The Big O
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- This article is about The Big O anime series. For other uses, see Big O.
| The Big O
<tr><td colspan="2" style="background: #fff; text-align: center;"> | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Mystery, Noir, Mecha, Science Fiction, Psychological |
| TV anime | |
| Directed by | Kazuyoshi Katayama |
| Studio | Sunrise |
| Network | Image:Flag of Japan (bordered).svg Animax, WOWOW Image:Flag of the United States.svg Cartoon Network |
| Original run | 1999 – 2003 |
| No. of episodes | 26 |
| Manga | |
| Authored by | Hitoshi Ariga |
| Publisher | Image:Flag of Japan (bordered).svg Kodansha Image:Flag of Canada.svg Image:Flag of the United States.svg Viz Media |
| Serialized in | Magazine ZKC |
| Original run | 16 December 1999 – |
| No. of volumes | 5 (6 when republished in America) |
The Big O (THE ビッグオー The Biggu Ō?) is a TV anime series produced by Sunrise, Inc. It was directed by Kazuyoshi Katayama (animation director, Giant Robo), with character and mecha designs by Keiichi Sato (original concept, KARAS), and script by Chiaki J. Konaka (Serial Experiments Lain, Armitage III).
40 years prior to the events of the series, a mysterious occurrence caused the residents of Paradigm City to lose their memories. But they manage to make do and go on living, trying their hardest at a life without knowledge of what did or didn't happen.
The series follows Roger Smith, Paradigm City's top Negotiator. He provides this much needed service with the help of an android named R. Dorothy Wayneright and his butler Norman Burg. When the need arises, Roger calls upon The Big O, a giant relic from the city's history that may hold the key to its future.
The series premiered on October 13, 1999 on WOWOW satellite television. It finished its run on January 19, 2000. The English-language version premiered on the American Cartoon Network on April 2nd, 2001. Originally a thirteen-episode series, positive fan response internationally resulted in a second season co-produced by Cartoon Network, Sunrise, and Bandai Visual. The Big O: Season Two premiered on Japan's SUN-TV on January 2003, with the American premiere taking place seven months later.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
- See also: List of The Big O characters and List of The Big O media
The Big O revolves around the concept of memories. A memory is a record of a thing or an event stored in the brain of an organism. But in Paradigm City, the "City of Amnesia," memories are much more. Memories are a precious thing and "just like nightmares," Roger says, "can appear when you least expect them." Memories embody the lost knowledge of its citizens. Memories can take the form of records from before the Event, or forgotten artifacts (Act:04) of times gone by. Memories can manifest themselves as mere recollection, hallucinations or a recurring dream (Act:10).
The Big O: Season One is episodic, each Act presents how different citizens of Paradigm deals with the resurgence of these Memories, in a way to determine if people truly are "ruled by their memories."
Season One ends by introducing elements that will come into play during Season Two. The existence of people outside of Paradigm City. The book "Metropolis" written by Gordon Rosewater, Paradigm's founder. The World destroyed by a Cataclysm. The Power of God wielded by Man. Giants robots run amok. The truth, the lies, behind them all.
The Big O: Season Two takes a more arc-based approach. Whereas Season One episodes ended with a "We have come to terms" or "No side," Season Two episodes are designed "To be continued." These episodes move Alex Rosewater, CEO of the Paradigm Corporation, center stage as a direct antagonist to The Negotiator. It also introduces The Union, a new faction in the War of Paradigm City. In Season Two, Paradigm City becomes a grand stage where past, and future, memories play themselves out.
[edit] Series development
Development of the retro-styled series began back in 1996. Keiichi Sato came up with the concept of The Big O:<ref name="hero">Hayward, Keith. Birth of the Big O. Japan Hero. Retrieved on 2006-11-18.</ref> a giant city-smashing robot, piloted by a man in black, in a Gotham-like environment.<ref>The name Big-O came from the opening of Daitetsujin 17. You can watch it here</ref> He later met up with Kazuyoshi Katayama, who had just finished directing Those Who Hunt Elves, and started bouncing ideas off each other. But when things "were about to really start moving," production on Katayama's Sentimental Journey began, putting plans on-hold. Sato was also heavily involved with his work on City Hunter.
Sato admits it all started as "a gimmick for a toy." They tried including detachable hands, a cargo container and a vehicle with a Thunderbirds-style design.<ref name="hero"/> But the representatives at Bandai Hobby Division didn't see the same potential. From there on, the dealings would be with Bandai Visual. But Sunrise still needed some safeguards and requested more robots be designed to increase toy sales.
In 1999, with the designs complete, Chiaki J. Konaka was brought on as head writer. Konaka came up with the concept of a "town without memory," and worked on the characterization of R. Dorothy. Konaka and his writing staff scripted a 26-episodes series. The series premiered on October 13, 1999 on WOWOW. When word came the series would be shortened to 13, the writers decided to end it with a cliffhanger, hoping the next 13 episodes would be picked up.<ref name="konaka">Chiaki J. Konaka. The Big O (production notes) (Japanese). Retrieved on 2006-11-18. A translation can be found at the Season 3 FAQ</ref> In 2001, The Big O premiered on Cartoon Network's Toonami lineup.
[edit] Season Two
The series garnered positive fan response internationally, and the American fanbase asked for more.<ref name="konaka"/> This resulted in a second season co-produced by Cartoon Network, Sunrise, and Bandai Visual. The Big O: Season Two premiered on Japan's SUN-TV on January 2003, with the American premiere taking place seven months later in the adult swim lineup.<ref name = "comiccon">Comic-con Adult Swim News. Anime News Network (2002-08-04). Retrieved on 2006-11-18.</ref> All the scripts from Season Two were written by Konaka.
[edit] Season Three?
Due to the extraordinary number of mysteries left unsolved by the second season finale, it was unclear as to whether the show was finished or not. The available information would tend to indicate that it was not, as it had been reported on June 9, 2003 in TV Week that Cartoon Network had optioned 26 additional episodes.<ref name="options">Louis Chunovic (June 9, 2003). Cartoon Sets 'Big O' Anime for Late Block (English). (TV Week requires a free subscription to the site to view the full article. )</ref> It is also worthy of note that Sunrise and the Big O's production team have made no definitive statement that the series has ended. This is significant because there was no hesitation at all in stating "the series is finished" in the case of Cowboy Bebop, which was also created by Hajime Yatate.<ref name = "comiccon"/>
[edit] Setting
The main setting of the show is Paradigm City, located next to a sea and a vast desert wasteland. The city itself is divided into the higher-income population residing inside the domes and the remainder of the population, whether poor or not, living outside the domes. At many times during the series Alex Rosewater, head of the Paradigm Corporation, alludes to the fact that he either does not care about those living outside the domes, or that the city would be better off without them. Androids coexist with the human inhabitants of Paradigm City; their numbers are actually fairly low and they're something of a rarity, but there are enough of them that denizens of the city are not shocked about them and don't treat it as particularly unusual to encounter one.
It appears that each dome has its own "sun," a source of light that orbits along the outside of the dome which rises and sets just as the natural sun would. The structure of the domes themselves also become important during some of Roger Smith's battles in the Big O, such as his fight against Schwarzwald in "Act 12".
Roger travels to various areas of the city to meet with his clients as well as get information from an informant called Big Ear at the "Speakeasy", a bar/pub outside the domes. He also travels to Paradigm Dome for a few jobs, although he despises the company and its headquarters.
Beyond Paradigm City, there is nothing: whatever happened in The Event 40 years ago turned the rest of the world into an endless desert, and Paradigm City is believed to be all that remains, to the point that its inhabitants scoff at the idea of surviving "foreigners" as simply myth. Paradigm City itself is essentially a city-state, with fields immediately surrounding the city (within driving distance) where crops are grown to feed those within. However, during the course of the series a group called "The Union" surfaces which appears to be made up of foreigners who are infiltrating the city. However, in the surreal final episodes their actual status as foreigners is called into question. Although Union members themselves believe they are really from outside of Paradigm City, it is suggested but not substantiated that they are really clones or androids produced as an experiment within the city, and then cast out, and whoever they think they are working for doesn't exist.
It is clear from evidence shown in the series that Paradigm City may be modeled after New York City. Some of the evidence:
- In episode 1 (Roger the Negotiator), as Roger is traveling to the site of the meeting with Beck, the World Trade Center can be seen in the distance. (Remember that the series premiered in Japan before 2001.)
- In episode 5 (Bring Back My Ghost), it is mentioned that Officer Fraizer fell into the Hudson River.
- In episode 12 (Enemy Is Another Big!), one of the battle scenes is supposedly fought at JFK airport and is mentioned as JFK Mark by Dan Dastun.
- In episode 17 (Leviathan), the remnants of the Coney Island amusement park and the Cyclone roller coaster are clearly shown.
- In episode 19 (Eyewitness), an android killer is shown wearing a New York Yankees baseball cap.
- In episode 20 (Stripes), Angel finds herself drawn to the ruins of Grand Central Terminal.
- Also in episode 20 (Stripes), Big Fau rises out of the ground through the Washington Arch.
- In several episodes Roger pays Big-Ear for his services with what would appear to be US currency.
- Whenever he visits Big Ear, Roger drives over what appears to be the Brooklyn Bridge
- Aerial shots of Paradigm echo the geography of the west side of Manhattan.
Although Paradigm City might be New York City, or an imitation of it, it is much more expansive than the New York City of today. While there are recognizable landmarks from New York City's past, i.e. the Grand Central Terminal building apparently expanded in all directions and within the old boundaries itself. Paradigm City was actually "founded" on the ruins of an earlier city; details are scarce but it appears that Paradigm City is considered to have been founded when the domes were constructed and order re-established after chaos ensuing The Event, but that much of the city predates that. The ruins that the "new" Paradigm City was built on were meant to sustain a much larger population than the current city supports: the city is only filled to about half the capacity that it could potentially sustain. As a result, giant robot battles that cause massive property damage aren't much of a problem, as they either destroy abandoned buildings, or people displaced from destroyed buildings can easily find more that are available.
The old underground subway and maintenance systems were abandoned after The Event, as everyone was afraid to go below the surface of the city. Many believe, rightly, that hidden secrets from before The Event lurk in these unexplored warrens. Secret laboratories and other installations from before The Event are tucked away in the underground, where none dare look. Roger Smith is unafraid to use the old subway system as a means of quickly transporting Big O around Paradigm City as needed: an immense tank-like vehicle that contains the Big O uses the subway tracks to maneuver around the city and then raise the Big O on a platform so that it may burst forth from underground. As a result, no one can track Big O's movements to Roger's house. However, even Roger has only mapped out the basic subway grid to use to move Big O around, and even to Roger almost all of the underground is an entirely separate world that he is afraid to go into. In episode 4, Roger ventured further down than ever had before, and found that the deeper you go the more modern the surroundings become; newer installations were built below the older ones. Thus while the tunnels near the surface are simply old subway lines, the regions very deep down are from right before the Event and house exotic technologies that are unknown on the surface, such as the ruined Archetype found by Schwarzwald.
The inhabitants of Paradigm City appear to only remember bits and pieces of what religion was like before the Event, though numerous episodes show its inhabitants practicing Christianity, or at least Christianity in some shape or form, as people congregate in meeting places with crucifixes prominently displayed. However, it is revealed in episode 11 that no one (rather, almost no one) clearly remembers what Christmas is at all, and several old cathedrals now stand in ruins, their original purpose unknown (some of the elderly occasionally feel compelled to stand in front of them and sing scraps of hymns, but they don't clearly remember why they do this). Half based on vague memories of a holiday on December 25th, and half as a celebration to commemorate the founding of Paradigm City (which happened around the same time of the year), Christmas Day is now celebrated as "Heaven's Day". Heaven's Day is apparently an almost entirely secular holiday, which started out as an annual celebration of he founding of the city by giving bread and wine to the poor. As the city grew more prosperous over the course of 40 years, people started giving presents to the ones they loved, and it grew into a commercial shopping extravaganza not unlike modern day Christmas celebrations. The inhabitants of the city still put up generic Christmas decorations like decorated Christmas trees and streamers, but they don't really know the underlying reason behind all of this. However, Alex Rosewater at least knew that the real reason for the celebration was that "it's the day God's son was born". Whether he was referring to a memory of the original holiday, or to himself in comparison to his father is unknown.
[edit] Meanings and themes
Speculation about the meaning of the series varies widely. It contains many metaphorical relationships to elements of film and theater production, prompting some to believe that the entire reality of Paradigm City 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.[citation needed] Other viewers, however, are satisfied with the ambiguous ending and feel a third season would divert from the show's overall pace and tone.[citation needed]
Running themes which appear throughout the show include the nature of memories, and finding and accepting one's personal identity. The latter is exemplified by the recurring phrase, "We have come to terms," the persistent metaphor of artificially grown tomatoes,<ref>Stripes Recap. TV.com. Retrieved on September 4, 2006.</ref> and the power of God wielded by human hands (as illustrated by the phrase, "Cast in the Name of God, Ye Not Guilty," and variations flashed across the cockpit screens of the various 'Megadeuses'[sic]).[citation needed]
[edit] Influences and parallels
When The Big O first premiered back in 1999, there was nothing quite like it. The Big O combines film noir, pulp fiction and giant robots in a way never before seen in the anime world.<ref name="academy">Big O Review. Anime Academy. Retrieved on 2006-11-04.</ref> The Big O draws from a number of sources, some more obvious than others. First of all, there's Batman,<ref name="ANNpreview">The Big O Preview. Anime News Network. Retrieved on 2006-11-11.</ref><ref name="fringe">Forbes, Jake (January 2001). The Big-O. Animefringe. Retrieved on 2006-11-11.</ref> with the cast of The Big O being clear analogues of The Dark Knight and his allies. The works of Isaac Asimov,<ref name="onDVD1">Beveridge, Chris (2001-06-19). Anime on DVD Reviews: The Big O Vol. #1. Anime on DVD. Retrieved on 2006-11-11.</ref><ref name="vision">The Big O Complete Collection DVD Review. DVD Vision Japan. Retrieved on 2006-11-11.</ref> and Mitsuteru Yokoyama<ref name="jump">Toole, Mike (2003-09-24). The Big O vols. 1-4. Anime Jump. Retrieved on 2006-11-11.</ref><ref name="theEX">Rhee, Keith (2000-02-03). The Big O. EX: The Online World of Anime & Manga. Retrieved on 2006-11-04.</ref> inspired the show's visual design. Other influences mentioned are Fritz Lang's Metropolis,<ref name = "jump"/> James Bond,<ref name="essential">Anime on DVD Recommends: The Big O. Anime on DVD. Retrieved on 2006-11-04.</ref> and Cowboy Bebop.<ref name="scifi">Robinson, Tasha (2001-04-02). Big O. SCI FI Weekly. Retrieved on 2006-11-11.</ref> But that's not to say the show is derivative. In fact, The Big O "still manages to stand out as something original amongst the other numerous cookie-cutter anime shows."<ref name="essential"/>
[edit] "My name is Roger Smith..."
This line begins The Big O, with a Phillip Marlowe-style voiceover, quickly establishing the series' film noir stylistics. Like Jake 'J.J' Gittes before him, or every other hard-boiled private eye for that matter, Roger Smith is canny and cynical. A disillusioned cop-turned-negotiator, his job has more in common with detective-style work than straight-forward negotiating, especially considering cases like Bring Back My Ghost or Negotiation with the Dead.
Amnesia is a common plot device in film noir, far more common than in real life. <ref name="holiday">Rafferty, Terrence (2003-11-02). "The Last Word in Alienation: I Just Don't Remember". nytimes.com. Retrieved on 2006-11-04.</ref> The Big O takes it steps further. "One day 40 years ago, everyone here lost their memory of everything before that day," Roger narrates in Act:01.
In true noir-nature, the hero encounters a femme fatale, a woman who deceptively misleads and ensnares him or other males in order to gain some end they would not freely help her achieve. The role of the femme fatale in The Big O is played by Angel. Introduced in Act:03 as Casey Jenkins, investigator for Paradigm Power Management, then again in Act:04 as Patricia Lovejoy, secretary for the publisher of Paradigm Press, Angel's true identity is a mystery, her motives questionable and her allegiances to no one but herself.
[edit] Good guys still wear black
- What happens when you take Batman:The Animated Series, take away the latex rubber outfit, and replace it with a giant robot? The answer [...] is THE BIG O.<ref name="theEX"/>
There's no denying the similarities between Batman and The Big O. Sunrise, The Big O's production studio, was a subcontractor for Warner Bros. Animation's Batman: The Animated Series.<ref>For detail on which episodes Sunrise worked on, see The World's Finest.</ref> Even Toonami promos acknowledged the Dark Knight's influence on Roger Smith.<ref>For the Batman: The Animated Series promo "Like a Shadow", Toonami used the tagline "Good guys wear black." The Big O promo was named "Good Guys Still Wear Black" as a reference to Batman. You can download them both at Toonami Digital Arsenal.</ref>
Roger Smith is a pastiche of the Bruce Wayne persona and the Dark Knight Batman. His character design is pure Wayne, complete with slicked-back hair and double-breasted business suit. Like Bruce, Roger prides himself in being a rich playboy to the extent that one of his household's rules is "only women may be led into this mansion without my permission." (Act:01) Like Batman, Roger Smith carries a no-gun policy, albeit more flexible. But, unlike the personal motives of the Batman, Roger enforces this rule for "it's all part of being a gentleman." (Act:08) Among Roger's gadgetry is the Griffon, a large, black hi-tech sedan comparable to the Batmobile, and a grappling cable that shoots out his wristwatch. Finally, in Act:15, Angel refers to The Big O as Roger's alter-ego.
Among The Big O's cast of supporting characters is Norman, Roger's faithful mechanically-inclined butler who fills the role of Alfred Pennyworth. The role of the sidekick is played by R. Dorothy Wayneright, taken in by Roger in Act:02. And then there's Dan Dastun, Chief of the Military Police. A good, honest cop who, like Jim Gordon, is a friend to the hero.
[edit] "Crush them! Big O!"
If Roger Smith is Batman, then Big O is Giant Robo.<ref>Protoculture Addicts first described The Big O as a cross between Batman and Giant Robo.</ref> Released in seven volumes over the span of six years, the Giant Robo OVA's "retro chic steampunk" style of science-fiction influenced The Big O.<ref name="AWMAG">Patten, Fred (2001-06-15). New from Japan: The Big O Volumes 1 - 4. Animation World Magazine. Retrieved on 2006-11-23.</ref> Members of the Big O staff, including series director Kazuyoshi Katayama, worked on the Giant Robo OVA; frustrated with its long-delayed production, the staff focused its energies into making The Big O "good."<ref name= "ACen03">Anime Central 2003 Panel. A Fan's View. Retrieved on 2006-11-23.</ref>
Like Giant Robo, the megadeuses [sic] of Big O are metal behemoths. The designs are strange and "more macho than practical,"<ref name = "theEX"/> sporting big stovepipe arms and exposed rivets. Unlike the giants of other robot anime, the megadeuses don't exhibit ninja-like speed nor grace. But for what they lack in agility, they more than make-up in power:<ref name="herorev2">Hayward, Keith. Super Robot Review: The Big O. Japan Hero. Retrieved on 2006-11-23.</ref> missiles, piston powered punches, machine guns, laser cannons, it's all there. The character designs also take a cue from Giant Robo.<ref>See The Big O Visual: Official Companion to "The Big-O" TV series, pp. 26-27.</ref> Roger looks like a grown-up Daisaku Kusama, right down to the wristwatch. Angel follows in Ginrei's footsteps as a sexy secret agent-type character. And Schwarzwald's trenchcoat and bandages look resembles that of Kenji Murasame in Volume 5 of the OVA.
The show's look, the fusion of 1960s retro and pop art, is a strong element of what made it popular.<ref name="IIonDVD1">Beveridge, Chris (2003-11-03). Anime on DVD Reviews: The Big O II Vol. #1. Anime on DVD. Retrieved on 2006-11-23.</ref> From Beck's outrageous hair to Eugene's (Act:08) pronounced nose, or even Angel's pink body-hugging suit in Act:03, it is all trademarks of the style.<ref name = "jump"/>
[edit] Other influences
In the episode "The Greatest Villain," the series also pokes fun at the classic mecha series Getter Robo with the introduction of the RX-3 robot. Piloted by Beck and his two henchmen, the RX-3 transforms from a group of vehicles to a giant robot in a sequence almost identical to that of Getter Robo. The Big O also possesses a chest-mounted laser weapon similar to those wielded by classic Super Robots Mazinger Z, Steel Jeeg, and Grendizer, among others. The series also draws strongly from Brave Raideen, establishing The Big O as an ancient, powerful robot with strongly implied sentience and unknown origins.
The show also makes biblical analogies, referencing Behemoth and Leviathan, and Big Duo's declaration of "Ye Guilty" with regard to Alan Gabriel. The show also seems to draw from Plato's The Republic, as it references the "watchdogs" of Paradigm City while showing Roger Smith in his fight for justice. Schwarzwald strongly resembles the Gnostic figure Enoch, who pursues knowledge and ultimate truth at his own expense, and witnesses heavenly light, as shown to him by God himself. Roger Smith is often compared to Jesus in several ways, most notably that he acts as a "Negotiator" between the Director and the residents of Paradigm, much in the same way that Jesus acts as an advocate between mankind and God; Roger Smith is also imprisoned in a cross-shaped restraint by Beck, wields the "power of God" in the same manner that Jesus wields the Holy Spirit, and is the only character in the series to be judged "NOT GUILTY" by a Megadeus, comparitive to Jesus as the only man who is "not guilty" of sin.
[edit] Episode list
[edit] Season 1 (1999-2000)
- Act:01 -- Roger the Negotiator
- Act:02 -- Dorothy Dorothy
- Act:03 -- Electric City
- Act:04 -- Underground Terror
- Act:05 -- Bring Back My Ghost
- Act:06 -- A Legacy of Amadeus
- Act:07 -- The Call From The Past
- Act:08 -- Missing Cat
- Act:09 -- Beck Comes Back
- Act:10 -- Winter Night Phantom
- Act:11 -- Daemonseed
- Act:12 -- Enemy Is Another Big!
- Act:13 -- R.D.
[edit] Season 2 (2003)
- Act:14 -- Roger The Wanderer
- Act:15 -- Negotiation with the Dead
- Act:16 -- Day of the Advent
- Act:17 -- Leviathan
- Act:18 -- The Greatest Villain
- Act:19 -- Eyewitness
- Act:20 -- Stripes
- Act:21 -- The Third Big
- Act:22 -- Hydra
- Act:23 -- Twisted Memories
- Act:24 -- The Big Fight
- Act:25 -- The War of Paradigm City
- Act:26 -- The Show Must Go On
[edit] Notes and References
<references />
[edit] External links
Official sites
- Bandai Entertainment: The Big O's Region 1 DVD publisher.
- Madman Entertainment: Australian DVD publisher.
- Adult Swim: The Big O's US broadcaster
- Toonami UK: UK broadcaster
- VIZ Media: The English manga's North American publisher.
Fansites
- Paradigm City Where Original Big O Content Is More Than Just a Memory
- The Big O Season 3 FAQ FAQ concerning future episodes of The Big O
- Save Big O Supports a third season of The Big O
Miscellaneous
- The Big O (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
- The Big O (manga) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
- The Big O at IMDb
[edit] See also
| The Big O |
|---|
| Characters |
| Roger Smith | R. Dorothy Wayneright | Norman Burg | Alex Rosewater | Gordon Rosewater | Michael Seebach | Megadeus |
Categories: Anime series | Manga series | Cleanup from August 2006 | Articles to be split | Articles with unsourced statements | Sunrise | Anime dubbed into English | Fictional robots | Japanese television series | Series broadcast by Animax | Shows on Adult Swim | Shows on Toonami | Adventure anime | Adventure manga | Mystery anime | Mystery manga | Mecha anime | Science fiction anime | Mecha manga | Super Robots | Viz Media manga | The Big O | Featured in the Super Robot Wars Series | Anime of the 1990s | Anime of the 2000s
