[Categories: Anime Reviews]
Future Boy Conan episode 4: The Barracuda
Conan and Gimsy set off from the island to board the ship that Conan believes will take them to Industria and bring him one step closer to rescuing Lana. Unfortunately their daring operation goes wrong and they find themselves captured by the Barracuda’s ruthless crew.
Future Boy Conan is old-fashioned boy’s adventure at its finest: had I been a youngster when I first saw this I’d no doubt be enthralled by it (just as I was with Miyazaki’s Laputa movie all those years ago). Conan is a good humoured, tough and fearless young fellow who will do anyhting for his friends, be it going to all this trouble for Lana or saving Gimsy’s neck in a tight spot. Speaking of whom, Gimsy is a comical and fun-loving character as well but it is only when he realises the value of Conan’s friendship that he stops thinking of himself and acts responsibly: the beating scenes are pretty shocking for kids’ TV but highlight the camaraderie between the two brave buddies.
The Barracuda’s crew are a nasty bunch of cruel, bumbling incompetents who only just manage to gain the upper hand over their young stowaways; it takes all of Conan’s guts and toughness just to stay alive. Of course, what he and Gimsy realise is that to get anywhere, they must face up to their problems and challenges and work together. As I said, good old-fashioned boys’ adventure.
It looks like Conan and Gimsy have a long way to go but if the episode preview is anything to go by they should reach the mysterious city of Industria and the next stage of their journey very soon indeed. There’s no denying its age but for a series that harks back to the late 70s Future Boy Conan is an exciting and amusing tale of bravery and determination.
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