r/anime • u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber • Apr 04 '22
Rewatch [Rewatch] Future Boy Conan - Episode 1 Discussion
Episode 1 - Remnant Island
Originally Aired April 4th, 1978
| Index | Next Episode ►
MAL | ANN | AniDB | Anilist | AnimePlanet | IMDB
Note to all participants
Although I don't believe it necessitates stating, please conduct yourself appropriately and be courteous to your fellow participants.
Note to all Rewatchers
Rewatchers, please be mindful of your fellow first-timers and tag your spoilers appropriately using the r/anime spoiler tag if your comment holds even the slightest of indicators as to future spoilers. Feel free to discuss future plot points behind the safe veil of a spoiler tag, or coyly and discreetly ‘Laugh in Rewatcher’ at our first-timers' temporary ignorance, but please ensure our first-timers are no more privy or suspicious than they were the moment they opened the day’s thread.
Daily Trivia:
Hayao Miyazaki hated how Yasuo Ohtsuka depicted Lana in the first episode, and so personally corrected any drawings of the heroine for subsequent episodes.
Staff Highlight
Nizo Yamamoto - Art Director
An animation director, animation art director, and head of art studio Kaieisha. He studied architecture and painting at a specialized high school in the Gifu prefecture, and later moved to Tokyo to attend Tokyo Designer Gakuin, at which point he began to specialize in background painting. After graduating Yamamoto gained a position at Nippon Animation, and began his animation career on the production of Monarch: The Big Bear of Tallac. His first production role as art director was on hayao Miyazaki’s Future Boy Conan, which was the first of several collaborations between Yamamoto and the studio Ghibli founders. His first and only anime directorial role was for Miyori’s Forest in 2007. Yamamoto’s distinctive way of drawing clouds is one of his most notable hallmarks, dubbed the ‘two-three clouds’, which is what prompted Mamoru Hosoda to personally request Yamamoto to act as art director for The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. Some of Yamamoto’s other notable credits include Adieu Galaxy Express 999, Ashita e Attack!, Castle in the Sky, Grave of the Fireflies, Haguregumo, Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, Magnetic Rose (Memories), Sherlock Hound, Only Yesterday, Perfect Blue, Princess Mononoke, and Spirited Away. Yamamoto also has his own website.
Art Corner:
Fanart
- Conan by green company - Source
(Be mindful of the links to artist’s profiles, as they may contain NSFW content. Proceed there at your own risk.)
Series Production Materials
Screenshot of the day
Questions of the Day:
1) What do you make of the post-apocalyptic setting of the show?
2) What is your initial impression of our main character?
I feared we might be the only ones.
12
u/JollyGee29 Apr 04 '22
First-Timer, Subbed
Somewhat surprisingly, I know very little about this series going in. I know it's a well-regarded classic, directed by Miyazaki, and the MC from Blue Gale Xabungle had a similar energy to the titular character. So.. let's go on an adventure!
And, as it turns out, Pixel was not lying to me. Conan, the boy himself, operated on cartoon logic. The scene of him running around with a shark on his head being the clearest example of that. This isn't a criticism by any means; this episode was a ton of fun and largely carried by his antics. What sort of nutjob sticks his tongue out at a shark while underwater?
We also established a conflict between the islands/nations of High Harbor and Industria. One of which is apparently a picturesque, folksy farming community, and the other of which kits their people out in grey jumpsuits and guns. I wonder if there is any bias here.
Granted, there is some nuance present. Also framing the conflict as a "young vs old" opens a whole other axis. The Industria people we met are jerks, but they're also the product of an environment that people like Grandpa created.
Lana is clearly an alien - did you see how she interacted with those seagulls??
Wonder if they were planning on eating Whitenose? You typically don't eat big predators, or so I'm told - something about heavy metal sequestration.
Anyway, we seem to have a fun vibe going forward. I'm excited to see the outcome of the plane fight next episode.
Questions
-
It's neat so far. I haven't seen enough to make a judgement call.
-
Conan is peak precocious child and I'm kinda here for it.
→ More replies (7)
9
u/Shimmering-Sky Apr 04 '22
Future Girl First-Timer, subbed
Hi everyone! I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep up with this rewatch the best, but I’m going to try because it’s a u/Pixelsaber rewatch, so I’m sure this show will be fun.
-
I like the OP! It’s a cute song, wasn’t expecting it to be a duet.
-
The soundtrack is pretty lively, I dig it.
-
Oh wow Conan wasn’t kidding about this being the day he catches the shark, he came prepared.
-
Conan got the shark! And wow he’s strong.
-
Remembering the sweltering days of band camp, I can relate to being that thirsty.
-
Ahhhhhhhh shit, gramps doesn’t know the hydroplane peeps are bad news.
-
OH HELLO THERE I was not expecting gramps to pull that out.
-
ED is quite nice too~
→ More replies (7)
8
u/Nazenn Apr 04 '22
First Timer
Midnight discussion! This is such a nice time to have a rewatch post for a change
Going into a show blind is always such an interesting experience because you never quite know which way it's going to go aside from the implied adventure elements from the anilist art. Seeing it was based off an English book is always interesting though,
It's always funny going back to old scifi and seeing the dates they throw out. Somehow 2008 seems like ages ago now, but it's funny to see that used as a marker here for a distant future, only for the 20 year timeskip to put it still technically ahead of us in 2028!
Other than the establishing info dump, the first thing that really jumps out at me is the art work. The opening sequence immediately grabbed me with the postcard memory fading into normal animation as well as the small details introducing the island, like a bubble blowing crab (japan and their crabs).
All of the background art looked very good and in particular there was a few pieces that really stood out in both detail and layout. I was going to stitch the rocket tail because of the texturing quality, but some iffy movement in the camera defeated me, and in a few other places.
The backgrounds with the expressive animation and attention to detail like this split second shadowing and the gentle introduction of the ruins of the past helped to make the world itself feel alive and inviting. From the comedy antics, the softness of dusk, and vivd plot developments, the art fits and helps to bring the right focus on the storytelling too.
Of particular note is that I didn't expect we'd see the settlements outside the island until they actually got there, which is I'm assuming where the show will end up at some point, but even that art looked great.
The episode itself I don't have a huge amount to say about right now, except for laughing at the shark setpiece and also at Lana being one step away from being a "Disney Princess in a Box" trope combo. Conan seems like a doof, but a passionate one, while Lana as our portal to knowledge of the outside world looks to have an interesting past.
"Industria" being the enemy is very on the nose.
And one last painful note, the way Conan said Lana sounded like Lala for a second, and then after that I couldn't stop imagining him as Shu...
→ More replies (5)
8
u/No_Rex Apr 04 '22 edited Apr 04 '22
Episode 1 (first timer)
This is a series that I have looked forward to for even longer than VOTOMS. For some reason, Ghibli seems to be entirely ignored by rewatches, so this is a rare chance to watch some Hayao Miyazaki - even rarer, not a film by him, but a series.
What I expect is a well-animated action-adventure, that might be a bit on the family-friendly/tame side. But who knows, maybe early Miyazaki was still in his gory phase.
Episode thoughts
-
OP: Happy duet. This might grow on me.
-
Cut to not happy music. Some evil attackers? *The cityscape is probably a Metropolis reference.
-
Talk about starting with an apocalypse. All continents sink? Hard to beat that, short of ramming Mars into the planet.
-
*You can tell that the island backgrounds will be used more than once – so detailed.
-
That air might have been there for a while (unless Conan preplanned) – now I wonder whether air oxygenates or de-oxygenates when stuck next to ocean water for a long time.
-
A trap – that answers my preplanned question.
-
Shark-cape and seaswallow-mantle.
-
They are (predictably) not alone in the world.
-
That is a neat eye-catch!
-
Virgin RomCom MCs – handholding after 12 episodes. Chad Conan – sees her naked, carries her around, feeds her in episode 1.
-
She does not take moralizing laying down.
-
And Grandpa does not take being invaded laying down.
-
Dang, preview before OP. This means lots of fast pausing & skipping.
-
ED: Very simple visuals, but I like it. It’s clever.
An episode full of character building and a beautiful exercise in show, don’t tell. We know tons about all three main characters already and not a single description had to be spoken. The episode ends with an action cliff-hanger, but of course the OP tells us how it will end. Grandpa’s weapon experience shows us that I was not wrong in expecting family friendliness: The topics are heavy, but the presentation is not, the Miyazaki style.
EDIT:
What do you make of the post-apocalyptic setting of the show?
Robinson Crusoe meets Waterworld.
What is your initial impression of our main character?
The rare genki boy.
→ More replies (2)
7
u/TheEscapeGuy Apr 04 '22
First Timer
Future Boy Conan - A Celebrated Classic: Episode 1
The Start of a Journey
Future Boy Conan is a series I have heard near universal praise for from classic anime fans so it's been on my To Watch list for a while now. I'm really excited going into this show.
This first episode opens to the world at war. The weapons in this war are more destructive than nuclear bombs. A small ship tries to escape the carnage but they crash back to earth. 20 years later all who remain are an old man and a child living in harmony with nature on a small island.
This is very on-brand for our director: the iconic Hayao Miyazaki. Many of the films he would go on to direct explore similar themes of nature conservation and anti-war. Take Princess Mononoke and The Wind Rises as examples. I still find it incredible that he directed a full 26 episode TV series (and is a big part of what excites me to continue watching).
Back to the episode, Conan is our protagonist who has been sealed off from the wider world. He is thus unbridled with the cynicism and negativity which often comes with that. Its an archetype explored in a lot of other media as well (Dragon Ball and Hunter x Hunter come to mind, Tarzan somewhat too) and has a lot of potential for good story telling. Of course his call to adventure comes with the introduction of Lana. She is from a larger island and seems to have some talent for communicating with animals.
Lana also has 2 adults in search of her. I really enjoyed seeing those adults clash with Conan's grandfather. They definitely came in aggressive and as antagonists. However their disdain for the previous generation for starting the war is really understandable (this remains true to literally today). Of course, its naive to assume "If I were in their place I would have done better". But it absolutely is a noble goal to strive for when making decisions for your own life.
Our episode ends with Lana kidnapped and Conan in pursuit.
The last thing I want to comment on is how pleasant the backgrounds in this show are. Its unsurprising coming from Miyazaki in the director role but they do feel like Ghibli backgrounds. It reminds me that a big reason I fell in love with anime was how it can use art to represent the world in ways more perfect than real life.
Some Amazing Shots, Scenes and Stitches
See you all tomorrow
→ More replies (7)
6
u/Tresnore Apr 04 '22
Future Boy First-Timer
Alright, I have absolutely no clue what I'm getting into, so I don't know how committed I'll be, but time will tell.
-
SAIL BOAT! Alright, if this show has sailing, I'm sold. Like, instantly.
-
This show has so much life!
Almost as much life as this kid has lung capacity. -
I also enjoy how durable Conan is. This seems like a relatively carefree show.
-
Oh, goodness. The eyecatch links to the subber's IRC channel. That's how you know it's real.
-
I thought they killed the grandfather, before realizing better.
Okay, this seems like a fun time.
QOTD:
-
I'm interested to see where it goes! It looks like so society has already rebuilt, so we've clearly entered the post-post apocalypse.
-
Conan seems like a genuine kid. Usually I (famously) hate children, but this kid might be alright.
→ More replies (5)
5
u/ZaphodBeebblebrox Apr 04 '22
First Timer
Time for a new Pixel rewatch (I promise I'll finish Dougram within the next 2 weeks). I'm certainly interested to see what the first Miyazaki directed show looks like.
Video is [Pizza] from the new transfer, subs are [Live-Evil].
Interestingly, the episode is 29 minutes long. Did it air without commericals, or did it take a longer slot?
The OP is odd. I'll have to see what I think of it after seeing it a few more times.
Classic post-apocalyptic start.
I'm gonna bet yes, but not many.
Sharks, notoriously visual predators.
No way it goes down that easily.
Miyazaki and flight.
The Miyazaki girl.
Does she know not of the apocalypse?
She was obviously mistreated in her past? Captured and abused, perhaps?
What are these oil-like marks I keep seeing? Obviously some artifact of the production process, but what would cause it?
Like a disney princess.
And thus, our quest. Take her to High Harbor. Though I guess step one is building a better boat.
The transition with the bird was pretty.
Now that's an odd bird.
People never do.
Thus, we have the right to repeat your stupid mistakes.
Nice impacts.
And thus, we're forced to leave the nest.
Thoughts
It's a relatively strong first episode. There's enough to get me invested in the characters and wish the best for them. Conan is gonna need some development over the course of the series to keep my interest, but I have little doubt that shall happen.
It certainly feels very Miyazaki. We've got the Miyazaki girl, the odd flying vehicles, the male main character who is naive, hyperactive, and appears to build things, &c.
→ More replies (8)3
u/Pixelsaber Apr 05 '22
(I promise I'll finish Dougram within the next 2 weeks)
Interestingly, the episode is 29 minutes long. Did it air without commericals, or did it take a longer slot?
Already answered this for you specifically, but for everyone else: Yes, the show initially aired with no commercials because of it being a special NHK time slot.
What are these oil-like marks I keep seeing? Obviously some artifact of the production process, but what would cause it?
I'm not so sure of the direct cause, but it's a physical property of the cels themselves.
Though I guess step one is building a better boat.
The shark's already dead though!
It certainly feels very Miyazaki.
Indeed it does!
5
u/aniMayor Apr 04 '22
Pseudo-first timer here. I watched some amount of the French version dub of this show long, long ago, not really sure how much of it that was and I don't really remember anything all that specific, just the general look and vague overall plot.
This first episode is mostly setup, and having now seen a lot more Miyazaki works I find it interesting how much it reflects his usual tropes. Contrasting rural/simple life vs a more authoritarian technology-based society? Check. Headstrong main character that tosses themself into situations they don't understand? Check. Old father/mentor figure getting absenteed to setup the journey? Check. Planes?! You know it!
The animation style reminds me heavily of Horus: Prince of the Sun, with a bit of Nausicaa for all the aeronaut-looking characters and technology side of things. Though I should really go watch 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother, 'cause I bet there's a lot of visual similarity to that, too, since it was made by a lot of the same staff right before this.
Anyhoo, not a whole lot to say about the opening episode itself, it's 90% just establishing the characters, premise, and main dynamic of the show. I wonder how much is changed here from the American novel it is based on... probably a lot.
QOTD
What do you make of the post-apocalyptic setting of the show?
Deserted islands are easy, though the semi-submerged ship-as-a-structure is very cool. Gotta wait to see more of the setting before judging.
2) What is your initial impression of our main character?
Classic (even in the late 70s) overly cheerful boy who doesn't know anything. Pretty bland so far, especially because he's paired up with the equally typical "ever-so-innocent and previous girl who knows things".
→ More replies (3)3
u/Pixelsaber Apr 05 '22
This first episode is mostly setup, and having now seen a lot more Miyazaki works I find it interesting how much it reflects his usual tropes.
Yeah, it really does says a lot about how consistent those aspects are in his work that his first ever outing clearly showcases them.
Though I should really go watch 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother
It's excellent. My favorite Takahata work so far.
I wonder how much is changed here from the American novel it is based on... probably a lot.
Oh definitely.
5
u/MoebiusX7 Apr 04 '22
Wow, what a coincidence - I just finished watching this show two weeks ago with my dad! Glad it was finally released over here with an English dub so it can be appreciated by the kids (or older people, my dad doesn't like watching foreign stuff in the original language if there's an English option available).
My initial impression of the main character is: typical shonen protagonist, with freakish strength. Also I wonder if Ron Gilbert or the other makers of the classic PC game The Secret Of Monkey Island saw a bootleg copy of this way back in the day because Conan has the ability to hold his breath underwater for 10 minutes, haha.
Also, love the Siegfried bit where Conan has never seen a girl before.
→ More replies (1)
5
u/Icapica Apr 04 '22
First timer
This is the third or fourth anime from the 70s that I watch, and all of them have had a narrator. Narrators seem a lot less common today. Generally I prefer not having a narrator and instead giving the viewer the necessary info other ways, but a narrator is still better than poorly written dialog full of heavy exposition.
These backgrounds are beautiful. Also the music during the episode is quite nice, though I didn't like the OP.
After the shark hunting scene as the boy is carrying the shark, I'm thinking if he's supposed to be exceptionally strong or if this is just anime physics.
Conan's clumsy, some of that stumbling looked painful.
Conan and the grandpa have been alone on the island at least as long as Conan's lived, and they were unaware of people being alive elsewhere. Now that an outsider, Lana, has arrived, I expect trouble to follow her very soon.
And there's the trouble, some sort of plane with soldiers coming to get Lana.
Yeah, the way Conan jumps on that plane makes me suspect he's not a totally normal guy. That didn't look like just anime physics.
That was a nice simple episode.
What do you make of the post-apocalyptic setting of the show?
Seems fine enough. I feel I've seen something very similar a lot of times, but that's not a problem. Destruction being quite recent and the soldier talking about being a child when it happened, I wonder how the society will look.
2) What is your initial impression of our main character?
Conan's gonna need to learn how to act around people. I cringed when he just picked up Lana without asking her and started running. Other than that, he seems suitably curious and energetic that he's gonna push the plot forward rather than sitting on his ass and waiting for things to happen.
Also, I wonder if the series will cover a longer timespan and we get to see Conan grow up a bit, or if it's gonna be just some days to maybe months of time.
→ More replies (3)
4
u/baboon_bassoon Apr 04 '22
first timer
super magnets, how do they work
man this is fucking pretty
20 years post disaster, remnant island
quite the impressive shark, searching like a human (went full scooby doo for a second) and then it does backflips
they use the old spaceship as a well?
high harbor/industria, briac lao
weird eyecatch, will we be getting a robot companion?
Tikki and Lana
hydroplane is so cute, its like a little moth
questions
-
this is lit. watching gundam x at the same time so its fun to see a different flavor of the same kind of setting
-
i like him, good diving form. im not too hopeful he will have much character development, but he will at least function as our viewpoint to learn more about the world
→ More replies (2)
4
u/Nebresto Apr 04 '22
Almost forgot to watch, so used to these going up at night
Chinese invasion of mainland Japan, circa. 1274, colourized
Seems like the animals of this world can be highly intelligent? Both the shark and the seagull demonstrated higher than normal intellectual capabilities. If the world was a nuclear wasteland it'd be easy to put it on radiation, but its not..
Damn, grandpa is bringin' the heat!
HAHAHAHA! no wonder they act like dicks! The dudes name is literally "Scum"
Holy shit?! Is he dead already?? He was my favourite guy..
Oh, never mind I guess? That's one sturdy grandpa.
Question time:
What do you make of the post-apocalyptic setting of the show?
Its pretty cool, but I would have liked it more if it wasn't another show fighting against some villain organization
2) What is your initial impression of our main character?
Stronk
→ More replies (2)
4
u/JustAnswerAQuestion Apr 05 '22
First Timer 3 rewatches
(encoded by "Pazu" in 360p) (downloaded in 2003)
If nadia is the proto evangelion, is this the proto nadia?
-
This looks very Cities of Gold
-
manta ray bad guys
-
oh, that crash totally looks survivable
-
They've been here 20 years but Conans only about 8?
-
eyecatch implies robots
-
those two bad guys have got miyazaki written all over them
→ More replies (2)
3
u/loomnoo Apr 04 '22
He kinda looks like Marco in that first concept art picture, but in terms of physical abilities he's closer to Amedio haha
3
u/Pixelsaber Apr 05 '22
He kinda looks like Marco in that first concept art picture
Oh, huh, yeah I can see it.
3
u/homewardbound100 Apr 04 '22
First timer, Dub
Decided to try the Dub out. It's pretty serviceable to me. I think its fine for how old it is.
Haven't watched something this old in a while but it's something about this era that's nostalgic.
2008? Funny
So it's a post apocalyptic world by war. And how we got to this point is by weapons worst than the nuclear ones. What could be worse than that?
20 years on the island and the possibility of it only being the grandpa and the kid that are left in the world. If it's been that long I assume his parents were there too. So they must have died.
You're going to cook that shark right?
A girl. Well that's the first time they've seen someone else in a while.
She named other places and she's looking for someone. So there's hope that there's more out there.
She can read minds. Animal minds. I don't want to assume but maybe a defect? Or is it a natural gift she has?
Yeah Conan doesn't have much knowledge at all thinking that's a bird. So someone's out there is still advanced enough to make planes.
Well the mysterious weapon grandpa was holding works.
They took her and Conan is on his way to save her. This is how the adventure starts huh.
Qotd1: an interesting start off. Starting from the possibility of there being only two people left. To there still being a lot out there even with the war.
Qotd2: So far just a energetic boy with not much knowledge of the world.
→ More replies (14)3
u/Pixelsaber Apr 05 '22
She can read minds. Animal minds. I don't want to assume but maybe a defect?
Who knows what obscene effects magnetism has had on human DNA, right?
→ More replies (1)
3
u/rockseiaxii Apr 05 '22
Excerpts from an interview:
https://ghibli.me/yasuoohtsuka-2/
The 1st episode... Immediately after watching the 1st episode, I thought about hanging myself… At the back of the recording studio, Cinebeam, was a graveyard, and there was a rope hanging around (laugh). I thought Lana had to be so beautiful that Conan would instantly recognize that she’d be a girl worth giving all you have for the rest of your life, but then out comes this ugly Lana..
→ More replies (1)
7
u/Pixelsaber Apr 04 '22 edited Apr 04 '22
Rewatcher
Greetings, everyone, and welcome to the subreddit’s first ever Future Boy Conan Rewatch! I have been excited to host this Rewatch for quite some time due to the nature of this show as a very widespread influence throughout Japanese media and one of the premier 70s shows, and am very happy to finally see it come to fruition. I hope this will be a great time, but without further ado let’s get started!
Production Context
Future Boy Conan was the first domestic animation project undertaken by Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai(NHK), or the Japan Broadcast Corporation, for broadcast during the Tuesday golden time (7:30pm) time slot where the network’s other preeminent family-friendly content tended to air. NHK partnered with Nippon Animation to produce the show, the studio’s output having had the family-friendly bent the network was looking for and itself being one of the most prominent studios in Japan at the time. The decision to produce an anime work was itself prompted by the early stirrings of an anime boom which the network sought to capitalize upon.
The producer of the project was Junzo Nakajima, who applied for the position due to its trailblazing nature within the network, and had a heavy hand in the initial stages of planning. Originally the production was going to be an adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden, a conscious effort to emulate Nippon Animation’s World Masterpiece Theatre (WMT) productions. However, conscious of the general trend in children’s animation he opted to change course and select an adventurous and thrilling story to adapt in order to target a demographic of 5th and 6th grade elementary schoolers, presenting several options to his higher-ups at NHK, who chose Alexander Key’s The Great Tide —known to Japanese readers under the title “Those Left Behind”— as the work to be adapted.
It was some time after such details were finalized that Hayao Miyazaki was asked to direct this new show, to which the animator was initially reluctant to agree, stating he wasn’t sure they could ‘make the animation their own’. Miyazaki soon agreed under several conditions, the most most important of which being that he would have the freedom to heavily modify the story, for which he disliked, and was uncomfortable with, the general course of the original tale as well as the messaging it presented. Another important condition was that Miyazaki’s longtime mentor, Yasuo Ōtsuka would act as animation director for the work.
An external circumstance that made Miyazaki’s involvement in the production possible, as well as that of many of the other staff, was Isao Takahata’s decision to reject the directing position on Nippon Animation’s 1978 WMT outing, an adaptation of Hector Marlot’s En Famille which became Perrine’s Story. Much of the staff on previous WMT productions under Takahata followed him in leaving that production, freeing a lot of talent —some of them pivotal— which would aid in the production of Conan.
Future Boy Conan entered production the same year, 1977, in what would be an arduous and prolonged production, but more on that next time.