Much has been made of The Big O's crazy finale, but the show stops making sense long before Act 26. Cats would pay Roger Smith for an extra couple of lives. Granted, he's a wealthy guy, but I just couldn't buy it. And no matter what situation Roger finds himself in, his car/watch/Big O has just the means to get out of it, whether it be rocket launchers, lasers, or other equipment from out of nowhere. The robot appears from underground (but with no noise or warning, which is hard to explain for a 10-story-tall machine) and saves Roger's butt. Roger finds out too much, gets in trouble with the villains, and comes close to assuming room temperature when he calls Big O to help him. The second problem is that almost every episode (until the wacko conclusion) makes use of a deus ex machina in the form of Big O. I can understand the concept of homage, but how 'bout some originality, guys? In nearly episode, you can find something else they've taken. There are bits from the James Bond films, The Truman Show, Dark City, Casablanca, and countless other films and anime. I mentioned the Queen theme and the Batman design scheme, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.
The first is that it steals ideas from numerous, better sources. There are three central problems with The Big O, errors that destroy the potential of what could have been a great show. The show begins with a tune that is a direct ripoff of Queen's 1980 song "Flash Gordon," right down to the droning klaxon alarm and doubled guitars, and the ending is just pap. The opening and closing themes are a waste, though. Meanwhile, the score is all over the map, ranging from big orchestrated numbers for the fight scenes to more jazz tones during slower bits. The show has a grungy color scheme, which keeps in line with the noir themes.
I don't think it looks wonderful, but it doesn't look cheap, at least.
The design resembles the Batman animated series with its strong angularity everything looks slightly boxy. This isn't necessarily bad, but it does take some getting used to. I am reviewing them together as one work, but there are differences between the two seasons, enough that I have to occasionally discuss them separately.) Cartoon Network had the option to create 26 additional episodes but did not do so.įrom the moment you start watching The Big O, you realize that you are not in a typical anime world. (The second 13 episodes are often referred to as The Big O II, but it forms one whole story. However, Cartoon Network found it surprisingly popular when they aired it in America, and they commissioned and broadcast a second 13-episode season three years after the first season had gone off the air in Japan. These first 13 episodes were completed and aired in Japan to a lukewarm response. Though the show's creators planned for a 26-episode run, it was resized before broadcast to 13 episodes, which changed their whole approach. The development of The Big O was rocky, but it explains a great deal of my issues with the show. His destiny may lead him to become the Dominus of Megadeuce (whatever the heck that means), but does he even believe in destiny without memories? But before long, his diplomatic skills play second fiddle to his abilities to stop Paradigm City's destruction at the hands of other giant robots called Megadeuces.
And when things get out of control, he calls upon a robot that he somehow remembers how to pilot.Big O. Dorothy, and his former police partner Dastun, he mediates between different parties who need his skills.
With the help of his butler Norman, the mysterious android R. Though most people have adapted to their lives, the search for the reason behind the loss continues. He lives in Paradigm City, a strange domed world where everyone lost their memories 40 years ago. It has plenty of style, but The Big O has wound up being one of my biggest anime disappointments. But all these great ingredients have somehow made a lousy stew. The Big O is a fusion between the two, taking in these parts and shaking in a bit of the 1920s silent film Metropolis and the animated version of Batman for good measure. I also like film noir, the classic pulpy '30s detective stories that you imagine in black and white with a slow jazz combo in the background. And, of course, Robotech, the show that took transforming mecha to a whole new level, was the lynchpin to my anime addiction that now is seen weekly via this website. From Battle of the Planets to Voltron, my childhood had them aplenty.