The Big O

The Big O (THE ビッグオー Za Biggu Ō) is a Japanese anime series created by director Kazuyoshi Katayama and designer Keiichi Sato for Sunrise Animation. The writing staff was assembled by the series' head writer, Chiaki J. Konaka.

The series is designed as a tribute to Japanese and Western shows from the 1960s and 1970s, it is done in the style of film noir and combines the feel of a detective show with the mecha genre of anime.

The Series premiered October 13, 1999 on WOWOW satellite television, finishing its run on January 19, 2000. An English language version premiered on Cartoon Network on 2 April 2001. Originally a 13-episode series, positive fan response internationally resulted in a second season co-produced by Cartoon Network, Sunrise, and Bandai Visual. Season two premiered on Japan's SUN-TV on January 2003, with the American premiere taking place seven months later.