Pojo's Anime: Big O Introduction

Written by: Mushroom Pie

The Big O is an anime created by Hajime Yatate. The soul purpose for it's creation was so that he could get a toy deal. He created designs for several giant robots that could easily be made into toys, and then came up with a storyline he could place them in. Unfortunately, the series bombed in Japan, stopping at 13 episodes and a plot that wasn't even completely exposed yet. However, these 13 episodes did so well on Cartoon Network (who had shown them on both Toonami and Adult Swim), that 13 more episodes got made, completing the story (if you get it. Most people who watch the show find that it ends with too many loose ends, but I personally see none).

The Big O is the story of the city of Paradigm, placed far in the future. Something wiped out all life on Earth outside this city and erased the inhabitant’s memories 40 years ago. Since that dreadful day, the citizens of Paradigm City have done their best to restore life to normal. On the day of the mass memory loss, people learned about identities that had once lived in the city and assumed their positions, whether or not it was really them. They now store things like scrapbooks and old diaries in a bank, ensuring that what little they have left of their old life is never lost.

Enter Rodger Smith. Rodger is an ex-cop who has now assumed the job of a negotiator. As you may have guessed, Rodger negotiates with people. In the words of Rodger Smith, this job is important because "common sense is a rarity." He negotiates with criminals, kidnappers, and businessmen, working for clients who either have very deep pockets, or ones that he has a soft-spot for. When things get too rough, he calls on his giant mech, the Big O, to battle with the other side. But not even Rodger knows the whereabouts of Big O's origin, or how the world has come to it's present state. All of these mysteries, and many many more, unravel over the course of the series of Big O.