The Big O

The Big O. An anime series that has appeal to those that don't like anime. But don't be fooled! The series can be appreciated by anyone that has half a brain. I will give you three reasons to see The Big O for yourself: #1: The characters. Each one unique, and they all interact with each other very well. The voice actors for the English version are superb. It is hard to believe that the series was originally in Japanese.

#2. The depth. The series is as deep as any I have seen which makes it good for second and third viewings. There are subtle nuances that really set this series apart. The depth you will find in The Big O is impressive, but it is a show that you can enjoy completely on the surface as well.

#3. The music. The soundtrack for this series is simply breathtaking. Of course there are some tracks that are a little silly, but they fit the scenes well. The main tracks are ones that will rope you into the series even if you don't like the story. Finding music of this quality is not common at all.

The only thing I regret about this series is that more people haven't seen it. I would love it if this series was one that all people at least tried out. Then maybe the producers would make additional acts for our viewing pleasure. The story is left open for additional seasons to be added, let's hope that they do.

Big O is not like any other show I have ever seen. The writers clearly have extensive knowledge concerning Greek mythology and even Christianity. It is a cartoon sure, but the depth of the show is very subjective. The show itself gives the viewer just enough clues to allow one to believe that all of the other unending parade of questions will somehow be answered, but apparently, they won't. The show walks a profound balance of story and probability and divine vagueness.

I saw a few episodes of this show and became hooked like no other show I have ever seen. The overall themes are far from light. Two of them being memories and ultimately attempting to define life. What is the value of one's life without memories? What separates humans from androids in a futurist world without knowing which actually came first? And that is assuming who and what each character actually is, which is far from a given. My obsession with the show did eventually wane, largely because the show itself is rather slow at times. There are plenty of action scenes with enormous robots, also representing something I'm sure, to balance the pace, but those battles rarely excited me.

The truly strange aspect of this show is that the majority of it for me is window dressing. It's the symbolism that is scattered throughout each episode that elevates this show to atmospheric levels. This show is just smart enough and just open ended enough for each little mysterious detail to have some profound meaning. This show has everything within it to be the basis of a new religion in and of itself, seriously. The fact that all the answers can plausibly be answered, but aren't, makes Big O that much more life-like in nature.

"The Big O" returns with all-new episodes on August 31, 2003. In the meantime, you can enjoy re-runs of Season 1, now showing on Cartoon Network. It's gonna be a long, hot summer; let "The Big O" cool you down! Check your local listings.

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...

The Big O is one of the most creative efforts to ever come out of Japan. Combining the rather dark style of Batman: The Animated Series in animation, the giant robot action of yesteryear, and combining some really surrealistic elements, it manages to entertain such people. It is not your fast paced show with action at every minute, but it has rather impressive fight sequences with cleverly designed mechs I might add. Then you add the rather interesting characters that somehow develop during it's 13 episode run, and you've got a rather impressive series.

It's not for everybody, but I'd recommend Big O to even the most avid fan of animation.

The only bad part is that it's only 13 episodes and it stops rather abruptly, so let's hope it can get more soon.