Anime Review: SSSS.Gridman Episodes 1 & 2

SSSS.Gridman Episodes 1 & 2

Studio: Trigger

Genre: Action, Mecha

Stream: Crunchyroll

The Giant Hero genre was massively popular in Japan from the 1960’s through the late 1990’s. This pop-culture phenomenon was led by Ultraman, the giant hero animated through stop-motion (known in Japan as Tokusatsu). In the mid 90’s, Gridman the Hyper Agent debuted by Tsuburaya, the studio that created Ultraman. While Gridman wasn’t as popular as Ultraman, it still had a dedicated following. Now, Trigger is teaming up with Tsuburaya for an anime adaptation known as SSSS.Gridman.

SSSS. Gridman is a love letter to the genre, featuring all of the usual quirks, gimmicks, and storytelling mechanisms. Yuuta Hibiki is a student suffering from amnesia. He runs into Hyper Agent Gridman, a giant robot who informs him that he needs to fulfill his purpose and save the city from giant monster attacks. Yuuta has the ability to transform into Gridman via an old computer and deals with various threats with the help of his friends, Rikka and Shou.

So far the episodes are mostly split into two parts: The students seek to understand their circumstances for half of the episode, then a giant monster attacks. The formulaic format is familiar, but effective, especially since each part is so well done. The characters surrounding the protagonist are wonderful, making up for how generic he is. Both Rikka and Shou feel like authentic characters with solid writing and believable motives. The amount of character development we’ve seen so far is surprising, especially considering the little amount of screentime the characters have gotten. The interactions are fun, the time spent in school is peaceful, and everything just feels like a nice slice of life episode.

This juxtaposes well with the action scenes, which are both stylish and spectacular. These giant battles featuring Gridman and the monster of the week successfully capture the feel that the old series felt. Trigger uses CG for Gridman and the monsters, which looks surprisingly good. The style and flash that these giants require are captured perfectly. Gridman shines, with light reflecting in spectacular fashion thanks to the effects used.

The stop-motion isn’t missing either, with the giants looking somewhat static in their animation. This may turn off some viewers who want smooth animation, but fans of the old series will feel a sense of nostalgia from this choice. The production quality feels exceptional due to these decisions. The battles feel even bigger thanks to a fantastic OST, pounding exciting music into the conflict.

SSSS.Gridman won’t be for everyone, but it will be something special for those that grew up on giant robots and kaiju. The characters are easy to love, the slice of life scenes are cozy, and the thrilling battles dazzle. Some will be turned away by the stylistic choices, but Trigger and Tsuburaya have crafted this series with love, and I can’t wait to see where it goes.