About The Big O, the film noir mecha anime franchise

The Big O stands as mecha anime’s most distinctive fusion of Western film noir and Japanese giant robot tradition, transforming the genre through atmospheric storytelling and unprecedented visual sophistication.

Created by designer Keiichi Satō and director Kazuyoshi Katayama for Sunrise, this groundbreaking franchise emerged from a unique vision: what if Bruce Wayne piloted a giant robot? The series’ head writer Chiaki J. Konaka, renowned for his work on Serial Experiments Lain and Hellsing, assembled a writing staff that would challenge conventional mecha anime expectations.

The Big O franchise centres on towering mechanical giants called megadeuses—colossal metal behemoths that embody “old school” super robot design philosophy. Unlike the streamlined mobile suits of other series, these machines prioritise raw power over agility, wielding conventional weaponry including missiles, machine guns, and pile-driver punches that reflect the series’ retro sensibilities.

The Big O established the franchise through its original thirteen-episode run that combined episodic detective work with climactic robot battles. Set in Paradigm City, a metropolis where all residents lost their memories forty years prior, the story follows Roger Smith, the city’s top Negotiator, as he resolves conflicts with the help of R. Dorothy Wayneright and his butler Norman Burg.

The franchise expanded through The Big O II, thirteen additional episodes that delved deeper into the existential mysteries underlying Paradigm City whilst exploring themes of identity, memory, and the nature of reality itself.

The Big O timeline

The Paradigm City era

The Big O presents a singular timeline focused entirely within Paradigm City and its immediate surroundings. This isolated setting serves as both the franchise’s strength and its defining limitation, creating an intensely focused narrative that explores themes of memory, identity, and urban isolation.

The series’ approach to temporality reflects its noir influences, where the past remains deliberately obscured whilst the present unfolds through atmospheric investigation and revelation. This temporal structure reinforces the franchise’s central concept of collective amnesia as both plot device and philosophical statement.

Notable series in chronological order:

The Big O (1999–2000)
The Big O II (2003)

History of The Big O

Creation and early development

The Big O originated in 1996 from Keiichi Satō’s concept of “a giant city-smashing robot, piloted by a man in black, in a Gotham-like environment.” Satō initially developed the idea as a toy concept that Bandai’s Hobby Division rejected, leading to collaboration with Bandai Visual instead. When Kazuyoshi Katayama, fresh from directing Those Who Hunt Elves, joined the project, production began on layouts and character designs that would establish the series’ distinctive visual identity.

Development experienced delays due to Katayama’s commitment to Sentimental Journey and Satō’s involvement with City Hunter, but by 1999, Chiaki J. Konaka joined as head writer, bringing his expertise in psychological storytelling to bear on the project. The initial story concept revolved around a cataclysmic meteorite impact that destroyed human civilisation, leaving only a surviving city where the protagonist would pilot a robot engineered from the meteorite’s recovered superalloy.

The television series premiered on WOWOW satellite television on 13th October 1999, designed as a 26-episode series but reduced to 13 episodes due to low Japanese viewership. However, the series found its audience through international distribution, particularly after airing on Cartoon Network’s Toonami programming block beginning 2nd April 2001.

Evolution and international success

Western audiences embraced The Big O’s unique aesthetic and storytelling approach, leading Cartoon Network to join Sunrise and Bandai Visual as co-producers for a second season. This unprecedented international collaboration resulted in The Big O II, which premiered on Sun Television on 2nd January 2003 and aired on Adult Swim beginning 3rd August 2003.

The second season reflected input from American producers who requested more action sequences and resolution to the first season’s mysteries, though Katayama admitted he originally intended the series as an anthology of adventures rather than a mystery requiring definitive answers. Konaka scripted the second season whilst maintaining the philosophical complexity that defined his approach to the franchise.

The series established itself as a cult classic that influenced subsequent mecha anime production, demonstrating that Western aesthetic influences could successfully merge with Japanese storytelling traditions. Its success proved that anime could find appreciative audiences through bold stylistic experimentation rather than adherence to established genre conventions.

Cultural impact and legacy

The Big O’s influence extends beyond mecha anime into broader discussions of cross-cultural artistic collaboration and the potential for animation to bridge diverse aesthetic traditions. The series served as a proving ground for Studio Sunrise’s ability to work with international partners whilst maintaining creative integrity, establishing precedents for future co-production arrangements.

Critical reception highlighted the series’ successful integration of film noir cinematography, art deco design, and classic super robot sensibilities into a cohesive artistic vision. Reviewers consistently praised the series’ “hip,” “sleek,” and “stylish” presentation whilst noting its extensive homages to works including Batman: The Animated Series, Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, Isaac Asimov’s robot stories, and Mitsuteru Yokoyama’s Giant Robo.

The franchise’s exploration of memory, identity, and urban alienation resonated with audiences navigating rapid technological and social change, whilst its distinctive megadeuses influenced subsequent robot designs that prioritised character and presence over pure functionality. The Big O demonstrated that mecha anime could successfully embrace literary and cinematic traditions beyond its immediate genre origins, opening new creative possibilities for future productions.

Critical reception

The first season received overwhelmingly positive reviews from international critics and audiences. Anime on DVD recommended it as an essential series, with Chris Beveridge awarding volumes 1 and 2 an A− rating and volumes 3 and 4 a B+ rating. Mike Toole of Anime Jump awarded the series 4.5 out of 5 stars, whilst Anime Academy gave it a grade of 83, praising its unique concept, interesting characters, and quality action sequences.

Western audiences proved more receptive than Japanese viewers, with the series achieving the international success its creators had envisioned. Keiichi Satō commented in an interview with AnimePlay: “This is exactly as we had planned”, referring to the series’ overseas reception. English-language reviews consistently employed adjectives such as “hip,” “sleek,” “stylish,” “classy,” and “cool” to describe both the artwork and the overall series concept.

The second season received more mixed reviews, with some critics noting that it “doesn’t quite match the first”. Andy Patrizio of IGN observed changes in Roger Smith’s characterisation, noting that he “lost some of his cool and his very funny side in the second season”. Both seasons were criticised for their ambiguous endings, with Chris Beveridge questioning whether Konaka’s conclusion represented “his attempt to throw his hat into the ring for creating one of the most confusing and oblique endings of any series”.

Commercial performance

Despite poor initial ratings in Japan that led to the first season’s reduction from 26 to 13 episodes, The Big O found commercial success through international distribution and merchandising. The series’ popularity on Cartoon Network’s Toonami programming block demonstrated significant Western audience appeal, ultimately leading to network co-funding of the second season.

Merchandising included Bandai model kits, action figures, and soundtrack releases that expanded the franchise’s commercial footprint beyond its television broadcasts. The original Bandai model kit of Big O, released in 2000, featured snap-together assembly with spring-loaded mechanisms that simulated the robot’s signature moves, though it required extensive painting for screen accuracy.

The Paradigm Formula

Film noir meets giant robots

The Big O’s revolutionary approach centred on transplanting film noir’s visual and narrative conventions into the mecha anime framework. The series incorporated chiaroscuro lighting, dramatic camera angles, and urban atmosphere directly inspired by 1940s detective films, particularly The Big Sleep. This aesthetic choice created unprecedented visual sophistication within mecha anime whilst establishing noir’s cynical worldview as an ideal complement to post-apocalyptic storytelling.

Roger Smith embodies the classic private detective archetype whilst simultaneously serving as the series’ giant robot pilot—a dual role that allows episodes to shift seamlessly between intimate character investigation and spectacular mechanical combat. This narrative structure enabled The Big O to explore themes of urban decay, corporate corruption, and existential uncertainty through both personal and citywide scales.

Memory as narrative device

The collective amnesia affecting Paradigm City serves as both plot mechanism and philosophical statement about identity formation and social continuity. Memory becomes a tangible force within the series, capable of manifesting as recovered technology, awakened robots, or psychological revelation that drives individual episodes whilst advancing the overarching mystery of the city’s true nature.

This approach to memory distinguishes The Big O from other mecha anime by grounding its speculative elements in psychological reality rather than pure technological fantasy. The series suggests that individual and collective identity depends entirely upon memory’s continuity, making its loss both the ultimate tragedy and the foundation for potential renewal.

Franchise expansion

Manga adaptations

The Big O franchise expanded beyond anime through multiple manga series authored by Hitoshi Ariga. The original manga began serialisation in Kodansha’s Magazine Z in July 1999, three months before the anime premiere, using Keiichi Satō’s concept designs in an entirely new storyline independent of the television series. This six-volume series concluded in October 2001 and received English translation through Viz Media.

The Big O: Lost Memory, published between November 2002 and September 2003, served as a bridging story taking place between volumes five and six of the original manga. Unlike the main series, this two-volume continuation never received English translation, remaining exclusive to Japanese readers.

Novels and companion materials

Paradigm Noise, a novel by Yuki Taniguchi, was published by Tokuma Shoten on 16th July 2003, expanding the franchise’s literary presence. The Big O Visual: The Official Companion to the TV Series appeared in 2003 through Futabasha, providing comprehensive production information and addressing fan questions about the series’ complex narrative.

Audio dramas and soundtracks

Walking Together On The Yellow Brick Road, released by Victor Entertainment on 21st September 2000, featured the original voice cast in a drama CD written by Chiaki J. Konaka. The English translation, provided by dub translator David Fleming, was made available on Konaka’s website.

The franchise’s music, composed by Toshihiko Sahashi, received release through multiple soundtrack albums. The Big O: Original Sound Score (1999) contained the first season’s background music, whilst The Big O: Original Sound Score II for Second Season (2003) featured compositions for the second season plus remixes named after New York City streets.

Video games and model kits

The Big O appeared in multiple entries of the Super Robot Wars series, beginning with Super Robot Wars D for Game Boy Advance in 2003. The franchise became a mainstay of the “Z” subseries, appearing in every entry and introducing the series to strategy game audiences.

Bandai released various model kits and action figures, including the original 2000 non-scale snap-together kit featuring spring-loaded mechanisms and an included Roger Smith figure. Later releases through companies including Max Factory and Good Smile Company provided higher-detail alternatives for collectors.

Music and sound design

The Big O’s distinctive audio landscape, crafted by composer Toshihiko Sahashi, represents one of the franchise’s most acclaimed elements. Sahashi, a graduate of Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, brought sophisticated classical training to bear on creating a score that seamlessly integrated film noir, spy thriller, and science fiction musical traditions.

The background music draws extensively from 1940s detective films, Gerry Anderson productions, and the Godzilla series’ composer Akira Ifukube. Sahashi’s approach emphasised orchestral arrangements supplemented by jazz instrumentation and electronic elements, creating atmospheric pieces that enhanced the series’ noir sensibilities whilst providing appropriate accompaniment for spectacular robot battles.

The opening themes reflected the series’ international influences: “Big-O!” by Rui Nagai drew inspiration from Queen and resembled the Flash Gordon film theme, whilst “Respect” paid homage to the UFO television series composed by Barry Gray. The closing theme “And Forever…” provided emotional counterpoint through its slow ballad arrangement performed by Robbie Danzie and Naoki Takao.