basque, Portuguese, Korean, Turkish, Kurdish and Arabic, being broadcast across Europe, Latin America, the Arab World, and numerous other regions.

Staff

Theme songs

Videogames

A video game version of the series by Telenet Japan was released in 1992 on NEC's PC Engine console. The game was released on the Super CD-Rom format and was only available in Japan. In 1995, another game titled Conan: The Boy In Future, was exclusively released on the 3DO, and was developed by Bandai Visual and published by Emotion Digital Software. The game also is exclusive in Japan, and is extremely rare. In January 2011, NewGin announced a pachinko game titled Future Boy Conan: Love and Courage and Adventure (未来少年コナン〜愛と勇気と冒険と〜 Mirai Shōnen Konan: Ai to Yūki to Bōken) based on the anime television series.[3]

Another video game adaptation of the series was released for the Playstation 2 home console in August 25, 2005 only in Japan.

Influences and reception

In a 1983 interview, with Yōko Yomizawa, Hayao Miyazaki acknowledged that ratings for the show had not been very good, noting that episode twenty-five had received the highest rating, of 14 percent.[2]

In her 1999 book, Hayao Miyazaki Master of Japanese Animation, Helen McCarthy identifies Conan as a "seminal" work and recognises themes and story elements in this production which Miyazaki would continue to explore throughout his career. McCarthy also notes continuity in the development of characters and their plight throughout Miyazaki's work. She sees Lana and Conan as precedents for his later heroines and characters and mentions, among others, Sheeta's rescue by Pazu, from Miyazaki's 1986 animated feature film Castle in the Sky, as an example.[4]

Popularity in the Arab World

The show was very popular in the Arab World and still is today. Conan's name was changed to Adnan. Lana's name was changed to Leena so that they could have names similar to Arabic names. A DVD version was released for most of the episodes with the anime dubbed into the Arabic language.

References

  1. ↑ 純粋な少年「コナン」と少女「ラナ」の愛の物語「ラブストーリー」 [Pure Love Story Conan and Lana]. Animage (in Japanese) (Tokyo: Tokuma Shoten) (145): 37. June 10, 1990. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Miyazaki, Hayao (July 31, 1996). "「コ ナン」 を語る" [Speaking of Conan]. 出発点 1979~1996 [Starting Point 1979~1996]. San Francisco: Viz Media. pp. 285–310. ISBN 978-1-4215-0594-7. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
  3. ↑ アニメ｢未来少年コナン｣がパチンコ化決定! [The anime "Future Boy Conan" to be pachinko-ized!] (in Japanese). Searchina. Archived from the original on January 29, 2011. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  4. ↑ McCarthy, Helen (1999). Hayao Miyazaki Master of Japanese Animation (2002 ed.). Berkeley, Ca: Stone Bridge Press. pp. 39, 223. ISBN 1880656418.

External links