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In contrast to the game, Idolo is set in 2167, five years prior to the events in the PS2 Zone of Enders. Although Earth has had colonies on Mars for quite a while, their earthly brethren have subjected the Martian citizens to oppression and even acts of terrorism. Determined to win their independence, the Martians have secretly been developing a counter measure known as an Orbital Frame, a mecha which can outmatch and outmaneuver the current line of mechas’ that are in production. This Orbital Frame, known as Idolo, has been put into the hands of Radium Levans, a Martian military mecha pilot. However, the scientists’ involved in this top secret project are unaware that their primary ore, Metatron (a mineral found on Jupiter’s moon of Europa) has adverse effects on Levans, which sends him into several psychotic episodes. Worse yet, the development team has a traitor in its midst and people waiting in the wings to get their hands on the one thing that could give Mars independence from Earth. Idolo isn’t just about mecha combat (unlike the game) and there’s quite a bit of story going on here with some extremely interesting and even relevant issues. There’s even some physics that were well thought out that I don’t recall ever being addressed in any other science fiction film, anime or otherwise. The producers took into consideration the difference in gravity between Mars and Earth, resulting in the Martians being weaker physically. This is addressed a few times through the OVA, and it was something that adds a whole new element into the story and even makes it a bit thought provoking. There are even some issues that are touched on that are similar to current world events. The one in particular is a brief flashback sequence dealing with Earth attempting to weaken the Martian spirit by the use of terrorist attacks. There are some similarities to 9/11 there, however it could be looked upon as a sort of prophetic vision since the anime was originally made a year ago. Also, the idea of the Martians being treated as second-class citizens is an interesting plot devise, and has definite shades of the Armitage OVA’s and films. One thing that is a definite benefit of Z.O.E is the fact that it’s produced by Sunrise Inc. If the name doesn’t ring an immediate bell, some of the other projects that the company has been responsible for might help job your memory a little. Cowboy Bebop, Gundam W, Outlaw Star, Gasaraki, and Escaflowne are just a few of the titles that the company has credited to its name since Sunrise came into being back in 1972. Bearing this in mind, the one thing that’s for certain is the Z.O.E definitely has all the potential of becoming yet another fan favorite in the companies growing, and quite lengthy list, of superb anime titles. The only thing that was a bit of a let down with Z.O.E, aside from the short length, is the use of computer animation. Although it’s scantly used, it still sticks out and although it’s not as poorly done as what was shown in Armitage: Dual Matrix, it still is somewhat of a minor eyesore. Thankfully however, the CG doesn’t detract terribly from the anime, and it’s so brief that it can easily be overlooked. -mike-
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If
I had any apprehension about watching Idolo, it was quenched
with the first 5 to 10 minutes. This is absolutely nothing like the
game, and so much better in every regard. I think that one of the
things that really turned me off with Z.O.E on the PS2 was
Leo, the whining 14 year old with the atypical, “I don’t
want to pilot a mecha and save the universe” attitude. You won’t
find any of this in the OVA, and there is no Leo present at all, which
is an absolute plus.
The
mechas that are presented in the series are extremely well designed,
but that’s really no surprise considering that in the interview
extras on the DVD, Gundam and even Dangaio came up as references
many times. This influence shows not in the design itself, but in
just about every aspect, and there’s even a slight hint at Gasaraki
making an impact in the overall development and design. The creators
claimed that they set out to do something that’s a bit more
than Gundam, and in many ways they’ve achieved this. The spectacular
mecha battles paired with a compelling story, presented in a feature
running under one hour is a really an amazing accomplishment. Most
OVA’s that are released lack backbone, but Z.O.E has
everything in one nice package.
Even
having drawn from what I believe to be poor source material, Z.O.E
definitely shines bright and is one of the more outstanding mecha
animes' to hit the market. Even if you’ve never played the game,
it’s not an essential part of enjoying the OVA. Some fans of
the game may be disappointed that Idolo doesn’t involve the
story line from the game, but it does involve the same world, and
more importantly, it helps expand on the ideas that Konami had originally
developed. This is definitely one of the more impressive mecha titles
to hit the market and will without a doubt be considered one of the
forerunners of the genre. This is a must have for any anime fan, an
essential for anyone who can’t get enough mecha action.