When it comes to sequels there are only a few out there that I can say with the utmost confidence, outshine their predecessors by miles away. There is The Dark Knight Rises, The Empire Strikes Back and even Shrek 2. And now SSSS.Dynazenon has fallen into that category for me.

When thinking of Dynazenon, I can't help but compare it to its predecessor, SSSS.Gridman (2018) which was the first installment of the Gridman universe. As someone who liked Gridman I can totally understand why some people might have not liked it as much as others. Because truth be told, even I found myself forgetting about the anime a month or two after it ended. And I was pretty much indifferent to Dynazenon when the anime was first announced. However, once Dynazenon began airing, I found myself enjoying it significantly more than Gridman and my love for the anime grew exponentially each week. Dynazenon is bigger and better, as it improves on Gridman's shortcomings tremendously. It shows that the staff really put care into this series, taking everything they learned from Gridman, tweaking the imperfections and applying it to Dynazenon.

The story revolves around our five main characters: Yomogi, Yume, Koyomi, Chise and Gauma. Each person of the group (except Chise) pilots a part of Dynazenon led by the chaotic king, Gauma. Together they form the giant robot, Dynazenon and fight kaijus that threaten to destroy the world. Each character is eccentric and unique in their own right, which makes them play off of each other quite nicely. Their interactions are like a breath of fresh air since it feels natural and authentic. They're lovable, charismatic, and simply feel more human than Gridman's cast. That's not to say Gridman's cast isn't good – because they are – but they lack in comparison to Dynazenon's ensemble. The main reason for this being the fact that Yomogi and co. are much easier to relate to since their entire character arc does not revolve around just fighting kaijus. In Gridman, the cast lacks development outside of Akane. We never really delve into the lives of Yuta, Rikka, and Utsumi since they're always focused on stopping Akane from destroying their home. This is probably the reason why Gridman was not as compelling for many.

On the contrary, the members of Dynazenon each deal with their own personal issues such as loss, love, depression, incompetence, isolation and regret - which they slowly begin to overcome as the story progresses. This makes for some excellent characters development that eventually ties up beautifully in the end.

In terms of growth, the spotlight specifically shines on Yomogi and Yume who receive the most development throughout the entirety of the anime. Both are trouble kids, going through their own hardships, but after being brought together by Dynazenon, they start to form a bond and their view of life begins to change. The plotline with Yume and her sister is by far my favorite arc in Dynazenon. Seeing Yume go from a cold and distant person to someone much friendlier who learns to rely on those around her was absolutely wonderful, and it would not have been possible without Yomogi's kind-heartedness, as he was always at Yume's side, supporting her every step of the way. There relationship is sweet, awkward and genuine. It's adorable seeing these two interact and care for each other deeply. Without this fantastic duo I probably wouldn't have been as invested in Dynazenon as I am now. They are just that good.

One thing that stays consistent with the sequel is the beauty of the visual storytelling, animation and art which is elevated with the upbeat tracks thanks to Shiro Sagisu (Evangelion, Gridman). He has killed it once again with the soundtrack, which ranges from mellow to radiant, really immersing the viewer in the most pivotal moments of the anime.

And I can't forget to mention the kaiju battles because it's not mecha anime without the giant robots clashing with huge monsters. I must say it was much more amusing seeing each cast member have a role in fighting the Kaiju Eugenicists compared to Gridman, where RIkka and Utsumi stare and a computer screen while Yuta does most of the work. The Kaiju Eugenicists are a chaotic fun bunch and good antagonists that fit the more lighthearted tone that Dynazenon initially has, but we also see them grow and turn serious as the stakes become higher. The mecha combinations were also much more creative, and gratifying to watch. Hearing the Dynazenon theme play as everyone combined into one for a final attack was always thrilling and had me grinning ear to ear from excitement. I've seen people compare Dynazenon to Power Rangers but I sadly can't make that comparison since I've never watched Power Rangers (sorry). However, I can say that Dynazenon has that Saturday morning cartoon vibe – even though its on a Friday – and reminds me of the weekends where I would wake up super early around 6 or 7 AM just to catch the newest episodes of my favorite shows.

I don't really have any complaints other than the fact that Chise's backstory wasn't expanded on after episode 10. It just seemed like there was potential there for a great character arc that would tie into the Dynazenon story, so I thought there might be more. It didn't affect my enjoyment at all though since I still love her. Dynazenon was simply that good from start to finish.

Do I recommend watching SSSS.Dynazenon? Absolutely. I found it quite absurd that not many people were talking about the anime since it was basically one of the best shows airing this season along with Megalobox 2. I totally understand why some people might have not liked Gridman as much as others. Perhaps the story wasn't as engaging as one would hope or maybe the mecha genre isn't appealing at all. Whatever the reason may be, I definitely encourage you all to give Dynazenon a chance. As I said before, Dynazenon is a polished version of Gridman, having refined the flaws of its predecessor and all in all, it was such a delight to watch. Overall I rate it a 9/10 but based on pure enjoyment it's a 10.