Name: SSSS.Gridman: An Anime That Inspires Beyond the Screen
Item: SSSS.GRIDMAN
Rating: 90
Author: Dragonbaconsalad

Waifra

SSSS.Gridman: An Anime That Inspires Beyond the Screen · Waifora

I had already watched this anime, but I decided to rewatch it to write a review since I liked it a lot back then. When I revisited it, I realized it held much deeper themes than I remembered.

SSSS.Gridman is based on a series called "Gridman the Hyper Agent" from 1993–1994, which has a style similar to Super Sentai. I don't know much about the genre, but it's pretty cool. The "SSSS" in the name comes from "Special Signature to Save a Soul" and "Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad", a nod to the American adaptation of "Gridman the Hyper Agent."

The story begins with a boy named Yuuta Hibiki, who wakes up in the house of a girl named Rikka Takarada. Yuuta had fainted outside Rikka's store and home, and Rikka, along with her mother, brought him inside to rest. Upon waking, Yuuta is unable to remember anything. While walking around Rikka's house, a particular object catches his attention—an old computer. As he approaches it, Yuuta sees a mech named "Gridman," who tells him, "You must remember who you are." Yuuta doesn’t understand what this means, and Rikka can’t see Gridman, so she assumes Yuuta is talking to himself. Afterward, they head to the hospital, where Yuuta begins to see giant kaiju figures looming over the city, shrouded in thick fog. Ultimately, the hospital tells him he'll recover with time, and Yuuta returns to his home, which is empty because his parents are away on a trip.

The next day, Yuuta goes back to school and resumes his life as a student with a new friend he recently made, Shō Utsumi. During recess, Akane Shinjou, the classmate who sits next to Yuuta, gives him bread, which is later crushed by a volleyball accidentally. As the day unfolds, several events occur, including Rikka, Utsumi, and Yuuta witnessing a kaiju attacking the city. Yuuta feels an urge, like a calling from Gridman, and runs to the old computer at Rikka's house. Upon arriving, he transforms into Gridman and fights the kaiju.

However, not everyone could be saved. The following day, those who died are forgotten by everyone except their families, with altered death dates. Additionally, the city is miraculously restored. Only Rikka, Utsumi, and Yuuta remember what happened, so they form the "Gridman Alliance" to save as many people as possible and uncover the truth behind the mysterious events in the city.

IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN THE STORY, I RECOMMEND SKIPPING THE FOLLOWING SPOILERS

Spoiler, click to view

What I liked most about this story was its psychological depth. Akane had created her perfect world, but even in that ideal world, she was unable to find happiness. As a result, she created kaiju to destroy anything she didn’t like, reshaping the world to her satisfaction.

Despite being programmed a certain way, the characters still have hearts and their own desires, as demonstrated in the dream episode. Even though they could pretend everything is fine forever, the protagonists choose to wake up and make real changes to their world. Akane, on the other hand, can’t comprehend this action—how could her creations have the courage to move forward while she chose to stay in her fantasy, where she was only partially happy because deep down, she knew the truth?

The excessive fog reflects Akane’s heart, obscuring her view of reality. The fog also applies to Yuuta, as he is unaware of his identity as Gridman.

If you rewatch the series, you’ll notice all the clues about the false world and the depth of each character. The story invites you to be brave, confront your insecurities, and wake up. Staying in the dream may feel comfortable and make you happy, but deep down, you’ll always know the truth.

The fact that the four S's foreshadow the ending, where Akane’s soul is saved, is brilliant in every way. Another detail I love is how the first and last episodes share the same title but have different contexts. In the first episode, "Awakening" refers to Yuuta and Gridman awakening both their powers and their doubts caused by amnesia and the lack of purpose or mission, leading to a journey of self-discovery. In the final episode, "Awakening" represents Akane’s decision to wake up to the real world.

We don’t know exactly why Akane felt isolated and chose to escape reality. There are hints that she might be a hikikomori in real life, given how her room is portrayed in the fabricated world and her rejection of the real world to the point of creating her own reality, where everyone loves her. Personally, I like this aspect because many things are left open to interpretation and can be given meaning.

The only downside to the series, in my opinion, is the fast pacing, which could have been resolved with more episodic chapters. However, it does a great job developing all its characters, including the villains, so I wouldn’t say it’s a major issue.

I highly recommend watching SSSS.Gridman to anyone who hasn’t seen it yet. It’s a great mecha anime with multi-dimensional characters, strong messages, and a finale that can inspire many people, especially if you're having a bad time.