Paradigm City is a city of amnesia- Forty years ago everyone lost their memories, but things have been chugging along ever since. But what happened forty years ago?

Follow Negotiator, Roger Smith, through two enthralling seasons as he unravels the mysteries of paradigm city with a mysterious life-like Android named Dorothy at his side. Oh yeah, and he’ll have to battle in the giant mecha Mega Deus known as, “The Big O,” quite a bit along the way. It’s not just mecha fighting though. This series is frankly one of the most out there trips in late 90s anime.

The two seasons that make up the series contain a story that seems to expand in all directions until the wild ride of the ending really sets in. The pacing is definitely not going to work for everyone, but the weight of the show is carried well by it’s two main cast members, and the dynamic presentation of the story and setting. Roger and Dorothy are a genuinely interesting duo, and the various pulp and noir influences soak through every background. Even western animation like Batman: The Animated series had influence on the design of the show.

The 40s noir look is rounded out by an absolutely killer original soundtrack. With the blu-ray release of this classic, we can say it again: “Big O, It’s Show Time.”