Big
Ups for Big O:
The Big O Volume 4 (Episodes 11-13)
Bandai
DVD Review by: Troy
Brownfield 
My affection for "The Big O" knows no bounds. The
crazy combination of James Bond, the Batman animated series,
Dark City and giant robots has had me completely absorbed.
With the release of the final volume in the current series,
Bandai throws down the gauntlet with a challenging story and
the promise of more to come.
For those unfamiliar with "The Big O", a large part
of its charm lies in the premise. Frankly, the audience never
totally gets what's going on, and that's a great thing. Prevailing
mysteries aren't explained away in a neat package; they linger
on, and even by the end of the thirteenth episode, we still
aren't completely sure what the hell just happened. At any
rate, the overall plot remains that Roger Smith is the top
negotiator (read: problem solver) in Paradigm City, a metropolis
where everyone lost their memories forty years ago. Roger,
his butler Norman and android R. Dorothy Waynewright usually
encounter problems that Roger ultimately solves with the help
of his giant robot, the Megadeus called Big O. Where the robot
is from, how Roger got it, and why it's called The Big O are
among several of our unanswered questions.
Honestly, the answers don't always matter. What's important
in this show is STYLE, and "Big O" has miles to
spare. The whole enterprise has a noir flair between the protagonists
black wardrobes (in fact, black is a rule in Roger's house),
the jazzy score and the abstract city setting. We viewers
know that something's going on beneath the surface which might
have far reaching, even Biblical, implications, but it's ultimately
the presentation that matters.
The three episodes herein reek of sinister menace and shake
Roger to the core as he learns that no matter how smart or
skilled he is, there are still pieces missing.
Episode 11: Daemonseed: Roger and Dorothy befriend
a sax player and his blind girlfriend against the backdrop
of the Christmas-like holiday Heaven's Day. It's a sweet story
that figures in some tips to O. Henry and a friggin' gigantic
killer plant.
Episode 12: Enemy is Another Big!: The title says it
all. The hot, mysterious Angel is back. The renegade nutball
journalist Schwarzwald is back too, and he's piloting . .
. BIG DUO. It's a (need we say it?) big throwdown that leads
directly into the barnburning final episode.
Episode 13: R.D.: There's a serial killer at work in
Paradigm, and the perp leaves the message "Cast in the
name of God, Ye not guilty" at the murder scenes. This
phrase, of course, is what appears on Big O's screen at start-up.
Roger dives into the search for answers, leading to a truly
stunning final five minutes that answers a couple of things,
leaves about half-a-dozen more questions hanging, and sets
Roger and the gang up for a magnificent battle because . .
. TO BE CONTINUED.
Yep. I about tore my hair out, but WOW. What a note to end
on. The wonderful creator interview featured as a DVD extra
reveals that a second series is already in the works, and
yes, it should pick up right from the end of 13 (*whew*).
In fact, the very extensive interview is a great bonus, featuring
as it does production, design and voice talent. It's another
hallmark of why Bandai is simply among the best at rendering
home versions of great anime.
The four "Big O" volumes carry my highest recommendation.
With breakneck pacing, more style than a run of Vogue and
an atmosphere black enough to give Hammett pause, "Big
O" is one of the best.
Troy
Brownfield is the Editor-in-Chief of Shotgun Reviews. He also
highly recommends the Anime Collector figures from Bandai,
of which Big O is a part. Email him at psikotyk@aol.com
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