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A major Toonami library classic is coming back with a brand new Blu-ray release 23 years after the series ended its run with the Cartoon Network block. The Toonami programming block remains one of the pillars of the anime community even after all this time, and it’s because it’s the first place that introduced an entire generation of anime fans to some influential franchises that would go on to inspire even more releases in the future. There are some shows from the block that are still beloved by fans even after all these decades.
Keiichi Sato and Kazuyoshi Katayama’s The Big O is one such franchise as the mecha anime series continues to not only be a major favorite among Toonami fans, but now those fans can celebrate the fan-favorite in a whole new way thanks to Discotek Media. The company took the stage during the Otakon 2026 weekend, and confirmed they are bringing the classic Toonami series back with a brand new Blu-ray release for its two season run.
The Big O to Release New Blu-ray in 2026
Packaging previews for The Big O! pic.twitter.com/c8Xup5hjU4
— 💿Discotek Media (@discotekmedia) August 2, 2026
Discotek Media has confirmed that they will be releasing The Big O on Blu-ray sometime later in 2026. While a concrete release date has yet to be confirmed as of this initial announcement, and the potential extras for the physical release are still being finalized, it’s been revealed that this will include the entire two season series. Both seasons will be including a Japanese and English dubbed audio track (which more fans might remember fondly from the run on Toonami), and the second season will feature the 5.1 English audio mix for the series that had been previously unavailable.
The Big O coming back with this new Blu-ray release is certainly great news considering that the previous home media launch is pretty much impossible to find without paying oodles of money for it. It’s been out of print for quite a while as Sentai Filmworks released the series on Blu-ray and DVD back in 2017, but lost the license for the series a few years later. So the anime has basically been in limbo, and fans of the classic now have a new chance to own the series when it makes its debut later this year.
What’s the Deal With The Big O?
Toonami has introduced fans to all kinds of cool anime shows ever since it made its debut almost 30 years ago, but there are a few that ended up doing much better in the United States than their native home in Japan because of Toonami. The initial production on the series was limited to just 13 episodes, but then it proved to be so popular worldwide that it was picked up for another 13 episodes. This second season ended up being a full co-production between Sunrise and Cartoon Network because it was such a big deal.
Although The Big O didn’t air its final season with Toonami until sometime after its original run in Japan, it was still a big deal as fans wanted to see the end of the story. It’s one of the first real examples of how Toonami’s popularity in the West would go on to be a major tastemaker for what anime got picked up and produced in the future, and the modern day is still feeling the after effects of it all. And it’s just a stylized show with a cool giant robot you’ll need to check out on Blu-ray.
5 Classic Toonami Anime That Deserved to Be Much Bigger in the U.S.
