Review of SSSS.Dynazenon

Dynazenon throws us back into the Trigger/Tsubu world after a 4 year wait and I’m glad to be back. The spiritual successor to SSSS Gridman, Dynazenon retains a lot of the same features that made Gridman successful. Great toku action scenes, a good cast with solid chemistry and an entertaining story. In my opinion, Dynazenon was actually better than its predecessor. I felt the main cast in Dynazenon’s chemistry, particularly the MC and main heroine, was amazing. A lot of their interactions felt like legitimate conversations, the seiyuus did a good job of removing that usual “anime voice” and sounding like normal teenagers. The side charactersin Dynazenon also were more interesting to me. I think they played a much more relevant role, especially the Eugenicists who act as the main opposition throughout much of the series. Their backstories are so well fleshed out that you almost want to root for them. The overall story of Dynazenon was probably slightly worse than Gridman, but the quality of the characters makes up for it. I think the show also does a good job of setting up Trigger to do even more with Tsuburaya, so I’m excited to see what they’ve got up their sleeves.

Dynazenon, like Gridman before it is essentially a toku anime, and with all toku series the most important thing is the action. The CGI action sequences were well done and really brought back that feeling of watching Kamen Rider or Super Sentai on Saturdays. The kaiju designs were on point throughout and were a unique mix of classic Ultraman and Kamen Rider designs. I briefly mentioned it earlier, but I have to bring up the voice acting again. It’s one of those things that can totally change the atmosphere of an anime, and in this show it really created the feeling that you were listening to real people talking. That type of quality is rare in this medium and I appreciate it a lot.

Overall, Dynazenon is a really fun time and does a great job of setting up future Trigger/Tsubu works. Based on its popularity in Japan, I don’t think we’ll be waiting too long for a third instalment. While the story may be weaker, I found the show way more enjoyable than Gridman, and the characters more likeable. I am sad to see it end.

SSSS Dynazenon gets 9 Ankhs out of 10.