Zone of Enders Dolores i - Vol-1: Countdown to Destiny (2001)
Animation Production: Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and Sunrise Animation
Released by: ADV Films
Official Website: ADV's ZOE Dolores i - Vol -1 Page
Episodes: 5
By Jeffrey Couto

Introduction

Some years after playing the original Zone of Enders on my Playstation 2 system I finally get to see this anime series based on the universe that I first explored in that game and happy to report that ZOE is nowhere near what I though it would be, it’s a lot better!

Story

"The planets are on the brink of war, but the only thing hard-working, hard-drinking, all-American cargo hauler James Links wants is to reconcile with his estranged wife. But when he discovers the Orbital Frame Dolores aboard his carrier ship Ender, the entire Links clan is plunged into mystery, murder and mayhem! Earth wants her; Mars wants her; everybody wants Dolores except the one man who has her. Blast off with a crew of unlikely heroes in the high-speed interplanetary adventure Zone of the Enders!"
-- ADV's ZOE Dolores i Webpage

Review

I'll be honest with you, before watching this DVD I thought Zone of Enders was going to be another one of those modern, mecha-driven anime series in which the action and settings overshadow everything else and where the mechanical designs are of the military variety: dark, uncharismatic, generic and devoid of a soul.

Thankfully this was not the case at all! While there is still a large focus on the world of ZOE and machines that populate it, the series is very character driven, even by it's title mecha, which to my surprise turned out to be a sentient machine, with its own personality and will, it wasn't just another mobile suit-type weapon! This aspect of the series alone intrigued me and made me interested in following the journey to discover the genesis of this machine that calls itself Dolores.

In the first two episodes of the series we are introduced to James Links, a cargo mover with a lot of personal conflicts that steamed from the loss of his wife years ago. When we first meet him, he has no other interest than to make money to pay for his drinking habit, however, when a new job opportunity appears, he decides to turn his life around and make up for lost time with his children, whom he has not seen in several years, however he did not anticipate how much his life was about to change.

As the mystery of the strange cargo reveals itself, a new layer is added to the depth of the plot that turns ZOE into a fugitive-like story as James is constantly being pursued by military and law enforcement personnel who want to recover Dolores, all as he tries to find his family, learn the origins of Dolores and make amends with his past.

There are many things I like about this anime series, but if I had to quantify it I would say Dolores, the title character is my top reason for enjoying it as much as I did. Instead of being just another soulless robot or a personal armor, Dolores is a full-fledge character, whose personality comes through brilliantly as she explores the world around her and forges a family-like relationship with James and his children; all while still remaining a mystery for the most part that is yet to be explored.

Technically speaking this was another very accomplished anime series. I love how crisp/sharp the drawings are and the quality of the backgrounds is amazing, especially the ones used in key action sequences. The music reminds me a lot of some of the compositions used in the original Playstation game and was a true delight to listen to as it combined relaxed atmospheric tunes with more energetic mixes for the battle/action scenes.

This ADV DVD release contains the following episodes from Zone of Enders Dolores i

Episode 1: James's Misfortune
Episode 2: Elevator of Capital Punishment
Episode 3: Leon's Choice
Episode 4: Nautilus, The Fantastic Submarine
Episode 5: Final Countdown

Extras include clean versions of the opening & closing themes, English dubbed & original Japanese tracks, production sketches, concept designs, a collectible trading card of one of the characters and a really neat interview segment with some of the voice actors that took part in this series. All in all a very nice package that goes the extra mile as far as anime DVD's go.

Final Thoughts

Whether you are a fan of the games that gave birth to this series doesn't matter. Zone of Enders Dolores is a fun anime series that explores very universal themes of family, friendship, and what it means to love someone. I highly recommend it to those of you who enjoy a more intelligent anime affair.

Jeffrey Couto