Primitive Law

Primitive Law (原始の掟) is the first episode of the Genshi Shonen Ryu anime. It originally aired on October 30, 1971.

Plot

The episode begins by showing the prehistoric environment in all its ferocity. Erupting volcanoes, struggling dinosaurs, swirling rivers. Some tribesmen pursue a woman and captures her, bringing her before their chieftain. It is revealed that the woman had recently given birth to a child with white skin, therefore different from the others and supposedly means the child is cursed. In accordance to the tribe's law, the chieftain orders the child to be sacrificed to the malevolent one-eyed dinosaur, Tyranno. Despite the woman's protests, the child is taken away and abandoned in the canyons. Meanwhile, the Tyranno comes across a baby ape and devours it. The mother ape, Kitty, is distraught by her child's death, but finds the white skinned child and adopts him as her son. After several years, the child, now has grown into the young man named Ryu, gifted with a sense of the word and dressed in a leopard skin. Together with Kitty meets a group of belligerent tribesmen, led by Yamu, who immediately takes to dislike Ryu, telling him to leave the hunting area. A fight ensues and Kitty is wounded in the leg by an arrow. Concerned about Kitty's health, Ryu tries to take medical herbs and meets Ran, a slave girl from Yamu's tribe. Ran shows sympathy for Ryu and prepares to give him some herbs, but are interrupted by Yamu and his men. They capture Ryu and take him as their prisoner to the tribe's village. The tribe's elder sentences Ryu to die and just as they are about to burn him alive, the injured Kitty comes to rescue him. Despite her injuries, Kitty tries to defend Ryu by throwing stones at the tribesmen. In the middle of the fight, the Tyranno arrives in the village and started massacring everyone in sight. Kitty, Yamu and the other tribesmen are killed, while Ran frees Ryu and they both manage to escape. After the destruction of the village, Ryu and Ran return to look for survivors; they found none, except the tribal chief, who was mortally wounded. Before dying, he reveals to Ryu that his mother is alive; in fact, she was part of the tribe. Years ago she left to look for Ryu, believing him to be still alive somewhere. Ryu buries Kitty and vows to take revenge on the Tyranno. Ryu and Ran decide to travel together to look for both his mother, as well as Ran's brother, Don, who she had not seen since she had been sold to the tribe.

Characters

• Esta
• Ryu
• Kitty
• Tyranno
• Ran
• Big Horn Tribe
  • Yamu
  • Elder

Cast

• Ryūji Saikachi
• Michihiro Ikemizu
• Reiko Seno
• Ritsuo Sawa
• Isamu Tanonaka

Gallery

Preceded by

Succeeded by