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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Don't be like Paradigm City and forget this title!, July 24, 2003
This review is from: The Big O, Vol. 4 (DVD)
First off; that never-produced second season of Big O is finally just around the corner! The pay-off to season one's pent up pressure will finally be released! Two years after its American network airing, 'tis 'bout bloody time! I've been catching this series again on Adult Swim as of late, with some of its (mercifully) restored edits. An aside: This was the anime that *got* me hooked on anime. A two-year binge thenceforth followed in which I exposed myself to dozens of other series/OAVs/Movies. Some ja ne sais quoi about Big O in particular just engrossed me. Mayhaps it'll do the same for you, or already has! The homages to Batman are very overt and at times quite literal: The dapper Bruce Wayne-esque Roger Smith, diplomatic plutocrat by day, maverick vigilantte by night. Norman, the butler, is the benevolent shadow that assists Roger behind the scenes whilst saving enough time to prepare dinner and turn down the sheets. Then there's Roger and his grudging relationship of mutual respect with "legitimate" law enforcement. And of course, we have the cartel of deranged villians that Roger has to put up with, each with their own maniacal plan concerning Paradigm City. Big O has its own sylistic flourishes. Big O ditches the superhero spandex and costumes; Roger Smith is still in his double-breasted suit when he climbs into his megadeuce to save the day; that blond loony Beck is the Joker without the face-paint. Paradigm City is a semi-inhabited dilapiated metropolis, a crumbling gothic expanse filled with stories of forgotten pasts, people, and events, waiting to be exumed, which in itself is more mysterious and ominous than Gotham City. And instead of a sidekick, Roger Smith has his charge Dorothy, a well-mannered android debuntante with a red bob in a sensible/elegant black dress who deadpans all her lines. Yet, she occassionally emotes in an understated fashion that's particularly satisfying in that way that AI creations become, if only for a moment, "human." Dorothy's scenes of romantic tension betwixt she and Roger are also precious. As for the bad bits of this anime, well, it *is* a mecha-anime after all, which means, sooner or later in the episode, big robots are going to stomp around blowing stuff up. Occassionally it gets overblown, overlong, and silly. It's a necessary evil. Thankfully it's underplayed compared to Big O's mecha breatheren, and the allure of Paradigm City is never compromised. On the otherhand character development is rather slipshod; new dimensions of Roger Smith don't really crop up (one gets the impression he prefers it this way, considering his views on Paradigm City), and much of the supporting cast are mere caricatures (take the noir-cliche of Angel, the femme fatal with the dangerous past and double-edged motives). Dorothy is the sole expection here, and the most interesting character. Nutshell: Big O is surprisingly watchable, sometimes mature, sub-noir anime (even if it occassionally apes the vibe of Cowboy Bebop). A definite gem in the anime mine. If not a diamond, than definitely, say, an amythest.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Seeds of the Future, Another Megadeus, better get R.D., May 7, 2005
This review is from: The Big O, Vol. 4 (DVD)
Hang on to your wrist watches giant robot fans! The epic conclusion to the first season of The Big O is crazy stuff. While previous episodes have been introducing ideas and developing characters (whilst showing off some awesome giant-robot action, noir atmosphere and super-heroism), these three episodes kick things up a notch yet again. Hold on tight, cause things are about to get scary... The first episode of the three is all about a holiday that reminds us all of one we know, but that's just on the surface. What it's really about is how Dorothy and Roger's relationship is continuing to grow and change, and Dorothy is trying to figure out how to make Roger love her while Roger is trying to figure out how to show Dorothy that he cares about her (with a little help from Norman). The whole giant plant/monster thing is certainly DIFFERENT, but the best thing about it is how it starts to show us that Alex Rosewater is up to something (that involves the end of the world of Paradigm). A great episode just because of the scenes between Roger and Dorothy (like her and Roger's reaction when she can't ride in an elevator because she weighs too much). The second episode is all about the return of everyone's favorite mummified psychopath, and ANOTHER giant monster he has managed to unearth. His plan? To destroy the Paradigm domes and their inhabitants (innocent or no). This one is a disturbing episode, particularly when the rich fools who go to a suspicious party find their faces on fire from the masks they are wearing and leap from the top of a high-rise. The battle at hte end of this one is more brutal than many previous ones, and at this point it's clear that Roger is not playing games and the madman must be stopped at all costs. A very powerful episode. That showdown episode does tie in with the final episode, where a series of mysterious killings are all marked with the same phrase the Big O displays at startup, and everything is somehow connected to Roger, Dorothy, the Megadeus, and the memories that were lost in the destruction of the world 40 years ago. This episode is disturbing, frightening, confusing, and brutal. It's also brilliant. There are just so many things going on at once that it's hard to keep them all straight. Dorothy is missing for most of the episode, the murders are being investigated, memories are starting to pop up in young people's minds, Roger is trying to figure out how he is connected to all of this (and why he can pilot the Big O), Angel is warning Roger is back off... and the killer wants Roger dead. Of course the climax of the episode is the best part, when THREE Megadeuses attack the city, Alex Rosewater smiles that his schemes are coming true, Roger is wounded (and barely conscious), Dorothy is by Roger's side, and it's looking like the end of the world is drawing near. Awesome. The series COULD have ended this way, as indeed this episode answers many questions and raises many more, both satisfying you and leaving you hungry for a sequel. Really though, these episodes were meant to tie into a second season, and the last episode will be quite confusing until you have actually seen the second season. What are those three Megadeuses? What is Alex Rosewater up to? Just who is Angel? What are those memories that Roger has? And why DID everyone lose their memories? If you really want everything to make sense, you've GOT to see the second season of The Big O. Till then...It's showtime!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not the end, yet!, April 21, 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: The Big O, Vol. 4 (DVD)
Start looking for "The Big O II" Vol 1,2&3 DVD's.And I hope there will be a Vol.4 as well. "The Big O II" Vol 1 starts up from the ending of the "The Big O" Vol 4 DVD.
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