Mirai Shounen Conan

I absolutely loved Mirai Shounen Conan (forgive me for using the japanese name), the story is based on this planet, after the mankind has destroyed and polluted the earth in a world war. The story starts on a small island, where Conan lives with his grandfather, thinking they are the lone survivors of the war. But they come to see that there are others alive when a girl washes on the shore of their island.. The Story is an instant classic, with the theme of good vs evil. I think the story will appeal for every age, it has these certain catches, and twists in it also.It is also thought that the story and the whole serie is a prototype for Laputa, Castle in the Sky. But still, even if it is a prototype, I consider this anime to be as good as Laputa, or even better. The Animation is expectional for this old anime, obviously there is no CG, and very few duplicate frames. The overall animation is far above the standards of the 70's. The sound is also very good, but not perfect. There are some parts when there could have been better sounds, but still, excellent sound for anime more than 30years ago ! Now.. the characters. They are just excellent, they are all so well designed that you will fall in love with atleast one of them instantly! Conan is your typical wild boy, with a pure heart, and a strenght beyond a normal human. And he is the character I loved second-most in this serie. Then there is his friend Jimsy, who is the Conan's partner and he is also very good character, with lots of funny moments with him :) And of course the heroine part is played by a girl named Lana. I think she develops as a character excellently. But I who I loved above all others is a captain, who is in my opinion the most diversative character of the serie. He also develops as a character in the serie A LOT! So look forward for meeting him in the serie :) There are also bunch of a bit side-characters but still extremely well developed! I think the overall enjoyment couldn't have been better. I had lots of good time spent with this anime. Time went by with a smile on my face, with a serious face, laughing and a bit crying too :) Overall this anime is one of the best I've ever seen, with excellent and intriguing story, very good animation, and lots of memorable and excellent characters. This anime deservers a lot more appreciation that is has gotten. Don't look at the year when this anime was made, and don't start watching it with prejudice. Just go and buy this anime or download it from some fansub group, I guarantee that you won't be disappointed!!

Hayao Miyazaki is the guy who directed this. Hands down. But seriously and I really mean seriously. Imagine watching the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie and impose the background of a post-apocalyptic world (obviously as indirectly described in the synopsis) dominated by the color blue and very dark blue of the sky like the early posters or still images in search engines of this series. This would exactly be what Future Boy Conan is as your first impression on an emotional level. Now I just said "post-apocalyptic world". It's true with the usual pop cultural trope that war is bad, but what is worse? Obviously thewar that destroys the whole planet Earth. I know, it's not pleasant. However, the story of the series itself will make you yearn for your heart that world peace must be promoted at all cost without being politically affiliated in any ideologies. I wish I could give 10 for the sound, but the opening song is not that pleasant in my ears. So 9 it is.

I will not spoil anything in this review I want you to be able to enjoy it free of spoilers like I did. This is a masterpiece. Its timeless. It's very uncommon to find a show that is enjoyable for all ages who watch it. Those of you who have seen studio ghibli films. This is basically a Ghibli film but in a 20+ episode series. As such it has everything you'd expect; action, adventure, beautiful art & worldbuilding, great music & characters, moments that make you laugh,get you hype and those classic emotional moments. Just try it out if you look at other peoples reviews even the most critical people find enjoyment with this series, so try it out

Some time has passed since the world was at war fighting one another with ultra magnetic weapons of mass destruction, ravaging Earth in the process. As humans desperately try to survive the horrific conditions of Earth, a group build a ship in an attempt to escape into space but fail and end up crashing on the remains of a island. Earth had now restored most of its nature but there was only one survivor that was still alive today, living together with his grandson Conan. One day, Conan comes across a girl named Lana who had come from High Harbour Island and they soon discover therewere other survivors on Earth. Unfortunately, Lana's pursuers from Industria soon catch up with her and take her away. And so, Conan sets off from the island for the first time, going on a grand adventure meeting new friends and foes alike as he seeks to rescue Lana and help her reach her grandfather. This show was Hayao Miyazaki's debut role as Anime director before he co-founded Ghibli. Right from the very first episode you can see plenty of Miyazaki's familiar style that will probably remind you of his Ghibli movies such as the animation styles, world setting, character behavior and designs despite the rough voice acting and sound effects from the late 1970s. The show mostly resembles the action and technology from his later movies Nausicaa and Laputa while its comedy will probably remind you more of his light-hearted movies such as Totoro. As it seems to be the trend with Miyazaki's work, it's yet based on another Western novel named "The Incredible Tide" by Alexander Key. It might be 40 years old (at the time of writing this) but it's got a great balance of action, comedy, friendship, romance and adventure. There's so many themes going on and it's a bit of everything from Ghibli's more glorious days really. At first it might seem like a show about a bunch of innocent kids being caught up in conflict but the characters are likeable as with Miyazaki's other movies, each with their own distinct characteristic (those toes!). You have to admire the bravery and determination Conan shows making up for his naivity and balancing out his superhuman abilities. Both Conan and Lana has some good chemistry going on between them and Lana isn't your cliche damsel-in-distress as with Miyazaki's later works as they struggle through troublesome times together. She is as strong a character as Conan just without his superhuman abilities. It's also great to see the show doesn't go with the "never give up" immortal characters mentality that a lot of Anime shows go with and it's not afraid to admit defeat or weaknesses in situations. After building up on our protagonists, the plot itself really picks up just about half way through with yet another familiar theme of nature versus power lusting humans but, it's directed so well the drama keeps you watching. And of course, since it's from the founder of Ghibli, there's no fan service aimed at the male viewer or the moe style that seems to be the trend with most shows these days. The Furigana in its episode titles suggests it's aimed mainly at children as it's used to help them read Kanji and even includes a mini guessing game in the eye-catches but, I think it can be enjoyable by all ages as with his other works. If you enjoyed Miyazaki's classic movies, still enjoy them and don't mind the old art style and retro sci-fi look, you'll most likely enjoy this. A lot of the art still looks great such as the mecha designs but even the backgrounds can still look good - especially now that it's been HD remastered for modern screens. It probably shows the staff involved were ahead of their times with all the effort the they put into the backgrounds. There is another series misleading named as "Future Boy Conan II" but it's actually not a sequel and focuses on different characters while keeping a similar world setting of magnetic warfare. So, are you a fan of Ghibli Miyazaki's classics such as Laputa and Totoro? Yes? Then go watch this. You won't be disappointed.

Merchandise

Links may contain affiliate references

Studio