Point - Matt
"Batman" and "The Big O." Two heroes connected in the minds of viewers by a string of unavoidable similarities and
a shared page in the Justice League phone directory. But are these two shows really that alike? Picture two columns, on
the left all things "Batman," on the right "The Big O." Left side: Millionaire Bruce Wayne. Right side: Ultra-wealthy
Roger Smith. Left: Butler named Alfred. Right: Butler named Norman. Left: Long black car with cool gadgets and
armor-plated keyless remote. Right: Long black car with cool gadgets, armor plated keyless remote, and comfortable
seating for four. And the list goes on, each person, place or thing on the right with its corresponding noun to the
left. At first look "Big O" appears to have achieved what every lazy college student dreams of - the perfect plagiarism.
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Which brings me to Hasidic Jews. Aren't they just like gang members? They wear baggy pants. The males travel in
packs, cruising the sidewalks of our inner cities, surveying their well-defined turf. Aren't Hasidic Jews and West
Coast Crips basically the same thing? Or, more to the point, aren't Jews and Crips as similar to each other as "Batman"
and "The Big O." Because in this world of 6 billion, it's not what you do (eating, working, sleeping) that makes you
different, but how you do it (at Carl's Jr., only when I have to, and in a pool of my own vomit). So I submit the
following hypothesis; despite its similarities to the older and better-known "Batman," "The Big O" can and should be
judged as its own show with its own strengths and weaknesses. And judged harshly at that.
The creative overlap between the two shows is both obvious and well documented. But what sets "The Big O" apart?
What does it have that "Batman" doesn't? It's got a big robot called "The Big O." And mega-deuce. It's called that,
too. One name makes me think of breakfast cereal, the other makes me think of a woman who really, really doesn't "feel
fresh." Basically, this robot sucks. And (not to sound like a grumpy young man) all the giant robots suck today. When
I was a kid we had Robotech and Voltron and Optimus Prime - now those were giant robots. As far as innovations over
"Batman" go, score the robot a giant, metallic zero.
What else? There's Dorothy, the android. Pleasant faced and sharp-tongued, she provides the show with moments of
sexual tension as she develops a romantic relationship with her boss and partner. Isn't that what Robin did for Batman?
Yes. And if the rumors are true, that's not the only thing Robin did for Batman. If you want your sidekick to wear
tights and slide down your bat pole, better an android girl than an art major. Shake off the doubts about your
sexuality, and award this round to "The Big O."
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But the real difference between these two heroes is in their respective villains. Batman battles a panoply of
deranged lunatics bent on destroying the city by the bottom of the hour. Their plans are diabolical and foolproof, and
they are so proud of their evil-handiwork that they disclose the details of their plots to crime-fighters and audience at
the drop of a top hat. Then it's back to the asylum, to escape in another episode with no memory or regard for this
week's foiling. Batman may be haunted by his past, but his show is grounded entirely in the present. Not so for Roger
Smith and Big O. Like most anime, this show is serial in nature. And like most anime, this is both a blessing and a
curse. How interesting is the over-arching plot of "The Big O," with its mysterious city-wide amnesia and X-filesy
government conspiracies? How terrifying are the secrets buried in the subterranean depths of the city and the lead
characters' subconscious? My response to these questions is a shrug of the shoulders and an uninspired "eh." Sometimes
the serial elements of "Big O" work for me, sometimes they just get in the way. No call.
Final score? Call it a tie game: one to ichi. "The Big O" is just like "Batman," except it's Japanese. The show
is more romantic, the characters are more intertwined and interdependent, and the lines between right and wrong are a
little fuzzy. Play these themes out in front of a backdrop of apocalyptic urban decay, and you cater to a conventional
anime purist. Replace these themes with rugged individualism and a millionaire vigilante who uses his own skills and
money to step in where the state and the community have failed, and package it in an action packed half-hour (or the
occasional full length movie) and you cross an ocean of cultural taste. Which will you like better? Do you prefer
pizza or sushi? Animated characters that dress up like girls, or animated characters that turn into girls when they
get wet? Argue amongst yourselves. Or better still, be happy that there is a version to fit both tastes.
And if you happen to be a bi-racial fence-straddler like myself, you're probably too busy fantasizing about a
girl on girl encounter between Catwoman and Angel to fret over which one you want more. Now quiet. I'm trying to
concentrate. (Matt)