BMO (phonetically spelled Beemo)[2] is Finn and Jake's living video game console, portable electrical outlet, music player, roommate, camera, alarm clock, toaster, flashlight, strobe light, skateboarder, friend, soccer player, video editor, and video player. It makes its appearance in the title scene of the Theme Song of every episode of Adventure Time, just as Finn and Jake pound their fists together. BMO is characterized as a loyal, trusting, and helpful friend who is protective of Finn and Jake.
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.[3][4] However, after Adventure Time got picked up, Raye was redesigned and became BMO.[3]
BMO's voice was originally to be similar to a computer-synthesized voice, but as a result of a suggestion from Ward, Niki Yang's natural voice (also voiced Lady Rainicorn) with some adjustments became the voice of BMO.[5] As a result, BMO speaks in a Korean accent. Earlier voice actors for the character included Dee Bradley Baker and Thurop Van Orman.
Gender/Sex
As a robot, BMO's gender alternates depending on who is speaking or what make-believe scenario BMO is playing out. Other characters will frequently refer to BMO using pronouns belonging to both genders. For instance, in "Conquest of Cuteness" Finn calls BMO "M'lady." In "Rainy Day Daydream," he refers to BMO using "he." In "Guardians of Sunshine," Sleepy Sam uses "he" when talking about BMO. Jake has also called BMO a "he" in "Return to the Nightosphere."
BMO will sometimes play pretend games in which it assumes a gender-specific role, such as calling itself a "little living boy" in "Five Short Graybles" and having its mirrored persona, Football, claim that it was "a real baby girl" in "Five More Short Graybles." Throughout the episode "BMO Noire" BMO role-plays as a hard-boiled, male detective; though it is to note the title of the episode treats "BMO" as a feminine noun by using "noire" instead of "noir."
In "Fionna and Cake," BMO is briefly seen in the tree house with no noticeable differences in design (aside from its controller), as opposed to the other characters who have all been gender-swapped, thus supporting that BMO has no gender.
In "James Baxter the Horse," BMO sings "BMO's Pregnant Song," which supports the idea that BMO is a female. However, it is fair to say that BMO is neither unambiguously male nor unambiguously female.
Football
Football in BMO's reflection
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. In "Five More Short Graybles," Football claims to be a "real baby girl," and BMO tries to teach Football manners.
Appearance
BMO is unamused
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-sized blue-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.
BMO's front includes an arrow pad, a floppy disk slot, multiple different shape buttons, two controller sockets, and of course the face, or screen. There is also a compartment with a red button hidden underneath the yellow D-pad.
On BMO' sides, the letters "BMO" are printed, indicating its name. BMO's arms emerge from the "O." There are also what appear to be holes for speakers at the tops of its sides.
BMO's back contains a battery compartment which holds 2 AA batteries, first seen in "BMO Lost." Normally the battery door is shown attached with 4 screws, however in "BMO Lost" it is shown with a tab at the top instead. There is also a slot which can be used for playing video tapes as seen in Holly Jolly Secrets Part I
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.
Inside BMO
Inside BMO is a gold heart with a face, as shown in "Be More." Pinned to the heart is a gold medal. Next to the heart is a small scroll tied with a red ribbon.
Personality and character traits
According to Finn, "BMO does weird junk when no one is around;" which 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 noir fantasy complete with giving names, voices and dialogue to a number of animals, and one inanimate object, in the house. The way it interacts with its reflection in "Five Short Graybles," as well as the animals in "BMO Noire," is evidence that BMO may suffer from dissociative identity disorder, otherwise known as multiple personality disorder. This causes BMO to act like completely different people, and have them communicate with each other.
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 chafed!" 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." In "Davey" BMO cries while Finn shaves his head to disguise as Davey. In the "Little Did You Know" DVD set, BMO's profile states that "he" is a good listener. In "James Baxter the Horse," his screen shows him crying and happy when James Baxter enters the scene.
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.
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," In "Five More Short Grables," Beemo was teaching Football manners. Beemo drank the tea with his pinkie finger up but Football didn't. Beemo drank again and again and began to electrocute itself. This shows that even though Beemo can't drink things, it still does while pretending to be real. It has never been seen actually consuming food. It can cook, however, and made dinner for Finn and Jake in "Little Dude." 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."
BMO's most prized possession is its controller, as it was stolen by the Door Lord in "What Was Missing."
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 beneath its faceplate, 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 that BMO is wearing a red jersey, red cleats, and is covered in dirt and mud. In "Card Wars," it is revealed BMO also skateboards as well is able to perform a sneak attack known as the BMO Chop, after which BMO states "If this were a real attack, you would be dead." In "Burning Low" it is seen that BMO can connect with other computers or devices for live video chat. BMO can also be used to power some devices such as the noodle cooker in "What Was Missing."
Relationships
Finn and Jake
BMO lives in the Tree Fort along with Finn and Jake and is used as their game console and many other things. It is loyal to Finn, as it said it will kill anyone who tries to hurt Finn, as seen in "Incendium." Also seen in "Video Makers," BMO does not side with either Finn or Jake. BMO cries when Finn shaves off his hair to be "Davey," sobbing that his "beauty'" is destroyed.
Marceline
It seems that Marceline and BMO have a fairly friendly relationship, as she is seen playing it in "Evicted!" and commenting on how she thinks it's cute. Also in "What Was Missing," Marceline assists BMO and proceeds to call it "baby."
Lorraine
In "BMO Noire," BMO mentions that Lorraine is "red hot like pizza supper." Furthermore, Lorraine also mentions that the loot is in their "secret grown up kissing spot" at the end of the episode, thus implying that at one point in time they had a relationship. This might be taken as an indication that BMO finds Lorraine attractive. However, the entire episode hints that the plot of "BMO Noire" is nothing but a play created by BMO's imagination. So, it is possible that their relationship exists only in BMO's fantasy. It is also possible that BMO is not attracted to Lorraine and the attraction/relationship is fictional like the detective persona that BMO created for itself.
Football
Football is BMO's reflection in the mirror or window or whatever it can see his reflection in. BMO tells Football about all of the things in the real world and tries to educate Football on how to act and what things are in the world so that when Football grows up she will know what to do. BMO does this to keep it from feeling lonely whenever Finn and Jake are away. Football appears in the 'graybles' episodes, "Five Short Graybles" and "Five More Short Graybles."
Air (Bubble)
Air (Bubble) is a pal that BMO met in the episode "BMO Lost." After an adventure to help BMO get home through hard times with a baby named Sparkle (Rickey). Bubble confesses that it is in love with BMO and proposes they get married, which BMO gladly accepts. Sadly, Jake decided to pop the bubble, making it now Air.
Sparkle
Sparkle (Ricky) appears in the episode "BMO Lost." This baby was lost and separated from his mother, so BMO decides to name the baby "Ricky" and bring him along on the adventure of all three characters, BMO, Air (Bubble), and Sparkle (Ricky), trying to find their home. Sparkle is later rediscovered by his mother and taken to his rightful home.
Moe
Moe is BMO's creator, as shown in the episode "Be More." Moe is the creator of other MO's and he created BMO because he wanted BMO to "take care of his son but he didn't get the chance to meet any women."
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 Master 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 and told to have a timeout at a corner. 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 Friends (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 Rainicorn'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 makes an appearance in "Burning Low ." First, it tells Jake that he is late for a video chat with President Porpoise, and then Jake is playing an unknown game involving a rectangle punching, kicking and jumping.
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.
BMO appears in "James Baxter the Horse" singing the BMO's Pregnant Song and helps Finn and Jake create their routine.
BMO is once again the central character in "BMO Lost," where it is abducted by an eagle and has to find its way home through a forest. During its adventure, it meets Bubble and the baby Sparkle, who it tries to help. Bubble ends up proposing to BMO but is popped by Jake.
In "Be More", BMO's purpose as "being more" is revealed, and it discovers its father, Moe, again. BMO is shown deleting files, and accidentally deletes its core system. Finn and Jake discover where it was created, the Bad Lands, when BMO told them that it needs new core systems. When Moe tells Finn and Jake BMO's story, CMO approaches and gives the core system to Moe, who repairs BMO but does not erase its memory.
Files
Playable games
- Adventure Master ("Business Time")
- Pro Football 1861 ("Business Time" and "Davey")
- 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" and "Who Would Win")
- "Master Chen" or "Horse vs Two Fighters Game" ("BMO Noire")
- "Super Good Boys" ("Five More Short Graybles")
- "Buff Guy Game" ("Issue 9")
Folder content
These are some of the file names seen during the episode "Be More", BMO hid under a box and trashed the files.
First folder
- farerecognition.txt 72kb
- filesourcescript.exe 7.8MB (trashed)
- filesource.source.exe 85kb (trashed)
- FinnStuff — (trashed)
- fundament.eth.sys 1.2MB (trashed)
- fundament.sys 8.8 MB (trashed)
- GooberHunt.dmg 25MB (trashed)
- GooberHunt.info.txt 3kb
- GooberHunt.remover.exe 42kb
- glyph.source.exe 2MB
- farerecognition.txt 28kb
Second folder
- command.electricslide.exe
- command.cleanjokes.exe (trashed)
- concblow.wav (trashed)
- CORE SYSTEM DRIVERS.sys (trashed)
- controls.bmpchop.sys (trashed)
- controls.bmokick.sys (trashed)
- controls.brownnote.sys (trashed)
- controls.forcefild.sys
- controls.frownrecognition.sys
Quotes
See: BMO/Quotes
Trivia
- 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.[6]
- BMO can display emoticons on its screen, as seen in "What Was Missing."
- When BMO lowers its volume in "Holly Jolly Secrets Part I" it puts its volume on the lowest setting, but could still talk.
- 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."
- During Pendleton Ward's interview with Hot Topic, he stated BMO is his favorite character.[7]
- BMO supposedly has "butt circuits" as mentioned in "BMO Lost."
- As seen in "James Baxter the Horse", BMO can cry, and his tears are apparently triangles.
- It was revealed in "Shh!" that BMO's favorite song is No Wonder I by the band LAKE.
- BMO is completely the same in the Fionna and Cake version.
- His startup sound is the same as the Apple II computer.
- BMO is Moe's favorite robot.
- As seen in "Be More," BMO runs a combination of Windows and Mac operating systems.
- The heart, medal, and scroll inside BMO may be a reference to the heart-shaped watch, medal of courage, and diploma presented to the Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, and Scarecrow at the end of The Wizard of Oz.
Appearances in other media
- BMO hosted the Adventure Time New Year's Eve Marathon.
- BMO appears in Project Exonaut, under the alias of "Beemo."
- There is a BMO t-shirt in FusionFall.
Storyline analysis
- Even though BMO has buttons, they are rarely used to play video games. Instead, the buttons are used for various other functions, such as sucking things into BMO's mainframe or shutting off BMO's alarm. 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.
Errors
- 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. However, when its screen is cracked in "BMO Lost," it also refers to that as its face.
Gallery
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| The full image gallery for BMO may be viewed at BMO/Gallery. |
References
- ↑ http://www.formspring.me/MrMuto/q/179576439513841635
- ↑ http://www.formspring.me/MrMuto/q/310957428101358569
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://twitter.com/#!/Patrick_McHale/status/111480320200675329
- ↑ http://twitter.com/#!/UnclePhiltweet/status/110360343116656641
- ↑ http://twitter.com/#!/Patrick_McHale/status/111482239711330304
- ↑ Rainy Day Daydream (DVD Storyboard Commentary)
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xiLC6PV6CY
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