Hello all, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am eagerly awaiting our continued explorations of The Big O, a show that has impressed me anew with almost every new episode, marrying gothic grandeur and neo-noir smolder to dazzling effect. I say “almost” there as a specific nod to the show’s last episode, which was unfortunately a bit of a step down from the show’s standard; a little more monster-of-the-week than usual, and also a bit less impressive in terms of its overall storyboarding.

But of course, as we hopefully all understand at this point, an anime production isn’t really a singular, cohesive organism; it is a composite of many individual artists, all of whom tend to leave a definable signature on their work. And in this case, one of those artists happens to be Akihiko Yamashita, co-architect of the astounding Giant Robo, and one of The Big O’s most accomplished storyboarders. With him on boards and series mainstay Ikuro Sato on direction, I’m expecting great things from The Big O’s ninth episode. Let’s get to it!

Episode 9

While we have now witnessed Norman firing a machine gun, we have yet to see Dorothy passively sitting atop a missile-launching sidecar. The OP maintains at least one of its improbable mysteries

Ahhh, yes. From the very first shot, The Big O is once again showing off its marvelous visual strengths. The show is remarkably good at employing silhouettes to strong dramatic effort, and that’s clear to see here, as what appears to be an island prison is cast in full shadow, with only the bright beams of its searchlights piercing the murky night sky. Contrast and depth are conveyed largely through the shade of the darkness – uneven grey for the water, a deep black dividing line presented by the coastline, and then the grey of the prison itself, lightly lit from below

The second shot is equally inspired, once again using silhouettes to imply a rush of police behind the camera, while the frame holds steady on the stark, even lines of the prison cells

And then the crumbling of the prison’s wall, courtesy of this giant robot, is presented as a full black composition falling to the wayside in the wake of the robot’s strike. Great anime storyboarders understand their art is not just about conveying a location or a series of plot actions, but also creating aesthetically compelling, dramatically coherent visual compositions

Compositionally speaking, one of the medium’s great strengths is that nothing has an “inherent form,” because everything is drawn. Therefore, you can use an ostensibly stable object like a brick wall to precise compositional effect, creating a black canvas that crumbles in a perfect, geometrically satisfying way as a sort of wipe cut to reveal the creature beyond. Great storyboarders never fall into the complacency of simply capturing the characters in frame, but understand that the frame itself is one of anime’s most powerful dramatic tools, and must be respected and manipulated accordingly

“Beck Comes Back.” Looks like they’re breaking out the villain from the show’s initial two-parter

“If they’re smart enough to operate machinery and get electricity, (humans) can have something of civilization even without a history.” Roger’s reflections highlight how Paradigm is essentially an exaggerated version of a common human condition: we build our society upon the advancements of our priors, but are generally only familiar with the tangible fruits of their labor, not the work or thought that went into them. The more we advance, the more we forget the human element of the past, while we’re simultaneously left with more and more dangerous tools. When scientific progress advances continuously but human self-actualization resets every few decades, what ultimate result can we hope for?

“The only ones who regret the loss of these memories are the city’s elderly”

Francis, the heir to the Weiss group, has been kidnapped, and his father wants him back. He’s forty years old, meaning he was born right around the wave of amnesia, which I’m sure is just a coincidence

Some sharp cuts and closeups throughout this negotiation, amplifying the tension. I like that Dorothy is accompanying him now; it seems last episode was enough of a push to get her on the active team

The villain is holding his nose to alter his voice, a devious ploy indeed. I love the geometry of this quick shot of the kidnapper’s face; great use of these shining spectacles

The blinding sunlight through the windows make for yet another neat visual contrast at Roger’s apartment; the sheer white light and sheer black shadows naturally compliment Roger and Dorothy’s costumes, letting her pose as she sits for a portrait stand out that much more. Characters express themselves within clear limits in this show – they all obey the laws of symmetry and geometry that make its aesthetic so striking and cohesive, but precisely because the show’s look is so cohesive, any variations from strict, straight lines or even curves come across as dynamic displays of personality

I appreciate Roger’s explanations of the basics of haggling, and how it applies to hostage negotiation as well. We rarely get to see him actually doing any real negotiating

Dastun stops by to let Roger know that Beck has broken out. Very considerate of him, even he’s just following a hunch to catch the guy himself

Speaking of “make sure you use your storyboards to facilitate the drama,” how about this shot of Weiss on the phone, with the “camera” set in the back of the grandfather clock

Even the unique hair styles of Roger and Weiss make for a pleasing and dramatically coherent visual contrast; Roger’s black hair and sharp lines echo his bluntness and strength, while Weiss’ looping curves and grey hair convey his softness and frailty

The second dropoff is actually just a setup for Roger. Love Dorothy’s blunt “mm hm” when Roger announces this was a ploy by Beck

Ooh, really nice cut for Roger’s car pulling onto the mountain road

And it’s Dorothy’s close appraisal of Francis that actually provides the necessary clue. I’d love to see her become the more “personable” member of the team, the one who actually emotionally connects with their clients and targets

And of course, the truth hinges on that forty year clue. Francis isn’t his real son

Weiss is essentially innocent; Francis was conceived before the memory wipe, he fell in love with Francis’ mother directly after. It’s nice to finally get this sort of perspective on the event, from someone who was already an adult when the amnesia struck

Dorothy and Roger once again present a compelling contrast as they leave Weiss’ estate. Roger, the actual human, is unmoved by Weiss’ story – but Dorothy is full of questions, first as to whether forgetting could really make you lonely, and then as to whether being lonely is a reason to fall in love. Dorothy is fascinated by human frailty to the point of jealousy; Roger can only answer “that question is too tough for me,” preferring to keep his mind focused on clear and resolvable tasks

Their confrontation with Beck serves as a tidy parallel to Roger and Dorothy’s first meeting, a reference point that emphasizes how much Dorothy has grown since then

Genuine, unmitigated fear in Roger’s eyes when he thinks Dorothy might be hurt. He’s grown too

Unfortunately, Beck grabs her with a giant magnet, and affixes some new control device to her forehead. I suppose “now we must fight to affirm our friendship” is a classic beat of the “look how far our relationship has come” episode structure

She begins to crush his spine, but her own personality is too strong at this point, and so she engages some kind of short-circuit to save him

Beck design isn’t as wild as some of this show’s villains, but his all-gold color scheme makes for some nice contrast in these shots

And once again, Roger’s concern is not defeating Beck, but saving Dorothy. His actions actually serve as a neat refutation of his cold advice to Weiss – if it were Dorothy being held captive, I’m sure he wouldn’t act quite so nonchalant about everything

This new robot is as dorky as Beck himself, constantly holding its arms up and palms flat

Ooh, I like the Big O’s harpoon chain attack

For perhaps the first time, Roger is genuinely angry as he crushes the skull of this new robot. Don’t fuck with Dorothy!

And her question is “if neither of us had memories and we met, would we fall in love as well?” LET’S GOOOOOO

And Done

Heck yeah, The Big O. As expected, that episode was incredibly generous in terms of its storyboarding, with dynamic layouts from start to finish, and an effortless mastery of the show’s subdued visual palette. The use of silhouettes and negative space, the clever contrast of characters’ base geometry, the layered compositions – this episode was visually rich from start to finish. What I didn’t expect, but was delighted to see, was how much closer Roger and Dorothy have gotten, to the point where her safety has essentially become Roger’s primary concern. I’m really hoping Dorothy’s collaboration on this mission was a sign of things to come, as the two of them truly become a unified negotiating team!

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