What Was This Show About?

As in, what the hell was the plot?

I just finished watching season 2 of Big O, and I did not understand it at all.

What the hell was the series supposed to be about?

That's what I hate about anime. When I first saw season 1, I liked it, even though I usually hate anime. After seeing season 2, I can honestly say that there's a good reason why I hate anime, and why I don't generally watch it.

I'm not trying to complain. But seriously, what the hell were they trying to get across?

I hate that they always make "complex" storylines to try to make their shows a little more sophisticated. But in the end, all they succeed in doing is confuse the hell out of the viewer, and lower the quality of their show.

Pertaining to Big O, was there supposed to be some kind of moral or something? Was anyone supposed to understand the show?

Good thing I downloaded this. I ALMOST bought it.

There are probably hundreds of threads on this forum alone about that topic.

Short answer:

I look at it that the show is mostly about Roger Smith. We don't learn the answers to the riddles of Paradigm any faster than he does, and he doesn't know much -- many of his most important decisions were based on hunches, not real knowledge.

If the show goes on, the writers MAY reveal more of the underpinnings of Paradigm, because Roger Smith will investigate them. This MAY be a good thing. (My experience with anime is that deep dark mysteries tend to be lame and derivative.) On the other hand, they may try to pull off what they've done before, with Roger Smith having a series of struggles in a situation no one really understands. Just like real life, I suppose.

I'd be delighted to put up with a couple of new seasons that were basically more of the same, if that's all the writers are up for.

Long answer:

I wrote a fanfiction season 3 that addresses practically every mystery of Paradigm (see the link in my signature). People claimed that the show was pointless and a third season impossible; I showed that sense CAN be made of the show and 13 additional episodes CAN be written, though whether you'll like what I did is an entirely different question.

quote:

What the hell was the series supposed to be about?

Giant robots that for once were totally awesome, and not piloted by a gaggle of snot-nosed, whining kids.

Also everything that ACT said. But even if every other aspect of the plot remains a giant mystery, that much can be agreed on.

The overall plot of the entire series has been discussed at some length in the forums. The very fact that so many questions remain unanswered is part of the appeal of the show. Like the X-files, there always seem to be more questions than answers, leaving the audience free to imagine their own. When one's suspicions regarding what those answers may be are confirmed by the story or other audience members, there's a bit of gratification in the process of analyzing the clues to the symbolism of certain scenes or bits of dialogue, and creating hypotheses of what's really going on in Paradigm.

One could reasonably argue that the show is one of the few with more depth than the superficial "Giant Robot Battle" format of the show. There are multiple layers of interpretation to the overal story arc and reasons for the existence of the main characters. Anime in general can have far more philosophical depth than American animations when one considers Japanese history and philosophy. The questions that constantly arise address the existential dilemma of what it means to be human versus some other form of memory system...or whether there is really any such thing as true free will as opposed to human destiny being completely predetermined. There's a recursion woven into the plot's tapestry which reveals threads of reincarnation.

One could also reasonably argue that the major plot to the story is horribly derivative and only rehashes philosophical concepts that have been gone over so many times as to be ground into the speculative dirt, not only framed in blatant symbolism but ham-handed directly to the audience on a platter of hackneyed dialogue.

Being a fan of the series, it pains me to admit this perspective, but when the second season was cut off by the moneybags that controlled its production, I believe the story arc was forced to prematurely resolve. Tying up loose ends in a major mystery is a very difficult thing, and the resolution of the story arc feels hurried and perhaps contrived. I'm left with a sad sense that should the show have had more seasons with which to slowly and more subtly reveal the grand design behind Paradigm City and its inhabitants, the viewing public would have been far more impressed.

Regardless, there are few television shows which attempt to even address the true nature of our existence and consciousness. Whether the whole goal of the series was philosophically noble, or merely an elaborate product placement for Bandai-corp to sell more plastic toys, the very fact that the writers had the moxie to craft a story with some depth to it earns my appreciation.

As far as I can gather, and I haven't seen Season 2 in a while so take what I say cum grano salis, the show addresses the question of whether our past determines who are. From the events that unfold, the answer Big O provides is "no", and I say this based on Roger's speech at the end of Act 26, as well as the recurring theme of Megadeuses and androids functioning without memory. Hell, all of Paradigm works without a memory too.

Now as for what actually happened in the show, that's a bit harder to sort out. I don't even know.

I don't think the plot was made to be confusing in order for it to hide it's lack of complexity (I rather do not think there is a lack of complexity), rather all they did was present us with a riddle, and left us to solve it. If season 2 had ended answering all the questions we had about the series, the interest in re-watching the series dies. Now, they didn't do that. By leaving questions unanswered, they kep the interest in the show alive. We wouldn't have all these highly intellegent conversations if we knew everything about the Big O. Just read my signature and you'll understand.

quote:

Originally posted by Lt. Sanji As far as I can gather, and I haven't seen Season 2 in a while so take what I say cum grano salis, the show addresses the question of whether our past determines who are. From the events that unfold, the answer Big O provides is "no", and I say this based on Roger's speech at the end of Act 26, as well as the recurring theme of Megadeuses and androids functioning without memory. Hell, all of Paradigm works without a memory too. Now as for what actually happened in the show, that's a bit harder to sort out. I don't even know.

Check plus.

All the other characters viewed and used the past differently, Alex thought it justified his evil, Schwarzwald thought was obsessed with it and went looney, Angel was originally trying to profit from it, etc.

Roger just didn't care, we're all here now and thats all that matters.