January
12, 2006
I
swear on a stack of holy books, and that stash of Empire Strikes
Back bubblegum cards I've carried since I was 7 years old, That
I will finish writing an essay on Future Boy Conan. For some odd
reason, I haven't found the time. Or, feel free to insert your own
favorite excuse.
For
those who don't know, Future Boy Conan is Hayao Miyazaki's 1978
television series. It marked his directoral debut after more than
a decade as an animator, layout designer, and overall idea man.
He was heavily involved in such classics as Horus, Prince of the
Sun (1968); Puss in Boots (1969); Animal Treasure Island (1971);
Lupin III (1971-2); Panda Go Panda (1972); Heidi, Girl of the Alps
(1974); and 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother. Then there are other,
more minor work on Toei films such as Ali Baba and the 40 Theives
(1971) and The Flying Ghost Ship (1969), but for the sake of my
playing for time, we won't delve into that here.
Future
Boy Conan was Miyazaki's first chance to completely create his own
work, one that indulged in his passions and examined his complex
worldview. He wrote the scripts, created the characters, and directed
all but two episodes. He was aided by longtime partners Isao Takahata
(who directed episodes 8 and 9), Yasuo Otsuka (animation director)
and Yoshifumi Kondo (key animator).
At
this point, I would normally go into greater detail, explaining
the overall plot to the 26-episode series, its general themes, and
some of my favorite moments. I'd also tell everyone living in North
America that they're missing out on one of the great classics of
Japanese animation, one of Miyazaki's milestones. And, then, just
to rub it in, I'd point out some of the many Conan riffs to appear
in the Studio Ghibli movies over the years.
Unfortunately,
I don't have the time today to get into that. Perhaps a little later.
This weekend, or maybe sometime after I get back from my vacation
on the moon. But, rest assured, I will complete my review, and it
will either be really cool, or it will be really, really
cool. Top that, Douglas Adams.
Until
then, I wanted to share this screenshot from Conan, featuring the
three main characters: Conan, Lana, and Jimsy. It's a really good
picture, isn't it? Now I'll bet you're really jealous. Don't be.
Just go to www.animesuki.com and download the fansub copy of Future
Boy Conan. See? You read all this way, and you won a prize. Aren't
I nice? You should send me some money. No, really, you should send
me some cash. I need to finish college before I start collecting
my pension.
And,
yes, I will finish the Conan write-up before too long. Bear with
me. |
