In her 1999 book "Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation", Helen McCarthy identifies "Conan" as a "seminal" work and recognizes themes and story elements in this production which Miyazaki would continue to explore throughout his career. McCarthy also notes continuity in the development of the characters and their plight throughout Miyazaki's work. She sees Lana and Conan as precedents for his later heroines and characters, and mentions, among others, Sheeta's rescue by Pazu, from Miyazaki's 1986 animated feature film "Castle in the Sky", as an example. In 2013, anime director Kenji Kamiyama, most known for the "" series, cited the series among the 15 best anime of all time.