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The Big O

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|} The Big O (THE ビッグオー) is the title of an anime television series, which also has a manga adaptation. The Big O manga is published in English by Viz Communications. Both seasons of the anime series have been released on DVD by Bandai Entertainment. The Big O was written by Chiaki J. Konaka, who also wrote scripts for Bubble Gum Crisis, Magic Users Club, and Serial Experiments Lain. It was produced by Sunrise and (during the second season) Cartoon Network.

Contents

Plot summary

Big O is set in Paradigm City, a domed metropolis with a mixture of futuristic and contemporary features. It is widely believed that no human civilization exists outside the city. Forty years before the show first takes place, a mysterious occurrence known only as "The Event" completely wiped out the memories of the isolated city's inhabitants. There are few clues as to what exactly took place during that fateful moment, but it forced the people of Paradigm to start anew, severed ties and all; this mystery is a central feature of the show.

The principal character of Big O is Roger Smith, a professional freelance "negotiator" who conducts negotiations between parties within Paradigm City and occasionally with criminal elements. Secretly, he is also the pilot of the Big O, a giant robot called a Megadeus, which is an artifact of the world before "The Event." Supported by his android housemate R. Dorothy Wayneright and his faithful butler Norman Burg, Roger tries to perform his role as Negotiator while at the same time using the Big O to protect the city from attacks by threats internal and external and trying to discover the truth about The Event, Paradigm City, and the world he is confronted with as a whole.

Second season

Initially there were only thirteen episodes created, abruptly leaving the plot with many questions left to be answered. Because it had more of a western setting and explored western themes the series did not make a huge impact in Japan. (The fact that it aired on a satellite network, WOWOW, did not help matters.) But due to the popularity of its American broadcast, Cartoon Network took the unprecedented step of supplying funding for the creation of a second season.

On August 3rd, 2003, a second season of Big O co-produced by Cartoon Network debuted on the Adult Swim programming block of the same network. This second season continues the Big O storyline beginning with the last part of the first season's last episode, but there are some obvious differences in the style and narrative.

Uncertain ending

Due to extraordinary amount of mysteries left unsolved by the finale of the second season, fans were left wondering whether the show had actually ended or not. Recently, it has been revealed that the series is in fact unfinished. The production crew wanted to create a third season to tie up the loose ends and finish the series, as per an option on the contract between Cartoon Network and Sunrise, but the network determined that the show lacked the marketability of Adult Swim's comedy offerings.

There is a great deal of controversy over the true nature of this decision, however. There are behind the scene statements and rumors that there were difficulties within the ranks of Adult Swim concerning the series. The show's ratings were also not nearly as bad as Adult Swim had stated, not the highest, but not the lowest, either. Unfortunately, concrete information remains unavailable. Many accept the series for what it is now regardless of their stand on the true nature of the ending.

While the show has proven to be a unique and powerful anime, it has suffered from the stigma of being labeled as the "Batman" of giant robo. Nevertheless, many fans of the anime remain hopeful that one day the network will acquiesce and greenlight a third season. A petition is currently being prepared by a few fans at Savebigo and Paradigm-City.com, who are presently seeking an estimate of signatures required by Time Warner for consideration of a third season.

Meanings and themes

Speculation about the meaning of the series varies widely. It contains many direct parallels to movies or theater production, prompting some to believe that the entire existence was a fabrication by one or more of the characters. Many viewers have simply come to the conclusion that the series is unresolved, either because the creators wanted to make a new season, or because they were not sure how to end it. Other viewers, however, are satisfied with the ambiguous ending and feel a third season would divert from the show's overall pace and tone. Still, the show remains popular and often appears in the Adult Swim lineup.

Running themes which appear throughout the show include the nature of memories and finding and accepting the one's personal identity (exemplified by the recurring phrase "We have come to terms" and the metaphor of artificially grown tomatoes) and the power of God wielded by human hands (as illustrated by the phrase "Cast in the name of God, ye not guilty [sic]" and variations thereof flashed across the cockpit screens of the various "Big"-style Megadei.

Influences and parallels

Some correlation's between The Big O and Warner Brothers' have been found and often commented upon, even by official sources (Toonami regularly had the show tagline as "Goodguys still wear black", a reference to Batman). This was despite it being a Japanese work, and having many Christian religious overtones (especially over the terms Behemoth and Leviathan and also when Roger activates Big O and sits in the control chair it says "Cast in the name of God Ye not Guilty" where as with Alan Gabriel Big Duo found him guilty since he was no longer cast in the name of God; not human). The show also seems to draw from Plato’s dialogue "The Republic", as it continually references the "watchdogs" of Paradigm City while showing Roger Smith in his fight for justice. Finally, several basic premises mirror the Batman world, with the main character a high-class, influential individual leading a double life. Norman, also, can be compared to Alfred, Batman's ever-helpful butler.

The series (especially the second season) also contains elements that are explicitly derivative of the classic science-fiction movie, Metropolis. The title of "Negotiator", and the secretive group "The Union" have direct counterparts in Metropolis. Also of interest are the numerous appearances of a red book entitled Metropolis which contains a mystery of its own, and occasionally seems not to be a book at all but a symbolic representation of Paradigm City or of the lost or collective memories of its inhabitants. This has given rise to a school of thought about the meaning of the story among fans commonly called the "Myst theory," which holds that the entire "world" of the series is in fact contained within a book.

The show's mecha have also appeared in one of the GameBoy Advance Super Robot Wars games and are clasified in the Super Robot Catagory (Which have Stronger, more devistating attacks with higher Energy Point costs).

Episode list

Season 1 (2001 in US, 1999-2000 in Japan)

Season 2 (2003)

Theme songs

  1. "Stoning" by Toshihiko Sahashi (Eps. 1-2, 14)
  2. "BIG O!" by Rui Nagai (Eps. 3-13) (Eps. 15, 17-25 - Adult Swim broadcast)
  3. "Respect" by Toshihiko Sahashi (Eps. 15-20, 22-25) (Ep. 16 - Adult Swim broadcast)
  • "And Forever..." by Robbie Danzie with Naoki Takao

    • Notes

    1. The similarity between Rui Nagai's theme and the theme to the Flash Gordon movie, performed by Queen, is notable.

    See also


    The Big O
    : Roger Smith | R. Dorothy Wayneright | Alex Rosewater | Gordon Rosewater | Michael Seebach
    Other: Paradigm City > Megadeus

    External links

     

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