Back in July 2021, the folks at GKIDS have made a really surprising announcement with the acquisition of the Future Boy Conan property for release in North America. The distributor is bringing it out in North America for the first time with a 4K restoration and an English dub in addition to the original Japanese language with English subtitles.
Now, UK distributor Anime Limited has chimed in to reveal that they’ll be bringing the series out in 2022 themselves as well, but they’re also going to bring out a 4K UHD Blu-ray release as the first in the world for the show. According to the distributor:
This classic series has recently received a full 4K restoration in Japan, and as always at Anime Limited we strive to bring you content in the best way possible – thus, our plan is to release the series as a Blu-ray and 4K UHD Blu-ray combo Collector’s Edition, making our release the first 4K release of the series anywhere in the world!
Our intention is to release the series over two Collector’s Edition instalments, each containing 13 episodes across two 4K UHD Blu-rays, and two regular Blu-rays.
Of course, this release will also include a beautiful rigid slipcase, which will house both part one and two of the series – once released, part two and its contents will simply slip inside.
But that’s not all – our Part 2 Collector’s Edition of the series will include a whopping 132-page book! Written by Jonathan Clements and Andrew Osmond, this full-blown book chronicles the history and production of the Miyazaki’s directorial debut, and is absolutely packed with insight as well as delving deep into the production of every episode of the series as it recounts tales from staff members who were there and taking part in its creation. This is a must-own book for fans and anyone interested in this seminal part of anime history, and is worth the price of entry alone as the most exhausting examination of the series available in English.
The English dub cast includes:
- Sabrina Pitre as Conan
- Erin Mathews as Jimsy
- Lili Beadoin as Lana
- Aaron Chapman as Dyce
- Kazumi Evans as Monsley
- Alex Zahara as Lepka
- Michael Dobson as Gucchi
- Ian Hanlin as Kuzuu
- Hiro Kanagawa as Dr. Briac Lao
- John Innes as Grandpa
- Michael Adamthwaite as Dongoros and Narrator
The November 16th, 2021 North American release from GKIDS is be priced at $44.98 and will include a 16-page booklet featuring character artwork. No on-disc extras were listed with the solicitation beyond a 4k promotional trailer.
The original TV series ran for twenty-six episodes back in 1978 with Hayao Miyazaki as the director working with screenwriters Akira Nanako, Satoshi Kurumi, and Soji Yoshikawa. Yasuo Otsuka worked on the character designs with Miyazaki and it was animated by Nippon Animation.
The Japanese cast includes Mieko Nobusawa as Lana and Noriko Ohara as Conan.
The property has seen French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, Portuguese, and Chinese releases over the years, almost all of them with localized dubs. Two compilation films were also produced.
Plot Concept: Twenty years ago, a terrible war fought with magnetic weapons caused the earth’s axis to tilt, and earthquakes and tidal waves destroyed civilization. Conan is born into this new world, raised by his adopted grandfather on an isolated island. But his life is forever changed when a mysterious girl named Lana washes ashore, pursued by shadowy operatives who seek to use her in a new scheme to control what’s left of the world.
