borz-54195
We as children dreamed of being somewhat like the characters in their independent, strength, and heroism. This series have influenced many people I grew up with watching in both good and bad ways. First seeing Conan or Adnan strengths, diving and swimming abilities encouraged us in becoming athletic, outgoing, adventurist children who got themselves in a lot of fun trouble. But at the same time every person I grew up with started smoking because of one of the episodes where Conan takes a hit (not sure if it was cigarette or a drugs) and thus I remember them smoking at the age of 10/11 . as a parent I'll avoid having my children watching the smoking scene. having this said, the characters developments are amazing, simply all characters are totally good or totally evil , and there were strange behaviors from few characters that didn't fit their development - for example the Captain burning Conan house while they are a sleep knowing they will burn alive ! There were also VERY POWERFUL emotional scenes that were not given the credit or the attention. one of my best cinematic scenes was the time Conan was chained underwater and Lana swam up to take a breath and give it to Conan- that was an extremely powerful, sad and emotional scene that should included music and giving its time and climax- other scenes were familiar the famous titanic scenes that were possibly influenced from this series. and maybe Jacky Chan took from this as well . Other than that I got nothing else to say- I wish there will be a movie that captures the characteristic comedy of the same characters - Oh well -
MissSimonetta
Though Hayao Miyazaki's work at Studio Ghibli is known the world over, few outside of Japan seem to know or care about the work he did before that in the 70s and early 80s. It's a real shame, because works such as Future Boy Conan (1978) still hold up well today despite the choppy television animation.The plot is chock full of iconic Miyazaki themes and archetypes which look forward to his later films and manga. The post-apocalyptic setting, motif of flight, morally ambiguous characters, and environmentalist theme should all be familiar to hardcore Miyazaki fans. In fact, the whole thing feels like a dress rehearsal for the later Castle in the Sky (1986): the relationship between Lana and Conan mirrors the later bond between Pazu and Sheeta, the villain Lepka resembles Muska, and Captain Dyce and his crew bring to mind the Dola pirates.Despite the similarities, though, Future Boy Conan stands well on its own. I would even go as far as to say it equals (or in some cases, even betters) Castle in the Sky. Being a 26-episode TV series, it has more time to let its characters develop and grow. One major difference between FBC and later Miyazaki is it's broad comedy. There's lots of goofy slapstick and silly moments that you don't see the like of in post-Nausicaa Miyazaki. Still, it's good comedy that never feels out of place.I know most anime fans won't watch anything preceding Dragonball, but Ghibli fans and Miyazaki diehards will enjoy this series without a doubt. It helps show you where all those ideas, characters, and themes of his later films were first allowed to be fully expressed.
eagleknight98
This is one of the first Miyazaki's. He made it in 1978. Was originally released in Italian then dubbed to Japanese. Future boy Conan is a story about a boy and his grand father who were the only survivors of the third world war. Apparently, there were more survivors who did not learn the lesson of preserving life. The anime is not about super beings or the supernatural. It is about ordinary people with ordinary powers driven by pure feelings of goodwill and platonic love. Miyazaki engraved his name in history and in the heart of generations to come with this anime. He gave life to those characters who live in our heart as people we know and learn from. The story line is superb. The characters are lovely. The drawing is magnificent for a 1978 anime. What else are you waiting for....don't miss this anime.
Pedro Canhenha
Conan is a cult case in Portugal, at least for people who are now around their thirties. Having been broadcast in 1984, it garnered a lot of following and deservedly so (it has been put on sale on DVD the past year - 2004). The story, has most of the themes that populates Miyazaki's work: man as the entity that destroys nature, the conflict between nature and technology, elements that would be developed in features like "Castle in the Sky" or "Princess Mononoke". I've been a fan of Mr. Miyazaki's work for some time now, and that started with Conan (and I personally remember having the cards that were placed on sale at the time it was first shown) - this show was magical, funny and the main character represented a freedom that every kid longs or aims for. The animation nowadays is dominated by computers, but somehow this work is a true classic: you still look at it with awe and amazement, for all the uniqueness that made it so special when it first was shown is still all there. A must see!