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You’d think that with the family finally arriving on Mars that would have finally eliminated some of the problems that we’ve faced to date, but that’s far from the truth. If you’ve seen what’s been going on thus far, you know that the last volume ended with the family being separated, and James had inadvertently taken a prisoner, Rebecca, who’s patrol was out to bring back Dolores, whom they know of Isis. And although the family does find themselves reunited once again, they quickly find themselves in hot water again. It seems that there’s still that slight problem of them being wanted, and unfortunately, that’s discovered rather quickly. And to complicate matters, Baan Dorlfoum returns to search for the elusive “John Carter.” This volume also won’t disappoint fans of either of the games. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering just how exactly this whole thing ties in to the games themselves, aside from the name and some of the references to the LEV’s and such, this time there is definitive proof. Don’t worry, Leo isn’t going to come waltzing in, whining about not wanting to be a part of everything. Nohman makes a grand appearance however, complete with Anubis, the vicious mecha from the Z.O.E. 2 game, and also makes mention of the encounter/loss of Jehuty. It’s a fairly decent tie in for those of us that are familiar with Z.O.E. outside of the anime. It’s been a while since I watched some of the early volumes of the series, but I seem to recall that the John Carter reference came from the Edgar Rice Burroughs Mars series. Personally I’ve never been that found of Burroughs’ work, but that didn’t stop me from doing a bit of research on the subject. Surprisingly, I found that there is an online literature site that actually will allow you to go in and read the Mars stories, if you so desire. You can find that here, but shouldn’t you be watching the anime? However, we don’t by means suggest that you don’t take the time, if you’d like, to familiarize yourself with the works of Burroughs. The extras stick with what theme that has been gong to date. More interviews with the Japanese crew, and that’s just the way that it should be. They might be short, but informative nonetheless. This time around, we have interviews from the Main Character Designer Madoka Hirayama, Kumi Horii (Character Designs) and then the mecha designers Tsutomu Suzuki and Tsutomu Miyazawa. Interviews however aren’t the full scope of the disc. If you’re feeling up for a bit of karaoke, there are versions of the opening and close to partake in, complete with Japanese kanji and the English translations. And lastly, production sketches and conceptual artwork just like on each of the previous volumes. Once again, Z.O.E. proves that you take a game license and not completely ruin it by trying to stick to the original story. It’s a bold move, and it’s paid off. I think if Z.O.E. had taken the original game story, this anime would have been something completely different, and not nearly as entertaining as the first game lacks the humor and human element that the anime does. And obviously, using the story from Z.O.E. Anubis, or 2nd Runner depending on how you want to look at it, it would have given away far too much of the secrets that Konami wanted to keep under wraps. With the series quickly coming to a close, I can’t urge fans enough to make an effort to get into this one, regardless of what your opinion was of either of the games. Episode 15 – Container for Sand The Links family is still separated, and James still has Rebecca to contend with, but that’s not going to stop Dolores from attempting to help out and reunite her family. But even when the family thinks they’re in the clear, Rebecca’s squad comes looking for her, meaning more LEV/Orbital Frame combat. Episode 16 – Massive Illusion The series takes a slight turn as the focus shift away from James and his children for the most part. Instead, we get a look at Rebecca and her unit and even get a look at the dreaded Anubis, something that will certainly prove to be more than a thorn in the side of James as well as Dolores. Episode 17 – Family Game Still stuck in the apparently never ending Martian sandstorm, James takes the initiative to journey into town to get the parts needed to fix their broken down transport. However, upon arriving at the sphere, he discovers that the very author that wrote his precious book on child rearing as made a great impact on the town. James quickly learns though that appearances, as well as advice, and can deceiving. Episode 18 – Showdown at Noon Baan Dorlfoum makes life for the Links’ even harder as he broadcasts his demands, as well as pictures of the wanted family, across the airwaves. The family is forced back into hiding and Noel must go into town for parts with Nikolai, but he’s not exactly whom he seems to be. James discovers that he is in fact someone from his immediate past who got them into the situation they are currently in, and after incapacitating Noel, challenges Dolores to a duel. -mike-
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