Conan, le fils du futur

It is one of the few animation series that I remember being broadcasted here in Portugal when I was younger (1984). I didn't know who the author was, but I loved it. Best of all, in those days here in Portugal, they would show Japanese Animation with the original voices (Japanese) with Portuguese subtitles.

Now about the series: It has drama, it has action, and it has comedy, all packed in fantastic animation (for 1978). In one series we see all the themes Hayao Miyazaki would use in his films. And a lot of characters are prototypes of others he creates in his films. Fantastic!

I have seen all 11 of Miyazaki's films multiple times, being a huge fan of his and Studio Ghibli's work, but in my opinion, out of all the works he has done, Future Boy Conan is his masterpiece. I absolutely adore this show! I loved the story, I loved the characters, I loved the chemistry between Conan and Lana, I loved how gripping the whole thing was and it ended on a great note!

Future Boy Conan could be the most underrated and overlooked TV show of all time. I've seen this show twice and honestly, I'm tempted to call it my favourite TV show of all time (NO JOKE!). It is that good. So many people are missing out. If you are a Miyazaki fan, I strongly recommend you check out 26 episodes of brilliant story-telling. All the episodes are available in 1080p quality on KissAnime, subbed only. What are you waiting for? Watch it right now. You will not be disappointed!

If only most kids TV shows nowadays were even close to the quality of Future Boy Conan.

10/10 from me!

i saw that series may be 10 times, it was my favorite and still is, to my knowledge they still run the series in Baghdad TV.

the story, the drawing, the coloring, the robots, the castle, and the flying wing, all these were smashing great.

i wish they turn it to a movie, it was one hell of work, and every kid and adult favorite in Iraq back in the 1980. the show was a welcome change to Iraqi channel and a new introduction to sci fie to Iraqis , people started to like sci fie as a choice to see . the show talked about dictatorship and people control ( something every Iraq back in 80's know it), so the show hit more than one spot.

I would say its the best "animated anything" of all time, but to avoid excessive hyperbole I reluctantly confine myself to "Japanese anime TV series". This is one of Hayao Miyazaki's earlier projects (by no means earliest), and yet it is his best. The colors are not as rich, the animation not as fluid as in his later works but its still his best. Its a 1970's anime made with 1970s techniques, yet you could not want it any other way. The character's drawing is simple by later standards, monotone faces, quite flat, but they are unforgettable and their visual "flatness" only emphasizes their depth of character. The scenery despite the limitations of technology is simply beautiful. All in all, what Miyazaki achieved with this series is the equivalent of replicating the Mona Lisa using nothing but crayons. I will say no more. Except that I pity that part of the world which never had the pleasure to watch it or even hear of it.

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!