I'm a huge Mysterious Cities of Gold fan and had heard that it was part inspired by a series called Future Boy Conan. I had never seen this series before, as it was never shown in the UK to my knowledge, but had heard that it was definitely worth a watch. When a Blu-ray was released, I jumped on it and ordered it on release day. I found that, even though the series was old and I had no personal attachment to it, I was very impressed. I could see the DNA from Conan to MCOG. I say this because it seems like it wasn't the only one as I heard that it had influenced Green Legend Ran, a three-part anime series that was released way back in 1992. I knew of it but had never got around to watching the series. However, I did have the soundtrack CD by Yoichiro Yoshikawa which I'd bought from the original location of Forbidden Planet back in the mid 90s. It had been on sale so if picked it up and listened to it with no context. So, with some time on my hands, I thought I'd finally give it a watch.
Set on a post-apocalyptic Earth that had been ruined by humans, the world was further transformed into a desert wasteland after alien monoliths, known as the Rodo drained the planet's water and life. The story follows Ran, an angry young man who questions his lot in life. He joins a revolutionary group to track down the scarred man who killed his mother but his personal quest shifts when he meets Aira, a mysterious silver-haired girl with an unknown connection to the Rodo's central monolith, the 'Holy Mother.'
When Aira is kidnapped, Ran pursues her across the desert, becoming entangled in the larger conflict between the oppressive, water-controlling religious cult known as the Rodoists and the anti-Rodo rebels of Hazzard. Along the way he find out what the purpose of the Rodo is and why they have kidnapped Aira.
I have to say that watching this reminded me of the storyline from several Hollywood movies where aliens are terraforming planets by destroying the atmosphere. It happens in The Arrival, Titan A.E, Chronicles of Riddick, Man of Steel and Dune so it's a pretty common trope. Here, it's wonderfully realised as you see the suffering of the people and the disperate societies that have emerged, some seeing the Holy Green Monoliths as a sign from God whilst others see them as oppressors. The Holy Green has its own plans though and it's machinations may not be magnanimous...
I really liked this anime as the animation by AIC is solid, showcasing some creative dystopian scenery of old ruined cities, failing infrastructures and increasing desertification. The soundtrack is great and complements the film well, especially in its more philosophical musing moments.
Green Legend Ran deals with some emotive themes and features swearing, acts of terrorism, violence, gunplay and blood; it is not intended for young kids, which is a shame as I think it has something important to say about blind faith and the environment.
In a world increasingly fragmented and more tribal, at least when looking at online discourse and politics, this story is pretty evergreen as it shows what can happen when fanaticism takes hold on both sides of the divide. This OVA is well worth 150 mins of your time.
LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East
LINK- Battle Angel Alita: And So It Ends
LINK- Fire Tripper: Cult Manga Review
LINK- Akira Soundtrack Vinyl Review
LINK- Manga Exhibition at the British Museum
LINK- The Transportive Nature of Objects (And the Power of Mini Consoles)