The Big O: Lost Memory [Ariga Hitoshi]

Keywords:

Mecha, Action

Warnings:

Spoilers for first manga series

Volumes:

1, continuing

Publisher:

Magazine ZKC

ISBNs:

Volume 1: 4-06-349121-8

Overview:

This is NOT a continuation of the original 6-volume Big O manga series. That had a rather decisive ending. This also does not appear to be very closely related to the second season of the Big O anime series, nor is it a continuation of the first season. Instead, it is an alternative universe tale. It starts up right where chapter "Heart of Darkness" in volume 5 of the first manga series ends, and goes down an entirely different road. Confusing? Indeed.

Before continuing, please note that because this is a continuation of The Big O manga volume 5 there are major spoilers for the first manga series.

Personal View:

Well, well, well. This was certainly unexpected. It was innocently sitting on the shelf in Asahiya when I happened to pass by. But the first manga series had ended! What was this? I picked it up and it ended up sitting on my shelf for some time as I had numerous other manga purchases made that day that I wanted to read first. Despite that, when I took it down to read (a month later), I finished it in a day. It was pretty good, I was definately hanging on each word, although it helped that many pages were purely action shots with no dialogue. Although I'm a bit suspicious at all these alternate endings, it's quite fun and rousing and quite the change from all my fluffy shoujo books.

Characters:

Roger Smith

A Negotiator in Paradigme City, with a quirky sense of humor (and taste in clothing, which all happens to be, well, black) and one giant Mecha that he uses to save the day...most of the time.

R. Dorothy Wayneright

An android (the "R" stands for Robot) who asks Roger to protect her after Beck Gold and his cronies try to steal her from Soldarno and Wayneright, her creators. She ends up staying in Roger's residence, which can be a good thing (she ends up doing lots of maid-like tasks) and a bad thing (she wakes Roger up with her piano playing.)

Norman Burg

Roger's butler, who upkeeps the Big O and the Griffon (along with the rest of the household, presumably.) No one knows about his mysterious eyepatch, however. Although he tends to spend most of his time in the Smith residence, he occasionally goes out to unleash cans of whoop-ass if necessary.

Dan Dastun

The head of the Military Police, an aging fellow who is close friends with Roger.. perhaps because more often than not, the police are unable to cope with situations and must call Roger for support with the Big O.

Beck Gold

The somewhat ineffectual crime boss (sort of..) in Paradigme, who has all sorts of crazy (and sometimes workable) plans to get rich, take control, whatever. He has three cronies, Tom, Yam, and Kun, who idolize him and hang on his every word.

Angel (Casey Jenkins)

An enigmatic figure who sometimes opposes Roger, sometimes helps him. Whatever she does, though, it is to further her own plans first. She has mysterious scars on her back - is she truely an "angel" or even a "fallen angel"?

Detailed Summaries:

Volume 1

Acquired from:

Asahiya (Little Tokyo)

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