Green Legend Ran
“For the people of this planet, it was a time when the sea and the sky and the very land on which they lived had been polluted by their own cultural waste. They came from as yet unknown outer space. They landed on the planet and sucked up air, water, and even living creatures into their womb, stealing away the very roots of the planet’s culture. And so began, with the few remaining inhabitants, and later with the one called Rodo, the creation of a new world.”
Let’s activate the way-back machine and go back to March 31st, 1998. A year has elapsed since DVD players were first introduced to the market. DVD players still cost a few hundred dollars each, and titles were few and far between. Some major studios were still sitting on the sidelines. The studios that were releasing titles were still learning how to utilize the format.
And, on this day, Pioneer released the movie Green Legend Ran on DVD.
Green Legend Ran is perhaps best known for first premiering on the Sci-Fi Channel (albeit in an edited form). At that time, the release and broadcast of Japanese animation (better known as animè) was few and far between. Good luck trying to find any animè at your video store, never mind any good animè.
The story is somewhat simple. Sometime in the future, man has polluted the Earth. Then, mysterious aliens invade the Earth and literally sucked up the Earth’s resources, turning the planet into a desert. The remains of humanity exist in pockets, with the ruling Rodo being worshipped like a fanatical cult. There is a resistance group called the Hazard who are fighting the Rodoists. And set against this backdrop is a boy named Ran who vows revenge against a man who murdered his mother - a man with a large scar on his chest. Ran runs into and falls in love with Aira, who is being pursued by both the Rodo and Hazard for her silver hair for reasons that become clearer as the movie goes on…reasons that will change the planet.
This animè was originally released in Japan in 1992 as a three-part OVA series, so the animation style is definitely a bit more dated and the animation less complex than the more recent animès. It premiered in the mid-1990s on the Sci-Fi Channel with the three parts (Departure, Green 5, and Holy Green) combined into a edited 120 minute movie, with the subsequent releases in subtitled and dubbed VHS format.
When this DVD was released in 1998, Pioneer was better known for their laserdisc releases, and this translated over to their early DVD releases. At that point, the studios that were releasing DVDs were still trying to get used to the capabilities of the new format. It is evidenced here as there are absolutely no menus on this disc. All of the chapter stops were listed on the packaging. The audio defaults to English, and you have to switch with your remote to the original Japanese audio. Two subtitles were also provided: Translated version, and Hearing Impaired version. Some of the writing translations are hard-encoded in the video. After the feature was completed, there are two “bonus” chapters: a full-length music video and a interview with the director.
Then, the disc stops. The end. Press eject now. However, one oddity that I noticed is that the music video is presented in a “matted” letterbox format while the rest of the video is presented in 1.33:1 format. There is no indication that this was created in any aspect ratio other than 1.33:1. Go figure.
It should also be noted that the DVD was initially released in a CD-sized jewel case. Later releases were in a regular keeper case. Since then, Pioneer Entertainment has revamped its logo; after its parent company was acquired by Dentsu, Pioneer Entertainment became Geneon in October, 2003. After Green Legend Ran, Pioneer included menus on all of their DVDs. Both the quality and quantity of animè have improved, especially in the dubbing department with some animè programming airing on Cartoon Network. A check of several on-line stores indicates that very few copies of Green Legend Ran are kept in stock.
Despite this, it is still a enjoyable flick, although you can sense the “good will prevail and the Earth is restored” plotline. While we find out little about the Rodo aliens, their ideas of planetary renewal is enough to show that yes, they are the enemy. Everything does get wrapped up, and no, we are not left wanting more. The English dub, while not spectacular, is still passable.
Verdict: 2 out of 4. It’s a popcorn flick that you will probably want to watch every one or two years.