Big O Celebrates 25th Anniversary With New Art

Roger Smith and the gang return for a major anniversary.

By Evan Valentine

What if Bruce Wayne traded in his bat suit for a giant mech? The Big O somewhat tries to answer that question as the story of Roger Smith and Paradigm City helped propel Cartoon Network's Toonami to new heights. While the series did see a resurgence via a sequel series that helped answer some major questions presented by the anime adaptation, it's been some time since a new episode hit the small screen. Despite Roger Smith's "retirement", the franchise is celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary with new art from co-creator Keiichi Sato. The franchise might not have a new season in the works but fans haven't forgotten Paradigm City.

The Big O initially hit the scene as manga from creator Hitoshi Ariga in 1999. The series then quickly released an anime adaptation that did something surprising at the time in that it released in both Japan and the United States around the same time. When Roger Smith hit the small screen in the West, the series became a fan-favorite on Toonami and had a big hand in solidifying the platform as a premiere spot to catch new anime. A little over three years following its debut, the initial outing would receive a sequel that gave fans the long-awaited conclusion of Paradigm City's story.

The Big O Turns 25

Unfortunately, re-watching The Big O at present will be a little tricky. The series isn't currently available to stream for free but fans can hope that the twenty-fifth anniversary will raise interest in the series and bring it back in some form. 

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If you want to learn more about the beloved anime series, here's an official description of the story of Roger Smith and his versatile mech, "Paradigm City is a place without a past. 40 years ago, something happened that wiped the memories of everyone in it. Unfortunately, the people of Paradigm City were very busy before then, making Megadueses(giant robots) and monsters. People who were born after the memory wipe are gaining/recovering memories of the past and using them to build newer threats. Roger Smith keeps Paradigm City safe with the help of The Big O (a faithful giant robot), his butler Norman and the android Dorothy, Roger keeps Paradigm City safe. As problems mount and more memories surface, Roger's past and Paradigm's future begin to become suspect..."

Want to see if Big O ever gets a comeback? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook for all the latest on Toonami and Roger Smith. 

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