BMO

BMO (phonetically spelled Beemo) is Finn and Jake's living video game console, portable electrical outlet, music player, roommate, camera, alarm clock, flashlight, strobe light, skateboarder, friend, soccer player, and video player. It makes its appearance in the title scene of the Theme Song of every episode of Adventure Time, just before Finn and Jake pound their fists together. BMO is characterized as a loyal, trusting, and helpful friend who is protective of Finn.

Development
When Patrick McHale was preparing a short animation for Cartoon Network, he had a robot character named Raye for that purpose, which Pendleton Ward and McHale loved. However, after Adventure Time got picked up, Raye was changed around and became BMO.

BMO's voice was originally going to be a computer voice, but after Ward's suggestion, Niki Yang's natural voice (also voiced Lady Rainicorn) with some adjustments became the voice of BMO. As a result, BMO speaks in an East Asian accent. Early voice actors included Dee Bradley Baker and Thurop Van Orman.

Gender
BMO is confirmed to be genderless. BMO is referred to as "M'lady" by Finn in "Conquest of Cuteness," but Adam Muto has stated this doesn't mean anything. Adam Muto has also cautioned about using his formspring posting as a source to resolve BMO's gender/sex. In the episode "Guardians of Sunshine," BMO is referred to as a "he" by Sleepy Sam. When being referred to by Finn, masculine pronouns are used, but when referred to by Princess Bubblegum, feminine pronouns are used. This is further evidenced in "Fionna and Cake" when BMO is briefly seen in the tree house and has no noticeable differences in design, making it the only character not to have a swapped gender counterpart.

BMO calls itself as a "little living boy" in "Five Short Graybles." The title of "BMO Noire" treats BMO as woman, using the feminine form of noir rather than the masculine, but BMO role-plays as a man throughout the episode.

Appearance
BMO looks like a half-Macintosh half-Game Boy Color with Atari 2600 controllers. It also shares some traits with a Vectrex.

BMO is a medium-size green handheld gaming device, sometimes appearing with one or two controllers attached to it. When it's not being played it has an 8-bit face. The letters "BMO" are printed on its sides, indicating its name. Arms emerge from the "O."

BMO's default controllers highly resemble the Atari 2600 game console controllers, as they both only have a joystick and one red button. BMO's controller in "Too Young" slightly resembles a Sega Genesis controller for its button layout and handling design. An interesting note about this is that an Atari 2600 and a Sega Genesis controller have the same controller input device in reality, meaning that both controllers can be hooked up to the same device without issue.

BMO is sometimes seen with two slots to plug in controllers and sometimes with a compartment on that spot that opens up to where controllers can be plugged in.

Personality and character traits
BMO speaks with a strong accent but this doesn't seem to be a problem for other characters.

According to Finn, "BMO does weird junk when no one is around;" As he proved in "Five Short Graybles" where BMO talked to a mirror reflection named Football and pretended to be a "little living boy." In "BMO Noire" BMO acts out a film noire fantasy complete with giving names, voices and dialogue to a number of animals, and one inanimate object, in the house.

BMO claims to not have emotions, but this is not true. In "Donny" BMO says, "I am incapable of emotion, but you are making me ticked!" It got annoyed in "Too Young" when Jake used BMO as an ottoman. BMO acted independently in "Slow Love" when BMO refused to turn down its music after Jake tells it to. Though they are both robots, BMO refuses Neptr's request to hang out more in "BMO Noire" by saying, "No Neptr, I am not like you."

BMO is very protective of Finn and Jake. In "Incendium" BMO said, "If anyone tries to hurt Finn, I will kill them," and in "Guardians of Sunshine" BMO refused to let Finn and Jake enter the video game world saying, "No! It's a far too dangerous, incredible adventure for you! That's final!"

BMO acts to keep the harmony of friendship between Finn and Jake. In "Video Makers" it edits the film Finn and Jake make in a way to resolve their dispute over artistic direction, even composing a song. In "Card Wars" it refuses to "play such games with Jake," because Jake can't handle losing. When Finn asked for advice on Jake's attitude, BMO recommended that Finn play to lose. When Finn and Jake were bored in "Rainy Day Daydream" it asked, "Who wants to play video games?"

BMO likes a number of games and even a few sports. BMO has been seen playing its video games by itself in "BMO Noire." BMO also has been seen skateboarding in "Card Wars" and once had to be picked up from soccer in the episode "In Your Footsteps."

BMO likes scrambled eggs, as shown in "Her Parents," and hot chocolate, as shown in "Video Makers" and "Holly Jolly Secrets Part II," though it has never been seen actually consuming food. BMO reveals in "The Creeps" that it enjoys taking nice pictures. BMO also likes to dance.

BMO is ticklish. This is shown when it giggles after Princess Bubblegum plays its circuits like a keyboard in "What Was Missing," when it reacts to being tickled by a feather in its sleep in "Guardians of Sunshine" and when it laughs and wriggles as its foot is being nibbled by a bear in "In Your Footsteps."

Abilities
One of the many abilities BMO has is a button (located under the D-pad) that sends the target into its main-brain-game-frame, where they are capable of playing video games as if they were really in them. BMO also possesses several attachments which can allow for other options aside from playing games, including a cord to allow for display of its screen to a wider audience. It possesses editing software for the making of films, but has personal choice regarding the footage that is used for the films it can create. BMO also contains keyboard-like tools, which are used by Princess Bubblegum in "What was Missing." In "Conquest of Cuteness" BMO reveals a built-in camera with the flash emerging from the top left of its head while its screen becomes the lens. As seen in "The Creeps," BMO has a built in flash device that helps it take pictures, as well as a printer that prints out the rear. BMO also has a built-in alarm clock (set to Finn's bath time), as seen in "Holly Jolly Secrets Part I." It is also seen in this episode that BMO can insert VHS tapes into its back, and display the video on its screen. In "Incendium," BMO uses its BMO Cam, which is a live video feed. In "Daddy's Little Monster," it shows that BMO has the ability to charge electronic gadgets such as Jake's video phone. It appears to exhaust BMO, though. Perhaps because it most likely makes it release its own charge.In the episode "Hug Wolf" BMO is shown to have a blinding "Strobe Light Mode." BMO is also capable of performing the devastating Combo Move from the game "Guardians of Sunshine" in real life. In "In Your Footsteps," it is revealed that BMO plays soccer, and it appears wears a red jersey, red cleats, and covered in dirt and mud. In "Card Wars," it is revealed BMO also skateboards, and in "Burning Low" it is seen that BMO can connect with other computers or devices for live video chat.

Episode appearances
BMO made a cameo appearance in the episode "Evicted!," being played by Marceline while Finn and Jake are going house-hunting. It is also seen in "Business Time" when Finn and Jake are playing Adventure Masters on it. Also, in "Business Time," Finn and Jake are seen playing an Abraham Lincoln game (a reference to the Animated Short). It is later seen in the episode "My Two Favorite People." In "The Witch's Garden," Finn was playing a game while discussing with Jake about how he got his magical powers. BMO also is seen in "What is Life?" when Jake throws a garbage bag of butter on Finn, and in the episode "Donny," one of its controllers is smashed in half. BMO claims to not have emotions, but Donny angers it by breaking a controller and throwing it at BMO. In "Rainy Day Daydream," it shows bored Finn and Jake a new game, "Conversation Parade."

BMO appears again in "Slow Love" where it acts like a rebellious kid, refusing to turn down its music when Jake tells it. BMO is then hit with a newspaper. BMO was then pummeled and battered when Snorlock started dancing with lady snails while the tree house was on its back, but was apparently unharmed and returned to play music at the end of the episode when Snorlock was kissing his new girlfriend.

In "Power Animal," BMO unintentionally distracted Jake with songs. They were later eating lunch together and Jake told BMO to hold his sandwich. It was later seen fixing the well overhang that lead to the gnome's underground hideout that Jake had demolished while entering.

In "Guardians of Sunshine," it is revealed BMO has a button hidden under its control pad that allows people to be transported into one of its games. However, it does not allow Finn and Jake inside it, claiming it's too dangerous of an adventure. Despite its warning, Finn and Jake trick BMO by tickling it with a feather until it presses its button while it's sleeping. BMO later appears when Finn and Jake exit the game. While trying to tear a bomba out of the game's interface, they make a hole in it. BMO is then attacked by Sleepy Sam, Hunny Bunny, and Bouncy Bee for imprisoning them in the game. After Finn performs a combo move and destroys the monsters, BMO scolds them for going into the game and starts doing the combo move on them.

In "Video Makers," BMO serves as Finn and Jake's cameraman, filming random pieces of footage around the Land of Ooo with a video camera attached to its head at Finn and Jake's request, before they decide to make a real movie, coming into argument about what kind of movie it will be. BMO, as their cameraman, witnesses their arguments, and instead of using the footage they captured for the movie, it makes its own animation while singing a BFF Song about how Finn and Jake should forget their argument and make up. At the end of the episode, BMO says Jake's favorite line throughout the episode, "Check, please!"

In the episode "Conquest of Cuteness," Finn and Jake call BMO over to get a camera to take pictures of the Cuties, but it turns out BMO is a camera, even though in the episode "Video Makers" that BMO has a video camera strapped to its head, but it is possible BMO's built-in camera only takes pictures.

In the episode "Too Young," BMO asks about Finn's date with Princess Bubblegum and doesn't tell Jake where the key is to the Wizard Tower in the video game. When Jake is trying to cheer Finn up when Princess Bubblegum jokingly "dumped" him, Jake puts both of his feet on BMO, using it as an ottoman, which annoys BMO.

BMO makes an appearance in "Fionna and Cake" in the opening and seen while being played by Cake. Its appearance remains the same; supporting that it has no gender.

In the episode "What Was Missing," BMO has its controller stolen by the Door Lord and serves as a musical instrument during "I'm Just Your Problem." Marceline also used it to power a stove, showing that it is also a portable electrical outlet.

In the episode "The Creeps," it was in the mystery party when Finn and Jake came in the house. Its mystery name was Professor Pants. After the light went down and returned, BMO and Jake went to the basement to get some candles, but BMO was "killed" by the "ghost." In the end of the episode, it was discovered by Finn in Lady Raincorn's body, being in the prank with Jake and the others.

BMO appears in "Incendium" watching over Finn while Jake was looking for another love interest for Finn.

BMO reappears in "Five Short Graybles" under the "Sight" segment of the episode (see article subsection "Football" below for more info).

BMO makes another appearance in "Beyond this Earthly Realm," when it was revealed that BMO's artificial fart noises are a source of amusement for Finn. It is also revealed that BMO has kept on file Finn's favorite song: "Three Baby Spiders"; a seeming nursery rhyme, BMO plays the song in a futile attempt to wring Finn out of the Spirit World.

BMO is also seen in "Card Wars," where it warns Finn about Jake taking the game too seriously.

BMO is the central character for the first time in "BMO Noire," where it goes undercover as a detective to search for Finn's missing sock. The episode is narrated by BMO and is in black and white, similar to a 1940s and 50s crime film.

Playable games

 * Adventure Masters ("Business Time")
 * Racing game ("My Two Favorite People")
 * Bug Battle ("Donny")
 * "Galaga" or "Space Invaders" type game ("What is Life?")
 * Conversation Parade ("Rainy Day Daydream")
 * "Ghost game" ("Slow Love")
 * Guardians of Sunshine ("Guardians of Sunshine")
 * Blok Invasion ("What is Life?")
 * Tower Climbing game ("Too Young")
 * "Excite-Bike" type game ("Incendium")
 * Portender Defender ("Hug Wolf")
 * Kompy's Kastle ("Beyond this Earthly Realm")
 * "Master Chen" or "Horse vs Two Fighters Game" ("BMO Noire")

Football
Football is the name used by BMO when talking to itself in the mirror. During this scene, BMO is a "little living boy" while Football is a robot as seen in "Five Short Graybles." BMO purposefully only plays with Football when Finn and Jake aren't around.

Because of BMO's strong accent, fans often misinterpret Football's name as "Fupo."

Quotes
See: BMO/Quotes

Trivia

 * In "What Was Missing," Princess Bubblegum takes off BMO's template. BMO yells, "My face!" implying that its template is its face, not the screen.
 * BMO's voice was originally much deeper. Pendleton Ward revealed this on the animatic for "Rainy Day Daydream" on the Adventure Time: The Complete First Season DVD box set, which is also heard in the animatic.
 * Adam Muto confirmed that BMO's back story will be explored in a later episode.
 * There is a BMO t-shirt in FusionFall.
 * BMO can display emoticons on its screen, as seen in "What Was Missing."
 * When BMO lowered its volume in "Holly Jolly Secrets Part I" it puts its volume on the lowest setting, but could still talk.
 * BMO hosted the Adventure Time New Year's Eve Marathon.
 * BMO played a Kancho prank on Finn in "Incendium."
 * BMO appears in Project Exonaut, under the alias of "Beemo."
 * Even though BMO has buttons, they are rarely used to play video games. Finn and Jake mostly use controllers when playing games. In "Evicted!," Marceline seems to be trying to play a game using BMO itself, but its face is still being displayed.
 * Many of BMO's games are knock-offs of the games for the Atari 2600 video game platform.
 * According to "What Was Missing," BMO's prized possession is its controller.
 * In the special features section of the It Came from the Nightosphere DVD, BMO's age is shown as "VER. 2600," and its species is "110 VOLT/60 HERTZ SYSTEM." BMO is also referred to as "she."