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Big O
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Animation - 8.1 |
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Sound - 7.6 |
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Story - 7.6 |
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Character - 7.9 |
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Value - 7.7 |
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Enjoyment - 8.1 |
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Average - 7.9 |
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petran79 |
(2007-11-26 17:00:21) 2006-07-25 13:28:09 |
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| Average |
6.3 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Story |
6 |
| Character |
7 |
| Value |
5 |
| Enjoyment |
6 |
| I have mixed feelings about this title. First two episodes were Ok, then it started to get boring but the final 5 episodes were from watchable to good.
there's also a manga (I read the first two volumes). Another case where the manga, even if the anime precedes it, it is much better. They're totally different in everything. The manga (coming from Gundam mangaka Hajime Yatate and designed and written by Hitoshi Ariga) has very good design and I prefered the manga's design rather than the animes. The story is different and both versions have their own stories, except the story of the first two anime episodes that is common in both.
THe characters in the manga are also more funny, especially in grimaces.
But for the anime this isnt necessarily a bad thing.
The anime design and animation reminded me of Batman too (the same studio made both shows) but they adapted the anime's style to Batman, because the manga's style had not much to do with Batman. In any case it worked and sometimes it was enjoyable like a film-noir. As for the mecha battles I simply tolerated them since I loath such genres.
The music was appropriate too, mostly consisting of piano and saxophone scores that few anime tend to offer. But I skipped the OP and ED themes. They were inappropriate for the genre
Story was a mess. Mostly individual episodes more than half of which were mediocre. There wasnt a definite ending either
What made me tolerate this anime to the end, were the characters. Not only Roger and Dorothy (the episodes with her were the best) but the supporting cast too, like his butler and Angel. Except the villains who were very annoying in their reactions. In the manga the villains were better overall. Despite this the characters are a refreshing change, deriving not only from the actors talent but from the very good script writers.
I too wouldnt recommend this as a necessary watch, except if you like unique animes with peculiar style and characters. Such is the case with Big O.
I'd prefer to read the 6 manga volumes though instead of watching the second season.
I heard Cartoon Network got involved in the second season and the script writers of the first were absent. Then I'd better watch Courage the Cowardly Dog instead....
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| Average |
10.0 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| Big O
====
Although created for the sole purpose of adquiring a toy deal. Big O is one very interesting anime. Instead of following the Gundam conceptual design which is standard in almost all mecha anime, Big O shows giant robots as large humps of metal that move slowly instead of the "manufactured" style Gundam shows.
Big O is not your "I have a cool weapon and I am going to save the world with it either." The atmosphere of this anime is often compared to that of Gotham city from Batman. However, there is one trivial difference: in Big O, everybody lives with the uncertainty of what their past was. It could be argued that Paradigm City, the grand stage is actually a post-apocalyptic New York City. This is suggested by the precense of the Hudson River and the JFK Mark.
Human character designs are simple but effective. The animation is smooth and detailed, specially during mecha fights, which religiously happen once every episode.
The sound is amazing, the mixture of classical-like and jazz/blues in the series is done exceptionally well. The background music really sets the mood to scenes.
Storywise, this anime is very complex. By the end of the 11th episode, the real plotline comes to light, and it is abruptly stopped at episode 13 with a very large cliffhanger. It is then with aid from Cartoon Network that this anime gets its next 13 episodes (Big O II/Roger) with a very confusing ending.
You will have to see this anime several times in order to understand what is actually going on there. You will enjoy it if you like to think. Otherwise, this anime is not for you.
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| Average |
6.2 |
| Animation |
5 |
| Sound |
4 |
| Story |
4 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
6 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| Big O is a send up that I found well worth the money (then again, at 50% off "worth the money" doesn't quite mean what it usually would.)
Those of us who are old enough to remember recognise the opening theme of "Flash Gordon" re-used for the opening of "BigO" - and the "things are getting weird" score re-used from twilight zone.
The role of Roger is reminiscent of the old private detective shows such as Mike Hammer (which I saw in my youth as re-runs on midday Saturday TV) - so yes, if only for the sake of nostalgia, BigO has much to offer.
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collector |
(2005-01-25 14:36:36) 2005-01-25 14:34:07 |
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| Average |
7.8 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
7 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| This review is only for the first 13 episodes.
I watched this anime purely because of the strange character designs and mecha. Was it worth it? I would say maybe. Would I recommend it...? Only if you have nothing else to do. Why? Because there are a lot of better anime out there. Although Big O starts out strong it seems to meander off into nothing. And when the story just starts getting interesting it ENDS. No explanation no wrap up nothing! There is a second season of Big O that concludes the series but it is nowhere as good as the original 13 episodes in terms of story or even animation. But that's not what I'm reviewing here. Just based on the first season I think this anime had so much potential to be better than what it turned out to be. The first two episodes start off with a bang. But the episodes following just don't hold up.
Big O is worth viewing at least once just out of curiousity's sake. But I would think twice about dishing out any money for it.
View it first!
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| Average |
6.8 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
6 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
5 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
| The show has a slight problem. The story gets a perfect setting and a perfect start, but then it slips into monotonous battles between Big O and the new monster/mecha of the week.
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Ridian |
(2006-04-01 11:21:15) 2005-01-17 02:15:13 |
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| Average |
7.3 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
| Basically every review for this series on Animenfo has in some way likened Big O to Batman: The Animated Series; but as a matter of fact, the two are actually somewhat different. The animated Batman was a series tangled up in its own despair, casting a city spun with corruption and despondency and a humorless, tragic main character. Big O's atmosphere, though also noiresque and bleak, is one of hope and progress as well. Paradigm has moved on from the decades-past Amnesia that swept the world, and people have created new lives within these encapsulated domes. The only real similarities between the two shows are the goofy, caricatural recurring villains. And come on now...how many super robots are you ever gonna see in Batman?
All that aside, Big O is certainly an anime that caught me off guard with its quality. My only experiences with it in the past were scattered episodes on Cartoon Network that never made much sense; thankfully, upon consecutive viewings, the series definitely fell into place a lot more easily. What surprised me most of all, however, is that Big O is a lot better than most of the dreck CN put on daytime Toonami, in regards to both dubbing and overall show quality.
Big O is entirely episodic throughout its 13-episode run, save the first two and last two episodes. A constant plot runs through the anime, and that is the vanished memories of Paradigm City's citizens. We are left wondering as to why they disappeared, where they went to and, in some cases, what people had to lose. In this first season, we only get hints scattered throughout the thirteen episodes. Each of these segments deals with a mysterious and occasionally suspenseful plot, and after that pans out then the episode gives way to a brief super robot battle. Though one may think that the robot fights are out of place, the skirmishes are fortunately kept in moderation; the mechs do not interfere with (though do not necessarily help) the show's atmosphere, which is decidedly more earthly and self-aware at all other times. Still, one has to wonder why they placed battle robots in the series in the first place...it would have worked fine without them. Fanservice, perhaps? One of the most unique parts of Big O, however, is its storytelling within the episodes. One can feel the influences of Chiaki Konaka, who wrote Serial Experiments Lain, in this anime. Pretty much anything goes within the span of 23 minutes: in medias res, reverse flashbacks, entire episodes told in retrospect...Definitely not as linear as most shows in this vein, and definitely a stronger plot than the premise would leave one to believe. Episode 10 was the best of the bunch, in my opinion, with some strangely deep insights into a certain character and a slightly morbid backstory to it. The storyline overall is a little bit out there at times, but the show has more fun with itself than the likes of Batman.
If there's any problem at all, it's that the show didn't really grab me at all within the first six episodes. In fact I watched the first half of Episode 6 four times because I kept quitting in the middle of it and then forgetting where I left off...
The characters are what really paints this series as tongue-in-cheek. Roger Smith, despite his frightening eyebrows, is such a ludicrously smooth character that you can't help but feel gravitated toward him. He's the slickest negotiator in Paradigm City, folks! How can you deny him? Dorothy, on the other hand, is awesome as a slightly embittered android. Her emotions are synthetic but she still finds room within herself to call Roger a louse or make fun of the male gender. She's got a lot of amusing one-liners and even outside of comedic purposes is a very strong character. Finally we come to Norman, Roger's unbelievably cool butler who wipes the floor with John Wayne's Albert. He rides a motorcycle and touts a gigantic machine gun and that is all you need to know about him. Important? No. Fun? Yes. With the slightly wacky main characters, the drama and seriousness is basically left for the side cast to uphold, with which they do a good enough job. Some tend to fall outside the boundaries of human reason (i.e. almost falling to your death for a saxophone) but otherwise deliver the plot in a very strong manner.
Unfortunately, we are left with the Cliffhanger from Hell in the final episode; though the episode itself was absolutely awesome, it didn't do a whole lot to wrap up the series. Fortunately enough, there's a second season, which I believe I'll be watching. Despite a lot of dry patches within the first half, Big O did a good enough job creating an appetite within me for the show, and now I am actively hoping that the second season will satiate that.
Just gotta watch out for those eyebrows...
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| Average |
7.8 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
6 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| A mildly interesting series. There are a lot (and I mean *a lot*) of "Batman:the animated series" overtones here, from the main character to the character designs. I'm not a huge fan of mecha anime, but Big O has plenty of other plotlines besides the requisite giant robot battles - which are still very much a part of the story, by the way.
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|
|
| Average |
8.0 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| The Big O is reminiscant of the "super robot" era of anime, ressurected in a fashion that might remind a fan made within the past ten years of Giant Robo.
To be honest, when I first saw Big O, I didn't know it was anime. It was back in its first run on Cartoon Network. I thought it was some Batman: The Animated Series rip-off with giant robots. I watched parts of it and then stopped altogether.
Who was this Bruce Wayne named Roger Smith and his Alfred, Norman Burg? Why was the style of art so much like Batman? Then when I later learned it was indeed Japanese in origin, I hated it even more. How dare anime artists rip off the classic Batman series! With giant robots, to boot! If I wanted giant robots, I'd watch Gundam Wing (the only Gundam I knew of at the time, sadly)!
These were horrible misconceptions and if I could I would apologize to the staff at Sunrise.
Later, when the second season was to be aired on Cartoon Network, I started watching the first season (which they convienently aired in the days leading up to it), and began loving it. I now have both seasons on DVD.
Yes. Paradigm City is Gotham-like. Roger Smith is Bruce Wayne-like. The car is armored like the Batmobile. There's a butler. The art designs are somewhat similar to Batman: The Animated Series. The similarities stop there.
I love the mysterious nature of this show. Trying to unravel the meaning behind the missing memories and the origin of Paradigm City is part of the fun of the show. Arguably, the second season of the show takes it to an extreme level, which has turned off many fans of the first. But I enjoyed all 26 episodes and even the ending fascinated me and left me thinking.
The music is very snappy and jazzy, all the pieces fitting in perfectly. The battles, although predictable, are fun to watch.
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|
|
| Average |
8.5 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| Think "Batman" meets "Gundam" with a bit of "Dick Tracy" thrown in. This anime is what some have termed "trippy" in the sense that each episode leaves you with so many things unexplained. This series reminds me a lot of "Betterman" in the overall atmosphere of the series. If your head doesn't explode from all the mystery and unexplained things that happen throughout the series, you'll enjoy this anime.
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0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
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|
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| Average |
7.7 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
| The first half of Big O leaves a lot open to think about. The second half did not come out untill last year providing a conclusion to the story. The story surrounding the lost memories of the people was pretty interesting. There are many good characters such as Roger Smith the main character and Norman the butler (the best butler EVER). makes alfred look like crap. If you want to know more read on
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Piccolo334 |
(2004-09-21 14:43:37) 2004-08-21 09:53:42 |
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| Average |
9.5 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| Big O is a really refreshing and enjoyable anime. The animation isn't your typical style, but that ends up to be enjoyable. It is indeed a must see. It has the elements of Batman, Evagelion, Gundam Wing, and Bubble Gum Crisis.
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| Average |
7.8 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
7 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| This could have been a brilliant anime if it had chosen one genre and stuck to it. Unfortunately Big O is a strange mish-mash of dark deco, film noir, and giant robots all crammed into very short episodes that cannot do justice to any of those things. The flaws of this anime bring it down quite a lot, but it's definitely worth watching.
I'm very conflicted about this series. Some parts, such as Dorothy's past, the setting of Paradigm City (where everyone lost their memories 40 years ago) and the atmosphere of the series are fantastic. Other parts, like the obligatory giant robot fight at the end of every episode, seem forced and needless.
The directing is quite good, the mood music is typical film noir, and the character voice acting is very good with a few occasional lapses. The overall story is interesting, but plotline non sequiturs and seemingly-random events make several episodes seem disjointed and puzzling.
This reviews the first season, which ends on a cliffhanger. One hopes that the second season explains the many mysteries of Paradigm City without too many weird robot battles getting in the way.
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| Average |
8.5 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
6 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| There are a lot of mixed opinions about this anime - either it grabs you or it doesn't. I really got hooked into the first season of this show. It was so retro-meets-modern in it's animation and the story line was interesting. It appeals to a lot of your senses.
The second season brought about by Cartoon Network/AdultSwim didn't interest me as much, but they kept to it as close as possible. Great soundtrack, too.
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AxioM |
(2006-07-19 16:18:12) 2004-05-11 15:57:19 |
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| Average |
2.3 |
| Animation |
3 |
| Sound |
2 |
| Story |
3 |
| Character |
3 |
| Value |
2 |
| Enjoyment |
1 |
| Perhaps I am being a bit too harsh, but this show did not attach me to it at all.
I felt that the character animations were bland, and base. The only interesting character in the entire series is Dorothy.
The main plot is based around lead character "Roger", who is in control of a giant combat robot called "Big-O". Roger isn't a character I could really find myself caring about as the story progressed. Episode after episode, he never seemed to change or evolve, and neither did the show.
The program feels like nothing more than a wannabe "Batman" with a giant robot.
If I want a show about Mechs, I'd rather watch FMP, or even Gundam. If I want a show about dark backgrounds and complicated main characters, I'll watch Cowboy Bebop.
And quite possibly the worst intro I've ever heard in my life accompanies this bland series.
What I won't do, is sit through another episode of Big-O.
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| Average |
9.7 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| Big O is a vastly under rated and under appricated anime. It has the style of Bruce Wayne, the gadgets of Batman, the meccha of old school, and the mystery of a PI movie mixed with Lain.
Roger Smith is a character I can certainly relate to and root for. He's calm, calculating, and lives by a personal standard of conduct that may or may not match with the world around him.
Dorothy provides a great twist to his otherwise unusual but clockwork life. Even the seemingly extra characters such as Norman, Angel, and Dan Dastun end up being well fleshed out and play important roles in the story. It's these touches that help Big O break free from the mindless action mold.
The giant meccha battles fullfill a bit of a primal need. There's nothing quite like watching a giant meccha with laser beams and piston biceps as big as city buses pound the heck out of another meccha. The frequent old school action poses may be a bit corny, but it's all done with a tongue-in-cheek homage style that's just too cool. As Dorothy once quips when Roger enthuiastically shouts "IT'S SHOWTIME, FOLKS!" before a battle: "Men."
The art has a smooth noir to it that's hard to beat. The color tones aren't overly flat, but they don't bleed saturation either. It matches well with the tone of the story and really helps to set the mood. The camera frequently captures dramatic poses that rack up big style points. It's serious but it's also fun.
The story and dialog don't disappoint in the least and really help to make Big O something memorable. The screenplay is in part by Chiaki Konaka, who also worked on the screenplay for Serial Experiments Lain. It shows well, and the story carries a heavy tone of PI mystery and Lain suspence. It may be an action anime, but it will indeed leave you lost and confused if you don't follow along.
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| Average |
5.5 |
| Animation |
6 |
| Sound |
6 |
| Story |
6 |
| Character |
5 |
| Value |
4 |
| Enjoyment |
6 |
| I can't listen to the English voice actors without wondering where Spike got a giant robot.
Watching this series gives a feeling of deja vu. Its like I've seen all of these plot devices and storylines in another show some long time ago.
There isn't anything really wrong with the series besides that. No serious flaws that I see in the animation or characters, but at the same time none of it is enjoyable.
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lenoredoll |
(2003-12-11 05:32:22) 2003-12-11 05:29:39 |
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| Average |
8.3 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| The animation reminds me of Batman the animated adventure. Nothing wrong with Batman, it just looks cheeply made.
Sound was not bad, but I didn't like the theme song.
There's an intersting story, and a noir feel to everything. I really liked that. There were also too many gaps in the story which is pretty annoying.
The characters are very interesting though. With memories missing, what would one do? Just go on living day to day with what one has.
I really enjoyed watching this short series for some reason. I'm not exactly sure why being that I absolutly hate the way the mechas look and the missing story parts. I think maybe it is because the series has such a great feel to it.
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|
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| Average |
9.4 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
0 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| I can't comment on the story because I haven't seen all of the series. Other then that though, I thought it was pretty good. I liked the characters alot, and the story that I have seen was interesting. It seemed alot like the american batman animation, lots of darkness to it, but that isn't a bad thing. What I have seen so far only made me more curious about what I hadn't seen, so I've been trying to catch the rest of the series. I'm not sure how this anime has such a low rating, but then I don't know the other reviewers. I think this anime deserves a little higher then a 7.2. This is another anime I'd suggest you give this one a try.
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|
|
| Average |
8.3 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| Well, I did really like this anime. But... It seems to me they tried to do too much. The stories for the all different episodes seemed very rushed. It kinda felt like they should have made all the episodes two-parters, ya know? I was very disappointed with the ending, seeing how there wasn't one!
But, man! I loved the fighting, Big O itself is so awesome! When those giant pistons in it's arms cock back, you know something's gettin' blown to hell! Man that's so tight! Everytime I saw that I got all excited! So yeah, The whole concept was really cool; "Something" happened 40 years ago and everyone lost their memories, but sometimes people remember pieces of their past or others pasts and go crazy!
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|
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|
|
| Average |
7.7 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
7 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| The Big O: sort of like Vision of Escaflowne, but better!
Better hero (Roger is kind of like Spike and Batman mixed into one..cool), cooler looking robot, no annoying high school heroines who can read tarot cards, better animation (but only a little), a better dub, and is much shorter yet more interesting. The sudden ending of the series will make some angry, but there's also a 2nd season of Big O on Adult Swim if you want to watch some more..
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