Endgames, whether we look forwards to them or we loathe them, are an inescapable part of anime in general. Few anime have as many loose ends as The Big-O, and fewer still manange to wrap them up in as succinct and confusing a manner as The Big-O.

The foremost episode on the DVD is aptly named "The Big Fight." Marking the beginning of the end, "The Big Fight" chronicles Roger Smith's pursuit of the mechanized crab like machines that have hijacked Dorothy for a reason yet unknown. Halting his progress is Big-Duo's second incarnation: Inferno. Piloted by none other than Roger's nemesis, Alan Gabriel, Inferno throws Big-O up against the ropes for the better part of the episode until.... Well, I'll not spoil it for you. Needless to say, there's more to the Bigs than unique color-schemes and styling that comes right out of a fifties sci-fi epic.

"The War of Paradigm City" is the ubiquitous "revelations" episode: more than another, it serves to bring all the loose ends together. We're greeted to the truth behind the mysterious Union, Roger Smith's origins, and the purpose of Angel. Additionally, an even larger mystery is brought to bear, one that manages to encompass all of the citizens of Paradigm City: essentially, all Paradigm's a stage. I'll not tell you whether that is literal or metaphorical.

"The Show Must Go On" is Big-O's closing act: those things not brought to terms in "The War" are concluded within "The Show". We are treated to the long awaited final battle betwixt Big-O and Big-Fau piloted by Alex Rosewater. The battle is nothing short of spectacular: the true capabilities of both Megadeuses are revealed and, needless to say, Big-O's is...unbelievable. At the conclusion of "The Show," Roger performs one final negotiation, drawing the series into its namesake: The Big-O.

As always, Big-O II volume 4 continues the voice acting legacy of its predecessors: impeccable representation of the Japanese in English. The series looses nothing in its translation: unlike some anime that lose meaning in the translation, Big-O retains its meaning throughout the final four episodes. The voice acting is impeccable: Lia Sargent's tonelessness comes into play with extraordinary majesty through these final episodes, complimenting Steven Blum's Roger Smith. In fact, most people have come to identify Roger with his English portrayal more than the Japanese.

The DVD is Spartan when it comes to extras: a Bandai promo, a Big-O image gallery featuring the upgraded Big-Duo (aptly titled Inferno), and DVD credits are all that you'll get. The menus are, as with previous Big-O DVDs, laid out like Big-O's side-weapons console. While this might seem like a less than ideal setup, it's far easier to navigate than some Bandai releases.

As far as conclusions go, "Aggressive Negotiations" keeps with the rest of the series and rounds out the Big-O saga quite nicely. It manages to answer the majority of the questions posed by the series, while not seeming contrived or forced. The final minutes of "The Show Must Go On" will leave the viewer hungering for more.

Video Quality: A
Audio Quality: A
Presentation: A
Content: A-
Overall: A