The Big O II - Complete Collection

Rating:
Summary: Few Unanswered!
Review: Though I do admit to not haveing all of the answers to 'Big O'. What I have come to realize is what is said through out the series, 1 and 2. That there was no past, no memories forgotten. How could people lose memories when they never had them to begin with. This entire world revolves around 'Angel'. Her love for Roger, and her quest to find out what the Man was like. What happened in that timetable. Though if angel was an angel, then she was dead. Just her spirit wanting to ask what happened to humanity? As said in the series she was a Memory. Just her. So therefore is it possible that her world, the one she created was just a memory of her memory?
The last episode reminded me of the holo-decks on Star-Trek! Where people would create worlds for them to play and relax in. They could create other people who didn't know that they were just a memory, just a hologram. Same thing with Big O.
One question that still haunts me. Why at the very end does the story start over again? Then I think and imagine what it would be like to be a character on a DVD. The DVD we watch, we play it over and over again. Angel may have been replaying those events one after another to try to find a different ending to the series. Or to find any lost bits of memories prior to that series. That would explain why Roger kept haveing flashbacks.
Who was the Operator? Mentioned in the last episode. Was is Angel? But if Angel wasn't the 'Operator' then who was? That is the biggest question of all.

Rating:
Summary: A Superlative Anime in Nearly Every Respect
Review: Big O is an important anime for many reasons; the most important reason, however, is this: Big-O is the first anime that an American audience spurred to completion. Over in Japan, the first 13 episodes of Big-O didn't make much of a splash. It aired on a very minor network and was passed over. Even with its cliffhanger ending, studios elected to leave it unfinished. The show then aired on Cartoon Network. The positive reaction to the show along with letters clamoring for a completion of the show were so overwhelming that Cartoon Network got together with the Japanese studios responsible for the show to put together the second half of the the show. Thus, this is the first time an overseas audience has caused the completion of an anime.

It would suck, then, if the second season was less fulfilling than the first. To the contrary, the second season brings the show into full bloom. What made the first season so great has been amplified. The first season consisted mostly of slightly interconnected stories all revolving around the mysteries of Paradigm city. The atmosphere of the show was great, but it was difficult to tell if the show was leading to anything. This time, the show rarely lets up on solid storytelling. Every moment (save one episode) feels like an important piece of the impossible puzzle that the show creates.

As far as the actual asthetics of the show, they are fantastic. The animation has definitely improved a good deal, and Big-O himself has never looked better. While the score for the first season was fantastic, this season's tops it. Finally, while I usually hate english voice-acting for anime, Big-O is one case where I actually prefer it- it is very well executed here.

See the first season, then hold on tight for the second!

Rating:
Summary: Great series
Review: I know, I know...how can someone review the DVDs when they haven't been released yet? Thankfully, I saw most of Season II on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim.

Season II is where The Big O really makes its mark, moving it from a stylistically pleasing but ultimately vapid show to a show with a great deal of meaning. Rest assured, this is not a cartoon series aimed at children.

As I'm sure most of you know, The Big O takes place in a post apocalyptic, film noir future. The setting is Paradigm City, the last bastion of civilization on earth, and a place where all of the people have amnesia because of an unknown 'incident' 40 years prior. Roger Smith, the series' protagonist, is a Negotiator -- a person the local police force contacts when, err, negotiations reach an empasse. He is also Paradigm City's protector, as he pilots the megadeus (huge robot) Big O in order to ward off any who might want to destroy the city. It all sounds more or less cliche, doesn't it? Thankfully Season II manages to elevate The Big O above other mecha driven anime series.

The heart of the story lies in the inherent mystery of Paradigm City and the role its inhabitants take as people without a past. The notion of memory and its use in the formation of self actualization is the main point behind the series. Are we defined by the past? Or is the past really only useful in providing a context for our present and future true selves? Would we choose to scrap our past memories in order to create a new beginning for ourselves?

Those looking for hard answers to the questions regarding the 'incident' which gave Paradigm City its amnesia, and the myriad of other mysteries presented in the story, may be disappointed because what few answers Season II provides lead to more questions. This series, however, isn't about that, nor is it about giant robots fighting against each other. And for that, I am thankful.

Rating:
Summary: Satisfying continuation and conclusion of an excellent anime
Review: Initially the Big-O seems to be yet another (albeit stylized) big-robot anime. It quickly shows itself to be a more complex, and thoroughly pleasing story, with stand-alone episodes gradually exposing a greater mystery. The first series of Big-O ended in a pending confrontation, after having only confirmed the existence of a bigger mystery. So if you've seen the first series, you're already anxious to catch this sequel, which leads up to an excellent and satisfying conclusion. The individual episodes are even more imaginative, with many of the questions raised by the original series being answered along the way (a longer way at that).

If you haven't seen the first episodes, I'd strongly recommend watching them first, though by all means this second series is "better." If you're unfamiliar with the series, it offers a good story, with elements that will remind you of: The Matrix, Gundam, Dark City, Batman, Resident Evil, Blade Runner, etc.
Or in other words (MINOR SPOILERS): big robots, a retro-styled future, questionable reality, lost technology, secret identities, good androids, scary androids, butlers, domed cities, wastelands, forbidden underground cities, manipulated and lost memories, comical villains who accidentally do good, truly evil villains, corrupt police, honest police, an evil corporation, a terrorist threat, and more.