The appeal and reviews of Future Boy Conan II: Taiga Adventure: Entering a new world of adventure

Future Boy Conan II: Taiga Adventure - Detailed Review and Recommendation

■Overview of the work

"Future Boy Conan II: Taiga Adventure" is a TV anime series that aired on TBS from October 16, 1999 to April 1, 2000. It consists of 24 episodes, each 30 minutes long. This work is original to the anime, and the original story and concept were created by character designer and animation director Sadahiko Sakamaki. It was directed by Keiji Hayakawa and produced by TBS and Nippon Animation.

■ Story

As "out-of-place artifacts" that cannot be explained by modern science are discovered all over the world, archaeologist Dr. Dino and his son Taiga find a giant stone statue in the shape of a strange bird deep underground in a pyramid built in the jungle. The statue suddenly starts to move and reaches the Greilles Museum, where out-of-place artifacts discovered from all over the world are collected. The statue then absorbs the museum's "out-of-place artifacts" into its own body, and changes from a bird to a mole. The true identity of this mysterious statue is the "O-bats," a super-magnetic weapon that is said to have destroyed the earth many times in the past. The time has come to test the wisdom and courage of humans against the threat of the O-bats that will destroy the earth.

■Explanation

"Future Boy Conan II: Taiga Adventure" was created based on the original idea and story by character designer and animation director Sadahiko Sakamaki. Although the subtitle is "Future Boy Conan II," the content and illustrations have no direct relationship to the previous work, "Future Boy Conan." In fact, when the opening was changed, the "Future Boy Conan II" notation was removed. This work is characterized by a story development centered around adventure and solving mysteries, and depicts a fascinating world view that draws the viewer in.

■Cast

The voice actors for the main characters are as follows:

• Taiga: Akari Hibino
• Tiana: Michiyo Nakajima
• Gosh: Paddy field wasabi
• Dr. Moa: Wheat man
• Professor Dino: Hiroki Takahashi
• Dr. Greil: Takashi Matsuyama
• George: Yuji Kishi
• Michael: Mitsuhira Owada
• Schneider: Michie Tomizawa
• Yuto: Daisuke Ishikawa
• Connection: Yuka Nagayoshi
• Professor Kubo: Kazuhiko Nishimatsu

■ Main staff

The main staff involved in the production are as follows:

• Produced by: Koichi Furuhashi
• Production management: Junzo Nakajima
• Planning: Shoji Sato
• Music: Goro Oumi
• Director: Keiji Hayakawa
• Producer: Nobuaki Tanaka
• TBS Representative: Satoshi Yamamura
• Screenplay: Hideki Mitsui, Koji Ueda
• Character design: Sadahiko Sakamaki
• Animation directors: Hideki Yamazaki, Yoshiharu Sato, Shunji Saiden
• Art director: Shigeru Morimoto
• Art setting: Kazue Ito
• Director of photography: Takafumi Hirata (Togen Anime Room)
• Sound Director: Hiroyuki Hayase
• Color designation: Takashi Ohira
• Video check: Takahashi Tsuyoshi
• Artwork: Delta Peak, Studio Victory, Mushi Production, Artland, Marchensha, Magic Bus
• Finishing touches: Studio Kiri, Studio Robin, Tatsunoko Productions, FAI
• Background: Atelier Rook, Studio Aqua
• Photo: Togen Anime Room
• Recording production: Audio-visual systems
• Mixer: Ryuichi Kato
• Effect: Fizz sound
• Recording studio: Tabak
• Photo lab: Tokyo Photo lab
• Title: Akira Michikawa
• Edited by: Shinichi Natori and Kazuho Nakano
• Negative editing: Hidetoshi Kamitono
• Storyboard: Keiji Hayakawa, Jun Takagi, Hiromitsu Morita, Shigeo Koshi, Yoichi Kasayama, Seiji Arihara, Hideaki Uehara, Ichiro Aokijin, Kazuzo Fukushima
• Directed by: Keiji Hayakawa, Tomomasa Yamazaki, Ittoku Tanahashi, Yoichi Kasayama, Shinya Hanai, Shinji Sakai, Kento Mana, Atsushi Nigorikawa, Kazuzo Fukushima
• Assistant Director: Atsushi Nigorikawa
• Production desk: Kenichi Sato
• Production Assistants: Yasushi Kushibiki, Yukari Oda
• Production: Nippon Animation

■ Main Characters

The details of the main characters are as follows:

• Taiga : The protagonist of this story. Like his father, he is an inquisitive boy with an interest in archaeology. His sense of adventure and knowledge are key elements that drive the story.
• Tiana : A beautiful girl who at first tries to take revenge on Taiga due to a misunderstanding, but later they become friends. Her growth and change add depth to the story.
• Goshu : A wild child who lives alone on a remote island in the South Seas. He believes that all the information he sees on TV is correct. His purity and innocence add humor and warmth to the story.
• Dr. More : Dr. Dino's mentor, his knowledge and experience as a scientist are key to the story.
• Dr. Dino : An archaeologist and Taiga's father. His belief is "experience, observation, and calm judgment," and his knowledge and leadership support the story.
• Schneider : A female executive of a mysterious organization. Her actions and goals add to the tension of the story.

■Subtitle

The subtitles and broadcast dates for each episode are as follows:

• #01 Ruins - 1999/10/16
• #02 Out of place artifact - 1999/10/23
• #03 Girl - 1999/10/30
• #04 Jungle Boy - 1999/11/06
• #05 Encounter - 1999/11/13
• #06 Pursuit - 1999/11/20
• #07 Undersea Graveyard - 1999/11/27
• #08 Misunderstanding Solved - 1999/12/04
• #09 Sudden Turn of Events - 1999/12/11
• #10 Suspicion - 1999/12/18
• #11 Well - 1999/12/25
• #12 Tears - 2000/01/08
• #13 Tiana - 2000/01/15
• #14 To the Land of the Sun - 2000/01/22
• #15 Hiirogane - 2000/01/29
• #16 Phantom - 2000/02/05
• #17 Mirage - 2000/02/12
• #18 Premonition - 2000/02/19
• #19 Awakening - 2000/02/26
• #20 Voice - 2000/03/04
• #21 Wandering - 2000/03/11
• #22 Beyond - 2000/03/18
• #23 Hope - 2000/03/25
• #24 Future - 2000/04/01

■ Related works

This work is related to "Future Boy Conan", but it is not a direct sequel, but is developed as a separate story. "Future Boy Conan" is a masterpiece by director Hayao Miyazaki, and while it is influenced by it, it has created its own unique worldview.

■ Theme songs and music

The opening and ending themes are as follows:

• OP
  • Sphere
  • Lyrics: pal@pop
  • Composer: pal@pop
  • Arrangement: pal@pop
  • Vocals: Yoko Fujita (Sony Music)
• ED
  • Our Heart
  • Lyricist: Kaita Okubo
  • Composer: Kaita Okubo
  • Arrangement: Kaita Okubo
  • Sung by: Kaita Okubo (Sony Music)
• New OP (#15～)
  • Birthday
  • Lyrics: pal@pop
  • Composer: pal@pop
  • Arrangement: pal@pop
  • Vocals: Yoko Fujita (Sony Music)

■Detailed evaluation

"Future Boy Conan II: Taiga Adventure" is a work that features a storyline centered around adventure and solving mysteries. The story begins with the discovery of "out-of-place artifacts" all over the world, which are inexplicable by modern science. Viewers are drawn into an adventure into an unknown world from the scene where the main character Taiga and his father, Dr. Dino, find a giant stone statue in the shape of a monster bird in the jungle. The story becomes much more tense when it becomes clear that the stone statue is a super-magnetic weapon known as an "Out-of-place artifact."

The growth and change of the characters is also one of the attractions of this work. In particular, the character of Tiana tries to take revenge on Taiga due to a misunderstanding at first, but as the story progresses, she begins to cooperate with him. This change makes the viewer sympathize and adds depth to the story. Also, Gosh's purity and innocence add humor and warmth to the story, entertaining the viewer.

The artwork and art are also highlights of this work. The character designs are by Sadahiko Sakamaki, and the characters are unique and appealing. The background art is also beautiful, and scenes such as the jungle and underwater graveyard make a strong visual impact. In particular, the scenes where the stone statues start to move and the O-bats transform are very visually impressive.

Music is also an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of this work. The opening theme "Sphere" and the ending theme "Our Heart" are powerful songs that reflect the theme of the story and capture the hearts of viewers. In addition, the new opening theme "Birth Day" from #15 onwards is also a song that matches the development of the latter half of the story.

■Recommendation

"Future Boy Conan II: Taiga Adventure" is a work that I would especially recommend to viewers who enjoy adventure and solving mysteries. The story unfolds quickly and viewers will not tire of it. In addition, the characters' growth and change are depicted, which will evoke empathy from viewers. The drawings and art are beautiful and make a visual impact. The music is also an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the story. This is a work that viewers who enjoy adventure and solving mysteries cannot miss.

This work is also recommended for fans of "Future Boy Conan". Although it is influenced by "Future Boy Conan", it has its own unique worldview, so you can enjoy a new adventure. In particular, viewers who like director Hayao Miyazaki's works will enjoy the new adventure with character designs by Sadahiko Sakamaki and direction by Keiji Hayakawa.

Overall, Future Boy Conan II: Taiga Adventure is a worthwhile watch that combines a storyline centered around adventure and solving mysteries, character growth and change, beautiful drawings and art, and powerful music. I highly recommend it to viewers.