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Shelf Life - The Big O


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Greed1914



Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 4640
PostPosted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 10:28 am Reply with quote
I've never seen Megadeus written, so I had no idea about a different pronunciation.
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Desa



Joined: 07 Mar 2015
Posts: 285
PostPosted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 10:53 am Reply with quote
It's a shame The Big O season one never got a proper HD remaster from film. At this point it's unlikely to ever happen and the original film will only continue to degrade over time. The archivist in me weeps.

It's also a shame they couldn't keep the original opening theme for season one. An homage to a Flash Gordon theme still falls within fair use. But that's ok because I spliced it in myself using a high-quality upscaled version of the original opening. The powers that be can suck it.
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Stampeed Valkyrie



Joined: 10 Aug 2014
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 11:00 am Reply with quote
I 2nd this recommendation. The loss of the OP is dissapointing but since I have the original Bandai releases I am good.
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Usagi-kun



Joined: 03 Jul 2013
Posts: 877
Location: Nashville, TN
PostPosted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 11:15 am Reply with quote
Those old commercial clips on original Toonami are still permanently stuck in my head:

"My name is Roger Smith..."

"Big O...Showtime!"

After Toonami/Adult Swim took over the late night block, I also remember the ones for FLCL, Inuyasha, and Cowboy Bebop (also great dubs). I really don't hear as much about some of these classic VA's from that time period. Steve Blum is also Wolverine, but seems to be below the anime radar, or doing cameos. What are Richard Cox and Richard Hayworth up to these days?
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maximilianjenus



Joined: 29 Apr 2013
Posts: 2905
PostPosted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 11:40 am Reply with quote
talking about how old this show is, bveteran seiyuu sayaka ohara voiced girl A in one of the episodes (I think it was the xmas one); teh xover aspect of this show can't be underestimated, everybody who liked that batman cartoon or even batman beyond liked this show (around my acquaitances, I mean.)
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levonr



Joined: 19 Nov 2003
Posts: 820
PostPosted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 11:50 am Reply with quote
Usagi-kun wrote:
Steve Blum is also Wolverine, but seems to be below the anime radar, or doing cameos. What are Richard Cox and Richard Hayworth up to these days?


Currently both Steve Blum & Richard Hayworth are still voicing many roles in Naruto. Really I believe they must pay higher for Naruto and thats why some actors like David Lodge are still on it but don't really voice in other anime anymore.
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Wrangler



Joined: 11 Nov 2007
Posts: 1346
PostPosted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:22 pm Reply with quote
I loved Big O, i wish the later part of the story wasn't changed from what 1st season had hinted. Big war with Megadeus and monsters that destroyed the world.

At least there was home release of the show, even if it's not HD.
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DangerMouse



Joined: 25 Mar 2009
Posts: 3994
PostPosted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 1:50 pm Reply with quote
So many highlights to the dub, Lia Sargent's Dorothy I think is just as iconic. The banter between her and Blum for the two of them was absolutely perfect. Smile

Desa wrote:
It's a shame The Big O season one never got a proper HD remaster from film. At this point it's unlikely to ever happen and the original film will only continue to degrade over time. The archivist in me weeps.

It's also a shame they couldn't keep the original opening theme for season one. An homage to a Flash Gordon theme still falls within fair use. But that's ok because I spliced it in myself using a high-quality upscaled version of the original opening. The powers that be can suck it.


That really would have been great, if it could have gotten a full remaster. Agreed, once it didn't happen for the Japanese blu-rays it became very unlikely it'll ever happen. Probably since the show did so much better over here so they don't have as much incentive to do it unless someone over here had paid for it.

Yeah, the one flaw with the set like in the review, though I still have the old DVDs for the old OP, and a higher quality one off youtube as well, too, it's really sucks they couldn't use it. It's perfect (and so much better than the one they had to use).
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Zalis116
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Joined: 31 Mar 2005
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Location: Kazune City
PostPosted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 2:17 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
Sentai's Blu-Ray release does everything it can to preserve The Big O's best qualities, and it succeeds for the most part. Being a product of the SD era, the boxy aspect ratio and grainy footage was never going to look all that great, but that's to be expected for a show that's almost old enough to buy a drink here in the States.
The heck does "boxy aspect ratio" mean? If I can come up with a box that's ~20" by 12", does that make 16:9 a "boxy" aspect ratio, too? If I go back to old reviews of early-2000s 16:9 shows like Noir, .hack//SIGN, or Mahoromatic, I doubt I'll find any statements like "The envelopey aspect ratio isn't going to look all that great." In other words, an aspect ratio that differs from the screens most viewers happen to have may be worth noting, but it's not an inherent flaw. Of course, if Sentai had also done a DVD release for Big O, we could've watched it on 4:3 CRT TVs instead (surely I'm not the only one who keeps a set around for retro video games?), thereby solving the aspect ratio "problem."

Imo, there is a case for why a parallel DVD release should've been done. As Desa points out, the first season of Big O was animated on cels/film, but the Blu-Rays are digital upscales, rather than new HD film re-scans. And the 2nd season, being from 2003, is obviously an upscale as well. Given the crapshoot nature of these upscales, many of which turn out "no better than DVD" or even worse, having a DVD release available for SD content is a good fallback option. I've seen the counterargument made that Sentai figured most fans would already have the Bandai Big O DVDs, and new buyers would only want Blu-Ray. But that doesn't explain the dual-format releases of other license rescues like Strawberry Marshmallow, Higurashi, and Hayate the Combat Butler.
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Usagi-kun



Joined: 03 Jul 2013
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 2:23 pm Reply with quote
Levonr wrote:
Usagi-kun wrote:
Steve Blum is also Wolverine, but seems to be below the anime radar, or doing cameos. What are Richard Cox and Richard Hayworth up to these days?


Currently both Steve Blum & Richard Hayworth are still voicing many roles in Naruto. Really I believe they must pay higher for Naruto and thats why some actors like David Lodge are still on it but don't really voice in other anime anymore.


That is a good point--I saw those listed on their credits. I expect those roles have a certain amount of job security (to keep things in a profitable frame of mind.) Nice they are getting the work, although I really miss some of those voices. I'm glad they were part of the concept that cartoons and animation are not just for children. That is part my gateway and hopefully for many others.

And on a funny side note: What do you call it when you are playing a video game and hear that iconic voice of Steve Bloom somewhere in background-- and immediately try to find the source because there is no other VA in that game that sounds like him?
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jrockfreak



Joined: 06 Sep 2013
Posts: 125
PostPosted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 2:28 pm Reply with quote
i never really got into Big O its one of those shows that i always want to give a proper watch but i have never been able to hang with it longer than 5 or 6 episodes it is a classic tho
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DangerMouse



Joined: 25 Mar 2009
Posts: 3994
PostPosted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 3:21 pm Reply with quote
Usagi-kun wrote:
That is a good point--I saw those listed on their credits. I expect those roles have a certain amount of job security (to keep things in a profitable frame of mind.) Nice they are getting the work, although I really miss some of those voices. I'm glad they were part of the concept that cartoons and animation are not just for children. That is part my gateway and hopefully for many others.


Yeah.

It's been cool to finally hear some of those missing VAs again, like Crispin Freeman, Epcar, etc., with LA/NY getting some more dubs from AoA, Funi, and Discotek.

I think the only reason we don't really hear some of them like Richard Cox much recently is since not much stuff is dubbed in Canada anymore.


Last edited by DangerMouse on Mon Aug 14, 2017 3:31 pm; edited 2 times in total
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MarshalBanana



Joined: 31 Aug 2014
Posts: 5513
PostPosted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 3:29 pm Reply with quote
I miss hearing Steve Blum in Anime, the only thing I've seen him in recently is Durarara!!!. After 08 his roles quickly went down from 4-6 to only 1-2.
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CaRoss



Joined: 11 Nov 2014
Posts: 457
PostPosted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 3:39 pm Reply with quote
I'm glad to hear that The Big O holds up nearly 20 years later. I first found out about this anime at an AMV showcase room during an expo a few years ago, and have been interested in watching it ever since - the comparison's to Bruce Timm's DCAU definitely add to that feeling.

It's licenses like this that make me quite pleased with Sentai Filmworks' existence and efforts. They are keeping older anime alive among Western fans in many ways and I love it.
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jr240483



Joined: 24 Dec 2005
Posts: 4457
Location: New York City,New York,USA
PostPosted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 3:42 pm Reply with quote
MarshalBanana wrote:
I miss hearing Steve Blum in Anime, the only thing I've seen him in recently is Durarara!!!. After 08 his roles quickly went down from 4-6 to only 1-2.


its more than likely (though i hope thats not the case) he might do the same as bailey and her husband and basically be exclusively to US cartoon series like some of the disney xd series or the transformers rescue bots series as well as some videos game roles.

Quote:
That being said, this is one of those dubs that has been burned into the brains of any kid who watched the TV promos on Cartoon Network one too many times, and I can't help but feel like its quirks only add to the charm of the show. Steve Blum's take on Roger Smith is as iconic as any of the other work he's ever done, second only maybe to his role as Spike Spiegel, and all of the goofy scripting in the world can't take away from the unadulterated coolness he injects into the series.


uhhh not quite. you kind forgot one other role. voicing as toonami's host TOM

sure its not an anime role, but its just as iconic and influential as doing voice work for both spike and roger. hell i dont thing toonami's second reincarnation wouldnt be as successful without him voicing tom.
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