The Big O

The Big O (Japanese: THE ビッグオー Hepburn: Za Biggu Ō?) is a Japanese animated television series created by designer Keiichi Sato and director Kazuyoshi Katayama for Sunrise.

General

Big O Boot Sequence: Cast in the name of God, ye not guilty.

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Roger: "Big O! And... Action!"

Season 1

Dorothy Dorothy[1.2]

Beck: Oh, man, my robot! He broke it!

Electric City[1.3]

Roger: Okay, now I get it. You're just mimicking us. That's why you seem so unnatural.

Dorothy: It is not clear what you mean, could you be more specific?

Roger: No matter how human your piano playing sounds, you're simply imitating us. That's why no matter what you play, it has no effect on anyone and becomes pointless.

Dorothy: No one is ever happy to hear an alarm bell.

Roger: That's...

(The power goes out)

Underground Terror[1.4]

Roger: But if there's something that frightens you, there are those that turn their eyes away and there are those who try to see through the fear and conquer it.

Bring Back My Ghost [1.5]

Dastun: On the justice and honor of the Military Police

Missing Cat[1.8]

Roger Smith: This fallen angel's nothing but trouble.

Beck Comes Back[1.9]

Roger: Dorothy, I'm, I'm curious to know what that second question of yours is.

Dorothy: If, neither of us had memories, and we met, so, then would you and I fall in love as well?

Roger: That's, um, well.

Dorothy: I warned you, it was a tough question.

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Dorothy: So then, Mr. Wise fell in love out of loneliness, right?

Roger: Sorry, that question is too tough to answer. What was your second question?

Dorothy: Forget it. If you thought the last question was tough, this one is worse.

Enemy Is Another Big! [1.12]

Schwarzwald: It can't be! It's happening again!

Dastun: But that's impossible! No one's piloting it!

Schwarzwald: You don't need a master, or do they choose their own master? Do we control them, or do they control us, Roger Smith?

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Schwarzwald: That Alex Rosewater is a real piece of work.

About The Big O

• The Big O is an anime that wears its inspiration on its sleeve: it’s a film noir
  • Alex Costello, "Batman in a Gundam: Unpacking the Greatness of ‘The Big O’", Dot and Line, (Sep 6, 2017).

• The Big O is set in Gotham-esque Paradigm City; 40 years ago, the inhabitants lost their memories in a bizarre occurrence referred to as “the Event.” Since then, people have scrabbled out a living in the half-ruined metropolis. Dashing Roger Smith (voice by David Lucas in the first 13 episodes; Stephen Jay Blum in the second 13), who looks a bit like a young Pierce Bronson, is officially a Negociator who handles difficult situations, but he’s really a covert superhero.
• The first season ended in mid-story, with the fate of the characters unresolved. The belated second season brought back all the main characters and the stylish designs. Roger’s nightmares/flashbacks, collages of robot attacks, burning cities, etc. led to a resolution of sorts, but once again, visual flash takes the place of clear storytelling.
  In some sequences, the cool, grayed-down palate, saxophone riffs and tough guy dialogue suggest the filmmakers are trying capture the film noir tone that made Cowboy Bebop a hit. But the stories lack the strong plot and gritty characters needed to support the stylish graphics. Spike Spiegel projected the intensity of a wounded lion; Smith feels superficial. Director Kazuyoshi Katayama simply lacks the visual pancahe of Shinichiro Watanabe, one of the most interesting directors working in anime.
  • Charles Solomon, "ANIME REVIEW: “The Big O”, Animation Scoop, (June 28th, 2017).