JB

40 years ago in Paradigm city, something happened. But nobody remembers what. In the midst of this mysterious city is Roger Smith, a 'negotiator' who investigates problems in the city, along with his giant robot: The Big O.

Before we get down to business (skip this paragraph if you want the review), here's some interesting history. Although it was shown to us as a 26 episode series, Big O was originally a 13 episode show with an open-ended finale in which Big O was about to combat 3 mysterious robots that had appeared from the sea. However, the show was 'so popular' that Cartoon Network decided to fund another 13 episodes, presenting them all as a full series. Also of some interest is the fact that part of Big O was animated by the same studio behind the Batman cartoons, which may help to explain the western, Batman-esque style.

At first, Big O seems quite good - a nice, simplistic style of animation, original robot designs with a touch of old-skool, and some good music. Things move along quite slowly - episodes are split into two halves with Roger investigating 'on foot' in the first half and then taking out some robot or monster in the Big O before the mystery is resolved in the second. It would have been an enjoyable but inconsequential series if it stopped at the original 13 episodes...

But it didn't. Cartoon Network's second half is complete rubbish. Roger is now plagued by conflicting random visions of past lives or childhood, and characters keep banging on about 'Memories' which are of some value to the amnesiac city, but are spoken of as if they are physical objects.. A religious aspect is introduced too. Big O and its fellow robots are no longer robots, but "sacred chariots of mankind" with "the power of God". All these cryptic quotes are never explained, and are quickly forgotten about, making them a waste of time. For example, Roger has a flashback of what seems to be a past life, in which he is a shaggy tramp who turns out to be an army general. But then he wakes up and forgets about it. "I am Roger Smith!", he shouts, and the flashback is never referred to again. And so it continues, with people talking about God, and "that thing", for no apparent reason. Big O keeps threatening to reveal a big secret that ties the story and these ramblings together, but it never does.

You'll be hooked, and at the end of each episode, you'll hope for a resolution in the next, until the ending, when you realise there was no real story to begin with. It leads up to a completely nonsensical ending, which even a giant robot battle cannot redeem (partly because, yet again, it consists mainly of punching and grappling), and so becomes bewildering and annoying. A sequel, or even a prequel set before the event of 40 years ago, could clear things up, but would not redeem the muddled nature of this particular series - it would be the sequel that gets all the credit.

In short, Big O is a show that tried to create some intrigue with a mysterious storyline, but seemed as if it was being made up as they went along, by a 2 year-old. I'd like to recommend watching the (much better) first half, but its open ending would not satisfy many. Avoid.