View source for The Big O

{{Short description|1999 Japanese anime television series}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox animanga/Header
| image           = Big o.jpg
| caption         = Cover art for ''The Big O'' Complete Collection North American DVD release by [[Bandai Entertainment]] featuring Norman (left), Roger (middle), and Dorothy (right)
| ja_kanji        = THE ビッグオー
| ja_romaji       = Za Biggu Ō
| genre           = {{ubl|[[Mecha anime and manga|Mecha]]<ref name="OtakuUSA">{{cite web |author=Otaku USA Staff |url=http://www.otakuusamagazine.com/the-big-o-anime-heads-back-to-paradigm-city-on-blu-ray/ |title=The Big O Anime Heads Back to Paradigm City on Blu-ray! |publisher=[[Otaku USA]] |date=May 30, 2017 |access-date=October 31, 2017 |archive-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107025636/http://www.otakuusamagazine.com/the-big-o-anime-heads-back-to-paradigm-city-on-blu-ray/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Forbes">{{cite magazine |last=Barder |first=Ollie |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/olliebarder/2017/06/08/the-big-o-complete-collection-blu-ray-review-ye-not-guilty/ |title='The Big O Complete Collection' Blu-Ray Review: Ye Not Guilty |magazine=[[Forbes]] |date=June 8, 2017 |access-date=October 31, 2017 |archive-date=June 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170608183028/https://www.forbes.com/sites/olliebarder/2017/06/08/the-big-o-complete-collection-blu-ray-review-ye-not-guilty/ |url-status=live }}</ref> |[[Neo-noir]]<ref name="OtakuUSA"/><ref name="Forbes"/> |[[Tech-noir]]<ref name="OtakuUSA"/><ref name="Forbes"/>}}
| creator         = {{ubl|[[Hajime Yatate]]|[[Kazuyoshi Katayama]]|[[Keiichi Sato]]}}
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Print
| type            = manga
| author          = Hitoshi Ariga
| publisher       = [[Kodansha]]
| publisher_en    = {{English manga publisher
  | NA  = [[Viz Media]]
}}
| demographic     = ''[[Seinen manga|Seinen]]''
| magazine        = [[Monthly Magazine Z]]
| first           = July 1999
| last            = October 2001
| volumes         = 6
| volume_list     = List of The Big O chapters#Original manga
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Video
| type            = tv series
| director        = Kazuyoshi Katayama
| producer        = {{ubl|Tsutomu Sugita|Eiji Sashida|Ohashi Chieo}}
| writer          = {{ubl|[[Chiaki J. Konaka]]|Kazuyoshi Katayama}}
| music           = [[Toshihiko Sahashi]]
| studio          = [[Sunrise (company)|Sunrise]]
| licensee        = {{English anime licensee
  | AUS = [[Madman Entertainment]]
  | NA  = [[Sentai Filmworks]]
  | UK  = [[Beez Entertainment]]
}}
| network         = [[Wowow]]
| network_en      = {{English anime network
  | US  = [[Cartoon Network]] ([[Toonami]]), [[Adult Swim]] 
}}
| first           = October 13, 1999
| last            = January 19, 2000
| episodes        = 13
| episode_list    = List of The Big O episodes
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Video
| type            = tv series
| title           = The Big O II
| director        = Kazuyoshi Katayama
| producer        = {{ubl|Charles McCarter|Atsushi Sugita|Chieo Ohashi|Eiji Sashita}}
| writer          = {{ubl|Chiaki J. Konaka|Kazuyoshi Katayama}}
| music           = Toshihiko Sahashi
| studio          = Sunrise
| licensee        = {{English anime licensee
  | NA  = Sentai Filmworks
  | AUS = Madman Entertainment
}}
| network         = [[Sun Television|SUN]], Wowow
| network_en      = {{English anime network
  | US  = Adult Swim
}}
| first           = January 2, 2003
| last            = March 23, 2003
| episodes        = 13
| episode_list    = List of The Big O episodes
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Print
| type            = manga
| title           = The Big O: Lost Memory
| author          = Hajime Yatate
| illustrator     = Hitoshi Ariga
| publisher       = Kodansha
| demographic     = ''Seinen''
| magazine        = Magazine Z
| first           = November 2002
| last            = September 2003
| volumes         = 2
| volume_list     = List of The Big O chapters#Lost Memory
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Footer}}

{{nihongo|'''''The Big O'''''|THE ビッグオー|Za Biggu Ō|lead=yes}} is a Japanese [[Mecha anime and manga|mecha-anime]] [[television series]] created by designer [[Keiichi Sato]] and director [[Kazuyoshi Katayama]] for [[Sunrise (company)|Sunrise]]. The writing staff was assembled by the series' head writer, [[Chiaki J. Konaka]], who is known for his work on ''[[Serial Experiments Lain]]'' and ''[[Hellsing]]''. The story takes place forty years after a mysterious occurrence causes the residents of Paradigm City to lose their memories. The series follows Roger Smith, Paradigm City's top [[Negotiation|Negotiator]]. He provides this "much needed service" with the help of a [[robot]] named R. Dorothy Wayneright and his [[butler]] Norman Burg. When the need arises, Roger calls upon Big O, a giant relic from the city's past.

The television series was designed as a tribute to Japanese and [[western world|Western]] shows from the 1960s and 1970s. The series is presented in the style of ''[[film noir]]'' and combines themes of [[detective fiction]] and [[mecha anime]]. The [[setpiece]]s are reminiscent of ''[[tokusatsu]]'' productions of the 1950s and 1960s, particularly [[Toho]]'s ''[[kaiju]]'' movies, and the score is an eclectic mix of styles and musical homages.

''The Big O'' aired on [[Wowow]] satellite television from October 13, 1999, and January 19, 2000. The English-language version premiered on [[Cartoon Network]]'s [[Toonami]] on April 2, 2001, and ended on April 23, 2001.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Erickson |first1=Hal |title=Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 |date=2005 |edition=2nd |publisher=McFarland & Co |isbn=978-1476665993 |pages=138–139}}</ref> Originally planned as a 26-episode series, low viewership in Japan reduced production to the first 13. Positive international reception resulted in a second season consisting of the remaining 13 episodes, co-produced by Cartoon Network, Sunrise, and [[Bandai Visual]]. Season two premiered on Japan's [[Sun Television]] on January 2, 2003, and the American [[premiere]] took place seven months later. Following the closure of Bandai Entertainment by parent company [[Bandai]] (owned by [[Bandai Namco Holdings]]) in 2012, [[Sunrise (company)|Sunrise]] announced at [[Otakon]] 2013 that [[Sentai Filmworks]] acquired both seasons of ''The Big O''.

==Synopsis==
===Setting===
[[File:Paradigm City.JPG|thumb|left|240px|An [[aerial shot]] of Paradigm City. The city is based on the island of [[Manhattan]] and is suggested to be [[New York City]] itself.<ref>''The Big O Visual'': Official Companion to "The Big-O" TV series ({{ISBN|4-575-29579-5}}), p. 39.</ref>]]
''The Big O'' is set in the fictional [[city-state]] of {{nihongo foot|Paradigm City|パラダイム・シティ|Paradaimu Shiti|group=lower-alpha}}.  The city is located on a seacoast and is surrounded by a vast desert wasteland. The partially [[geodesic dome|domed]] city is wholly controlled by the monopolistic [[Megacorporation|Paradigm Corporation]], resulting in a corporate [[police state]]. Paradigm is known as {{nihongo foot|"The City of Amnesia"|記憶喪失の街|Kioku soushitsu no Machi|group=lower-alpha}} because forty years prior to the story, {{nihongo foot|"The Event"|何か|Nani ka|lit. "Something"|group=lower-alpha}} destroyed the world outside the city and left the survivors without any prior memories. The city is characterized by severe class inequity; the higher-income population resides inside the more pleasant domes, with the remainder left in tenements outside. Residents of the city believe that they are the last survivors of the world and no other nations exist outside the city. Androids and giant robots known as "Megadeus" coexist with the residents of Paradigm City and residents do not find them unusual.<ref name="artbook">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WiLuAAAAMAAJ |title=Television cartoon shows: an illustrated encyclopedia |volume=1 |author=Hal Erickson |publisher=McFarland & Co. |isbn=978-0-7864-2255-5 |date=July 2005 |access-date=2016-09-26 |archive-date=2020-08-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810205254/https://books.google.com/books?id=WiLuAAAAMAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Plot===
{{Main|List of The Big O characters}}

After failing to negotiate with terrorists at the cost of his client's life, Roger Smith is obligated to care for Dorothy Wayneright, a young female android. Over the course of the series, Roger Smith continues to accept negotiation work from the residents of Paradigm City, he often leads to uncovering the nature and mystery of Paradigm City and encountering megadeus or other giant enemies that require Big O. Supporting characters are Angel, a mysterious woman in search of memories; Dan Dastun, chief of the military police of Paradigm city and old friend of Roger Smith; and Norman Burg, the butler of Roger Smith and mechanic of Big O.

The main antagonist is [[Alex Rosewater]], chairman of Paradigm City whose goal is to revive the megadeus "Big Fau" in attempts to become the god of Paradigm City. Other recurring antagonists are Jason Beck, criminal and con-artist attempting to humiliate Roger Smith; Schwarzwald, an ex-reporter obsessed with finding the truth of Paradigm City and also pilot of the megadeus "Big Duo"; Vera Ronstadt, leader of a group of foreigners known as the Union searching for memories and revenge against Paradigm City; and Alan Gabriel, a cyborg assassin working for Alex Rosewater and the Union.

The series ends with the awakening of a new megadeus, and the revelation that the world is a [[simulated reality]]. A climactic battle ensues between Big O and Big Fau, after which reality is systematically erased by the new megadeus, an incarnation of Angel, recognized as "Big Venus" by Dorothy. Roger implores Angel to "let go of the past" regardless of its existential reality, and focus only on the present and the future. In an isolated control room, the real Angel observes Roger and her past encounters with him on a series of television monitors. On the control panel lies ''Metropolis'', a book featured prominently since the thirteenth episode; the cover features an illustration of angel wings and gives the author's name as "Angel Rosewater". Big Venus and Big O physically merge, causing the virtual reality to reset. The final scene shows Roger Smith driving down a restored Paradigm city with Dorothy and Angel observing him from the side of the road.

==Production and release==
{{See also|List of The Big O episodes}}

Development of the [[retro]]-styled series began in 1996. [[Keiichi Sato]] came up with the concept of ''The Big O'': a giant city-smashing robot, piloted by a man in black, in a [[Gotham City|Gotham]]-like environment. He later met up with Kazuyoshi Katayama, who had just finished directing ''[[Those Who Hunt Elves]]'', and started work on the layouts and character designs. But when things "were about to really start moving," production on Katayama's ''[[Sentimental Journey (anime)|Sentimental Journey]]'' began, putting plans on hold. Meanwhile, Sato was heavily involved with his work on ''[[City Hunter]]''.<ref name="birth">{{cite AV media notes |title=The Big O Vol. 1 |orig-year=1999 |author=Kazuyoshi Katayama |publisher =Bandai Entertainment |year=2001}}</ref> The initial story idea revolved around a cataclysm (caused by an meteorite impact) that destroyed most of human civilization.<ref name="artbook" /> The setting would be a city that survived, where the protagonist pilots a giant robot engineered from the meteorite's recovered [[superalloy]] to battle against the authority in charge of the surviving city.<ref name="artbook" />

Sato admits it all started as "a gimmick for a toy" but the representatives at Bandai Hobby Division did not see the same [[toyetic|potential]].<ref name="birth"/> From there on, the dealings would be with [[Bandai Visual]], but [[Sunrise (company)|Sunrise]] still needed some safeguards and requested more robots be designed to increase prospective toy sales. In 1999, with the designs complete, [[Chiaki J. Konaka]] was brought on as head writer. Among other things, Konaka came up with the idea of "a town without memory" and his writing staff put together the outline for a 26-episodes series.<ref name="Konakajump">{{cite web|url=http://www.animejump.com/cgi-bin/go.cgi?go=features/big-o/konaka |title=THE BIG O! Chiaki J. Konaka Interview |publisher=Anime Jump |year=2001 |access-date=2007-01-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030629040803/http://www.animejump.com/cgi-bin/go.cgi?go=features%2Fbig-o%2Fkonaka |archive-date=2003-06-29 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Konaka deliberately chose to present the setting, Paradigm City, as a city of amnesiacs to avoid needing to develop lore for the origin of the show's mecha.<ref name="artbook" /> When Cartoon Network later offered funding for the second season, its representatives requested that the story be satisfactorily finished at the end of this season; this prompted Konaka to continue developing the concept of the amnesiac city as its central theme.<ref name="artbook" />

''The Big O'' premiered on October 13, 1999, on [[Wowow]]. When the production staff was informed the series would be shortened to 13 episodes, the writers decided to end it with a [[cliffhanger]], hoping the next 13 episodes would be picked up.<ref name="konaka">{{cite web | url = http://www.konaka.com/alice6/big-o/ | title = ''The Big O'' (production notes) | access-date = 2006-11-18 | author = Chiaki J. Konaka | language = ja | archive-date = 2007-06-07 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070607221323/http://www.konaka.com/alice6/big-o/ | url-status = live }}</ref> In April 2001, ''The Big O'' premiered on [[Cartoon Network]]'s [[Toonami]] lineup.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2001-03-27/large-toonami-updates|title=Large Toonami Updates|publisher=Anime News Network|work=News|date=2001-03-27|access-date=2009-08-06|archive-date=2008-05-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080527080326/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2001-03-27/large-toonami-updates|url-status=live}}</ref>

The series garnered positive fan response internationally that resulted in a second season co-produced by Cartoon Network and Sunrise. Season two premiered on Japan's [[Sun Television]] in January 2003, with the American premiere taking place seven months later as an [[Adult Swim]] exclusive.<ref name="konaka"/><ref name = "comiccon">{{cite news | url = http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2002-08-04/comic-con-adult-swim | title = Comic-con Adult Swim News | date = 2002-08-04 | access-date = 2006-11-18 | work = Anime News Network | archive-date = 2007-10-12 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071012184435/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2002-08-04/comic-con-adult-swim | url-status = live }}</ref> The second season would not be seen on Toonami until July 27, 2013, 10 years after it began airing on Adult Swim.

The second season was scripted by Chiaki Konaka with input from the American producers.<ref name="konaka"/><ref name="askjohn">{{cite web | url = http://www.animenation.net/blog/2008/05/13/ask-john-how-much-influence-do-americans-have-in-anime-co-productions/ | title = Ask John: How Much Influence do Americans Have in Anime Co-Productions? | date = 2008-05-13 | access-date = 2008-05-13 | publisher = [[Anime Nation]] | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080517004631/http://www.animenation.net/blog/2008/05/13/ask-john-how-much-influence-do-americans-have-in-anime-co-productions/ | archive-date = 2008-05-17 }}</ref>  Cartoon Network raised two requests for the second season: more action and reveal the mystery in the first season, although Kazuyoshi Katayama admitted that he did not intend to reveal it, just to make an anthology of adventures set in the universe.<ref>{{cite news |title=Anime x Tokusatsu: The Big O |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51efiPMmg5Q |access-date=19 October 2019 |work=CHO Japan |date=2013-08-29 |archive-date=2017-11-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129083239/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51efiPMmg5Q&gl=US&hl=en |url-status=live }}</ref> Along with the 13 episodes of season two, Cartoon Network had an [[Option (films)|option]] for 26 additional episodes to be written by Konaka,<ref name="moreBigO">{{cite news | url = http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2003-06-09/more-big-o | title = More Big O | access-date = 2006-12-03 | date = 2003-06-09 | work = Anime News Network | archive-date = 2007-10-12 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071012184447/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2003-06-09/more-big-o | url-status = live }}</ref> but according to Jason DeMarco, executive producer for season two, the middling ratings and DVD sales in the United States and Japan made any further episodes impossible to be produced.<ref name = "askAS">{{cite web | url = http://www.adultswim.com/williams/askas/kim.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070930211715/http://www.adultswim.com/williams/askas/kim.html | archive-date = 2007-09-30 | title = Ask Kim Manning -- And what is up with ''Big O'' Season 3?| access-date = 2006-12-03 | publisher = [[Adult Swim]] }}</ref>

Following the closure of Bandai Entertainment by parent company in 2012, [[Sunrise (company)|Sunrise]] announced at [[Otakon]] 2013 that [[Sentai Filmworks]] rescued both seasons of ''The Big O''. On June 20, 2017, Sentai Filmworks released both seasons on Blu-ray.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sentai Filmworks Schedules Big O Blu-ray Release for June|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-02-21/sentai-filmworks-schedules-big-o-blu-ray-release-for-june/.112527|work=Anime News Network|access-date=2017-06-22|archive-date=2017-06-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170606063011/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-02-21/sentai-filmworks-schedules-big-o-blu-ray-release-for-june/.112527|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=North American Anime, Manga Releases, June 18–24|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-06-20/north-american-anime-manga-releases-june-18-24/.117776|work=Anime News Network|access-date=2017-06-22|archive-date=2017-06-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170624161116/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-06-20/north-american-anime-manga-releases-june-18-24/.117776|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Music===
{{main|Music of The Big O}}
''The Big O'' was scored by ''[[Geidai]]'' alumnus [[Toshihiko Sahashi]]. His composition is richly symphonic and [[classical music|classical]], with a number of pieces delving into [[electronica]] and [[jazz]].<ref name="theEX-OST">{{cite web | url = http://www.ex.org/5.4/33-cd_big-o.html | title = ''The Big-O'' Original Sound Score | last = McCarter | first = Charles | access-date = 2006-12-15 | publisher = EX: The Online World of Anime & Manga | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070209174450/http://www.ex.org/5.4/33-cd_big-o.html | archive-date = 2007-02-09 }}</ref> Chosen because of his "frightening amount of musical knowledge about TV dramas overseas,"<ref name = "AnimePlay"/> Sahashi integrates musical homages into the soundtrack. The background music draws from ''[[film noir]]'', [[spy film]]s and [[sci-fi]] television series like ''[[The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]''. The battle themes are reminiscent of [[Akira Ifukube]]'s compositions for the ''[[Godzilla]]'' series.<ref name = "influences"/>

The first opening theme is the [[Queen (band)|Queen]]-influenced "Big-O!".<ref name="theEX-Single">{{cite web|url=http://www.ex.org/5.3/51-cd_bigo.html |title=The Big O! CD Single |access-date=2006-12-08 |last=McCarter |first=Charles |publisher=EX: The Online World of Anime & Manga |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061207103143/http://www.ex.org/5.3/51-cd_bigo.html |archive-date=2006-12-07 }}</ref> Composed, arranged and performed by Rui Nagai, the song resembles [[Flash (song)|the theme]] to the ''[[Flash Gordon (film)|Flash Gordon]]'' film. The second opening theme is "Respect," composed by Sahashi. The track is an homage to the music of ''[[UFO (British TV series)|UFO]]'', composed by [[Barry Gray]].<ref name="ACen03"/> In 2007, Rui Nagai composed "Big-O! Show Must Go On," a 1960s [[hard rock]] piece, for [[Animax]]'s reruns of the show; this composition replaced the original opening themes for the Blu-Ray release of the series. The closing theme is the slow love ballad "And Forever..." written by Chie and composed by Ken Shima. The duet is performed by Robbie Danzie and Naoki Takao.

Along with Sahashi's original compositions, the soundtrack features [[Frédéric Chopin|Chopin]]'s [[Preludes (Chopin)|Prelude]] No. 15 and a jazz saxophone rendition of "[[Jingle Bells]]." The complete score was released in two volumes by [[Victor Entertainment]].

==Design==
''The Big O'' is the brainchild of Keiichi Sato and Kazuyoshi Katayama, an [[Homage (arts)|homage]] to the shows they grew up with. The show references the works of ''[[tokusatsu]]'' produced by the [[Toei Company]] and [[Tsuburaya Productions]], as well as shows such as ''[[Super Robot Red Baron]]'' and ''[[Super Robot Mach Baron]]'' and "[[wikt:old school|old school]]" [[super robot]] anime. The series is done in the style of ''[[film noir]]'' and [[Pulp magazine|pulp fiction]] and combines the feel of a detective show with the [[mecha anime|giant robot]] genre.<ref name = "AnimePlay"/><ref name = "March"/>

===Style===
[[File:Shadowcasting (Big O).JPG|thumb|240px|The shadows of [[Venetian blinds]] cast upon the protagonist, a signature visual of ''[[film noir]]''.]]
''The Big O'' shares many of its themes, diction, archetypes and visual iconography with ''film noirs'' of the 1940s like ''[[The Big Sleep (1946 film)|The Big Sleep]]'' (1946).<ref name="animeAU">{{cite web |url = http://www.anime.org.au/main/staticpages/index.php?page=20040918172616306 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070807004721/http://www.anime.org.au/main/staticpages/index.php?page=20040918172616306 |archive-date = 2007-08-07 |title = The Big O | publisher = anime and manga for Australia | access-date = 2008-06-30 }}</ref> The series incorporates the use of long dark shadows in the tradition of ''[[chiaroscuro]]'' and [[tenebrism]]. ''Film noir'' is also known for its use of odd angles, such as Roger's [[low-angle shot|low shot]] introduction in the first episode. ''Noir'' cinematographers favoured this angle because it made characters almost rise from the ground, giving them dramatic girth and symbolic overtones. Other disorientating devices like [[dutch angle]]s, mirror reflection and distorting shots are employed throughout the series.<ref name = "influences"/><ref name="animeAU"/>

The [[List of The Big O characters|characters of ''The Big O'']] fit the ''noir'' and pulp fiction [[archetype]]s. Roger Smith is a protagonist in the mold of [[Raymond Chandler|Chandler]]'s [[Philip Marlowe]] or [[Dashiell Hammett|Hammett]]'s [[Sam Spade]].<ref name = "March">{{cite news | url = http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/month-in-review/2002-04-01 | title = The Month in Review - March 2002 | last = Green | first = Scott | work = [[Anime News Network]] | date = 2002-04-01 | access-date = 2008-06-30 | archive-date = 2012-05-22 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120522223247/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/month-in-review/2002-04-01 | url-status = live }}</ref><ref name = "jump"/> He is canny and cynical, a disillusioned cop-turned-[[Negotiation|negotiator]] whose job has more in common with detective-style work than negotiating. Big Ear is Roger's street informant and Dan Dastun is the friend on the police force. The recurring Beck is the imaginative thug compelled by delusions of grandeur while Angel fills the role of the ''[[femme fatale]]''. Minor characters include crooked cops, corrupt business men and deranged scientists.<ref name = "influences">{{cite web |url = http://www.animeland.com/index.php?rub=articles&id=198 |access-date = 2006-12-16 |title = ''The Big O'', un animé sous influence |last = Penedo |first = Nicolas |publisher = AnimeLand |language = fr |archive-date = 2007-09-27 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927120347/http://www.animeland.com/index.php?rub=articles&id=198 |url-status = live }}</ref>

The dialogue in the series is recognized for its witty, wry sense of humor. The characters come off as charming and exchange banter not often heard in anime series, as the dialogue has the tendency to be straightforward. The plot is moved along by Roger's [[voice-over]] [[First-person narrative|narration]], a device used in ''film noir'' to place the viewer in the mind of the protagonist so it can intimately experience the character's angst and partly identify with the narrator.<ref name = "AnimePlay"/><ref name="ANNpreview"/>

The tall buildings and giant domes create a sense of [[claustrophobia]] and [[paranoia]] characteristic of the style.<ref name="onDVD1"/><ref name="vision"/> The rural landscape, Ailesberry Farm, contrasts Paradigm City. ''Noir'' protagonists often look for sanctuary in such settings but they just as likely end up becoming a killing ground.<ref name = "influences"/> The series score is representative of its setting. While no classic ''noir'' possesses a [[jazz]] score, the music could be heard in nightclubs within the films.<ref name="jazznoir">{{cite web|url=http://www.sfjazz.org/news/2006/2006_may_17.html |access-date=2006-11-04 |title=Interview with Eddie Muller |date=2006-05-17 |publisher=SFJAZZ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061001033635/http://www.sfjazz.org/news/2006/2006_may_17.html |archive-date=2006-10-01 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Roger's recurring theme, a lone saxophone accompaniment to the protagonist's narration, best exemplifies the ''noir'' stylings of the series.<ref name="animeAU"/>

[[Amnesia]] is a common [[plot device]] in ''film noir''. Because most of these stories focused on a character proving his innocence, authors up the ante by making him an amnesiac, unable to prove his innocence even to himself.<ref name="holiday">[[Terrence Rafferty|Rafferty, T]]. (2 November 2003) The Last Word in Alienation: I Just Don't Remember. ''[[The New York Times]]''.</ref>

===Influences===
Before ''The Big O'', Sunrise was a subcontractor for [[Warner Bros. Animation]]'s ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]'',<ref name = "encyclopedia">{{cite book | last = Clements | first = Jonathan |author2=Helen McCarthy   |title= The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917 |publisher= Stone Bridge Press | location =  Berkeley, CA | year = 2001 |isbn = 1-880656-64-7 }}</ref><ref>For detail on which episodes Sunrise worked on, see [http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/batman/btas/backstage/crewcredits/animation.php The World's Finest] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061118035826/http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/batman/btas/backstage/crewcredits/animation.php |date=2006-11-18 }}.</ref> one of the series' influences.<ref name = "birth"/>  Cartoon Network, under the [[Toonami]] flag advertised the series as "One part [[James Bond|Bond]].  One part  [[Bruce Wayne]].  One part [[Super Robot|City Smashing Robot]]."

Roger Smith is a [[pastiche]] of the [[Bruce Wayne]] [[persona]] and the Batman. The character design resembles Wayne, complete with slicked-back hair and double-breasted business suit.<ref name="theEX"/> 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 let into his mansion without his permission.<ref name="ANNpreview"/> Like Batman, Roger Smith carries a no-gun policy, albeit more flexible. Unlike the personal motives of the Batman, Roger enforces this rule for "it's all part of being a gentleman."<ref>{{cite episode | title = Missing Cat | series = The Big O | credits = [[Keiichi Hasegawa]] (writer) | network = [[WOWOW]] | airdate = 1999-12-01 | number = 08 }}</ref> Among Roger's gadgetry is the Griffon, a large, black hi-tech [[sedan (car)|sedan]] comparable to the [[Batmobile]], a grappling cable that shoots out his wristwatch and the giant robot that Angel calls "Roger's [[alter ego]]."<ref name = "influences"/><ref>{{cite episode | title = Negotiations with the Dead | series = The Big O | credits = [[Chiaki J. Konaka]] (writer) | network = [[Sun Television (Japan)|Sun Television]] | airdate = 2003-01-09 | number = 15 }}</ref>

''The Big O'''s cast of [[supporting character]]s includes Norman, Roger's faithful mechanically inclined butler who fills the role of [[Alfred Pennyworth]]; R. Dorothy Wayneright, who plays the role of the sidekick; and Dan Dastun, a good honest cop who, like [[Jim Gordon (character)|Jim Gordon]], is both a friend to the hero and greatly respected by his comrades.<ref name = "influences"/>

The other major influence is [[Mitsuteru Yokoyama]]'s ''[[Giant Robo]]''.<ref name="ANNpreview"/><ref name = "encyclopedia"/> Before working on ''The Big O'', Kazuyoshi Katayama and other animators worked with [[Yasuhiro Imagawa]] on ''[[Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Stood Still]]''. The feature, a "[[retro]] [[chic (style)|chic]]" homage to Yokoyama's career,<ref name="AWMAG">{{cite web | url = http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=pageone&article_no=164 | title = New from Japan: ''The Big O'' Volumes 1 - 4 | access-date = 2006-11-23 | date = 2001-06-15 | last = Patten | first = Fred | publisher = Animation World Magazine | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071012183951/http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=pageone&article_no=164 | archive-date = 2007-10-12 }}</ref> took seven years to produce and suffered low sales and high running costs. Frustrated by the experience, Katayama and his staff put all their efforts into making "good" with ''The Big O''.<ref name="ACen03">{{cite web|last=Lillard |first=Kevin |url= http://www.fansview.com/2003/animecentral/051703c.htm|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20051128230501/http://www.fansview.com/2003/animecentral/051703c.htm|archive-date= 2005-11-28 |title= Anime Central 2003 Panel | access-date = 2006-11-23 | publisher = A Fan's View}}</ref>

Like Giant Robo, the megadeuses 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 mecha series, the megadeuses do not exhibit ninja-like speed nor grace. Instead, the robots are armed with "old school" weaponry such as [[missile]]s, [[piston]] powered punches, [[machine gun]]s and [[laser]] [[cannon]]s.<ref name="herorev2">{{cite web | url = http://www.japanhero.com/super%20robot%20reviews/big_o-2.htm | title = Super Robot Review: ''The Big O'' | access-date = 2006-11-23 | last = Hayward | first = Keith | publisher = Japan Hero | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061114051218/http://www.japanhero.com/super%20robot%20reviews/big_o-2.htm | archive-date = 2006-11-14 }}</ref>

Katayama also cited ''[[Super Robot Red Baron]]'' and ''[[Super Robot Mach Baron]]'' among influences on the inspiration of ''The Big O''. Believing that because ''Red Baron'' had such a low budget and the big fights always happened outside of a city setting, he wanted ''Big O'' to be the show he felt ''Red Baron'' could be with a bigger budget. He also spoke of how he first came up with designs for the robots first as if they were making designs to appeal to toy companies, rather than how ''[[Gundam]]'' was created with a toy company wanting an anime to represent their new product. Big O's large pumping piston "Sudden Impact" arms, for example, he felt would be cool gimmicks in a toy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2013/08/30/scifi-japan-tv-13/ |title=SciFi JAPAN TV #13: Anime x Tokusatsu: The Big O / 第１３話「アニメx特撮：THEビッグオー」 « SciFi Japan |publisher=Scifijapan.com |date=2013-08-30 |access-date=2014-05-21 |archive-date=2014-05-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140521210201/http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2013/08/30/scifi-japan-tv-13/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Related media==
===Publications===
{{See also|List of The Big O chapters}}
''The Big O'' was conceived as a [[media franchise]].<ref name = "birth"/> To this effect, [[Hajime Yatate|Sunrise]] requested a manga be produced along with the animated series. ''The Big O'' manga started serialization in [[Kodansha]]'s ''[[Magazine Z]]'' in July 1999, three months before the anime premiere. Authored by Hitoshi Ariga, the manga uses Keiichi Sato's concept designs in an all-new story. The series ended in October 2001. The issues were later collected in six [[tankōbon|volumes]]. The English version of the manga is published by [[Viz Media]].<ref name="ariga">{{cite web | url = http://www.ancient.co.jp/~ariga/bigo/index.html | title = ''The Big O'' section at Hitoshi Ariga's site | access-date = 2007-08-01 | language = ja | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070930080500/http://www.ancient.co.jp/~ariga/bigo/index.html | archive-date = 2007-09-30 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

In anticipation of the broadcast of the second season, a new manga series was published. {{nihongo foot|''Lost Memory''|ロストメモリー|Rosuto Memorī|group=lower-alpha}}, authored by Hitoshi Ariga. ''Lost Memory'' takes place between volumes five and six of the original manga. The issues were serialized in ''Magazine Z'' from November 2002 to September 2003 and were collected in two volumes.<ref name = "ariga"/> {{nihongo foot|''Paradigm Noise''|パラダイム・ノイズ|Paradaimu Noizu|group=lower-alpha}}, a novel by Yuki Taniguchi, was released 16 July 2003 by [[Tokuma Shoten]].<ref>{{cite book|title=THEビッグオー ラダイム・ノイズ|trans-title=The Big O: Noise Paradigm|publisher=Tokuma Shoten|location=Japan|first=Yuki|last=Taniguchi|isbn=4-19-861708-2|date=2003-07-31}}</ref>

''The Big O Visual: The official companion to the TV series'' ({{ISBN|4-575-29579-5}}) was published by Futabasha in 2003. The book contains full-color artwork, character bios and [[concept art]], mecha sketches, video/LD/DVD jacket illustrations, history on the making of The Big O, staff interviews, "Roger's Monologues" comic strip and the original script for the final episode of the series.

===Audio drama===
"Walking Together On The Yellow Brick Road" was released by [[Victor Entertainment]] on 21 September 2000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geo-online.co.jp/ds/3187649/|title=THE ビッグオー ORIGINAL CD DRAMA THEATER "WALKING TOGETHER ON THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD|trans-title=The Big O Original CD Drama Theater "Walking Together on the Yellow Brick Road|publisher=GeoOnline|access-date=2009-08-06|language=ja}}{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The [[drama CD]] was written by series head writer [[Chiaki J. Konaka]] and featured the series' voice cast. An English translation, written by English dub translator David Fleming, was posted on Konaka's website.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.konaka.com/alice6/big-o/index-e.html|author=Chiaki J. Konaka|title=THE BIG-O|access-date=2016-03-20|archive-date=2016-03-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160317105828/http://www.konaka.com/alice6/big-o/index-e.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Video games===
The first season of Big O is featured in ''[[Super Robot Wars D]]'' for the [[Game Boy Advance]] in 2003. The series, including its second season, is also featured in ''[[Super Robot Wars Z]]'', released in 2008. ''The Big O'' became a mainstay of the "Z" games, appearing in each entry of the subseries.

===Toys and model kits===
[[Bandai]] released a non-scale model kit of Big O in 2000. Though it was an easy snap-together kit, it required painting, as all of the parts (except the clear orange crown and canopy) were molded in dark gray. The kit included springs that enabled the slide-action Side Piles on the forearms to simulate Big O's Sudden Impact maneuver. Also included was an unpainted Roger Smith figure.

[[Polyvinyl chloride|PVC]] figures of Big O and Big Duo (Schwarzwald's Megadeus) were sold by Bandai America. Each came with non-poseable figures of Roger, Dorothy and Angel. Mini-figure sets were sold in Japan and America during the run of the second season. The characters included Big O (standard and attack modes), Roger, Dorothy & Norman, Griffon (Roger's car), Dorothy-1 (Big O's first opponent), Schwarzwald and Big Duo.

In 2009, Bandai released a plastic/diecast figure of the Big O under their [[Soul of Chogokin]] line. The figure has the same features as the model kit, but with added detail and accessories. Its design was closely supervised by original designer Keiichi Sato.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.hlj.com/product/BAN956922 |title=HobbyLink Japan - Soul of Chogokin The Big O |access-date=2010-02-25 |archive-date=2010-02-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100223070626/http://www.hlj.com/product/BAN956922 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2011, Max Factory released action figures of Roger and Dorothy through their [[Figma (toy)|Figma]] toyline. Like most Figmas, they are very detailed, articulated and come with accessories and interchangeable faces. In the same year, Max Factory also released a 12-inch, diecast figure of Big O under their Max Gokin line. The figure contained most of the accessories as the Soul of Chogokin figure but also included some others that could be bought separately from the SOC figure, such as the Mobydick (hip) Anchors and Roger Smith's car: the Griffon. Like the Soul of Chogokin figure, its design was also supervised by Keiichi Sato. As well, in that same year, Max Factory released soft vinyl figures of Big Duo and Big Fau, in-scale with the Max Gokin Big O. These figures are high in detail but limited in articulation, such as the arms and legs being the only things to move. To date, this is the only action figure of Big Fau.

==Reception==
''The Big O'' premiered on October 13, 1999. The show was not a hit in its native Japan, rather it was reduced from an outlined 26 episodes to 13 episodes. Western audiences were more receptive and the series achieved the success its creators were looking for.<ref name="konaka"/><ref name="verdict-II-1"/> In an interview with [[AnimePlay]], Keiichi Sato said "This is exactly as we had planned", referring to the success overseas.<ref name = "AnimePlay">{{cite journal |last= Shimura |first= Shinichi |title= Anime rebel with a cause: ''The Big O'''s Keiichi Sato | journal= [[AnimePlay]] | volume = 5 | year = 2004  | pages = 22–26 }}</ref>

Several words appear constantly in the English-language reviews; adjectives like "hip",<ref name = "vision"/> "sleek,"<ref name="verdict-II-2">{{cite web | url = http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/bigo2missingpiecesvol2.php | date = 2004-09-30 | access-date = 2006-11-04 | title = ''The Big O II'': Missing Pieces (Volume 2) Review | last = Byun | first = Bryan | publisher = DVD Verdict | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061207182843/http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/bigo2missingpiecesvol2.php | archive-date = 2006-12-07 }}</ref> "stylish",
<ref name="meta">{{cite web |url = http://amr.nextstudio.net/html/big_o.html |access-date = 2006-11-04 |title = ''Big O'' Review |last = Shelton |first = Andrew |publisher = Anime Meta-Review |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060821123458/http://amr.nextstudio.net/html/big_o.html |archive-date = 2006-08-21 }}</ref> "classy",<ref name = "theEX"/> and, above all, "cool"<ref name="verdict-II-1">{{cite web | url = http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/bigo2paradigmlost.php | date = 2004-03-05 | access-date = 2006-11-04 | title = ''The Big O II'': Paradigm Lost (Volume 1) Review | last = Arseneau | first = Adam | publisher = DVD Verdict | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070408200254/http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/bigo2paradigmlost.php | archive-date = 2007-04-08 }}</ref><ref name="meta"/><ref name="ANN-dvd1">{{cite news |url = http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-big-o/dvd-1 |access-date = 2006-11-04 |title = ''Big O'' Review |last = Shepard |first = Chris |work = [[Anime News Network]] |archive-date = 2007-03-22 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070322134554/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-big-o/dvd-1 |url-status = live }}</ref> serve to describe the artwork, the concept, and the series itself. Reviewers have pointed out references and homages to various works of fiction, namely ''[[Batman]]'',<ref name="ANNpreview">{{cite news | url = http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/reviews/display.php?id=4 | title = ''The Big O'' Preview | access-date = 2006-11-11 | work = Anime News Network | archive-date = 2005-04-13 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20050413221801/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/reviews/display.php?id=4 | url-status = live }}</ref><ref name="fringe">{{cite web | url = http://www.animefringe.com/magazine/01.01/reviews/3/ | title = ''The Big-O'' | access-date = 2006-11-11 | last = Forbes | first = Jake | date = January 2001 | publisher = Animefringe | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070921193418/http://www.animefringe.com/magazine/01.01/reviews/3/ | archive-date = 2007-09-21 | url-status = dead }}</ref> [[Giant Robo]],<ref name="jump">{{cite web|url=http://www.animejump.com/index.php?module=prodreviews&func=showcontent&id=1 |title=''The Big O'' vols. 1-4 |access-date=2006-11-11 |last=Toole |first=Mike |date=2003-09-24 |publisher=Anime Jump |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926230016/http://www.animejump.com/index.php?module=prodreviews&func=showcontent&id=1 |archive-date=2007-09-26 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="theEX">{{cite web | url = http://www.ex.org/5.1/13-anime_bigo.html | title = The Big O | access-date = 2006-11-04 | last = Rhee | first = Keith | date = 2000-02-03 | publisher = EX: The Online World of Anime & Manga | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061007130815/http://www.ex.org/5.1/13-anime_bigo.html | archive-date = 2006-10-07 }}</ref> the works of [[Isaac Asimov]],<ref name="onDVD1">{{cite web|url=http://www.animeondvd.com/reviews2/disc_reviews/157.php |access-date=2006-11-11 |title=Anime on DVD Reviews: ''The Big O'' Vol. #1 |last=Beveridge |first=Chris |date=2001-06-19 |publisher=Anime on DVD |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927200441/http://www.animeondvd.com/reviews2/disc_reviews/157.php |archive-date=2007-09-27 }}</ref><ref name="vision">{{cite web|url=http://www.dvdvisionjapan.com/bigo.htm |access-date=2006-11-11 |title=''The Big O'' Complete Collection DVD Review |publisher=DVD Vision Japan |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061104074905/http://www.dvdvisionjapan.com/bigo.htm |archive-date=2006-11-04 }}</ref> [[Fritz Lang]]'s ''[[Metropolis (1927 film)|Metropolis]]'',<ref name = "jump"/> [[James Bond]],<ref name="essential">{{cite web |url = http://www.animeondvd.com/discdata/essential/bigo.htm |access-date = 2006-11-04 |title = Anime on DVD Recommends: ''The Big O'' |publisher = Anime on DVD |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070930154604/http://www.animeondvd.com/discdata/essential/bigo.htm |archive-date = 2007-09-30 }}</ref> and ''[[Cowboy Bebop]]''.<ref name="scifi">{{cite web|url=http://www.scifi.com/sfw/screen/sfw6829.html |title=''Big O'' |access-date=2006-11-11 |last=Robinson |first=Tasha |date=2001-04-02 |publisher=SCI FI Weekly |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070919184237/http://www.scifi.com/sfw/screen/sfw6829.html |archive-date=2007-09-19 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name = "paradigmlost">{{cite web | url = http://dvd.ign.com/articles/463/463171p1.html | title = ''The Big O II'' - Paradigm Lost Review | access-date = 2008-01-01 | website = IGN | last = Patrizio | first = Andy | date = 2004-01-14 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080911101009/http://dvd.ign.com/articles/463/463171p1.html | archive-date = 2008-09-11 | url-status = dead }}</ref> But "while saying that may cause one to think the show is completely derivative", reads an article at Anime on DVD, "''The Big O'' still manages to stand out as something original amongst the other numerous cookie-cutter anime shows." One reviewer cites the extensive homages as one of the series problems and calls to unoriginality on the creators' part.<ref name = "TAR">{{cite web | url = http://www.theanimereview.com/reviews/bigo.html | title = ''The Big O/The Big O II'' | access-date = 2006-11-11 | publisher = The Anime Review | archive-date = 2007-01-31 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070131093613/http://theanimereview.com/reviews/bigo.html | url-status = live }}</ref>

The first season's reception was positive. Anime on DVD recommends it as an essential series.<ref name = "essential"/> Chris Beveridge of the aforementioned site gave an A− to Vols. 1 and 2, and a B+ to Vols. 3 and 4.<ref name="onDVD1"/><ref name="onDVD2">{{cite web | url = http://www.animeondvd.com/reviews2/disc_reviews/158.php | access-date = 2008-01-01 | title = Anime on DVD Reviews: ''The Big O'' Vol. #2 | last = Beveridge | first = Chris | date = 2001-08-21 | publisher = Anime on DVD | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080607132757/http://www.animeondvd.com/reviews2/disc_reviews/158.php | archive-date = 2008-06-07 }}</ref><ref name="onDVD3">{{cite web | url = http://www.animeondvd.com/reviews2/disc_reviews/159.php | access-date = 2008-01-01 | title = Anime on DVD Reviews: ''The Big O'' Vol. #3 | last = Beveridge | first = Chris | date = 2001-10-16 | publisher = Anime on DVD | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080607132804/http://www.animeondvd.com/reviews2/disc_reviews/159.php | archive-date = 2008-06-07 }}</ref><ref name="onDVD4"/> Mike Toole of Anime Jump gave it 4.5 (out of a possible 5) stars,<ref name = "jump" /> while the review at the Anime Academy gave it a grade of 83, listing the series' high points as being "unique", the characters "interesting," and the action "nice."<ref name="academy">{{cite web |url = http://animeacademy.com/finalrevdisplay.php?id=448 |access-date = 2006-11-04 |title = ''Big O'' Review |publisher = Anime Academy |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061015193028/http://animeacademy.com/finalrevdisplay.php?id=448 |archive-date = 2006-10-15 }}</ref> Reviewers,<ref name = "jump"/><ref name="essential"/><ref name="onDVD4">{{cite web | url = http://www.animeondvd.com/reviews2/disc_reviews/160.php | access-date = 2006-11-11 | title = Anime on DVD Reviews: ''The Big O'' Vol. #4 | last = Beveridge | first = Chris | date = 2001-12-18 | publisher = Anime on DVD | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927195831/http://www.animeondvd.com/reviews2/disc_reviews/160.php | archive-date = 2007-09-27 }}</ref> and fans alike,<ref name = "konaka"/><ref name = "comiccon"/> agree the season's downfall was the ending, or its lack thereof. The dangling plot threads frustrated the viewers and prompted Cartoon Network's involvement in the production of further episodes.<ref name = "comiccon"/>

The look and feel of the show received a big enhancement in the second season.<ref name="onDVDII1">{{cite web | url = http://www.animeondvd.com/reviews2/disc_reviews/2560.php | access-date = 2006-11-11 | title = Anime on DVD Reviews: ''The Big O'' II Vol. #1 | last = Beveridge | first = Chris | date = 2003-11-03 | publisher = Anime on DVD | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070930181117/http://www.animeondvd.com/reviews2/disc_reviews/2560.php | archive-date = 2007-09-30 }}</ref> This time around, the animation is "near [[OVA]] quality"<ref name="ANN-II-DVD-1">{{cite news | url = http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-big-o-ii/dvd-1 | access-date = 2006-11-11 | title = ''The Big O II'' DVD 1: Paradigm Lost | last = Divers | first = Allen | date = 2004-01-20 | work = [[Anime News Network]] | archive-date = 2007-01-18 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070118180721/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/the-big-o-ii/dvd-1 | url-status = live }}</ref> and the artwork "far more lush and detailed."<ref name="verdict-II-1"/> Also enhanced are the troubles of the first season. The giant robot battles still seem out of place to some,<ref name = "TAR"/><ref name="scifi2">{{cite web|url=http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue351/anime.html |title=''The Big O II'' |access-date=2006-11-11 |last=Robinson |first=Tasha |date=2004-01-12 |publisher=SCI FI Weekly |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060529094911/http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue351/anime.html |archive-date=2006-05-29 |url-status=dead }}</ref> while others praise the "over-the-top-ness" of their execution.<ref name = "ANN-dvd1"/><ref name = "academy"/>

For some reviewers, the second season "doesn't quite match the first"<ref name = "IGN-DVD4">{{cite web | url = http://dvd.ign.com/articles/526/526444p1.html | title = ''The Big O II'' - Aggressive Negotiations Review | access-date = 2006-11-11 | last = Patrizio | first = Andy | date = 2004-06-25 | website = IGN | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060919123117/http://dvd.ign.com/articles/526/526444p1.html | archive-date = 2006-09-19 | url-status = dead }}</ref> addressing to "something" missing in these episodes.<ref name = "TAR"/> Andy Patrizio of [[IGN]] points out changes in Roger Smith's character, who "lost some of his cool and his very funny side in the second season." Like a repeat of season one, this season's ending is considered its downfall.<ref name="herorevII">{{cite web | url = http://www.japanhero.com/super%20robot%20reviews/big_O_II.htm | title = Super Robot Reviews: The Big O II: 2nd Season | access-date = 2006-11-11 | publisher = Japan Hero | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20050109123212/http://japanhero.com/super%20robot%20reviews/big_O_II.htm | archive-date = 2005-01-09 }}</ref><ref name="onDVDII4">{{cite web | url = http://www.animeondvd.com/reviews2/disc_reviews/3113.php | title = Big O II Vol. #4 (of 4) | access-date = 2006-12-29 | work = AnimeOnDVD.com | first = Chris | last = Beveridge | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061101152950/http://www.animeondvd.com/reviews2/disc_reviews/3113.php | archive-date = 2006-11-01 }}</ref> Chris Beveridge of Anime on DVD wonders if this was head writer "Konaka's attempt to throw his hat into the ring for creating one of the most confusing and oblique endings of any series." Patrizio states "the creators watched ''[[The Truman Show]]'' and ''[[The Matrix]]'' a few times too many."

Sato, Katayama, Konaka, and Bandai in general received many inquiries from fans in Japan asking for further clarification on the plot and ending.<ref name="artbook" /> The three directly addressed these questions via an art book and companion to the series in 2004.<ref name="artbook" /> Katayama describes Paradigm City as the created narrative of Angel, who (alongside Roger Smith only) stands above the story but writes herself a role to play.<ref name="artbook" /> The narrative provided for civilization to continue in some form, though Angel included a safeguard that would reset the narrative should her identity as the creator ever be discovered by the characters.<ref name="artbook" /> Having fallen in love with the character of Roger Smith, she inserts herself into the story with conditions designed to bring them together whenever Roger encounters a particularly tough challenge or is investigating mysteries.<ref name="artbook" /> According to Katayama, her planned narrative collapses when she becomes jealous of Roger's affinity for R. Dorothy, culminating in Gordon Rosewater's realization that Angel is indeed the creator of Paradigm City.<ref name="artbook" /> Angel prepares to end the narrative world via piloting Big Venus, which Konaka states will return everything to its destroyed, ruined state it lay in immediately after the cataclysm 40 years ago.<ref name="artbook" /> Roger however successfully negotiates for her to simply restart the narrative and allow Paradigm City to be reset and continue in some form.<ref name="artbook" /> Konaka originally wrote the ending to clearly show that Angel changed her role to become Roger's assistant, repeating a scene in the first episode where Roger negotiates for the release of Dorothy Waynewright, who is implied to now be human; Katayama changed this to make the ending more ambiguous.<ref name="artbook" /> In both endings, Paradigm City continues as a city of amnesiacs, despite Gordon Rosewater's wishes for Roger to negotiate with the creator to return people's memories to them.<ref name="artbook" />

The series continues to have a strong cult following into the 2010s. In 2014 [[BuzzFeed]] writer [[Ryan Broderick]] ranked ''The Big O'' as one of the best anime series to binge-watch.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanhatesthis/list-of-cool-animes-you-should-definitely-watch#.tcgD444yl7 |title=30 Animes That Are Perfect for Binge-Watching and Definitely Not for Kids |website=[[BuzzFeed]] |date=March 10, 2014 |access-date=2017-09-15 |archive-date=2017-09-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170930084638/https://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanhatesthis/list-of-cool-animes-you-should-definitely-watch#.tcgD444yl7 |url-status=live }}</ref> Dan Casey host of [[Nerdist Industries|The Nerdist's]] ''Dan Cave'' stated ''The Big O'' was the anime series he was most eager to see rebooted or remade, along with ''[[Trigun]]'' and ''[[Soul Eater (manga)|Soul Eater]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://nerdist.com/the-dan-cave-6-anime-series-that-deserve-a-reboot-sequel/ |title=6 Anime Series That Deserve a Reboot/Sequel &#124; Nerdist |access-date=2016-01-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160202190525/http://nerdist.com/the-dan-cave-6-anime-series-that-deserve-a-reboot-sequel/ |archive-date=2016-02-02 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2017, Ollie Barder of [[Forbes]] wrote, "From the classic and retro styled mecha design of Keiichi Sato to the overall film noir visual tone of the series, The Big O was a fascinating and visually very different kind of show. It also had a fantastic voice cast, with probably the most notable of these being Akiko Yajima as the voice of Roger's disapproving android Dorothy."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Barder |first1=Ollie |title='The Big O Complete Collection' Blu-Ray Review: Ye Not Guilty |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/olliebarder/2017/06/08/the-big-o-complete-collection-blu-ray-review-ye-not-guilty/ |access-date=19 October 2019 |work=Forbes |date=8 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170608183028/https://www.forbes.com/sites/olliebarder/2017/06/08/the-big-o-complete-collection-blu-ray-review-ye-not-guilty/#228db6573561|archive-date=2017-06-08 }}</ref> In 2019, [[Crunchyroll]] writer Thomas Zoth ranked ''The Big O'' as his top 10 anime since the 1990s.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Zoth |first1=Thomas |title=Thanks For the Memories: 20 Years of The Big O |url=https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-feature/2019/10/13/thanks-for-the-memories-20-years-of-the-big-o |access-date=19 October 2019 |work=Crunchyroll |date=October 14, 2019 |archive-date=19 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191019040703/https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-feature/2019/10/13/thanks-for-the-memories-20-years-of-the-big-o |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{Anime News Network|anime|231}}
* {{IMDb title|qid=Q18571935}}

{{The Big O}}
{{Kazuyoshi Katayama}}
{{Sunrise}}
{{Cartoon Network co-productions}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Big O}}
[[Category:The Big O| ]]
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