Roger, AAAAAAAAH Defender of the Universe!

Big O has a special place in my heart as one of those existential, ‘what the fuck just happened?’ shows that I actually enjoyed (Serial Experiments Lain is another one.) Script writer Chiaki J. Konaka has been known to work on dark and cerebral shows. There were so many endearing qualities in Big O that added to the overall quirkiness of show. It drew me in. The film noir camp was offset with smart inside writing that was chock full of Western references and allusions. To top it all off, I absolutely love the opening, which is styled quite shamelessly after Queen’s Flash Gordon. I’ve even been tempted to find some Big O Dojinshi. Yes, I know Dorothy is a robot.

But now, I can begin to appreciate Roger Smith on an even higher level. How is that possible you ask? Many may recall Gargoyles, a real kick-ass animated television show that aired on the Disney Afternoon in the mid-nineties. Gargoyles set itself apart by actually attempting an intelligent contiguous story line. While the intended core audience was children the show had some complex story lines about time travel and causality. (See Vows)

So imagine my girlish delight when I was watching the first episode of season 2 of Big O, Roger the Wanderer. Roger Smith finds himself shuffling in the past, in the old Paradigm City, full and bustling with people.

And who do we see but these three guys!

In case you didn’t recognize them, that’s Broadway, Lexington, and Brooklyn. Though Broadway seems to have stolen Goliath’s Jaw.

/End Geek Transmission

Addendum: I will be attending The Gathering of the Gargoyles in 2008.

-Ataru