Zone of the Enders: Idolo Review

story 8.5/10

This is a well done 50 minute OAV which builds on the famous mecha action game "Zone of the Enders". This show takes place five years prior to the events in the first Z.O.E game and works as a prequel which explains how the battle mechs called "Orbital Frames" came to be. Compared to other "Game -> Anime" conversions this one works very well, as the story itself isn't taken directly from a game. This is still an OAV which you can watch and enjoy without knowing anything about the ZOE games.

This is another take on the "mecha" theme but it is really a lot more than that. It's a political anime which reminded me a bit of Gasaraki although that show was to political IMO. Idolo features a well detailed action script in the form of military drills, demonstration, fights between groups, and the anatomy and design of the frame (which is well done). The story incorporates a lot of different things even if we're only talking about roughly 50 minutes. We've got action, good character interaction, romance and drama. It's a lot more than your normal political sci-fi fighting anime.

animation 8/10

It's a well animated show. While not top of the line a'la Gonzo it definitely has its own style. I like the character designs which are well made and very mature and look realistic, as are backgrounds, mechas and especially the battles which are well animated with many different camera angles being used. The Orbital Frame Idolo has a rather interesting design concept going on. The cockpit is located at the crotch of the frame and stands out a bit. I guess the designer made a play on the word "cockpit".

sound 7/10

Good music which sort of blended in. I didn't notice the music much, but it was there and made the scenes more dynamic. The VAs did a good job both during the fierce, tough moments as well as during the emotional dramatic ones.

characters 8.5/10

Here we have a surprisingly good character development going on, considering that the show is as short as it is. Many characters grow and some become very likeable and it's not hard to feel a bit of empathy for the characters during the more dramatic moments. They evolve in a trustworthy way and act like some humans would.

overall 8.5/10

This is a great mecha OAV which does a good job in the various genre departments. We've got good action, good drama, good dramatic moments, good character interactions and so on. The show does not focus very much on the battles themselves, but on the characters, their lives and the situation around them. There are also other things which are introduced which lead to the actions taken in the first Z.O.E game. There are politics playing in the background, and the relations between some factions of Mars and Earth are slowly but surely detoriating, and such a word as trust starts to mean less for every day which passes.

For rewatchability, absolutely! I've seen it twice already. Interesting characters, good animation, etc, make this a great watch. And seeing as it's as short as it is, the time to watch it is not an issue.