Zone of the Enders Dolores, i

Publisher
ADV
Director
Tetsuya Watanabe
Production
Sunrise, TV Tokyo, VAP
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Series
Running time
26 episodes
Year
2001

Zone of the Enders Dolores, i vol 1: Countdown to Destiny

By John Huxley
23rd May 04

Episode Summary

WARNING: may contain spoilers

Episode 1: James's Misfortune

Stopping off at a usual haunt, cargo hauler James Links meets an entirely untrustworthy old associate who offers him a job delivering a mystery package to Earth. Seizing the opportunity to visit his estranged children, he reluctantly accepts regardless of his fears that the package may be contraband. However, what James Links finds in the package is much more than knock-off Pikachus and bootleg VCDs...it's a giant, singing, dancing robot with the personality of a teenage girl! Not your average contraband, and not one that escapes the notice of the UN. During a routine check of James's hauler they stumble upon the pink orbital frame that calls herself 'Dolores'. Lucky for James that Dolores seems to have taken a liking to the old guy...

Episode 2: Elevator of Capital Punishment

A lucky day for the UN - not only do they discover a giant mech hidden away in James Links's cargo, they also find they have a traitor in their ranks who wants the robot for himself! Escaping from the mayhem inside the cockpit of Dolores, he heads to earth for a tearful reunion with his children. If only James was so lucky. He was framed for murdering the UN inspectors and now his children hate him for dragging them in to this whole mess! Before they have time to settle the family feud the trio are arrested by Wired, a government agency on the hunt for James for his alleged crimes. If only they had a giant robot to come and save them...oh, they do?

Episode 3: Leon's Choice

Having escaped prison James's son, Leon, is understandably unwilling to leave his high-powered job for a life on the run. Seeking help from a trusted colleague they come up with a plan that will assure his family's safety if they hand Dolores over to the company. But Dolores is insistent that her fate lies with James, and he smells a rat...

Episode 4: Final Countdown

James believes that he will find answers on Mars, the home of his deceased wife and suspected birthplace of Dolores. With room for only one, Dolores is not a viable option for the lengthy trip to the red planet. They'd never pass unnoticed through the regular routes (a giant pink robot tends to stand out somewhat), so the only viable option appears to be a senile old man and his antique rocketship. But with Wired on their backs, will they ever make it?

Episode 5: A Runaway Trip to Death

No sooner have they left the Earth's atmosphere are they fighting a whole army of LEV's! Before Dolores is given a chance to clear up, a mysterious black orbital frame attacks. Losing the battle, Dolores is caught in an explosion which leaves Leon and Noel fearing for their father's life. Escaping the mayhem, they head off to the agreed rendevous point at a nearby space port. But is their father really dead? And what of Dolores? Oh, come on! What do you think?

Volume Review

The first volume of ZOE Dolores introduces you to the Links', an ordinary family caught up in an extraordinary situation. For one reason or another they've been lumped with a giant robot called Dolores with the mind, voice and attitude of a young girl. Bad for them, because everyone from the government to the mafia wants Dolores, and they're not about to give her up so easily. Not only is she extremely cute, she also holds the secret to their mother, who died five years ago under suspicious circumstances.

The scene is set for plenty of action, intrigue and girly pink robots...

The first episode sets up the scenario and introduces us to two of the main characters, James Links and Dolores. It may take a while to adjust to the fact that the robot talks and acts just like a regular character (albeit a 50-foot metal one), but when you warm to the concept you'll realise that she adds so much more to the story. Not only is she a great character in her own right, she's a great plot device, too. Couple her size and power with her naivety and she's constantly getting both herself and the Links family in to all sorts trouble. This becomes evident during the second episode when she's so desperate to save James that she blasts off at top speed, only to miss him completely and crash in to the Earth's surface, causing a massive tidal wave that completely submerges a nearby city.

Throughout this volume the Links family and Dolores are on the run from various government agencies. The central bad guy at this point is a rather camp but suitably evil officer of Wired who seems to hold a personal grudge against James Links (or John Carter as he calls him). I hope he sticks around, because it's great fun to watch his bumbling attempts to capture James and Dolores.

These early episodes are like a family version of The Fugitive with a giant robot along for the ride, and to the directors credit, he doesn't let the pace slow down. After we're introduced to the central characters and they've safely escaped Earth, everything builds up to a fantastic cliffhanger in episode five that suggests there may be more to Dolores than meets the eye.

With the promise of revelations yet to come, I'm optimistic for the future of the series. That said, what we have here is as a good a start as I could have hoped for. Certainly one of the better mech shows of its kind.

R2 DVD Notes

Features: English & Japanese Audio, English Subtitles, ADR Session with Mitsuru Miyamoto (Leon) & Narumi Hidaka (Noel), Clean Opening & Closing Animation, Production Sketches & Conceptual Artwork

Notes: The best feature on this DVD (taking the language and subtitle options for granted, as always) is easily the ADR sessions with two of the series voice actors. This is basically a short film of a recording session followed by interviews with the actors. Everything is subtitled so you get to hear it straight from the horses mouth, to use an inappropriate expression. There are plenty of production sketches for you to browse through along with the concept artwork, which mostly consists of colour paintings of the backgrounds used throughout the episodes. With five whole episodes and a feature-full disc, ZOE Dolores represents fantastic value for money.

-- John Huxley 23rd May 04

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