Copyright © 1998 AIC / Pioneer LDC, Inc.
Released by Pioneer Entertainment (USA) L.P.
PIVA-1131D (English dubbed)
$19.98
120 min

The anime industry in North America has come a long ways in a few years, and the season of re-releasing is upon us. GREEN LEGEND RAN was originally released in 1992, and Pioneer brought it over as an expensive 3 volume complete collector's edition. Now, it is again available, but this time in a cheaper format.
The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic Earth. As mankind was doing its best to ruin the Earth through pollution, mysterious aliens came without warning and attacked through unknown means. As such, the Earth turned into a gigantic desert, without rain or oceans. Humankind lives onward in pockets of civilization, with a religious group named the Rodoists dominating through distribution of water and control of 'holy greens'. The aliens are still a mystery, leaving only questions as to their purpose and identity.
The plot centers around a boy named Ran, who was orphaned at an early age. His parents got caught between the battles of the revolutionist Hazzard group and the Rodoists. He blames a man with a large scar on his chest, who he saw shoot and kill his mother, and the desire for revenge fills his mind.
While attempting to join the Hazzard he meets up with Iria, a cute caring girl with strange blue hair. Iria gets kidnapped and is the unwitting target of many parties. The two soon get caught up in events to where Iria will discover her true past and change the course of history.
One interesting note relates to the overall setting and mood—it feels more like the present than the future. There are no mechs or robots, but the vehicles are all adapted to the sand terrain. The weapons used are all rather conventional, and the people act as much as they would today (give or take a cult).
Sometimes the story feels like Ran is on a train he cannot get off. Events simply carry him from important place to place, and it seems Ran is a viewer as much as the audience. The story does a good job in showing the state of the world, from the slum conditions of his home town to the high living style of the Rodoists (as ugly as they are).
Ran's actions remind me of old FUTURE BOY CONAN episodes, as he jumps and moves like no ordinary boy can without breaking a bone or worse.
The animation in GREEN LEGEND RAN is distinctive, with simpler but expressive characters and reasonably well animated scenes. The quality is up to standard OVA levels. The music fits well but is very unobtrusive.
There are some problems with this release though. This release is the edited version that aired on the Sci-Fi Channel some time ago. The original version was 150 minutes (including bonus footage) while this release fits into 120 minutes. As such, cuts are apparent throughout the tape, even during music pieces, and many scenes seem unnaturally rushed with no explanation. And the dubbing, while adequate, still suffers from the inexperience of early Pioneer English dubs.
Aside from this, GREEN LEGEND RAN is a reasonably well done but average tale. It does take advantage of the animation format by telling a story impossible in real life. The story takes elements from series like NADIA and FUTURE BOY CONAN, and fans looking for a derivative of the futuristic adventure tale will probably enjoy this work.