"The Big O" (1999) TV series 1999-2003

Director:

Kazuyoshi Katayama

Writers:

Masanao Akahoshi (writer)
Kei'ichi Hasegawa (writer)

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

2 April 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Sci-Fi | Action

Tagline:

Good guys still wear black

Plot:

A futuristic city with lost memories, an expert negotiator fights threats to the city with the help of an android and his own giant robot.

Plot Keywords:

Robot | Giant Robot | Android | Futuristic | Anime

Cast

Mitsuru Miyamoto	...	Roger Smith (26 episodes, 1999-2003)
Steve Blum	...	Roger Smith (26 episodes, 1999-2003)
Akiko Yajima	...	R. Dorothy Wayneright / ... (17 episodes, 1999-2003)
Lia Sargent	...	R. Dorothy Wayneright / ... (17 episodes, 1999-2003)
Motomu Kiyokawa	...	Norman Burg (17 episodes, 1999-2003)
Richard Barnes	...	Norman Burg (13 episodes, 1999-2000)

Also Known As:

Big O (USA) (cable TV title)
The Big O II (Japan) (second season title)

Runtime:

30 min (26 episodes)

Country:

Japan

Language:

English | Japanese

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:M (DVD rating) | Singapore:PG

Company:

Animaze

Trivia:

Throughout the series, a red balloon indicates the presence of a member of the Union.

Quotes:

Schwarzwald: Big Duo! It is now... SHOWTIME!

Soundtrack:

Big-O! Show Must Go On

Sweet...

I am a fan of the Cartoon Network anime lineup, and by far this is the best show out of them all.

Unlike the other, more 'famous' anime shows (hence the Dragonball series), this show actually has realism in it. It isn't all action-packed. The show mostly surrounds negotiator Roger Smith uncovering information related to the jobs that his clients often give him or uncovering deep secrets about the forgotten past, in which an event forty years ago erased everyones' memory. It's pretty much talk, but it's interesting talk, because the talk that goes on throughout the show really relates to real-life situations--political corruption, the love for lost ones, and the desire to know the truth. Though this would bore an adrenaline-junkie, it would catch interest to those that I'd like to call 'down-to-Earthers', especially with the most wonderful music that is just too good to be put in a cartoon series.

But that doesn't mean that there isn't action. The battles that premiere in the series have enough action to supply that adrenaline junkie with all the sweat he needs (and all within just about five minutes, too).

Big O is by far the most successful amongst the dying robot-themed shows. Though the Transformers series seems to be long-lasting, it too is dying out as animators grow tired of constantly putting in the details of machinery and head to using computers as a way to 'build' the robots and give them movement. This type of animation doesn't blend in with the rest of the animation, thus fails (as seen in Transformers Energon).

Which brings up another point. Notice how the animation throughout the entire series remains constant. Sure the lighting changed, but the animation overall has remained the same. It shows that the people who drew up the series were determined to have the animation remain constant and nearly flawless (unlike in the Dragonball series when different animators draw separate episodes). This (especially when having giant robots battling) requires a lot of patience and loyalty.

And let me assure you that they have not gone unappreciated for their loyalty to the animation. Kudos, animators!

Overall: life-like characters that grow throughout the series; life-like situations; incredible animation; dazzling battles; and (most importantly), the most wonderful music for a cartoon ever.

Rating: 10 out of 10. The battle music still makes my neck hair stand up...