“Future Boy Conan” is a 1978 anime series that still holds up as one of the most ambitious post-apocalyptic stories ever put on television. It follows Conan, an 11-year-old boy raised alone on a remote island after a devastating war, who discovers friendship and danger when a girl named Lana washes ashore. The show ran for 26 episodes on NHK General TV, and it remains a landmark of Japanese animation.
Trailer, via GKIDS Films.
The Setting
The world of “Future Boy Conan” is a flooded ruin. In 2008, a war fought with ultra-magnetic weapons triggers earthquakes and tsunamis that tear the continents apart and send them sinking beneath the sea. The Earth’s axis shifts, and the crust rocks violently. A group of survivors attempts to flee to outer space but crashes on a small desert island, where they find a freshwater well and rebuild a simple life they call Remnant Island.
Conan is born in October 2016, the son of the island’s remaining survivors. By the time the series begins, he lives with his adoptive grandfather, having never met another human. Then Lana arrives, and the story moves forward.
Lana and Industria
Lana is the first person Conan’s own age that he has ever seen. She comes from High Harbor, a surviving island where a simple society has redeveloped in close contact with nature. She was trying to escape abduction by the crew of the Barracuda, a sailing ship from Industria, a technological remnant of the old world.
Industria is desperate for energy. Its economy barely continues through careful husbandry of a backup nuclear reactor, and it has devolved into a caste-based dystopia. The show spends significant time exploring this society, its structures, and its hunger for resources.
“The Earth is thrown off its axis, its crust rocked by massive movements, and the continents are torn completely apart and sink deep below the sea.”
Conan’s Journey
When Lana is captured, Conan builds a sailboat and sets out across the ocean to rescue her. Along the way, he meets new friends and becomes caught up in plots involving Industria and High Harbor. The series balances Conan’s personal growth with political conflict, never letting the stakes feel trivial.
Noriko Ohara voices Conan, bringing a youthful fearlessness to the role. Mieko Nobusawa voices Lana, giving her a quiet, soft-spoken presence that anchors the emotional core of the story.
What Works
The animation is fluid and expressive, even by 1978 standards. The world-building is dense and consistent, with the flooded landscape rendered with care. The pacing is steady, and the series avoids filler by focusing tightly on Conan’s quest and the people he meets.
The character relationships are the strongest element. Conan’s bond with Lana develops naturally, and his interactions with the people he rescues along the way feel genuine. The show trusts its audience to follow a child protagonist through hardship without losing empathy.
Where It Falls Short
Some of the later episodes lean heavily on action and spectacle, which dilutes the intimacy of the early character work. The dystopian elements in Industria are sketched rather than fully explored, leaving the viewer wanting more depth in its depiction of society.
The series is also limited by its era. Some viewers may find the pacing slow compared to modern animation, and the political plotting feels schematic next to more recent dystopian storytelling.
The Legacy
“Future Boy Conan” is an adaptation of Alexander Key’s 1970 novel “The Incredible Tide.” It stands as a significant entry in the genre of post-apocalyptic anime, influencing later works with its vision of a flooded world and its focus on youth.
The show’s influence can be seen in later animated works that explore similar themes of isolation, discovery, and survival.
Final Word
“Future Boy Conan” is a remarkable achievement for its time. It combines adventure, romance, and social commentary in a way that remains engaging decades later. The series earns its reputation as a classic of the genre.
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