Rating: 
Summary: Batman + Mecha = FUN!
Review: I was a little wary of this series when I first caught it on Cartoon Network. It didn't look or sound like any anime I'd ever seen, what with the Bruce Timm style art and the 50's blues noir soundtrack. But these little differences really grew on me, and it didn't hurt that the dub actors were on a talent level with the "Gundam Wing" cast. I'd have bought the DVD just for that alone, not to mention the chance to watch the show in its original, beloved Japanese. No matter how good a dub is, the original is always at least a little better. Plus, the show's opening credits (something ommited from every show on CN's Toonami block) was hilarious, done in a psychadelic James Bond style with a theme song almost totally ripped off of Queen's "Flash Gordon" theme. Also, the interview with the show's creators was a nice touch as well. One complaint...only four episodes on the DVD? The Chinese release came with 6 on one and 7 on the other. Ah well, so we poor North American shmucks have to buy three volumes instead of two. We're used to it. Unless they switch the format to three episodes per disc for the next one...*shudder*.
Rating: 
Summary: Well, isn't that odd.....
Review: I was going through an odd period where I wanted to see a tasteful reversion to the "Golden Age" of science fiction. Then, as if I had some say in ther matter, along comes The Big O. Noirish and sad, the characters plod their way through Paradigm City. Memories, like the contents of the box in "Kiss Me Deadly," draw people toward them and their doom. Although The Big O draws imagery and mood from so many established sources (ie. Batman, Tetsujin 28 etc...) it can be construed as a alternate universe story line for any of them. I believe, however, that the show stands on its own. Besides, as Roger Smith will attest, we all stand on the sholders of giants.
Rating:
Summary: Full of cliches, but Oh so fun!
Review: I've finished watching this series on Cartoon Network and am quite impressed by it. From the hidden back story to the good character development, this is one of the best "city smashing robot" series I've ever seen. It will leave your head full of questions, but that is part of its charm. The characters live in a "city of amnesia" ... and by the end of the series the viewer has an idea of what that might be like. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: WE Have Come to Terms
Review: In Short the big O is pretty darn good. Imagine Batman driving around an enormous robot with seemingly limitless power, lots of fights, explosions, and neat music. The visual style is stupendous with animation that has a anime feel to it but looks very american too.(once again the Batman series from the early 90's, remember the one with the realistic animation and dark overtones. Then add a japanese influence to it). ASide from Looks and cool fight factor, big O has a complex and twisting storyline. If only the series had been finished anyways. Many episodes foreshadow future events or revelations that wwere never developed, and only hinted at. The series jsut kinda ends o na big [...] cliffhange, and thats it. The show seems only ok, until you've seen it all, then you can piece togeether some of the stuff from the first few episodes and it STARTS to make sense. Altho it's like only 1/2 a series was created, whatever happened to the other half i dunno. So after you watch it, and get hooked on it you must do 2 things. A) Buy the dvd or vhs versions when they come out B) CALL, WRITE, STALK BANDAI CARTOON NETWORK and SUNRISE Entertainment, and tell them to make more BIG-O episodes. Say Yo! I need My O! So watch it and see if you like it, if yer mildly interested get Vol2 and so on. If you wanna know the truth. You can technically just buy vol.4 and get all the info you need about the story in 1 great little chunk. But don't do that, that would be cheating. THis series reminds me of a cowboy bebop that almost was. WHY WONT THEY FINISH IT. JUST FOR ME? maybe if i make puppy dog eyes at em they will.
Rating:
Summary: It's Showtime!
Review: Just adding my two cents to the great reviews already here! I saw this series when it was broadcast on Cartoon Network a few years ago, and I was hooked on it from the first episode! I'm not usually a fan of big robots that duke it out in the streets, but the characters and the visual style of this anime really drew me in. I'm a big fan of Art Deco (same reason I liked Batman: The Animated Series, which shares some of the same production staff), and this series is loaded with it, from the buildings, to the vehicles, to the film noir feeling that pervades the entire series. Roger Smith is probably one of the smoothest cats in anime, yet even he gets blindsided every now and then by questions from his unflappable robot maid/ward/royal pain in the keister, R. Dorothy Wayneright. Case in point: Roger and Dorothy are investigating the kidnapping of the son of a prominent Paradigm industrialist (in the episode, "Beck Comes Back"). Discussing the son's parents, who met after losing their memories in the Event, Dorothy says she has two questions for Roger. The first one is, "Does losing your memory really make you that lonely?" Roger says it's a tough question to answer, but makes a go of it, then asks Dorothy what the 2nd question is. "Forget it," she says. "If you thought the last one was tough, this one is worse." Dorothy is damaged in the battle to retrieve the industrialist's son, and Roger asks Norman, his capable butler, to take care in repairing her so she can ask the question...and what is the question? "If you and I lost our memories, and we met, would we fall in love?" That one renders Roger speechless... There are many such moments, as well as ones that speak a little too close to home, such as the dangers of genetic manipulation, nuclear holocaust, and evil that disguises itself as benevolence. Luckily there is a second set of 13 episodes to help answer some of the questions raised by the first season! The voice acting is well done (you'll hear familiar voices if you're a fan of Cowboy Bebop) and the music is very cool. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding, stylish anime...
Review: Just when I thought I was getting tired of anime, along comes The Big O to renew my faith in this medium. The show takes several elements and fuses them into an exhilariting show that brims with style and the "coolness" factor. Roger Smith is a perfect combination of Bruce Wayne/James Bond, but of course, those two heroes never had a giant robot to use when the need arises! And there's Roger referring to Dorothy as "R. Dorothy"...a tribute to the robot stories of Isaac Asimov, perhaps? What also works for the show is the music. It is is a combination of piano-based jazz and blues, then it will shift into an Akira Ifukube-type GODZILLA music with a bit of Bond thrown in, and then it changes into a rousing "heroic" theme. Even the opening theme is a tip of the hat to Queen's classic "Flash". This DVD is worth it. The Big O is the best thing to come along since Cowboy Bebop. Dark deco, giant robots, mystery and intrigue, and style--this one's highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A little sadness, now...
Review: now, although I love this series to death, (the dark, noir-esque, dirty background and the intrigue are compelling) I must let some people in on a little secret...the series was never finished...thirteen is the last one ever produced...yes, yes...I, too, was heartbroken when I read this...why cartoon network decided to air an incomplete show, I will never know...but now you know...well, later...
Rating: 
Summary: Great Show-Mediocre DVD
Review: Other reviews have told you what a great show BIG O is. It is probably the best of the recent Anime imports. The story line interesting and the characters and voices are well matched. The reason I give it three stars is its implementation on the DVD. As Roger Smith, the negotiator, says, "...these things should be left to the professionals..." The DVD is a disappointment. The transfer is nice and runs well. The real let down is the so called "extras"...let's see four trailers for other BANDAI programs such as GUNDUM WING and an interview with the creators. Oh, but it is not an "interview" it is five screens of text that basically has no point to it. All I found out from the "interview" is that they wanted to market a toy!!! One of the reasons you buy a DVD over another format is the extra eye candy and bonus features. In BIG O vol. 1 the extras are quite frankly a BIG ZERO, unless you like BANDAI commercials. Still I like the disk but I would wait for the price to drop on the next installments.
Rating:
Summary: Open To Interpretation...
Review: Paradigm City isnÕt unlike many post-apocalyptic, cyberpunk incarnations of urban civilization. The citizen are ruled by a militaristic, bureaucracy of a police force, all the while purchased into submission by the might of a supremely power mega-conglomerate. However, what differs Paradigm City from its sci-fi brethren is not its gritty hyper-reality, sprawl of retro-technology, or its capacious dimensions. What breathes life into Paradigm City are the stories of it populous. .... So here comes along one of the most innovative and eclectic anime IÕve seen in some time with impeccable writing and genuinely real (if not a tad pilfered) characters and I really canÕt say I love the show. Why? Art direction. The series was produced by the same group in Japan responsible for the only animation from America of any significance in past decade, Batman: The Animated Series. TheyÕre additionally responsible for the flashier yet infinitely inferior Batman Beyond series. However, the rich visual aesthetic of the aforementioned shows fails to translate to the anime art style, if only because of the fundamental differences in the presentation of American and Japanese animation. So, without trying to a give a class on the subject, I simply say this: The fundamental basis of American animation is the fluidity of motion, whereas in Japan it is the richness of artistic composition. The stylized, art deco feel of Batman worked for the simple reason that it was the motion, not the composition that was the emphasis. It didnÕt matter that this character or that object wasnÕt perfectly rendered, the frame was usually over in less than a second. But when used in the context of Òlimited animation,Ó where frames of motion are far and few between and realism reigns on high, the art seems simply out of place. In fact, the first time I watched the show I actually convinced myself I was seeing an episode of Batman. Another dimension of the series that needs mentioning is its bewildering tones of convention. The mere fact that Roger Smith is reduced to fighting a mindless procession of over-the-top, dimwitted villains created in comic book hyperbole is almost sacrilegious to the integrity that the show attempts to build. I would even go so far to say (IÕll really catch some flack for this) the entire concept of Big O is monotonous, irrelevant, and unnecessary. Especially when compared to the real enlightened components of the showÕs plot such as DorothyÕs search for the nature of her existence and RogerÕs nonchalance toward the events of forty years ago, Big OÕs presence only succeeds in distracting from the great thematic aspects of the show. However, as many bad things as I can dish out about Big O, I canÕt deny the inherent greatness the show possesses that many others donÕt. When I say the show is well written, itÕs an understatement. I know a great deal of short-subject literature that doesnÕt possesses the rich storytelling craft that Big O has. ItÕs rare to find such amazing range and ingenuity in a TV series, and even rarer in an anime. Still, probably the most compelling facet of Big O is its enigmatic duo of Roger Smith and Dorothy Wayneright. Besides the strength of their individual characters, the two when mixed create a volatile and enjoyable concoction of thematic ambivalence. DorothyÕs cold, metallic tone collides almost humorously with RogerÕs restrained yet jovial nature. The two also fill the role of surrogate husband and wife, bringing out the best and worst qualities of each other on a daily basis. DorothyÕs philosophic inquiries and RogerÕs narcissistic half-responses create a climate of chilling uncertainty that parallels the feelings of those around them, devoid of pasts and memories. In a way, Dorothy is the embodiment of the Paradigm populous, and Roger serves as our exterior observer, declaring nothing except for what he sees as truth in his own mind. This could also explain his lack of concern for his own memories, for he realizes he is without a destiny in the first place. Such as transcendental character doesnÕt happen along very often, for authors rarely use them effectively. But I believe in this case, the role of Roger Smith, in many ways the every man, the observer, the Ònegotiator,Ó is elastic. He can become whatever we conclude in our own minds he should be. This leads to many different interpretations, many different feelings, and many different views. I suppose I have to, in some form, voice my own opinion. Yes, I like Big O, but not in the way I should toward a story as well-created as in this series. When it comes down to it, as much as I whine about story and plot, there has to be the art to back it up. And, unfortunately this is where Big O, in my mind, comes up short. So, is Big O just merely a show with potential that lacked execution? The argument can be made. But, if you can look past the poorly-rendered exterior and dwell on the themes and meanings of the series, I could understand the declaration that Big O is one of the most original things to come out of Japan in years. Both conclusions are valid, and neither are right or wrong. ItÕs only that we have them that matters. ÒWhat could be a worse catastrophe than a man concluding a machine has not a soul, is that it is he himself that lacks one.Ó -Micah Wolford
Rating:
Summary: Open To Interpretation...
Review: Paradigm City isnÕt unlike many post-apocalyptic, cyberpunk incarnations of urban civilization. The citizen are ruled by a militaristic, bureaucracy of a police force, all the while purchased into submission by the might of a supremely power mega-conglomerate. However, what differs Paradigm City from its sci-fi brethren is not its gritty hyper-reality, sprawl of retro-technology, or its capacious dimensions. What breathes life into Paradigm City are the stories of it populous. .... So here comes along one of the most innovative and eclectic anime IÕve seen in some time with impeccable writing and genuinely real (if not a tad pilfered) characters and I really canÕt say I love the show. Why? Art direction. The series was produced by the same group in Japan responsible for the only animation from America of any significance in past decade, Batman: The Animated Series. TheyÕre additionally responsible for the flashier yet infinitely inferior Batman Beyond series. However, the rich visual aesthetic of the aforementioned shows fails to translate to the anime art style, if only because of the fundamental differences in the presentation of American and Japanese animation. So, without trying to a give a class on the subject, I simply say this: The fundamental basis of American animation is the fluidity of motion, whereas in Japan it is the richness of artistic composition. The stylized, art deco feel of Batman worked for the simple reason that it was the motion, not the composition that was the emphasis. It didnÕt matter that this character or that object wasnÕt perfectly rendered, the frame was usually over in less than a second. But when used in the context of Òlimited animation,Ó where frames of motion are far and few between and realism reigns on high, the art seems simply out of place. In fact, the first time I watched the show I actually convinced myself I was seeing an episode of Batman. Another dimension of the series that needs mentioning is its bewildering tones of convention. The mere fact that Roger Smith is reduced to fighting a mindless procession of over-the-top, dimwitted villains created in comic book hyperbole is almost sacrilegious to the integrity that the show attempts to build. I would even go so far to say (IÕll really catch some flack for this) the entire concept of Big O is monotonous, irrelevant, and unnecessary. Especially when compared to the real enlightened components of the showÕs plot such as DorothyÕs search for the nature of her existence and RogerÕs nonchalance toward the events of forty years ago, Big OÕs presence only succeeds in distracting from the great thematic aspects of the show. However, as many bad things as I can dish out about Big O, I canÕt deny the inherent greatness the show possesses that many others donÕt. When I say the show is well written, itÕs an understatement. I know a great deal of short-subject literature that doesnÕt possesses the rich storytelling craft that Big O has. ItÕs rare to find such amazing range and ingenuity in a TV series, and even rarer in an anime. Still, probably the most compelling facet of Big O is its enigmatic duo of Roger Smith and Dorothy Wayneright. Besides the strength of their individual characters, the two when mixed create a volatile and enjoyable concoction of thematic ambivalence. DorothyÕs cold, metallic tone collides almost humorously with RogerÕs restrained yet jovial nature. The two also fill the role of surrogate husband and wife, bringing out the best and worst qualities of each other on a daily basis. DorothyÕs philosophic inquiries and RogerÕs narcissistic half-responses create a climate of chilling uncertainty that parallels the feelings of those around them, devoid of pasts and memories. In a way, Dorothy is the embodiment of the Paradigm populous, and Roger serves as our exterior observer, declaring nothing except for what he sees as truth in his own mind. This could also explain his lack of concern for his own memories, for he realizes he is without a destiny in the first place. Such as transcendental character doesnÕt happen along very often, for authors rarely use them effectively. But I believe in this case, the role of Roger Smith, in many ways the every man, the observer, the Ònegotiator,Ó is elastic. He can become whatever we conclude in our own minds he should be. This leads to many different interpretations, many different feelings, and many different views. I suppose I have to, in some form, voice my own opinion. Yes, I like Big O, but not in the way I should toward a story as well-created as in this series. When it comes down to it, as much as I whine about story and plot, there has to be the art to back it up. And, unfortunately this is where Big O, in my mind, comes up short. So, is Big O just merely a show with potential that lacked execution? The argument can be made. But, if you can look past the poorly-rendered exterior and dwell on the themes and meanings of the series, I could understand the declaration that Big O is one of the most original things to come out of Japan in years. Both conclusions are valid, and neither are right or wrong. ItÕs only that we have them that matters. ÒWhat could be a worse catastrophe than a man concluding a machine has not a soul, is that it is he himself that lacks one.Ó -Micah Wolford
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