Customer Reviews

The Big O: Complete Collection

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When The Big O first premiered on Cartoon Network's Toonami, I dismissed it as being "just another mecha show". It wasn't until it aired on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim that I actually sat down and watched the entire series, realizing how great the series truly is.

At first glance, Big O seems like just another giant robot show. However, if you dismiss it, like I did, you will be missing out on one of the greatest animes I have seen in a long time. In fact, it is very different from many mecha series in that each episode plays out as a sort of mystery, making it popular to compare this series to the animated Batman series.

The story of the series is very dark, telling of Paradigm City, a metropolis much like a run-down New York, where every inhabitant lost their memories 40 years prior to the events of the series. "Memories" have become precious commodities in the "city of amnesia". Fragments of these memories are the Megadeus's, giant robots that seem to have minds of their own. Roger Smith, the show's protagonist, pilots one such Megadeus, the powerful Big O.

The story may be dark, but the characters are certainly colorful. Roger Smith is a negotiator (think private investigator) who pilots the Big O. R. Dorothy is a female android who becomes Roger's sidekick and maid. Beck is a small-time criminal who seeks vengeance for Roger humiliating him. Many more characters appear and play important roles in the series.

The animation, voice acting, and musical score are supurb. The animation is very fluid, but the colors are often drab but help to convey the mood of the series. The voice actors all do an excellent job, and they may be familiar to the avid anime viewer. The music is epic and helps to draw you into the show. The opening theme is somewhat strange, but I grew to like it over time.

All in all, Big O is one of my favorite series ever. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who enjoys giant robot anime or just anime in general.

If you were at all familiar with Cartoon Network's Toonami block or its late night Adult Swim in the past few years, it's likely that you have at least heard of The Big O. This Japanese anime series flopped in Japan but was quite well recieved stateside. So after its first 13 episode edited run on Toonami a few years back, fans were left hungry for more, and the cliffhanger ending didn't help either. Enter Cartoon Network Japan. U.S. fan response was so great that the cable network entered into a co-production deal with Sunrise Inc and Bandai visual. So now Big O has returned for a second uncut run on Adult Swim, in addition, the new season is airing Sundays at 11 pm starting August 3rd.

This DVD set is a compilatiion of all 13 first-season episodes, which was brought fourth due the show's new beginning. Big O tells the story of Roger Smith, also known as "The Negotiator." He lives in a large mansion accompanied by his butler Norman, who aids not only in housekeeping, but also in keeping Roger prepared for action. He resides in the mysterious Paradigm City, a city where all of its citizens lost their memories 40 years ago. In addition to being Paradigm's best negotiator, he is the owner of the Big O, a gigantic robot, which he uses the protect the city from various threats. However, through his adventures, Roger is digging ever deeper into Paradigm's dark history.

The Big O is a stylish show which mixes noir style and mecha action, with a Batman-like hero all while presenting a mystery into human existance that resembles the Matrix in some ways. The Big O has a visual style that is more American in nature, but is well animated. The voice acting is excellent, coming from the people who dubbed Cowboy Bebop. The music is good, accompanying the noir slyle and action scenes well. The mech fight scenes are not particularly amazing, but they still manage to excite you and hold interest well. Big O is a modern work of art that will interest you to no end with an exciting story and style to match.

Charles in the above review was completely wrong. Big O is much more deep than he make it out to be. At times it can be so complex that its confusing and begs to be watched again to understand it.(thats not a bad thing) As the members of the Adult Swim show blok on Cartoon Network will attest to on their message board. But Charles says "the stories lack plot depth and characterization" but then later says the plot is complex. He nneds to take a side and stick with it. The reason that most of the characters are not imediatly understandable is because You see more of them as the show goes on and additional information is revealed. In a city shrouded in mystery, it only makes sense for the characters to have the same qualitites and not just be readily apparent. It is a show that is worth watching and now that season 2 is out, more is explained and the show is pretty much resolved.

The Amazon review is out of date in one major aspect. The second season of Big O was finally produced in a joint venture with Cartoon Network and is now being aired. If it turns out to be as popular as the first season, then a third will be jointly produced as well. So we'll be getting our answers about the story.

I have had a similar experience with Big O as some people. When it aired on Toonami on Cartoon Network, I wasn't really intrested and thought it was just another kid anime with huge robots. But when Cartoon Network started airing it on Adult Swim, I became intrigued and started to watch. It truly is a fascinating series with a deep and complex plot. Watching and waiting and wanting to know where Roger Smith goes and what clues he finds to what might of happen 40 years when everybody lost their memories is what made me record the show every night it was on. The series really picks up in the 2nd season and anyone who likes anime should give it shot and watch.

That quote from the previews on Cartoon Network pretty much sums it up, but really there's much more to it than that. Whereas other cartoon shows and anime have explored the whole futuristic film-noir thing before, The Big O is absolutely DRENCHED in film-noir atmosphere. And the similarities to Batman are quite understandable, as this show is brought to you by some of the same people who created Batman Beyond. Unfortunately, some of the weaknesses of that show carry over as well. Some episodes have a tendancy to just be an excuse for Rodger to fight yet ANOTHER enemy with his giant robot (much as some episodes of Batman Beyond were just another excuse for Batman to fight yet ANOTHER monster). In my opinion, the best episodes are the ones that focus more on the characters and their development, with less emphasis on fights.

One episode is worthy of mention, as I feel that it is the single greatest epsisode of any show I have ever seen. In the episode "Winter Night Phantom", one of the side-characters of the show finds that a spree of mad bombings he is investigating has some strange link to a reoccurring dream he has (one which shows the final scene from a movie where the two characters remind him of himself, and someone else that he keeps catching brief glimpses of) , and as he comes closer to fiding the person responsible, he finds that his memories may indeed be predicting (or causing) his own future. That episode can be taken completely on it's own (almost like a short film) and carries out it's concept so flawlessly that it leaves me awestruck every time I see it. Truly one of the great moments of anime history.

Most people who watch this show for more than a few minutes cannot help but be taken in by it. The reasons why should be obvious. There is the aforementioned film-noir atmosphere, gorgeous artwork, and some VERY snappy dialogue. More than that, the English voice actors really pour their heart and soul into this one (with the voice actors who portray Roger Smith and Dorothy being truly sublime). The music suits the atmosphere and mood perfectly, and really gets you into the drama. Sadly though, the music is reused over and over (and Roger's introductory comments at the beginning of each episode are quite similar as well). Some people might think of this as a weakness, but personally I like the way that each and every episode is self-contained and self-explanatory, while still building on previous episode subtly.

The action sequences in this show don't disappoint, and are all done with a slick sense of style. There is some comedy in this show, but it's often subtle, building on the characters and their behaviors.

The plot to this show is frustrating to some and deeply involving to others. Those going into the show expecting to get answers to all their questions are in for disappointment, while those who like a show that raises more questions as it goes along will probably get into this one.

At the end of the day, this show is about a few things more than anything else. It's about great characters, a cool story, and style, style, style. Heck, after I got into this show, I bought a black suit just so I'd look more like Rodger. If you love classic anime, give this one a try. "It's show time!"

Pity you got stuck writing the official review.
Big O is anime aimed primarily at adults (much like the batman series) It does have a plot, a rather complex one, in fact, spanning multiple episodes.
There is a second season, co-produced by cartoon network, (by the same studio that did the animated batman, actually.) And there are plans for a third season. Fret not, Charles, the plot will be resolved.

This series is a departure from the normal anime that is out there. It is much more realistic (in many ways) for one thing. Some of the technology is science fiction, but overal everything has a retro feel to it. The characters are more realistic. Even the fictional technology is not so far out that it draws attention to itself. It shows people actually living. They eat, sleep, work, socialize, and more. The entire series is mostly dark, which fits the overal plot. The plots are simple, but the story does progress well. It is nice to have a series where there is not a single theme that occupies every thought and action. It is not done in soap opera fashion either. There is an overal plot, and some episodes do reflect on actions and events from previous ones. However, each episode does not lead directly to the next. Many episodes could stand alone.

The entire series takes place in and around a single city. In fact, other than vauge references to other locations it is almost as if Paradigm City and the surrounding area are isolated from the rest of the world.

Roger is a very human character. He is almost rude one moment and caring in the next. A very stubborn man with a strict code of ethics. He is not superior or special. He makes mistakes, and even appologizes.

The second season is currently (September 2003) airing on Cartoon Network. I was so overjoyed to find this out. Many of us were so heartbroken when it just ended at a climactic moment.

This is a very good series for anyone to watch. There is no nudity, excessive profanity, or excessive violence. This is a great series that relies on good content to tell a great story, and the price for the whole season is cheap. I can't wait to get season 2 when it comes out on DVD. It is rare that I buy a series after seeing it on TV. This one is worth it. It is a series that even someone that is not an anime fan can enjoy.

I'll start by making things simple.

I never liked Mecha.

When I flip on the TV and see Gundam Wing, I groan and flip to another channel. I always though that Mecha anime was always just the same tried-and-true formula - a bunch of people get together, each gets their own super-de-duper ultra robot, and they go off fighting the evil bureaucrats. Then, after a while, one of them might go insane, or fall in love with a princess, or turn on the others, or something that you feel like you'd see in a soap opera, not an anime. I used to hate Mecha.

Then I saw Big O on Cartoon Network.
I was amazed, to put it the least. I believed Mecha to include lots of fights and 3,000 different guns per robot. So you could believe my surprise, first off, when I saw the first episode. There were no giant robots tearing up the streets as the opening credits die away. Rather, all you see is a limousine. Inside that limousine is Roger Smith. You hear Roger Smith's voice, explaining. He is a negotiator. Not a power-crazed lunatic, but a negotiator. He doesn't save worlds, he doesn't meet kings, but he just negotiates in Paradigm City, the city of amnesia.

Roger is, through and through, a gentleman. He looks at the craziest person and asks for a fair deal. That amazed me. But what amazed me more was when he actually brought out the 'megadeuce' robot, Big O. It only had two weapons - the fists, and a hydraulic pump about the size of 3 people. That was it. After seeing that, I loved the show, and still love it to this day.

Another great aspect of this show is the music. Like Cowboy Bebop before it, Big O somehow manages to incorporate the strangest music. Sonnatas play in the background as a politician gets shot. A single tenor sax plays a jazzy christmas melody as a plant destroys the city. It might sound odd, but it's amazing. The music adds to the stmosphere as much as the dusty, crumbled buildings do - and this is great music, folks. One of my favorite episodes of Big O had Dorothy Wainwright learning the piano - simply because it was so beautiful to hear the music that she played.

Paradigm City in itself is also a totally unique idea for anime. Paradigm City is most comparable to Gotham City from Batman, but with a major twist - everyone forgets everything that happened to them 40 years ago. Now, this brings up some amazingly interesting questions - what are the memories that were forgotten? Do we even want to know what happened 40 years ago? Maybe, what if it was just better if we didn't know all the evil that caused what was all around us to happen? There are many secret crevices in Paradigm city - mansions with 2-foot thick steel walls containing mysterious secrets, small clips of memories lying in the least expected place, a city under the water, and, most focal to the plot, the mysterious death of Paradigm City's politicians.

Whilst the plot, unfortunately, is sometimes a bit bizarre, and in other episodes appears completely forgotten, every other bit of the show makes up for those small problems. Please, folks, for the love of god, watch this show. You won't regret it one bit.

This is, without a doubt one of the greatest anime's of all time. This show has style and drama, that really has not been seen since Cowboy Bebop. The best thing about the show is that the story keps you guessing and wondering what the heck is really going on. Just when you think its gonna end one way, the whole story changes, and continues in a completely new path. The music had got to be the best part of the show. It sets the mood and atmosphere of each scene in the series, whether it be total action, or the sad death of a main character.

The story is this (at least how the story is right now). A negotiator, Roger Smith, provides a much needed service in the city of Paradigm, the city of amnesia. Apparently, something, still unknown, hit this city and the entire world 40 years ago, and caused everyone to lose their memories, and all ideas of who they really were. Through a complex story line, Roger basically tries to find out what really happened. The show ended on a cliff hanger and is now into its second season after waiting a year and a half. And let me tell you, the first season was just the beginning. All bets are off, and everything you were told in season one, might be a lie. Basically, buy this, watch the second season on cartoon network, and freakin enjoy every mintue of it. Then buy the second season when that comes out. This was the worst review ever?