Don't Rush Perfection: A Big O Third Season Rant

Travis Bickle 01-11-2005 01:09 AM
I don't know if anyone noticed (I certainly did), but I've barely participated in Big O-oriented conversations, and that's kinda what the purpose of this place is, so let me start with this:

After watching the first episode over again for the first time in a long time, I though about the series long and hard. I've come to the following:

We need a third season, and we need it badly

Big O seasons one and two have a complicated yet brilliant story. The charachters are awesome. The visuals are beautiful. The voice acting is, for the most part, pretty good. We need more of it. We have to have more of it. If we don't get a valid and official explanation of what happened with Paragidm City at the end of the second season, then a terrible mistake of letting a wonderful and creative series go to waste would be made.

However, if a third series is to be made, the following would need to happen:

The script/storyboard/"treatment" (or whatever creative idea process is used to craft an anime title) would have to be well thought out. I don't know if anyone found it to be, but I feel that, just like the two Matrix sequels (only not crappy), the writing/creation of the story of the second season of the Big O was rushed and not well thought out. I am almost certain that, from the begining of the work on the first season of the Big O, the writers never really planned on having...well...the Union, Big Venus/"reset", and other elements that seem totally different and nonexistant from the first season of the Big O. If there is going to be a third season of the Big O, the writers should take some time to think of a way to tie it all together and clean up the mess that they left the viewers with at the end of the second season. They need a way for everything to make sense and thensome. Whether it takes several months to a year or two to write a third season, time should be taken for the writers to ponder a logical, somewhat easy to understand and less enegmatic story. From the start of the first episode, they discuss that, before fourty years ago, life was totally different in Paradigm City from the way it is depicted in the show. DID THEY EVER EXPLAIN, IN GREAT DETAIL, WHAT IN GOD'S NAME HAPPENED FOURTY YEARS AGO?

Another thing is the voice acting of the series. If you compare the American voice acting of the first season to the voice acting of the second season, you'd realize that the American dubbing in season one (as much as I love David Lucas, Wendee Lee and everyone else) pretty much sucks. The voice acting in the second season is a lot better than that of the first season, but is still not as good as that of other American dubbing in other anime titles. Wolf's Rain, Cowboy Bebop, Hellsing, and other big name anime titles have somewhat better American dubbing (all in my opinon) than that of Big O. If there is to be a third season (and if there is, it will most definately be brought to the good ole US of A), then I suggest that they hire a different voice director and take their time with the voice acting.

One last thing that needs to be considered is the production value: If major moolah is spent on the possible (hopefully probable) third season, then the visuals could possibly recieve a potential upgrade, just like they were (to an extent) in the second season. The animation in both seasons were very pretty, but I have seen some much better looking anime titles then The Big O. If the company treats the third season like some crap title that nobody's going to pay attention to, then the visuals will probobly take a hit, the story will be rushed, and we're going to have everyone confused and very pissed off by the conclusion. Please, big Japanese Anime company of which I can't remember the name: if you make a third season, spend lots of money on it! Make it so that the people of your country would pay as much attention to it as we do, if not more.

If these three easy (and somewhat expensive and time consuming) steps are followed after a third season is approved (which it will...or heads will roll and the sh** will hit the fan), I can guarentee sucsess for both the company and die hard fans of the series.

I'm out of things to say. Time for me to hit the sack.
-Scott
Zopwx2 01-11-2005 04:43 PM
Agreed.....

I'm always hoping any possible 3rd season will be free from any outside tampering and that the animation and production value will get better.... but you take what you can get.

Personally I think the animation in the first season was better, but the plots in the second seaason made up for it.

The story has to be there before I care about anything else. As long as the writers know this is the LAST season, and there are no more bail outs. I will take whatever the give me. Assuming no one forced them to alter their ideas and they are free to finish it as they see fit.

(and who said anything about rushing? Big O fans are patient people. They could say "Season 3 coming in 2008" and I'd wait for it. Cool )
Wazpy 01-11-2005 07:07 PM
I don't want any "improvements" to be made to the animation. I really like the style they have already. If anything, I liked the grayish feel of the first season a bit more.

Anyway, if they make a season 3, I don't want them to explain much. Maybe clear up a few things like they did in season 2, but for the most part, I want the mystery to remain. Hell, I want to be more confused, but I'd like them to handle it more calmly than they did in the last 2 episodes.
In short, I want more stand alone episodes that each clear up or add to a part of the mystery without being so direct.

Oh yeah... and I want some funkay new robots... and Schwarzwald...
evanASF27 01-11-2005 07:31 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Wazpy
I don't want any "improvements" to be made to the animation. I really like the style they have already. If anything, I liked the grayish feel of the first season a bit more.

Anyway, if they make a season 3, I don't want them to explain much. Maybe clear up a few things like they did in season 2, but for the most part, I want the mystery to remain. Hell, I want to be more confused, but I'd like them to handle it more calmly than they did in the last 2 episodes.
In short, I want more stand alone episodes that each clear up or add to a part of the mystery without being so direct.

Oh yeah... and I want some funkay new robots... and Schwarzwald...

Suprisingly I agree...though I am all for actually getting an answer for what the hell happened at the end of Season2, we can leave that as special extras for the first Season3 DVD Wink I want more megadeus fights, more negotiating, more season1-ish type stuff!! The animation in season1 is unique and it isn't like other animes, which is why I like it...also it defines the shapes more clearly whereas in season2 they had waaay too much shading and CG-like stuff. CG can be good for some animes, but I don't want to see Big O completely become like GundamSEED or whathaveyou in animation style.
YZEtc 01-11-2005 08:11 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Cerpin Taxt

DID THEY EVER EXPLAIN, IN GREAT DETAIL, WHAT IN GOD'S NAME HAPPENED FOURTY YEARS AGO?


Not even close to it.
Like most things in the series, if it ever was at all, it's a wee bit less than clear.
Encrypted, even.

Speaking about how The Big O II was wrapped-up, I really, really was hoping for something along the lines of the 1968 movie The Planet of the Apes.
I don't mean literally the same scene, but to have experienced the same quality of awe-inspiring imagination that that 37 year old movie did for me the first time saw it - a very good piece of work, and the person(s) responsible for that story had the viewer knowing in the course of 30 seconds exactly what the whole point was.

To me, the way The Big O stands right now is comparable to having your mother march into your bedroom and push the OPEN button of your CD player while your favorite song is playing: You're really into it, but she's got other plans for you.
Naraku 01-12-2005 08:48 AM
I rather have a movie that is a prequil (sp?) then a third season in order to explain what the real Paradigm City was like. That shows what realy happened before 40 years ago. Then maybe a little extra on the end that explains what happened at the end of season 2. Also I rather have the animation stay the same and everything else if they make anything at all and have it so that everything was how it was in season 1 and 2 not like Gundam Wing Endless Waltz where they changed the Gundams and stuff.
Almasy 01-12-2005 05:45 PM
I liked the more bright and colorful animation of Season II! ^__^
AndroidZeroX 01-13-2005 07:01 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Almasy
I liked the more bright and colorful animation of Season II! ^__^

Yes i agree, with that

I pretty Much agree with all of you. However, we are not the ones that need convincing since we have no power, we need to find a way to get to the people that are high up in the ranks that can actually do something about this. I think you have a wonderful logic behind the need for a third season, however im not the one yo need to convince