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If you haven’t seen the first volume or the OVA, but have in fact played the game, bear in mind that this DOES NOT feature any of the main characters that Konami’s Z.O.E features. Translated loosely, there’s no whinny punk kid complaining about not wanting to save the universe. Instead, we have a broken family with the father, James, trying to put the pieces back together again while searching for the truth behind what really happened to his wife. We do in fact learn that she may in fact not be dead at all, much to the elation of James and his children. There’s also a nice connection between the original OVA and this series itself, which is a nice touch. Then there’s Dolores, an Orbital Frame with a mind of her own. That mind though, tends to bring unintentional trouble to everyone involved, and she tends to be a bit too curious for her own good. Dolores though has two faces. Most of the time, we get the more innocent version, the Dolores that’s curious about this new world she has found herself in. There’s the other side that takes over though when things get a little too rough, and she’s highly destructive. This is beneficial however, as she’s protecting herself and those that are close to her. However, Dolores refers to this version as “the other me” and has no idea what the truth to the matter is. The battlefield takes a turn for the better. Destruction and mecha combat aren’t too bad when you’re dealing with an Earth terrain, but they become quite a bit cooler when you bring them into space. And there’s plenty of action waiting to be had. Dolores is quite adept either on her own or with “uncle” when it comes to combat, and we get a chance to see a couple of new abilities and weapons. One of Dolores' most destructive weapons is the particle cannon, and we see it in full form, not only eliminating threatening mechas’, but destroying a an abandoned military installation as well. However, Z.O.E is proving to be more than just a mecha series, or a title based on a video game (most of which haven’t been too great.) That’s one of the best things has been that there’s no worries about sticking exactly to the story. In fact, since Dolores does take place prior to the events we saw in the game, the main goal has been to retain the feel, but create something new, and that’s done magnificently. So what more is there beyond piloting a mecha and fighting in space? Z.O.E focuses on family, and not necessarily in the typical way. This isn’t the Japanese version of "Full House", the Links family isn’t dysfunctional by any means, but it’s also not a complete or perfectly working unit either, and much of our story is the quest to restore that unity. Of course, it’s subtly disguised. I’ll have to give yet another big thumbs up for ADV on the extras and showing that they can think beyond the dub market. There has been far too much focus by other companies on the English voice actors and directors. Honestly, what do they really understand about the series? They haven’t put their heart and souls into it nearly as much as the original Japanese creators and actors. ADV gives us interviews with the director (Tetsuya Watanabe) and the man behind the series composition, Shin Yoshida. These two give some amazing insight into what they have hoped to accomplish with Z.O.E and where they see it going. If that’s still not enough though, there’s a rather interesting bonus called Dolores’ Diary. This is essentially some redone footage from the series, with commentary from Dolores on what’s happened so far. What makes it entertaining though is a certain comment. Dolores is talking about the troubles and dangers they have faced, and how “uncle” tends to be a little harsh. “But,” as Dolores continues, “before I know it, he’s inside me.” Uh-huh. I see, I think. All sexual humor aside though, Z.O.E started as fairly impressive, and has moved far beyond that. It has it’s humor and charm, it definitely has its action, and it’s a series that’s easy enough to become engrossed so deeply in that before you know it, you find yourself at the end of the volume, checking to see exactly how long the wait will be until the next volume is released. Episode 6 – Get Away With Wired still hot on the trail of the Links family, Leon has been captured by one the Yans and Delores still lies close to what she believes to be death. And although James has found a possible safe haven with a call girl and a member of the Martian Mafia, his thoughts are still towards reuniting his family. Dolores though won’t “die” so easily, and her thoughts of “uncle” prompt her to revitalize herself and search for her “family.” Unfortunately, being so innocent and naïve, Dolores tends to stick out like a sore thumb, and the family has no choice to once again flee from Wired, complete with their new “friends” along for the ride. Episode 7 – Untouchable Wired still is relentless in their pursuit of bring the Links family to justice, and there seems to be one option to take them all out of harms way. Zarusaga, a back water colony, is one of the few places the Wired wont’ dare to trend do to it’s unsavory nature. If the outcasts living there weren’t bad enough, the fact that it’s a Mafia controlled rats nest, led by a don named Ron Pao, is more than enough to make things interesting, and dangerous. James request is simple, he wants to use their space catapult to help speed up the trip to Mars, but Pao has his price. Episode 8 – The Grave of Humanity James has been talked into running a little distraction game while Ron Pao attempts to gather his incoming cargo. In exchange, he’ll let James use his catapult, but he’s about to learn that you should never trust the mob. Pao has other things in mind, and is planning to kill Noel and Leon. Meanwhile, the battle in space takes a dramatic turn as the “other Dolores” steps in. Bashiriko sees opportunity though, and helps Leon and Noel escape while assisting with the takedown of the aged Ron Pao. Episode 9 – Lost in Space Due to the distraction of the gangland war, Dolores the Links family are free to use the space catapult to continue their mission to Mars. James continues his effort to bring his family back together, and Dolores has the chance during the downtime to read her first book, leading to fantasy about Cinderella. The real problem comes when the realization hits that they don’t have quite enough fuel to make it to Mars, and any alteration may result in disaster. James decides to make the ultimate sacrifice, and send his children and Dolores on their way. Episode 10 – Total Recall As fate would have it, Dolores runs across an abandoned military installation, and there seems to be enough supplies to restock and refuel, allowing everyone, including “uncle”, to reach Mars. However, the base holds the secret that James has been looking for; information on what really happened to Rachel. Little do they know that the Martian authorities have already been alerted, and appropriate measures have been taken to ensure they do not reach Mars. That’s when the “other Dolores” comes into play. -mike-
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