OBSCURE O.V.A.S, *Green Legend Ran

AIC and none other than MTV combined their efforts as the studios behind this fine example of which genre could be labeled "sandpunk", meaning post-apocalyptic sagas taking place in a vast desert. Speaking of sagas, Satoshi Saga was the director of the 3-episode OVA series that had an original script by Yu Yamamato. The anime might seem like yet another "environmental hippie message" trying to teach people to be all eco-friendly in the spirit of Ferngully, but this happens in a version of Earth that was decimated by outside forces, so it's more similar to Nausicaa. The series was first released in English by Pioneer Entertainment, and then later rescued by Sentai Filmworks, even getting a full-length presentation on Syfy.

An alien race of sentient pillars known as the Rodo plunders the Earth of its resources leaving only a straggling number to carry on the remnants of the human race. The survivors reside in areas called Holy Green that the Rodo controls and allow people to live in outside the dusty wastelands. The Holy Greens are run by a cult of devoted believers in their cause referred to as Rodoists as they are in charge of the water supply. An organization called Hazzard rises to oppose the Rodoist rule, of which the rebellious boy Ran joins as he gains feelings for their young member Aira. The silver-haired girl is taken by the Hazzard higher-ups who need her for dealing with the Rodoists, and their commander might be the man who killed Ran's mother years ago. Ran chases after Aira and runs across a merchant named Jeke who offers to help him on his quest.

Green Legend Ran is obviously inspired by sci-fi classics like Future Boy Conan and Mad Max in a savage world with only those who endure to overcome the collapse of society, and you know society has collapsed because the kids get away with smoking cigarettes. Some American advertisements tried to pitch this as a children's anime, which is hard considering all the bullets and bloodshed. The animation is enticing to first timers, even though it's nothing that can't be found elsewhere.