2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Conclusion to a Great Series, August 15, 2001
This review is from: The Big O, Vol. 3 (DVD)
"The Big O" volume 3 contains acts 8-10 of this (far too short) 13-episode series. In my opinion, these three episodes are some of the best in the series, including "Missing Cat" which gives some of the best insight into the Roger-Dorothy relationship. It's annoying that Bandai couldn't put more than 3 episodes on this disc considering that there's not much in the way of extras, but the series is worth it anyway.
The overall plot concerns Roger Smith, a freelance negotiator who settles disputes for a fee. His ace in the hole is Big O, a giant "megadeus" robot he pilots when his wits alone aren't enough. The setting is Paradigm City, the last civilized place left in the world after a planetwide catastrophe 40 years in the past that left the earth in ruin and caused all the citizens of Paradigm to lose their memory. Since no one really knows what happened, the city lacks any history, and people get by merely by trying not to think about it. It's a fascinating plot device that Roger ponders many times throughout the series.
If you haven't picked up the first two volumes of this series, I definitely recommend giving them a try.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Big O Comes Back, May 4, 2005
This review is from: The Big O, Vol. 3 (DVD)
The third dvd in the Big O's first season is quite possibly the best of the four, and it's easy to see why. While the first two discs have us action, style, and mystery, the character development didn't really kick in fully. Now we finally get some REAL insight into the characters of Roger and Dorothy... and a certain Military Policeman who's caught in the stuggle to keep order in a city constantly under attack.
The first episode starts with Dorothy finding a stray cat (a rare and valuable creature in Paradigm City), and it seemingly unlocks memories from inside of her. She starts showing affectionate behavior toward the cat, and starts whistling a tune and speculating about what her life means. The great thing is that both her and Roger start thinking about whether the memories that seem to be surfacing are hers... or come from the dead girl she was modeled after. All that is just preparation for another mystery to be solved and another maniac to stop however, as it is revealed that the cat was created by a gene-manipulating madman psychopath (who proceeds to kidnap Dorothy). A great episode overall, if only because of the increased character development, interaction (chemistry) between Roger and Dorothy, and some exquisite dialog.
The second episode is all about everyone's favorite greedy kidnapper, Beck. This time he's after the millions of a rich old man who loves his son dearly (and has a few secrets to hide). The cat and mouse game between Beck and Roger is great stuff, but the story really moves up a notch when we discover the reason why the rich old man wanted to keep everything so hush-hush. There's also a great scene where Beck tries to use Dorothy to kill Roger, and it both had my eyes watering up and my brain trying frantically to figure out what just happened (did Dorothy say that she loved Roger because she was under mind control, or because she was trying to escape it?). There's great action in this one (I love Dorothy and Roger jumping out the window into the moving car together), great storyline (would you fall in love with someone if you just happened to be in the same room with them when you lost your memory?), and some truly inspired dialog (Dorothy's questions to Roger are fantastic).
The third episode though, really takes the cake. When good old Dastun finds his reoccuring dream of a foreign film scene in black and white linked to a series of mysterious bombings, it's film noir at its absolute best. Dastun starts questioning his own sanity, and as the series keeps jumping into and out of his dreams, we start to wonder just what is real and what is imagined. What makes this episode a true work of art (aside from perfect direction, artwork, character usage, music and dialog) is the way that reality starts to mimic reality. The progression of events keeps you guessing as to WHY everything is happening the way it is, right until the final shot which reveals everything to the viewer and answers the question. BRILLIANT.
If you're a fan of The Big O, there is absolutely no excuse not to buy this volume. Arguably, if you only buy one volume it should be this one. Great interaction between Dorothy and Roger, great plot, great music, and superb direction and dialog to develop characters and tell tight stories that stand on their own. This show is anime/sci-fi/noir nostalgia at its best. Look forward to the final volume in the first series.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Cool and Gothic looking Anime, January 6, 2002
This review is from: The Big O, Vol. 3 (DVD)
This volume is one that I like the most and if the cover art, which is personal think it best out of the series, this volume is full with action. This one has some of the best writting and give you a little insight in one of the characters, but I won't tell you because that is a major spolier.
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