The Story of Fifteen Boys

The Story of Fifteen Boys, known in Japan as Jugo Shonen Hyoryuki, was released in 1987 as a television special produced by Nippon Animation. It is an adaptation of the 1888 adventure novel Two Years' Vacation by Jules Verne, which follows a group of schoolboys stranded on an uncharted island in the Pacific Ocean. The production was part of a tradition of Japanese animation studios adapting classic Western literature for family audiences, aiming to capture the spirit of survival and camaraderie found in Verne's original prose.

The design and aesthetic direction of this special reflected the established Nippon Animation style, which emphasized clear character silhouettes and expressive, painterly backgrounds typical of late eighties television animation. By focusing on the psychological development of the boys as they establish a society, the production sought to bridge the gap between traditional adventure narratives and the contemplative tone often found in Japanese animation of the era. Upon its release, it was received as a competent, sincere iteration of Verne's work, valued primarily for its accessibility and its faithful translation of the source material's themes.