Future Boy Conan (1978): Allegory of the Struggle Against the Hegemonic System

Abstract

Future Boy Conan (1978) is an oriental cartoon that depicts a futuristic society that has survived the Third World War. The main character, a 10-year-old boy, appears in the story to prevent the hegemonic group from continuing its claim to dominate the world, regardless of the tyranny they exercise against citizens. To achieve this vile purpose, the Isla Industria authorities have incurred in scenarios in which slavery is observed, the difficulty of expressing themselves freely and the mandatory submission to the decisions of the system. These attitudes not only reveal a context recreated in a fictional world, but it is latent in appreciating the social upheavals of today. To this type of demonstration for rights, another correlative modality is added: censorship. This is specified in an implicit and subtle way, with the aim that the victims discredit their rights and do not claim against the frequent abuses of a government that sanctions, imprisons or exiles them with injustice. Its condition of danger for the hegemony is essential, because it can lead to an awareness for the other inhabitants and a possible rebellion. To conclude, this research will use postcolonial and intercultural theories to show how a political project is established in a Japanese anime and, especially, in the protagonist who wishes to reorient an entire society, together with that inherent repressive system.