SYNOPSIS OF THE SERIES
" BIG O"
BY SILVERLOCKE980
UPDATES
1.0 Started Fanfic with Shwarztvald, Angel, and Megadeus sections.
1.1 Added new Theories section, made Megadeus it's own personal section, and added Beck analysis
INTRODUCTION
Hello. I am Silverlocke980, a fan of anime, fantasy, and video games. I've decided to attempt my skill at a Big O show synopsis. It will always be Chapter 2, but updated and revised. I have two sections as of now: Theory, where various theories about the show are discussed, and Character Analysis. Send me an e-mail at silverlocke980@hotmail.com and I'll add your comments/theories/opinions! And now it's...
"SHOWTIME!"
THEORIES
This is where the various ideas of me and my reviewers/e-mailers are discussed. I will give you credit for your own theory, so don't be shy! Here are the three current theories:
Fall of Man Theory
Theorist: Silverlocke980
Theory: This is my own theory. My idea, relying mostly on the religious overtones of the show, is that the human race attempted to take the power of God- namely, souls- and use them as weapons. The Megadueses were the result (note the fact that Big O and other Megadeuses seem alive- see MEGADEUS section.) As written in Metropolis, mankind was allowed to fight one last war, wherein Big Venus ended up destroying everything. As a second chance, a few people were allowed to survive, but they were stripped of memory so that they could have a real second chance. Of course some memories were allowed so they could function, but otherwise all memory was gone. Roger was chosen to pilot Big O, the only Megadeus not purely evil, and try to help mankind reach his former glory.
Read my fanfic (Chapter 1) to get other salient points of my theory. And by the by, Traveler isn't a Big O character, but rather an original creation of mine. Don't use him in fanfics please.
SUPPORTED BY: Big O's " CAST IN THE NAME OF GOD YE NOT GUILTY" that flashes on every time Roger gets in.
The book "Metropolis" which Gordon Rosewater recorded and Angel wrote, detailing man taking God's power and fighting in one final, catastrophic battle.
Roger having flashbacks to this war throughout the series.
A lot of people in Paradigm remember church, far too many to be just luck (watch the episode titled "Leviathan" for an especially good note on this).
Alex Rosewater's line, " This world has a new order now. It has a new God!" indicating mankind's pride and past downfall.
Matrix Theory
Theorist: ZeonReborn
Theory: ZeonReborn's theory, relying on the computer grid that appears in the last episode (Big Venus), plus the lights and iron gridwork above Paradigm, is that the entire thing is a computer program. With the exception that these are computer programs and not human beings, it is much like the "Matrix", hence the theory name. The characters are just acting out their programming, with Big Venus and Angel acting as the resetter for the program, a "Repeat Program" button, if you will. The program is designed to act as a simulator for memory loss. My own take (NOT ZeonReborn's!) is that maybe some scientists were attempting to simulate a new weapon they had created, an "amnesia gun", if you will. They then created the computer program, and that's why some people still have memories- the weapon would still be in development, and hence not perfectly capable of wiping all the person's memory away. Bits and pieces would still exist, as evidenced in the show.
This theory provides a good explanation for the computer grid resulting from Big Venus' attack, and also provides the best explanation for Schwarztvald's last line (see SHWARTZVALD section).
SUPPORTED BY: Shwartzvald's last line: " (laughs amazedly) Is this the truth I'm looking for? Why, this is (explosion, voice cuts off)."
Computer-like "grid" that appears when Big Venus attacks.
The desert wastes around Paradigm City, representing either a.) nuclear war, or b.) if the scientist's only needed a single city to test their theory, then they would not have bothered creating any area around it. A computer program may very well see this blank space as "desert".
Big Show Theory
Theorist: Reader (This was added in a review, and the name given was "Reader". If you would prefer a different name, Reader, send me an e-mail.)
Theory: This mostly works off the huge gridwork of lights above Paradigm. The idea is that the entire show is just like that Jim Carey movie " The Truman Show," and all of Paradigm is a stage. This theory explains a lot of the later scenes, and almost all of Gordon Rosewater's final sayings. The most interesting thing Reader added was that perhaps it would be broadcast as a TV show, and that makes me think; how are we getting this show? Perhaps by the hidden camera and gridlights? What if what we watch and see all comes from the grid and it's lights?
SUPPORTED BY: Almost all of Gordon Rosewater's final quotes, the biggest probably being " Paradigm City is a stage, and we are all but actors on it."
The gridwork and lights above Paradigm.
Schwartzvald's last line can be interpreted as him realizing that he's just another actor in the play of Paradigm City, which causes him to freak out and laugh at the absurdity of the "truth" he's been hunting for.
In Roger's vision, the glimpse of himself on a TV is very supportive of this theory.
CHARACTER ANALYSIS
SHWARTZVALD- I personally believe that Schwartzvald, as Traveler mentioned in my fanfic, came closest of all to becoming a "real" Dominus. Alan Gabriel failed utterly, and until he stole Dorothy's memory Alex Rosewater couldn't control Big Fau, but Scwartzvald actually piloted Big Duo almost perfectly. He didn't manage to defeat Roger, but then again, who does?
I also think Schwartzvald's ghost came back to help Roger. Schwartzvald was obsessed with the "truth", and in his scenes with Roger he clearly indicates that he thinks Roger is closest to this elusive "truth". That's why he came back when Alan Gabriel was about to kill Roger. On the other hand, he also had an ulterior motive; his soul so thirsted for truth that even after dying out in the desert wastes that surround Paradigm, it continued to exist in this world as a spirit, and that spirit needed a physical form to help in it's search for truth. He came back to get his Megadeus, in other words. That's also why Big Duo flew off at the end- so he could seek the truth that lay in the sky.
Although we never hear what Schwartzvald discovered (Big Duo exploded first), we can assume he did eventually find it. Right as he was entering one of the giant lights above Paradigm, he laughs and mentions something along these lines:
" What? Is this the truth I've been looking for? Why, it's (big explosion, voice cuts off)"
Assuming ZeonReborn's theory (which will, henceforth, be known as the "Matrix" theory) is correct, then Schwartzvald discovered he was a computer program right before he terminated. That's why he laughed, because what he had dedicated his life to was nothing more than a simple computer program.
Working off my own theory, he saw the truth behind what had happened to Paradigm City, and he laughed because it was so enormous it dumbfounded him: after all, what if one day you found out that the state of the world was all because Mankind had committed a great sin and atrocity? It would more than likely drive you half-mad, and that's what happened to Schwartvald, I think.
Working on the new theory (Big Show), he laughs because he sees that the great "truth" is simply that he is an actor, no more and no less. He laughs at the absurdity and cruelty of this grand joke.
Oh, yeah, and if I'm not spelling his name correctly, sorry :).
ANGEL- Like I stated in my fanfic, I think she's the memory of Big Venus. I really do believe that souls power the Megadeuses (see MEGADEUS section). Angel is the spirit that inhabited Big Venus forty years ago. In the last episode, when Roger sees Big Venus attack a city, notice the spread wing-things on it's back? It doesn't have them when it shows up in the present, and Angel has scars that exactly resemble where Big Venus' wings were. Also, Big Venus looks like a demon of sorts, plus when Angel reaches it's "control room", she flies forward, propelled by angelic wings from the scars on her back. The mentioning of "bird with it's wings plucked, etc." that keeps getting repeated to her shows a direct correlation with Big Venus; in Roger's memory it's huge, looks more demonic, and has the wing things, but when Angel gets control, it's no bigger than Big O, not quite so fugly, and DOESN'T HAVE WINGS. I find that the biggest piece of evidence to support my case.
If that's not the case, she's the memory of Roger's mom. Watch the episode where Roger fights the Megadeus Archetype underneath the city (not sure about the number, but it's in the first season). When he's going down there, he gets extremely frightened of whatever's down there (my own opinion is he's feeling the ghosts of the people who used to be there). He falls and gets knocked out (way to go, Roger!). After the fall, he looks up and sees Dorothy; however, his dazed mind shows him his mother. His mom looks a hell of a lot like Angel, and even though this theory is rather far-fetched, it seems to stick in my head for some reason.
And as for her "love" for Roger, that seems to get screwed over by the scene they have on the beach. They reach for each other, hold one another, kiss... and then the whole moment is blown away. Angel accuses Roger of "holding back." When he protests he doesn't (using a wonderful line, " Stop these preposterous insinuations!") she begins to chuckle hysterically. She says, " Could it possibly be? You... and that android?" This is obviously a mention of Dorothy. Angel did love Roger. She loved him because he is the single person she could trust in the city, the single person she had met who had been entirely trustworthy. He also saved her life several times, probably helping the love situation a bit. But Roger's heart belongs to Dorothy (as it should be :), and Angel's love was not reciprocated. Roger tried to do so, probably not wanting to believe he loved an android, but the truth prevailed. Afterwards, when Angel has a chance to save Dorothy from Alan Gabriel, her own new-found hate of Dorothy for ruining her chance with Roger warring with her want to help Roger by saving Dorothy causes her to drop her gun and make her choice by default. Roger also uses her love when he talks to her at the end of the series, when she is piloting Big Venus, mentioning he will "never forget" the woman he knew. It is love, more than anything Roger says, that makes Angel restore Paradigm City.
I know this next part will make you want to turn off your computer, but I think Angel and Dan Dastun would make a lovely couple. They have a nice scene in a room after the Union episodes, and they actually fit together. Angel has her own sense of honor, and Dastun's is extremely fierce. In the room (although I forget the exact wording) he mentions that they are a lot alike, in many ways. Both live by the gun, and will die by it. Angel's a strong woman, and it would take a strong woman to deal with Dastun, so I think they would make a great couple.
And for the last part, why she attacks and destroys so much of Paradigm, think of this. You have just discovered you are the soul that ended up completely destroying most of the world, resulting in total historical amnesia, forty years ago. Just to make things more interesting, you find out you wrote a book detailing a war and Man trying to take God's power, resulting in the amnesia. You are freaking out. Angel seems emotionless near the end, and that's a good indicator of extreme shock. Angel's mind has been stretched almost to the limit, and to use a naval term, she's going down fast. She is confused and conflicted at this point, and when it is offered to do something simple (control Big Venus and destroy Paradigm, quite simple when everything you touch is obliterated) she does it simply because she is in too much mental pain to have any idea what the hell she is doing.
In the "Matrix" theory, Angel plays a far less spectacular role than that of wronged soul, crying out in pain: she's the reset button. Read ZeonReborn's review of my work to grasp the essential "Matrix" theory to Big O. Angel's sole purpose in this theory is to act as the resetter, to restore everything to it's original status. The computer-like grid that appears around Paradigm City as Big Venus goes happily trampling through it is the major evidence of this theory, and it's pretty damn good evidence for that matter.
BECK- Ah, the ineffable Beck. The blond-haired, mad scientist crook who runs around with two guys, one who makes Boy George look normal and another who reminds me of a Cuban drug lord. You'd think he'd be able to afford better help...
Beck, a.k.a. the eternal thorn in Roger's side, first appears in the first few episodes. He's the first villain were introduced to, and he's a pretty decent villain at this point. He kills Dorothy's creator/father, and then steals her big sister, Dorothy One. Although he is beaten by Roger, he does a pretty good number on the city anyway. He is constantly being sent to (and breaking out from) Paradigm City's maximum-security prison, out in the ocean. Give the man credit- he never gives up.
Although he provides most of the show's comic relief (including a hilarious episode, clearly designed for laughs, wherein the show pokes fun at the Power Rangers, monster movies, Afros, Japanese anime, and Japanese tourists, all in one go), he also has some surprisingly serious moments. He has memories he isn't aware of, which is very strange, considering he is far too young to have lived forty years ago, and he was never given memory implants by Gordon Rosewater as a "tomato". Still, it's undeniable he has technical know-how and genius; he both steals Dorothy's memory and manages to get Big Fau operable. This calls into question the amnesia; perhaps it's wearing off? Another explanation is that perhaps one of the council members who got their memories implanted secretly had Beck implanted as well, and it is never revealed. Hmm...
Beck is a major character in Dorothy's life from the get-go, and he continues to be as well. Beck knows more about how Dorothy works then Dorothy herself, and he manages to make life hell for her several times. He manages to make her attempt to kill Roger, sticks her to a magnet (multiple times), attempts to kill her, and to top it off, steals her memory. Quite an active fellow, really.
Beck represents the criminal element of the show, as well as the humor of the show. As with everything else in Paradigm, it's a little twisted and wacky, but it's still humor. Beck also sums up one of the biggest themes of the entire show in one of his last quotes, as he stands with a supposedly inoperable Dorothy on Roger's balcony: " Memories! What the heck are they?" He's a very instructive character on memory, and a lot of his more serious scenes involve them. His thievery of Dorothy's memory to run Big Fau suggests that memories are needed for life; yet by sheer force of will she raises up without memory and saves Roger from drowning. This indicates that memories are not necessary, and to the viewer is left the choice. Do we need memory, or are we more than the sum of our experiences? My own answer is the latter. We are more than the sum of our experiences; we are what we choose to be.
MEGADEUSES
MEGADEUS- Ah, the Megadeus. Enormous robots of war- but what are they really? They seem alive, and Big O might as well BE alive, for all that it does. It moves on it's own several times in the series:
1. When Roger faced R. Destiny in the subway, Big O came and destroyed the homicidal android.
2. When Dorothy was in danger of getting destroyed by Alan Gabriel, Big O took over from Roger and showed him her picture. It decided to try and simply hold on while Roger went and saved Dorothy, even though Roger was rather reluctant about leaving it to be beaten on by the Union "zombie" Megadeus.
3. It tries to save Dorothy when she and Norman are attacked in Roger's house by Beck's androids.
That's not all of them, but you get the idea. Another good support of this theory is the episode where old Military Police commanders keep getting killed by a "ghost". When the ex-Military Police officer is finally caught, he explains that he was falling in the river when his Megadeus saved him. Obviously no one was inside it, so it acted of it's own accord to save him.
The Megadeus that comes out of the water is a wonderful support of this. The Megadeus is "crying", and Dorothy says that's because "it can't find it's master." The Megadeus is crying because it's old pilot is dead, and it had loved him. It's tearing up a lot of Paradigm, but it doesn't know. It was in so much sorrow it was acting at random, not noticing the buildings/people in it's way.
The last and absolute best support of this theory is Leviathan. Leviathan is obviously quite the twisted monstrosity, and it destroys several objects in the wasteland deserts for no apparent reason, just having fun, I suppose. When it attacks Paradigm City itself, it gets (literally) in Dorothy's face. She says that "You've lost your conscience," and that obviously means it has to have a soul. If you have a conscience you've lost, you need to have soul to have one to lose in the first place. Leviathan is a soul that went insane and became a monster.
Also, the note that flashes on Big O's screen whenever Roger gets in is interesting. It states, " CAST IN THE NAME OF GOD.... YE NOT GUILTY." Besides tying into the series' religious overtones, it also makes you wonder. What machine could possibly decide if you are guilty of anything (ignore polygraphs), especially of the soul and morality? The answer is none, but a soul could judge.
I'll update this when I can. It'll still be one chapter, but updated and revised! The next updates will provide more character analysis and also will provide extended Megadeus analysis!
" BIG O"
BY SILVERLOCKE980
UPDATES
1.0 Started Fanfic with Shwarztvald, Angel, and Megadeus sections.
1.1 Added new Theories section, made Megadeus it's own personal section, and added Beck analysis
INTRODUCTION
Hello. I am Silverlocke980, a fan of anime, fantasy, and video games. I've decided to attempt my skill at a Big O show synopsis. It will always be Chapter 2, but updated and revised. I have two sections as of now: Theory, where various theories about the show are discussed, and Character Analysis. Send me an e-mail at silverlocke980@hotmail.com and I'll add your comments/theories/opinions! And now it's...
"SHOWTIME!"
THEORIES
This is where the various ideas of me and my reviewers/e-mailers are discussed. I will give you credit for your own theory, so don't be shy! Here are the three current theories:
Fall of Man Theory
Theorist: Silverlocke980
Theory: This is my own theory. My idea, relying mostly on the religious overtones of the show, is that the human race attempted to take the power of God- namely, souls- and use them as weapons. The Megadueses were the result (note the fact that Big O and other Megadeuses seem alive- see MEGADEUS section.) As written in Metropolis, mankind was allowed to fight one last war, wherein Big Venus ended up destroying everything. As a second chance, a few people were allowed to survive, but they were stripped of memory so that they could have a real second chance. Of course some memories were allowed so they could function, but otherwise all memory was gone. Roger was chosen to pilot Big O, the only Megadeus not purely evil, and try to help mankind reach his former glory.
Read my fanfic (Chapter 1) to get other salient points of my theory. And by the by, Traveler isn't a Big O character, but rather an original creation of mine. Don't use him in fanfics please.
SUPPORTED BY: Big O's " CAST IN THE NAME OF GOD YE NOT GUILTY" that flashes on every time Roger gets in.
The book "Metropolis" which Gordon Rosewater recorded and Angel wrote, detailing man taking God's power and fighting in one final, catastrophic battle.
Roger having flashbacks to this war throughout the series.
A lot of people in Paradigm remember church, far too many to be just luck (watch the episode titled "Leviathan" for an especially good note on this).
Alex Rosewater's line, " This world has a new order now. It has a new God!" indicating mankind's pride and past downfall.
Matrix Theory
Theorist: ZeonReborn
Theory: ZeonReborn's theory, relying on the computer grid that appears in the last episode (Big Venus), plus the lights and iron gridwork above Paradigm, is that the entire thing is a computer program. With the exception that these are computer programs and not human beings, it is much like the "Matrix", hence the theory name. The characters are just acting out their programming, with Big Venus and Angel acting as the resetter for the program, a "Repeat Program" button, if you will. The program is designed to act as a simulator for memory loss. My own take (NOT ZeonReborn's!) is that maybe some scientists were attempting to simulate a new weapon they had created, an "amnesia gun", if you will. They then created the computer program, and that's why some people still have memories- the weapon would still be in development, and hence not perfectly capable of wiping all the person's memory away. Bits and pieces would still exist, as evidenced in the show.
This theory provides a good explanation for the computer grid resulting from Big Venus' attack, and also provides the best explanation for Schwarztvald's last line (see SHWARTZVALD section).
SUPPORTED BY: Shwartzvald's last line: " (laughs amazedly) Is this the truth I'm looking for? Why, this is (explosion, voice cuts off)."
Computer-like "grid" that appears when Big Venus attacks.
The desert wastes around Paradigm City, representing either a.) nuclear war, or b.) if the scientist's only needed a single city to test their theory, then they would not have bothered creating any area around it. A computer program may very well see this blank space as "desert".
Big Show Theory
Theorist: Reader (This was added in a review, and the name given was "Reader". If you would prefer a different name, Reader, send me an e-mail.)
Theory: This mostly works off the huge gridwork of lights above Paradigm. The idea is that the entire show is just like that Jim Carey movie " The Truman Show," and all of Paradigm is a stage. This theory explains a lot of the later scenes, and almost all of Gordon Rosewater's final sayings. The most interesting thing Reader added was that perhaps it would be broadcast as a TV show, and that makes me think; how are we getting this show? Perhaps by the hidden camera and gridlights? What if what we watch and see all comes from the grid and it's lights?
SUPPORTED BY: Almost all of Gordon Rosewater's final quotes, the biggest probably being " Paradigm City is a stage, and we are all but actors on it."
The gridwork and lights above Paradigm.
Schwartzvald's last line can be interpreted as him realizing that he's just another actor in the play of Paradigm City, which causes him to freak out and laugh at the absurdity of the "truth" he's been hunting for.
In Roger's vision, the glimpse of himself on a TV is very supportive of this theory.
CHARACTER ANALYSIS
SHWARTZVALD- I personally believe that Schwartzvald, as Traveler mentioned in my fanfic, came closest of all to becoming a "real" Dominus. Alan Gabriel failed utterly, and until he stole Dorothy's memory Alex Rosewater couldn't control Big Fau, but Scwartzvald actually piloted Big Duo almost perfectly. He didn't manage to defeat Roger, but then again, who does?
I also think Schwartzvald's ghost came back to help Roger. Schwartzvald was obsessed with the "truth", and in his scenes with Roger he clearly indicates that he thinks Roger is closest to this elusive "truth". That's why he came back when Alan Gabriel was about to kill Roger. On the other hand, he also had an ulterior motive; his soul so thirsted for truth that even after dying out in the desert wastes that surround Paradigm, it continued to exist in this world as a spirit, and that spirit needed a physical form to help in it's search for truth. He came back to get his Megadeus, in other words. That's also why Big Duo flew off at the end- so he could seek the truth that lay in the sky.
Although we never hear what Schwartzvald discovered (Big Duo exploded first), we can assume he did eventually find it. Right as he was entering one of the giant lights above Paradigm, he laughs and mentions something along these lines:
" What? Is this the truth I've been looking for? Why, it's (big explosion, voice cuts off)"
Assuming ZeonReborn's theory (which will, henceforth, be known as the "Matrix" theory) is correct, then Schwartzvald discovered he was a computer program right before he terminated. That's why he laughed, because what he had dedicated his life to was nothing more than a simple computer program.
Working off my own theory, he saw the truth behind what had happened to Paradigm City, and he laughed because it was so enormous it dumbfounded him: after all, what if one day you found out that the state of the world was all because Mankind had committed a great sin and atrocity? It would more than likely drive you half-mad, and that's what happened to Schwartvald, I think.
Working on the new theory (Big Show), he laughs because he sees that the great "truth" is simply that he is an actor, no more and no less. He laughs at the absurdity and cruelty of this grand joke.
Oh, yeah, and if I'm not spelling his name correctly, sorry :).
ANGEL- Like I stated in my fanfic, I think she's the memory of Big Venus. I really do believe that souls power the Megadeuses (see MEGADEUS section). Angel is the spirit that inhabited Big Venus forty years ago. In the last episode, when Roger sees Big Venus attack a city, notice the spread wing-things on it's back? It doesn't have them when it shows up in the present, and Angel has scars that exactly resemble where Big Venus' wings were. Also, Big Venus looks like a demon of sorts, plus when Angel reaches it's "control room", she flies forward, propelled by angelic wings from the scars on her back. The mentioning of "bird with it's wings plucked, etc." that keeps getting repeated to her shows a direct correlation with Big Venus; in Roger's memory it's huge, looks more demonic, and has the wing things, but when Angel gets control, it's no bigger than Big O, not quite so fugly, and DOESN'T HAVE WINGS. I find that the biggest piece of evidence to support my case.
If that's not the case, she's the memory of Roger's mom. Watch the episode where Roger fights the Megadeus Archetype underneath the city (not sure about the number, but it's in the first season). When he's going down there, he gets extremely frightened of whatever's down there (my own opinion is he's feeling the ghosts of the people who used to be there). He falls and gets knocked out (way to go, Roger!). After the fall, he looks up and sees Dorothy; however, his dazed mind shows him his mother. His mom looks a hell of a lot like Angel, and even though this theory is rather far-fetched, it seems to stick in my head for some reason.
And as for her "love" for Roger, that seems to get screwed over by the scene they have on the beach. They reach for each other, hold one another, kiss... and then the whole moment is blown away. Angel accuses Roger of "holding back." When he protests he doesn't (using a wonderful line, " Stop these preposterous insinuations!") she begins to chuckle hysterically. She says, " Could it possibly be? You... and that android?" This is obviously a mention of Dorothy. Angel did love Roger. She loved him because he is the single person she could trust in the city, the single person she had met who had been entirely trustworthy. He also saved her life several times, probably helping the love situation a bit. But Roger's heart belongs to Dorothy (as it should be :), and Angel's love was not reciprocated. Roger tried to do so, probably not wanting to believe he loved an android, but the truth prevailed. Afterwards, when Angel has a chance to save Dorothy from Alan Gabriel, her own new-found hate of Dorothy for ruining her chance with Roger warring with her want to help Roger by saving Dorothy causes her to drop her gun and make her choice by default. Roger also uses her love when he talks to her at the end of the series, when she is piloting Big Venus, mentioning he will "never forget" the woman he knew. It is love, more than anything Roger says, that makes Angel restore Paradigm City.
I know this next part will make you want to turn off your computer, but I think Angel and Dan Dastun would make a lovely couple. They have a nice scene in a room after the Union episodes, and they actually fit together. Angel has her own sense of honor, and Dastun's is extremely fierce. In the room (although I forget the exact wording) he mentions that they are a lot alike, in many ways. Both live by the gun, and will die by it. Angel's a strong woman, and it would take a strong woman to deal with Dastun, so I think they would make a great couple.
And for the last part, why she attacks and destroys so much of Paradigm, think of this. You have just discovered you are the soul that ended up completely destroying most of the world, resulting in total historical amnesia, forty years ago. Just to make things more interesting, you find out you wrote a book detailing a war and Man trying to take God's power, resulting in the amnesia. You are freaking out. Angel seems emotionless near the end, and that's a good indicator of extreme shock. Angel's mind has been stretched almost to the limit, and to use a naval term, she's going down fast. She is confused and conflicted at this point, and when it is offered to do something simple (control Big Venus and destroy Paradigm, quite simple when everything you touch is obliterated) she does it simply because she is in too much mental pain to have any idea what the hell she is doing.
In the "Matrix" theory, Angel plays a far less spectacular role than that of wronged soul, crying out in pain: she's the reset button. Read ZeonReborn's review of my work to grasp the essential "Matrix" theory to Big O. Angel's sole purpose in this theory is to act as the resetter, to restore everything to it's original status. The computer-like grid that appears around Paradigm City as Big Venus goes happily trampling through it is the major evidence of this theory, and it's pretty damn good evidence for that matter.
BECK- Ah, the ineffable Beck. The blond-haired, mad scientist crook who runs around with two guys, one who makes Boy George look normal and another who reminds me of a Cuban drug lord. You'd think he'd be able to afford better help...
Beck, a.k.a. the eternal thorn in Roger's side, first appears in the first few episodes. He's the first villain were introduced to, and he's a pretty decent villain at this point. He kills Dorothy's creator/father, and then steals her big sister, Dorothy One. Although he is beaten by Roger, he does a pretty good number on the city anyway. He is constantly being sent to (and breaking out from) Paradigm City's maximum-security prison, out in the ocean. Give the man credit- he never gives up.
Although he provides most of the show's comic relief (including a hilarious episode, clearly designed for laughs, wherein the show pokes fun at the Power Rangers, monster movies, Afros, Japanese anime, and Japanese tourists, all in one go), he also has some surprisingly serious moments. He has memories he isn't aware of, which is very strange, considering he is far too young to have lived forty years ago, and he was never given memory implants by Gordon Rosewater as a "tomato". Still, it's undeniable he has technical know-how and genius; he both steals Dorothy's memory and manages to get Big Fau operable. This calls into question the amnesia; perhaps it's wearing off? Another explanation is that perhaps one of the council members who got their memories implanted secretly had Beck implanted as well, and it is never revealed. Hmm...
Beck is a major character in Dorothy's life from the get-go, and he continues to be as well. Beck knows more about how Dorothy works then Dorothy herself, and he manages to make life hell for her several times. He manages to make her attempt to kill Roger, sticks her to a magnet (multiple times), attempts to kill her, and to top it off, steals her memory. Quite an active fellow, really.
Beck represents the criminal element of the show, as well as the humor of the show. As with everything else in Paradigm, it's a little twisted and wacky, but it's still humor. Beck also sums up one of the biggest themes of the entire show in one of his last quotes, as he stands with a supposedly inoperable Dorothy on Roger's balcony: " Memories! What the heck are they?" He's a very instructive character on memory, and a lot of his more serious scenes involve them. His thievery of Dorothy's memory to run Big Fau suggests that memories are needed for life; yet by sheer force of will she raises up without memory and saves Roger from drowning. This indicates that memories are not necessary, and to the viewer is left the choice. Do we need memory, or are we more than the sum of our experiences? My own answer is the latter. We are more than the sum of our experiences; we are what we choose to be.
MEGADEUSES
MEGADEUS- Ah, the Megadeus. Enormous robots of war- but what are they really? They seem alive, and Big O might as well BE alive, for all that it does. It moves on it's own several times in the series:
1. When Roger faced R. Destiny in the subway, Big O came and destroyed the homicidal android.
2. When Dorothy was in danger of getting destroyed by Alan Gabriel, Big O took over from Roger and showed him her picture. It decided to try and simply hold on while Roger went and saved Dorothy, even though Roger was rather reluctant about leaving it to be beaten on by the Union "zombie" Megadeus.
3. It tries to save Dorothy when she and Norman are attacked in Roger's house by Beck's androids.
That's not all of them, but you get the idea. Another good support of this theory is the episode where old Military Police commanders keep getting killed by a "ghost". When the ex-Military Police officer is finally caught, he explains that he was falling in the river when his Megadeus saved him. Obviously no one was inside it, so it acted of it's own accord to save him.
The Megadeus that comes out of the water is a wonderful support of this. The Megadeus is "crying", and Dorothy says that's because "it can't find it's master." The Megadeus is crying because it's old pilot is dead, and it had loved him. It's tearing up a lot of Paradigm, but it doesn't know. It was in so much sorrow it was acting at random, not noticing the buildings/people in it's way.
The last and absolute best support of this theory is Leviathan. Leviathan is obviously quite the twisted monstrosity, and it destroys several objects in the wasteland deserts for no apparent reason, just having fun, I suppose. When it attacks Paradigm City itself, it gets (literally) in Dorothy's face. She says that "You've lost your conscience," and that obviously means it has to have a soul. If you have a conscience you've lost, you need to have soul to have one to lose in the first place. Leviathan is a soul that went insane and became a monster.
Also, the note that flashes on Big O's screen whenever Roger gets in is interesting. It states, " CAST IN THE NAME OF GOD.... YE NOT GUILTY." Besides tying into the series' religious overtones, it also makes you wonder. What machine could possibly decide if you are guilty of anything (ignore polygraphs), especially of the soul and morality? The answer is none, but a soul could judge.
I'll update this when I can. It'll still be one chapter, but updated and revised! The next updates will provide more character analysis and also will provide extended Megadeus analysis!