Future Boy Conan

1978

Original language: Japanese

animation
action & adventure
sci-fi & fantasy
family

The story

After the great disaster of 2008, a war that destroyed the planet, the world is now largely ocean with the continents having sunk. Conan lives on a remote island with his grandpa and nature, never having seen another human being. But one day a mysterious girl, Lana, washes up on his beach. The two become quick friends, but she’s soon kidnapped and taken to Industria, a technological remainder from the world before. Conan leaves his island in pursuit, braving new lands and many hardships with new friends and enemies just beyond the horizon.

What it’s like

Hand-drawn 1970s cel animation with saturated sea blues, sun-bleached sand and wide, cloud-heavy skies, the ocean a constant presence in every frame. Long sweeping shots of waves and open horizons give way to warmer, more intimate scenes on a quiet island, while the grey, riveted machinery of the lost technological city brings a cooler, more industrial palette. The score is bright and brassy, with bouncy adventure cues that drop into softer melodic moments. Each episode moves at a brisk, episodic clip, with chases, sea voyages and new encounters. The emotional register is earnest and hopeful, with a shy, self-reliant boy slowly gaining courage and forming loyalties with a mix of allies and rivals. Violence is present but moderate: scuffles, pursuits, gunfire and a few tense, sombre moments about the world's ruin, with some menace and peril but no gore. It suits a weekend afternoon with children, a comfort rewatch, or anyone who loves old-school adventure animation. It is for viewers who want sea-voyage wonder and gentle heroism, with a touch of melancholy about a drowned world.

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