| I approached this as a fan of the original game, which most likely led to my high expectations of the series. In hindsight, it was foolish of me to expect great things from ZOE Dolores. I enjoyed the game for its intuitive control system and fun game mechanics, not the dire story or whiney characters. So, it was to my surprise that ZOE Dolores succeeds where the game fails: it delivers an enjoyable story, agreeable characters and a mech that has a personality beyond the heartless computer of the original game.
And boy, WHAT a personality! If, like me, you were expecting a typical mech anime, forget it. Early on, the orbital frame (the game & anime's terminology for the advanced mecha) Dolores is discovered by James Links, a washed-out drunken cargo hauler. Convinced that James is her destined 'uncle', she does everything she can to help him and his offspring, Noel and Leon escape the various government agencies and make their way to Mars, where they hope to find some answers.
The moment you hear Dolores speak to James, you'll forget all about your preconceptions of ZOE. By all accounts Dolores is a young girl trapped inside the body of a giant pink orbital frame. She acts like a girl, speaks like a girl and even dances like one, too. |
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