Future Boy Conan

Future Boy Conan
Company type	Anime television series
Industry	Animation
Founded	April 4, 1978; 48 years ago
Headquarters	Japan
Products	Anime television series, compilation films, video games

, also referred to as Conan, The Boy in Future, is a Japanese anime series set in a post-apocalyptic science fiction world. It is an adaptation of the 1970 novel The Incredible Tide by American writer Alexander Key. The series originally broadcast twenty-six episodes on NHK General TV from April through October 1978.

A related series titled Future Boy Conan II: Taiga Adventure, consisting of twenty-four episodes, was aired on TBS between October 1999 and April 2000.

Story

The narrative unfolds in July 2008, with humanity on the brink of extinction following a catastrophic World War III fought using ultra-magnetic weaponry. This conflict causes severe earthquakes and tsunamis, disrupting Earth's axis and submerging continents beneath the ocean.

A group escaping into space crash-lands on a barren island later named 'Remnant Island.' The survivors form a modest community where a boy named Conan is born in October 2016. As the older generation passes away, Conan remains alone with his adoptive grandfather until he encounters Lana, a girl from another surviving community called High Harbor. Lana flees from the crew of the Barracuda, a vessel belonging to Industria—a dystopian society structured by rigid castes that struggles to maintain its industrial economy reliant on a failing nuclear reactor and deprived of its primary energy source: concentrated solar power collected from orbit.

Lana’s grandfather, Dr. Lao, inventor of this solar technology, has gone into hiding to prevent its exploitation for military purposes—the same energy that nearly led to humanity’s downfall. When Industria’s forces recapture Lana, Conan’s grandfather is killed. Determined to save her, Conan sets off on a raft and encounters Jimsy, a semi-feral boy living on another island exploited by Industria for converting plastic waste into oil.

Conan and Jimsy attempt to infiltrate the Barracuda to free Lana and seize supplies but are apprehended and forced into labor. They are brought to Industria, where society deteriorates into tyranny under the harsh rule of Director Lepka—an unyielding despot obsessed with power. Throughout these ordeals, characters undergo significant development inspired by Conan’s altruism. A romantic relationship blossoms between Conan and Lana.

Ultimately, the group locates Dr. Lao and restores access to solar power just in time to save Industria’s inhabitants before another earthquake strikes. They also destroy the Director’s superweapon designed to control High Harbor and other territories. With the collapse of the old regime, nature begins to heal, new families form, and Lana and Conan embark on a journey to create a new world that embraces only the positive legacies of the past.

Characters

: Conan is an eleven-year-old boy raised on Remnant Island by survivors of a failed space escape after the Great Disaster. Despite limited social contact, he is physically adept in activities such as swimming underwater and spear-fishing, demonstrating intelligence and strength. After his adoptive grandfather’s death and Lana’s capture, Conan constructs a sailboat to rescue her and becomes involved in Lepka’s plots against Industria and High Harbor.

: Lana, also aged eleven, hails from High Harbor and is Dr. Lao’s granddaughter. Found unconscious on Remnant Island, she forms a strong connection with Conan. She appears to share telepathic communication with her grandfather and certain birds, deepening her bond with Conan as they face numerous challenges together.

: Jimsy is a semi-feral boy living alone on the first island Conan visits. Proficient in hunting and athletic skills, he aids Conan in rescuing Lana. Initially suspicious of women, he gradually develops feelings for Tera. Following separation from Conan and Lana, Jimsy spends significant time with Dyce.

: Lepka serves as Industria's administrative head under the High Committee but grows increasingly despotic, eventually staging a coup to seize absolute control. As the primary antagonist, he ruthlessly pursues power by attempting to reactivate an ancient superweapon intended for global domination.

: Dr. Lao is Lana’s grandfather and pioneer of solar power technology who defected from Industria’s High Council after uncovering Lepka’s ambitions. Using the alias Patch, he leads a salvage crew advocating for disarmament and peace while guarding access codes to an orbital solar power station from before the war.

: Monsley is assistant director of Industria's administrative forces. Orphaned due to war, she enforces Lepka's directives with severity—including capturing Lana and leading an assault on High Harbor—but exposure to Conan’s bravery eventually persuades her to join his cause against Lepka.

: Dyce commands the Barracuda, a ship salvaging plastic waste for Industria. Initially assigned to retrieve Dr. Lao and Lana, he grows fond of Lana and helps her escape to Remnant Island. Disgusted by Lepka’s tyranny, Dyce allies with Conan in efforts to overthrow Industria despite his often comical incompetence.

: Luke leads an underground resistance cell representing Industria's oppressed lower class. An ally of Dr. Lao who has been imprisoned multiple times for rebellion, he is freed by Conan and assists him in navigating secret subterranean routes within Industria.

: Orlo is a rebellious gang leader operating in High Harbor’s mountainous region who extorts travelers for profit. Formerly a herder, he turned outlaw seeking power and collaborated with Industrians during their invasion but loses his ambitions following a tidal wave and Industrians’ defeat; he ultimately reintegrates with his community.

: Tera is Orlo’s younger sister and deputy gang leader who forms a relationship with Jimsy despite differing perspectives on life. Rescued during Industria's invasion by Jimsy and Conan, their bond develops into a romantic partnership.

: Conan’s adoptive grandfather raised him after their spaceship crashed following the Great Disaster. The only other surviving crew member besides Conan himself, he dies defending Lana during an attack by Industrians but continues influencing events through his resemblance to an Industria citizen encountered later.

: Jimsy’s pet piglet acquired after becoming caretaker of pigs on High Harbor Island.

: A subordinate officer serving under Monsley.

Production

The 26-episode series was created by Nippon Animation and represented the directorial debut of Hayao Miyazaki, who also played a key role in character design and storyboard development. Prominent future figures in anime such as Isao Takahata (who contributed to storyboards and directing) and Yoshiyuki Tomino (storyboards) were part of the production team.

Initially, Nippon Animation pitched multiple ideas to NHK, ultimately selecting the novel The Incredible Tide as the basis for the series. The preparation phase encompassed three months dedicated to layouts, followed by six months from the start of key animation until the premiere episode aired. Although eight episodes were completed ahead of schedule, the production still experienced delays. Miyazaki mentioned that each episode required between 10 and 14 days to produce, and he credited NHK’s flexible scheduling for allowing the series to reach completion.

Following the more somber tone of 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother, the team embraced a narrative with a brighter outlook. Miyazaki consented to participate only if permitted to adjust the story’s mood, aiming to present a hopeful message for children rather than echoing Alexander Key’s original work, which was imbued with pessimism. He dismissed interpretations that positioned High Harbor and Industria as political metaphors for particular nations and even contemplated but ultimately decided against making the setting distinctly Japanese due to associated challenges.

Before airing, NHK requested the removal of a scene featuring Jimsy smoking. Miyazaki admitted to injecting personal sentiment into episode eight, especially in an underwater "kiss" sequence that reflected a manga story from his student years.

Theme songs

Opening theme: Ima Chikyū ga Mezameru (Now, the Earth Awakens), performed by Naozumi Kamata and Yūko Yamaji
Ending theme: Shiawase no Yokan (Premonition of Happiness), performed by Naozumi Kamata and Yūko Yamaji

Release

Future Boy Conan initially broadcast on Japan's NHK television network from April 4 through October 31, 1978. It was later shown on the anime satellite channel Animax, which also produced English-language dubs targeting Southeast and South Asian audiences under the title Conan, The Boy in Future.

A theatrical compilation film premiered on September 15, 1979, alongside Yakyū-kyō no Uta: Kita no Ōkami, Minami no Tora. Another compilation titled Future Boy Conan: The Big Giant Robot's Resurrection, covering the final three episodes, debuted on March 11, 1984, paired with Witch Era and timed with the release of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

North America and UK release

GKIDS secured licensing rights on July 8, 2021, for a 4K remaster featuring a new English dub. They launched a four-disc Blu-ray collection alongside a digital edition on November 16, 2021. In the UK, Anime Limited obtained licensing rights and released a two-part collector’s edition on Blu-ray and 4K UHD—the first global 4K release for the series—with Part 1 arriving June 27 and Part 2 on July 25, 2022. The series began exclusive streaming on RetroCrush starting April 18, 2025.

Video games

A video game adaptation developed by Telenet Japan was released exclusively in Japan in 1992 for NEC's PC Engine console using the Super CD-ROM² format. On October 20, 1995, Conan, The Boy in Future: Digital Library launched solely for the 3DO, developed by Bandai Visual and published by Emotion Digital Software; this title remains rare and Japan-exclusive. The game includes clips from the Intersound, Inc English dub pilot. Another version was released for PlayStation 2 on August 25, 2005, also limited to Japan.

In addition, a pachinko machine titled Future Boy Conan entered the market in 2005. Later, in January 2011, NewGin announced a new pachinko game named Future Boy Conan: Love and Courage and Adventure (未来少年コナン〜愛と勇気と冒険と〜), followed by a pachislot machine release within the same year.

Reception and legacy

During a 1983 interview, Hayao Miyazaki admitted that the series achieved only moderate viewership, with its highest rating of 14 percent occurring at episode 25.

In her 1999 publication, Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation, Helen McCarthy regards Conan as a pivotal creation that introduced themes Miyazaki would continue to explore throughout his oeuvre. She emphasizes the consistent character development and identifies Lana and Conan as early models for his subsequent female protagonists. McCarthy also notes similarities to scenes such as Sheeta’s rescue by Pazu in Miyazaki’s 1986 feature Castle in the Sky. In 2013, director Kenji Kamiyama ranked the series among the top 15 anime ever produced.

A reimagined and visually altered version of the series, modified to circumvent copyright concerns, is featured in Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, where it acts as a foundational inspiration for the main character's enthusiasm for animation.

Taiga Adventure

is a spin-off centered on Taiga, a young boy immersed in a realm filled with magical artifacts known as OOPArts. The central OOPArt, , is a colossal living statue that accumulates power by absorbing other OOPArts, posing a threat of worldwide devastation.

Characters

: A determined boy who journeys alongside his archaeologist father, seeking Obats and vital OOPArts to avert disaster.
: A motorcycle-riding girl whose archaeologist father’s research intersects with Obats; she serves as the vessel for its extracted energy.
: A jungle-dwelling boy influenced by television who becomes one of Taiga’s closest companions.
: The apocalyptic living OOPArt capable of transforming between forms—including a giant bird, mole, fish monster, bat, and sphinx—on a quest to gather other mystical artifacts to increase its strength.

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