Hello and welcome to Project Nitsuj. Welcome to the second week of the Studio Trigger arc. Growing up in the 90s I remember watching a lot of interesting shows and one of the shows that stuck with me all these years because of how interesting it was, was a show called Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad. This show came out in the US in 1994-1995 and starred a young Matthew Lawrence. The premise of the show is that an evil digital virus named Kilokahn and a computer wiz named Malcolm are creating evil viruses to disrupt the digital world which messes with everyday appliances. Matthew’s character and his friends fight against these evil viruses with Matthew transforming into the digital hero Gridman. The show’s formula was similar to Power Ranger’s formula. Shoot American actors and then switch over to Japanese fight scenes. Unfortunately, due to the Power Rangers’ popularity this show was quickly overlooked. Everyone saw it as a blatant copy of Power Rangers, the characters weren’t all that memorable or interesting, and the show had a surprisingly low budget (I don’t think I ever saw the characters go outside). The only thing anyone remembers about this show is Tim Curry being the voice of Kilokahn. So yeah, the show didn’t do so well in the US, but in Japan it was a different story. In Japan, the show was called Gridman the Hyper Agent. It was created by Tsuburaya Productions, the same people who did the Ultraman series.
(Shizuku): The premise was the same as the US except the characters were Japanese, the main characters are all computer geeks, and it actually appeared to have a budget.
(Nitsuj): Shizuku? Where did you come from? I thought you were fighting against tiger poachers.
(Shizuku): I was. I saved the tigers and came home. Now let me continue. The series was a big hit in Japan as it was the first series from the studio to utilize D-2 digital video for its special effects scenes, allowing for smoother slow-motion photography and of course, featured one of the best opening songs of all time (https://youtu.be/l6nXAc4nw00, man that gets me hyped).
(Nitsuj): After it’s run the series faded into obscurity never to be seen again until 2017 when Studio Trigger announced their future projects and one of those projects was a new telling of Gridman titled SSSS.Gridman. The anime was a joint project between Trigger and Tsuburaya Productions and began airing in 2018 where it was met with mixed positive reviews.
(Shizuku): Some really liked this anime while others thought it was just okay. There weren’t that many negative reviews about it and those that did say anything negative admitted that they still liked it. Personally, I think this is the weakest anime in Trigger’s library.
(Nitsuj): What!? Shizuku, I thought you of all people would love Gridman and consider it one of their best works.
(Shizuku): Well I don’t hate it. It’s good I just feel that this is the weakest anime in their library. It’s not as awesome as Kill la Kill, fun as Little Witch Academia, or as smart as Kiznaiver which is easily the studio’s second-best work.
(Nitsuj): Wait, you consider Kiznaiver to be their second-best work?
(Shizuku): Doesn’t everyone?
*Nitsuj stares blankly at Shizuku*
(Nitsuj): Okay things are starting to get weird. Let’s just start the review. Access code: Nitsuj and Shizuku. This is our review of SSSS.Gridman.
(Shizuku): And we’ll be looking at the dub version of the anime.
Opening and Ending Theme
(Nitsuj): The opening theme is “Union” by OxT. As some of you may know this was one my favorite openings from 2018. While it’s no baby dan dan the song still manages to get you excited for the anime. It really does sound like a Saturday morning cartoon opening and I love it for that.
(Shizuku): The ending is “youthful beautiful by Maaya Uchida. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t that big a fan of this song when I first heard it, but as the anime went on I really started to like it. Maaya always sounds great and the instrumental is great as well. I think the real selling point of this ending is how it really focuses on the friendship of the two main females in the show.
Episodes 1-4
(Nitsuj): The anime starts off in a normal everyday setting (what the hell’s going on here?) where nothing is out of ordinary except for a boy named Yuta voiced by Brandon McInnis, who wakes up in a pawn shop. He has memory lost and has no idea how he got there or what happened to him. All we know for sure is that he was found by a girl named Rikka voiced by Jill Harris, who just happens to be his classmate and whose mom owns the pawn shop (not the best business venture if you ask me). As he gets up to head to the restroom, he hears a voice calling out to him (Shizuku: The voice told me to burn things) and discovers that the voice is coming from an old computer and belongs to a being known as Gridman voiced by Robert McCollum (Reiner from Attack on Titan) who tells Yuta he has to remember his mission before it’s too late (or you could save us sometime and tell us what his mission is). Strangely enough, only Yuta can see and hear Gridman and if that wasn’t strange enough, he also sees the shadow of a kaiju in the city that no one else can see (Shizuku: I wonder what that means? (Nitsuj): Either everyone’s blind or he’s a crazy). Rikka walks Yuta back to his apartment where his parents are away on a business trip (because of course they are) meaning he lives alone. The next day, he goes to school where he hangs out with his only friend Sho voiced by Greg Ayres. The two only became friends recently so Sho really can’t tell Yuta what he’s like except that he’s a good person. After school, Sho becomes interested in Gridman so Yuta takes him back to the pawn shop with Rikka where he also can’t see or hear Gridman (definitely crazy). Just then, a kaiju attacks the city (Godzillla! God~zilla~) and in a funny moment everyone’s reactions to this are pretty calm, like this is just normal everyday life for them (Shizuku: Well they do live in Japan. Giant monsters roaming down the street isn’t the strangest or scariest thing they’ve seen). Yuta soon gets zapped into the computer where he and Gridman fuse together and he becomes Gridman. Gridman grows into a giant alien-like mecha and fights the kaiju (scene here: https://youtu.be/bhf71EXT3Ac, in an awkward CGI scene. (Shizuku): Give them some credit, the models look good). At first, Gridman loses to the kaiju (just like in the original show) but then he receives advice via computer typing from Rikka and Sho who tell him what to do and he defeats the kaiju in no time flat saving the city from anymore destruction (scene here: https://youtu.be/_-feRl66YDs, too bad you couldn’t stop it before it destroyed the school. (Shizuku): It wouldn’t surprise me if he let it get destroyed join to avoid a test). The episode ends the next day with the unlikely trio going to school and seeing that everything is fine (wow, talk about fast service).
At the start of episode 2 Yuta and the others discover that everyone’s minds have been altered. Nobody remembers the kaiju battle from yesterday, everything has been repaired, and the people who died yesterday during the attack don’t exist anymore and have been dead for years (man, talk about creepy). As Yuta and the others try to ask Gridman for help on what’s going on, they receive a visit from a samurai called Calibur voiced by Ian Sinclair (Dandy from Space Dandy). Cailbur manages to upgrade the computer Gridman is in so now everyone can hear and see him (Shizuku: Everyone’s getting on the crazy train. (Nitsuj): Something you’ve been a part of for years). During the episode we focus on a girl named Akane who sits next to Yuta in class. She’s voiced by Lindsay Seidel. On the surface she’s a cute girl who’s said to be the most talented person in class but in the shadows she’s a crazy girl and the one responsible for the kaiju attack the yesterday. She created the kaiju thanks to the help of Alexis Kerib voiced by Barry Yandell, a being that’s quite similar to Gridman and has the power to make Akane’s kaiju statues come to life. Akane creates another kaiju in order to kill her homeroom teacher who bumped into her at school and didn’t apologize (oh God, she’s an angsty high school girl who gets mad over everything and is friends with a being who can bring her creations to life. We’re screwed). Yuta fuses with Gridman to fight the kaiju where the CGI has improved a bit (Shizuku: That’s a pretty damn good-looking kaiju). Gridman manages to fight better this time around but the kaiju can absorb the Gridman beam and fires it back at Gridman putting him on the defensive. Enter Calibur who transforms into a giant sword for Gridman to use and together they defeat the kaiju and save the day (scene here: https://youtu.be/OgpgVhF-UHQ). Just like before everyone’s minds have been altered and don’t remember the events from yesterday. This makes Yuta wonder what it is they’re fighting for and he gets his answer by bumping into his homeroom teacher who apologizes for bumping into him (nothing like surviving a kaiju attack to give you a new take on life).
In episode 3 Akane has created Anti, a kaiju with some level of intelligence and can take the form of a child (Shizuku: With anger issues and a hatred for Gridman. (Nitsuj): Also, here’s a bit of trivia. He’s based off of Shinobilar from the original series. Much like Anti, Shinobilar was a kaiju who could talk and displayed some level of intelligence. He lost to Gridman but would return a few more times before his ultimate defeat). He transforms into a kaiju and fights against Gridman where he can copy Gridman’s abilities and with Yuta holding himself back believing that the kaiju could possibly be other humans, Anti gets the upper hand and manages to beat Gridman . With Anti’s victory, Akane believes that she’s finally won, Rikka and Sho can’t find Yuta and don’t know what to do (have you tried calling him?). Just when the two are about to break up in walks Max (Cris George), Vitt (Chris Burnett), and Borr (Apphia Yu aka Ayu Sakata) who along with Calibur are weapons here to assist Gridman in his fights (just like in the show. In fact, Calibur, Vitt and Borr are all named after the weapons from the show). Borr tells Rikka to try calling Yuta to see if he’s okay and sure enough he is. He’s been fine this whole time and has just been lying in wait for Anti to appear again. Borr tells them to come out of hiding and when they do Anti appears once again to fight them where this time Yuta doesn’t hold back as he now knows that Anti isn’t a human, he’s a kaiju whose only purpose in life is to destroy Gridman (what a boring life). Gridman combines with Max where he gains stronger arms and manages to beat Anti into a draw as both of them use up all their power. Yuta and Max return to a warm welcome (scene here: https://youtu.be/pzPDfLKTTBI) while Anti gets abandoned by Akane for failing not once but twice (Shizuku: She’s becoming a real bitch).
Episode 4 surprisingly starts off with Rikka and Akane waiting for the bus together on a hot day. We learn that two live close to each other and even use to hang out together in the past until they grew apart (Shizuku: Was it because Akane discovered she was secretly evil and crazy? (Nitsuj): Most likely). Akane has suspicions that Yuta is Gridman and tries to get close to Rikka in order to confirm her suspicions but every time she does, something is there to interrupt her. When she’s a on a group date with Rikka, her friends, and these guys from Nico Nico Douga, one of them accidently rubs shoulders with her and she decides he and his friends have to die (you’re gonna kill them just for touching you? You are insane). We also see Yuta stalking Rikka as he realizes that he might possibly have a crush on Rikka (Shizuku: I approve. (Nitsuj): No objections here). Akane tries to get Anti to kill the guys but he refuses to kill anyone but Gridman so she has no choice but to create a whole new kaiju. The kaiju manages to kill 3 of the 4 guys and Rikka manages to save the fourth one from death thanks to Calibur and Gridman showing up to fight. Gridman takes on the kaiju when Anti shows up to fight as well (Shizuku: Yeah, I’m surprised most villains don’t do this. Stop sending one monster at a time, send multiple monsters. (Nitsuj): Yeah, I never got that either. I guess it’s the law of Saturday morning shows). Calibur and the others try to join up with Gridman at once but it’s too much for the computer to handle and it freezes up (Gridman.exe has stopped working). They have no choice but to unplug the computer and reboot it where they all return and Gridman returns to battle with Max where he defeats the kaiju with one powerful kick (scene here: https://youtu.be/VE9KY8iIzlc) and then gets ready to take on Anti but both run out of power again (Shizuku: Gridman I can understand but Anti didn’t do jackshit, how is he tired?). They return to the Junk shop with Yuta trying to ask Rikka out only for her to misinterpret his proposal.
Episodes 5-8
(Shizuku): In episode 5 Yuta’s class has gone river rafting in the mountains where Akane figures out that Yuta is Gridman (scene here: https://youtu.be/XJHtT5E8haM) and creates a kaiju that’s as big as a mountain (Nitsuj: Akane, if you’re trying to compensate for something don’t worry, they’re pretty big). Max and the others buy Gridman’s computer from Rikka’s mom and take it with them up to the mountains for Yuta to use. Yuta must now get to the station where despite falling he manages to make it to the station and transforms into Gridman where he combines with Borr this time (the drill machine. (Nitsuj): And heavy artillery of the group) and together they take down the kaiju (scene here: https://youtu.be/ASnNLauEZ88, I’m beginning to notice a pattern here. Kaiju of the week shows up and Gridman defeats. (Nitsuj): Yep, just like the original Saturday morning show. I’m not entirely sure if that’s what they’re going for or not).
Episode 6 is a slow episode but is rather big on development. Now that Akane knows Yuta is Gridman, she tells Anti to go and kill him which he’s more than happy to do (he has nothing better to do anyway). Rikka finds Anti and takes him back to her place to give him a bath after feeding him (Nitsuj: So Rikka likes kaiju disguised as shotas. (Shizuku): Guys aren’t the only ones who like kaiju). Sho runs into Akane in the bookstore where they talk about kaiju and Akane tries to get information out of him (that’s an interesting couple). In Yuta’s story, he comes across another kaiju in human form who wasn’t created by Akane and has actually been around long before Akane came into contact with Alexis Kerib (Nitsuj: Oh hey just like the original. In the original series the characters fight against Anosillus a good kaiju that was brainwashed into fighting Gridman until they saved him with a piano rendition of Yume no Hero. Again, enforcing how great that song is. (Shizuku): So this kaiju is Anosillus? (Nitsuj): No, this is his descendent). The kaiju tells Yuta that Akane is the one behind the kaiju attacks and has become the closest thing to a god in this town (scene here: https://youtu.be/ndlXDIR7TQk, it’s like Haruhi Suzumiya except Akane knows what her powers can do and isn’t afraid to abuse them. (Nitsuj): Oh hell). After hearing all of this, Yuta and the kaiju go their separate ways where Anti finds Yuta and tries to kill him. Luckily, Max and Calibur are there to protect Yuta and manage to convince Anti that Yuta is just a normal child and not Gridman (Nitsuj: Which is true). This forces Anti to retreat (scene here: https://youtu.be/YMsqMhgcFgc) and they head back to Junk where everyone is waiting for them.
In episode 7 Yuta tells Rikka and Sho what he learned from the loli kaiju and they don’t believe him (good friends Yuta. (Nitsuj): Why the hell would they not believe him? What would he gain from lying to them? Do they really think he would make up something this far-fetched on the fly?). Yuta tries to ask Akane directly but keeps missing her (sure, just walk up to the girl and ask her if she’s a god, I’m sure she won’t think you’re crazy). Akane somehow snuck into Yuta’s house (Nitsuj: Just chalk it up to her being a god) and comes out and says that she’s a god and everything (scene here: https://youtu.be/8s1BHhqP2t4). Now I have to admit this had the potential to be an interesting set up. The hero and the antagonist know each other’s secret but aren’t being hostile to each other. This would have been the perfect chance for them to openly talk and pick the brain of Akane to figure out why she’s doing all of this and what she hopes to achieve. But no, they decide to have her come off as a crazy girl who’s friends with an alien (although I have to admit I did get a good laugh seeing Alexis Kerib join them for ramen). The dinner date gets cut short with the appearance of a kaiju in the shape of a UFO that wasn’t created by Akane but instead Anti (scene here: https://youtu.be/CVlzLhu4Jzw?t=42). Using Vitt, Gridman takes to the skies to fight the UFO but every time he destroys it, it keeps coming back (like a bean burrito at Chipotle). Gridman travels upward above the clouds and discovers the main body of the kaiju as well as Anti. It becomes a 2 on 1 fight with Gridman winning in the end (scene here: https://youtu.be/f7CyHCMwsPw) and Alexis Kerib punishing Anti for his failure by cutting him with a buzzsaw. Also, there’s a giant digital city floating in the sky (we should probably look into that. (Nitsuj): Is it Laputa? (Shizuku): How will I know? (Nitsuj): Are there giant robots? (Shizuku): No. (Nitsuj): It’s not Laputa. In all serious that’s actually the digital city from the original series. This is where Gridman would always fight the kaiju. Sadly, they really don’t do anything with this city after this. It’s just there as an Easter egg and a homage to the original series).
In episode 8 the school is preparing for a festival and Akane comes out and tells Yuta that she’s going to release a kaiju during the festival. She even shows them a model of the kaiju she plans to release which is a mk II version of the kaiju from episode 1 (smash it! Smash it). Yuta and Sho make plans to combat Akane’s kaiju while Rikka thinks they should work on an alternative and removes herself from the team (Nitsuj: Stop being a moody bitch and just help us). Yuta seeing the distress Rikka is in attempts to talk to Akane and get her to hold off on the attack (well that’s an awkward conversation. (Nitsuj): I’ll say. This is like Venture Bros. territory. Hey Akane, I know you’re supposed to be arching me this Saturday but this thing came up and I can’t do it. Can we move it next Saturday? (Shizuku): Yeah no problem, I’ll put you down for 2pm Saturday. Thanks for the heads up and I’ll get you next time . . .Gridman) but Akane says no. Even Rikka tries to talk Akane out of it but once again she says no and even tells Rikka that it’s impossible for her to hate Akane since that’s the way she created her (scene here: https://youtu.be/Wf12JAmN9hE. Woah, Rikka’s a spy? (Nitsuj): Questions for later). On the day of the festival the Gridman Alliance gets the jump on Akane by attacking the festival first to clear out everyone. Granted they don’t destroy anything (Nitsuj: Look out! He’s. . .causally walking through the school and not destroying anything). Akane sends out her kaiju where we see that Gridman isn’t his usual size because they figured out that if they shrunk Gridman and the others, they’ll all be able to mobilize at the same time and not freeze up the computer. With everyone mobilized they combine to form Ultra Gridman (or Full-Powered Gridman) and defeat the kaiju (scene here: https://youtu.be/Zkecr0tUQKU). With the kaiju gone, the festival is saved and everyone has a good time.
Episodes 9-12
(Nitsuj): Episode 9 is a good episode. Akane has created a kaiju that traps Yuta, Sho, and Rikka in the dream world. In the dream world, Akane creates alternate versions of herself to interact with them. In Rikka’s dream they’re best friends, in Sho’s dream they become kaiju buddies, and in Yuta’s dream they’re dating (scene here: https://youtu.be/wFW8Ti5neeY, I feel like Yuta’s dream is the only one that can become a reality). Anti tries to destroy the kaiju himself with a buzzsaw but his attempts leave much to be desired (Shizuku: Give him credit, his attempts are direct and to the point). Luckily, Yuta and the others manage to break out of their dream states because they remember they have to do something and realize that everything is just too good to be true. Gridman manages to defeat the kaiju in the dream world which makes the kaiju materialize in the real world and since Yuta and Gridman aren’t around it’s up to Max, Borr, Vitt, and Calibur to beat the kaiju (Shizuku: We have a sword, a jet, a drill, and a tank. We got this). They all combine and form God Zenon where they defeat the kaiju and Yuta and the others wake up (scene here: https://youtu.be/BBoGNN3oQWs). I have to admit this episode made me feel bad for Akane. We actually see that all she wants is for everyone to like her and even in a dream no matter how hard she tried to make all their wishes come true, they still reject her.
Episode 10 is a slow episode where not a whole lot happens until the last 10 minutes. We see Akane’s heart is in disarray and she creates a kaiju that Gridman defeats with one strike but the body doesn’t disappear. Anti shows up and tries to beat Gridman only to lose once again but not get destroyed as Yuta and Gridman can sense that he’s no longer a kaiju but rather something else (Shizuku: Not entirely human but not a kaiju either. He’s somewhere down the middle and has become an anomaly to himself and everything around him). Sometime later, a new kaiju emerges from the defeated kaiju earlier (this one is actually freakier looking) and begins attacking everything, the city, humans, and even the kaiju responsible for restoring Akane’s city (Shizuku: A traitor to its own cause). Gridman and the others go out to fight the kaiju where we get honestly the most fast-paced kaiju fight I’ve ever seen. Seriously, the kaiju does flips, it jumps off buildings like Spiderman, and actually performs a drop-kick (when was the last time you ever saw a kaiju do that? (Shizuku): Well there was that one time with Godzill- (Nitsuj): Never! That’s where). Gridman soon finds himself at the mercy of the kaiju until he gets saved by Anti. Not because they’re buddies but because Anti’s sole purpose is to defeat Gridman and how can he do that if Gridman is gone (yes, it’s quite the conundrum)? Anti transforms into Gridknight, which is essentially a more badass darker version of Gridman and defeats the kaiju to save the day (scene here: https://youtu.be/FIJ0AEyo2S0). Once Yuta returns, Akane enters the shop and shanks Yuta (Shizuku: Well that came out of nowhere. Let me guess, this is a reference to the original series? (Nitsuj): Yep. In the original series Takeshi the one helping Khan Digifer tried using the same cutter to stab Takeo only to stop and realize that this Takeo was just an illusion and instead an ideal version of himself that he could still become. This causes Takeshi to throw the knife away, breakdown, and cry. Here, Akane doesn’t hesitate to stab Yuta. She’s already had her breakdown. Unlike Takeshi who had an idea of what he wanted to be, Akane doesn’t know what she wants to be. We know she wants friends but her methods to get them don’t work and leave her alone).
So at the start of episode 11, Akane gets done stabbing Yuta and then breaks the computer Gridman is in before walking out while everyone stands there shocked and confused (Scene here: https://youtu.be/MNLB8KKKwmY, (Shizuku): You all suck at your job). They manage to rush Yuta to the hospital where Akane missed his vitals (she’s new to this, give it time) but he’s not waking up. Calibur and the others believe that since Yuta and Gridman are connected to each other, they have to fix the computer in order to fully heal Yuta. While that’s going on, Alexis Kerib wants Akane to create another kaiju but she says she can’t make anymore so he revives the fallen kaiju to wreck havoc on the city (Shizuku: Akane’s greatest hits) and everyone’s reactions are so nonchalant to seeing actual kaiju appearing in their city and destroying it (you just know they’re thinking, nothing like the movies at all. What a disappointment). Anti fights them off while Calibur and the others get Gridman up and running again where they find out that Yuta is actually Gridman or rather Yuta is inside of Gridman. It’s hard to explain but basically this whole anime is taking place inside a dream world that Akane has created with the help of Alexis Kerib (this is why they call her a god). In order to enter Akane’s world, Gridman had to fuse with Yuta and in the process he became Yuta. With Gridman back online, Yuta wakes up but with Gridman in control of his body and mind. Gridman and the others go to help Gridknight where they defeat the remaining kaiju (scene here: https://youtu.be/gWR2Yb7E-Cc, (Shizuku): They’ll be back next week folks) and Rikka manages to find Akane. They go through the typical cliché of I created you to like me but even if you did I still like you for you (this really was an underplayed card right here) and Alexis Kerib comes in to turn Akane into a kaiju (scene here: https://youtu.be/entZLlFb00E).
(Shizuku): In the final episode, Alexis Kerib turns Akane into a kaiju and lets her loose on the town (Nitsuj: Why does the god of this world look like it flew out of Hell?). Anti takes her on while Gridman gathers up the alliance for one final show down. Anti manages to pull Akane out of the kaiju and Alexis Kerib pulls a Sephiroth (Mysterious Latin choir: Sephiroth! (Nitsuj): Do you guys show up every time someone says that name? (Mysterious Latin choir): Yes we do!) and drives a sword through Anti which could have possibly killed him. Alexis Kerib than fuses with Akane and gains a massive power boost. Gridman and the others combine and form the true Gridman (aka the old school Gridman). So we get our fight between Gridman and Alexis Kerib (and look, they even play the original theme song) where I gotta say, Alexis Kerib is kind of a weakling. Gridman actually beats him a couple of times but because he’s immortal thanks to Akane, he just keeps coming back. It’s only until Gridman uses his Fixer Beam to restore the city and heal Akane’s broken heart (Nitsuj: We need to repair that broken mind as well. She kills people over meaningless stuff) he delivers the final blow to Alexis Kerib where he finally defeats and captures him (scene here: https://youtu.be/HPlLonRGjaE). With the fight over and the world finally returning to normal we get our goodbyes. Akane decides to leave this world, Gridman and the others leave as well, and Yuta re-awakens. Also, Anti is still alive and is now hanging out with the loli kaiju we saw from episode 6. We then enter reality (Nitsuj: DAH! Live action! Take it away) and see the real Akane (or at least the VA) wake up (scenes here: https://youtu.be/zJ_Dp85_Lgc and https://youtu.be/aAW9Sx743f0).
Final Thoughts
(Shizuku): And that was Gridman. Like I said before it’s not a bad anime. It’s good, but it’s pretty standard as far as animes go. It doesn’t try to do anything big or grand when it has every opportunity to do it and I just can’t figure out why.
(Nitsuj): Just like a Saturday morning cartoon.
(Shizuku): Exactly! Wait what?
(Nitsuj): Yeah, that was the main point of the series. The whole series was meant to feel like a modern take on Saturday morning cartoons. The characters while not deep are still very likeable. Yuta has a strong sense of justice, Sho and Rikka remain loyal and are always there to help out, and even Akane earns some sympathy by being a character who is just lonely deep inside and doesn’t understand herself. Alexis Kerib is the snarky villain and we get our kaiju of the week. Each episode follows an easy to follow adventure all while building up to the exciting conclusion while also developing some of the characters. Some characters get more development then others like Anti and Akane while others don’t because they really don’t need it but at the same time you don’t care because you’re enjoying each episode with a smile on your face.
(Shizuku): Wow, I never really thought of it that way. Hey wait, cartoons can have deep stories and over-arcing stories that stretch throughout the season. What’s this one excuse for not having any of that?
(Nitsuj): True, but keep in mind these deep and over-arcing stories really didn’t start coming into shows until the late 90s. Even now we’re still trying to figure it out and incorporate it into our cartoons. While the show may not take as many chances as some of Trigger’s other animes and I do feel they missed out on exploring a lot of avenues, this series manages to stay true to the heart and soul of the original show as well as Saturday morning cartoons. Would the series have benefitted from more episodes? Yes, definitely. If it had more episodes I’m sure we would have gotten that deeper and over-arching story that you were looking for, but for what we got, I can say that I was satisfied. Especially with the CGI.
(Shizuku): Oh hell yeah! The CGI was amazing in this show. Easily some of the best out there. At first it looked awkward but as the series went on it kept getting better with each episode. I have to admit, the cel-shading on Gridman and the kaiju was a good idea as it really made them stand out and move a lot more fluently as the animators started to get a feel for what they could do. Speaking of kaiju, these are some damn cool kaiju. The designs are amazing and reminiscent of the kaiju from the original series. The same can be said about the fight scenes as they follow the formula of the original series as well with Gridman losing at first but with the help of his allies, he makes a comeback and wins the fight. The fights themselves are passable. Like I said these fights are very formulaic but I think they’re enjoyable to watch.
(Nitsuj): The music is great as well. The soundtrack to this anime is very good as the music really does match up with the Saturday morning feel they’re trying to create. As far as animation goes, this is the first Trigger animation that doesn’t look like your standard Trigger animation. It’s not as wild-looking as their other animes, it’s more polished, and seems more tamed. Does it look bad, hell no. It still looks good here. Not sure if this is a new style they’re working on and if we’ll see it in their future but I’m not against this style of animation. If anything, it actually shows just how wide their range of animation is and how their animators have grown over the years.
Final Score
(Nitsuj): My final score for SSSS.Gridman is a 7.5/10. A good experience that hits me right in the nostalgia.
(Shizuku): I’m giving it a 6.5/10. Thanks to you boss I now have a different perspective on the series and like it quite a bit. It’s not my favorite anime from Trigger but it’s definitely one I can see myself returning to and watching again.
(Nitsuj): So this brings the final score to a 7/10. It you’re looking for an anime to put a smile on your face, check this anime out. So, Shizuku, you sticking around for the next review?
(Shizuku): You bet! What’s next?
(Nitsuj): Oh I think you know darling. Until next time, thanks for reading and we’ll see you next time on Project Nitsuj.
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