The Big O

Paradigm City, a city of amnesia and a place of belonging. It remains populated by forgotten pasts and the ruins of their labors due to a calamity 40 years ago. Shrouded in a fog-like mystery, it is up to people like Roger Smith to shine a light through the mist. Acting as a professional negotiator and suave agent, Roger is a self-tailored ladies man whose only love is for funeral black. However, as he gets deeply involved with his clients, what often starts as a simple negotiation evolves into Roger saving Paradigm from crime and peril.

In the process, Roger stumbles even deeper into the untold folds of the city. As a rule, things are hardly ever as they appear. Serving as gray knight in a gray world, Roger is not without allies. By his side are Norman, a loyal and widely skilled butler, and Dorothy, a human-like android with deadpan snark. Together with the relic Big O, a jet-black mecha of gargantuan size and weight, they help Roger serve iron justice to Paradigm's lurking villains as he discovers the truth about 40 years ago.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Wayneright, R. Dorothy Main

Uechi, Aki Japanese

Smith, Roger Main

Miyamoto, Mitsuru Japanese

Burg, Norman Main

Kiyokawa, Motomu Japanese

Rosewater, Angel Main

Shinohara, Emi Japanese

Seebach, Michael Supporting

Hori, Katsunosuke Japanese

Beck, Jason Supporting

Ootsuka, Houchuu Japanese

Dastun, Dan Supporting

Genda, Tesshou Japanese

Big Ear Supporting

Tsuji, Shinpachi Japanese

Gabriel, Alan Supporting

Futamata, Issei Japanese

Frederick O'Reilly , R. Supporting

Tanaka, Nobuo Japanese

Maseba, Yutaka Producer

Sugita, Tsutomu Producer

Katayama, Kazuyoshi Director, Episode Director, Script, Storyboard, Screenplay

Tsuruoka, Youta Sound Director

Reviews

Oct 10, 2024

MAGNUS8M

Recommended

The Big O is probably best viewed as an anime version of "rock'em sock'em robots" with a touch of unexplained mystery to pull you in and make you wonder. Unfortunately, another company got involved with completing the series in the second season by turning the unexplained-mystery into "plot dump", therefore killing the mystery. The second half pulls down what could have otherwise been given a perfect score from me.

The Big O is about a giant robot that is used to beat up other giant robots, kaiju, or whatever else attempts to destroy the area known as Paradigm City that it protects. And ... that's really all it needs to be.

Roger Smith is its pilot, who keeps his identity as a 'domineus' secret while he spends most of his time as a "Negotiator", helping the people of "The City of Amnesia" who have lost their memories of the past to find solace with the present. There are only a few side-characters; a bar-dwelling informant, a butler, an android assistant, a military-police general who used to be Roger's superior, and a few reoccurring villains along the way.

While it mostly follows a strict formula of monster(robot)-of-the-day, the lead-up to each battle is filled with a strong sense of character - dark noire art-style, music that floats from calm sultry saxophones to suspenseful/victorious rock, and a strong narration from the main character as he tries to humanize everything he encounters. Despite the main attraction of robots beating each other up, each fight is bumpered by 10 or 15 minutes of slow-paced investigation, a drive through the city, or panoramic views of the current environment. During those times it can be very relaxing. In that sense, I view The Big O as a sort of "comfy" anime to rewatch now and then, if only for those segments. The saxophone of "Brick Ballades Houston Street" is especially comforting, and sets you up for learning what the episode is going to be about.

Maybe that's a hidden-theme in The Big O, the difference between the logic/power of robots and reasonings of humanity. The city is filled with stories of humans just trying to get by, but held back by grief and anxieties of the past that need resolving. Opposite of this, the battles are carried out by human-sized robots or giant-robots using their power and logic to shove everything else aside.

The battles themselves are well-choreographed, and make you FEEL the weight of the robot/creatures attacking each other. The Big O itself has massively heavy forearms mounted on thin upper-arms on an almost feminine shoulder frame; every time it moves, you can sense the weight of the arms counter balancing its every step, or slugging into the monstrosity in front of it. Any misstep or being pushed off balance and you know which way it will fall or stumble. The Big O has a variety of weapons at its disposal, most of which are superficial and unnecessarily showy, but always entertaining. However, nothing beats just good old fisticuffs bashing something to its eventual destruction.

Most fights are framed around small to large buildings or other structures that actually give a sense of height, so you KNOW those robots are bigger than life. Each battle often comes with dynamic angles that are more than just two side-by-side profiles of robots fighting on a cityscape, without being too distractedly stylized.

Each plot is mostly episodic, but often adds a few details here and there to the main story's mystery, so watching in order is still a requirement.

However, as mentioned, the second season suddenly turns into a plot-dump that is more violent and more confusing, solving mysteries that were meant to be a backstory for the city, then adding more mysteries that make little sense and really weren't necessary. Some of the robot-battles take a backseat to the on-foot action, and often, even the robot-battles themselves feel less interesting, or they aren't framed well enough to imply their size.

Some of the lead-up getting close to the ending is good, some memorable battles are had. But at the end of everything, we're given a very vague and quickly-written "ending" that implies there is no ending, and everything is on repeat. It makes what was otherwise just a fresh way of watching two robots duke it out suddenly feel even more pointless.


When I bought these DVDs ages ago, they were separated into 2 seasons, but MyAnimeList shows them as just one; if possible and desired, I would recommend watching the first season(up to Episode 13, "R.D."), and maybe stopping there. I believe that the entire second season CAN be skipped without really missing out on much. The ending 13th episode may be a bit of a tease, but I personally feel that it's not worth going forward unless you feel like you MUST complete it.

It's not completely unwatchable, just disappointingly different. If you must continue on to 'learn' more about Paradigm City, be warned it won't really do much for you. The plot may "solve" some mysteries, but it will immediately introduce more, and ultimately resolve nothing. At any rate it's more-of-the-same 'good' Big O action you expect, but a little bit less because they spend most of that time plot-dumping.


Watch it for battles, watch it because you love giant robots, or watch it because you want to relax to Brick Ballades. Don't worry about the plot; here, it's best when you know less.

Dub-quality: I believe this to be a very strong dub, one that I personally intend to always watch and very rarely bother to watch the original. Honorifics are not used, but this is a decidedly American city, so it makes good sense. The majority of the script is intact and doesn't derail from the original too much. If you are a native English speaker or can understand English better than Japanese I would highly recommend focusing on the English dub instead.


I'm reminded that many people back in the day quickly assumed "this is a Batman ripoff" and passed on it, and while a LOT of similarities are there(grappling hook, dark styles, cool car, no-kill policy, stealth action), and the influence is obviously part of the experience, it's also nothing close to it.

Batman gets things done by personally beating each criminal into submission, and making sure they're too scared of him to harm anyone. Roger Smith gets things done by talking things out as a Negotiator, and probably using his giant robot if the bad guy pulls out their own giant robot. But if they don't have a giant robot and they start to get aggressive, he just claims the negotiations are over, and he leaves.

Batman is a philanthropist who spends gobs of money helping the citizens of Gotham, even if they don't know it. Roger Smith has plenty of money, but he only agrees to do work for money IF the job is interesting to him, and rarely gives in to help someone who can't pay.

Batman is haunted by nightmares of his parents' death, but just like the other citizens of Paradigm City, Roger Smith has no memories beyond 40 years ago(whenever he was born, whatever age he might be). He simply has a job to do, and he plans to fulfill it.

Personally I think the similarities to Batman make it a fun homage, but in no way does it actually take away from it. Sure, if you came into it expecting "More Batman" after watching all of BTAS, you may be disappointed. Just watch it for the bot.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Aug 10, 2024

joemaamah

Mixed Feelings

[beavis voice] The Big O heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh[/beavis voice]
This got a lot of hype when it first came out, but I was sooooo sick of all the trash mechas that had come out in the 90s by then, I ignored it. But one night at Blockbuster, I had pretty much tapped out the rest of the anime section, so I was stuck picking this one up.

Despite my apprehension, I liked this more than I wanted to. The artwork was cool, and much better than the stuff that had been getting puked out by the studios up to that point. ... They actually put some time and effort into the animation. The characters were very cool, in a James Bond sort of fashion. The sound track was catchy.

The story? Well, it wasn't quite as tropey and cliche as other mechas of the day. It was an interesting premise and it moved along at a decent pace. But I remember thinking the ending just didn't sit right with me. Like the producers thought they were going to get another season, but then got cut off at the knees at the last minute. It wasn't wrapped up well.

So while I didn't find this orgasmic, it was decent enough were I enjoyed it overall. If I was grading it, it would get 78/100 for a C+. Although if I had been ranking it back when it released I'd probably have given it a 8 ranking. Might be worth a peek if you have a classic mecha stiffy.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Aug 9, 2022

Ciaran_Zagami

Not Recommended

I really want to recommend this anime

Its got a lot going for it.

Great animation, great music, great action, good characters, an awesome and mysterious setting.

In fact everything is basically perfect.

So why the hesitation? It's not really something I can talk about with out spoiling the entire series and that is REALLY something I don't want to do.

... If you even remotely think this series sounds interesting I highly encourage you to give it a try.
For the rest of you, abandon all hope of avoiding spoilers.





All my problems stem from the ending.
I think its supposed to be some weird cosmic reality bending thing. Where god herself in the form of Angel/Big Venus decides to reset reality to the series start. But this time she will retain her memories and allow everyone's lives to go on unaltered. Allowing them to live free, possibly within a giant stage Mario 3 style.

And thats just.

Well its stupid.

The only character who gets to grow, who gets to remember the world and change as a person. To move on with her life is Angel.
And I don't like her.
All my favourite characters get reset. Beck's crime sprees don't matter, Dastun and his men's bad ass final stand never happened, Dorothy's dad never died, the butler never went full John Wick on some robot spiders.

Nothing grows, nothing changes, nothing maters. The series just resets. Again. And implies that more resets are inevitable, perhaps a subtle commentary on the nature of fiction and inviting the viewer to come back some day.

But anyone who knows me, or has read my other reviews knows I find that kind of thing utterly contemptible. It is, in the simplest words I can manage. Lazy.

Even if only imagined, events must have stakes. Risk verse reward and the possibility of change. Else it becomes meaningless.

In short, my feelings on Big O are deeply paradoxical. I love so much about it but I cannot accept the generic and intensely melancholic "the show must go on" style ending.

The manga allegedly has a much better ending, as I'm given to understand. In the manga Roger doesn't debate the ethics of resetting the world. Instead he fights against it and in the end prevails, insuring that even if no one has a past. The human collective has a future, one that cannot be erased by some generic blond in a hot pink catsuit.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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