Future Boy Conan: Miyazaki’s Forgotten Masterpiece That Predicted Our Future

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Future Boy Conan is a 26-episode Japanese post-apocalyptic science fiction anime first broadcast in 1978, adapted from Alexander Key’s novel The Incredible Tide and originally aired on NHK. The series follows a small cast of survivors in a shattered world where continents were torn apart by catastrophic warfare, and it stands out as an early, influential example of hope-driven science fiction in anime.

The story centers on Conan, the only child born on Remnant Island, who discovers Lana washed ashore and learns of the larger, fractured human society and the oppressive nation of Industria that hunts her to force her inventor grandfather to power their machines. Conan’s journey from isolated island boy to worldly hero unfolds alongside allies such as the resourceful Jimsy and conflicted antagonist-turned-ally Monsley, with the series balancing adventure, rescue missions, and moral choices that escalate toward a confrontation over technology and human freedom.

Future Boy Conan blends adventure and coming-of-age storytelling with strong themes of environmental ruin, the corrupting influence of militarized technology, and the restorative power of cooperation and compassion. The series repeatedly contrasts simple, humane island life against industrial hubs that exploit people and nature, and it privileges optimism and creative problem-solving as routes to rebuilding society rather than revenge or domination.

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki with contributions from studio veterans including Isao Takahata and Yasuo Otsuka, the series showcases dynamic direction, inventive mechanical and character designs, and rigorous hand-drawn animation that presaged many stylistic elements later associated with Miyazaki’s films. Although its original ratings were modest, Future Boy Conan’s craftsmanship and narrative ambition cemented its reputation among creators and fans and helped shape late-20th-century anime storytelling conventions.

Future Boy Conan remains influential for its hopeful, humanist approach to post-apocalyptic fiction, its early articulation of anti-militaristic and ecological concerns in anime, and its role in launching talents who would later define the medium; modern viewers continue to rediscover it for both historical importance and enduring emotional resonance.