Review of SSSS.Gridman

SSSS.Gridman is an ode of appreciation to the Gundam genre, but it extends to all things "those-trash-cartoons-that-rot-kids-brains". No spoilers in this review, and while I am a firm believer that spoilers do not ruin media, I think the logical steps the story takes you all the way to the end is a big part of why I appreciate this show so much. So TL;DR this is a show that is incredibly tasteful and chooses not to pander to the Gundam audience but teaches us how we may have been affected by this medium for the better. Go watch it I use the word "appreciate" a lot becauseSSSS.Gridman selects certain elements from Gundam shows and uses them as motifs or reminders, i.e. repeating certain animation sequences as a cost saving measure in Transformers or GI Joe. For other important elements SSSS.Gridman puts a lot of love and quality into i.e. the fighting sequences using realistic motion, possibly from reference footage. To which and how these decisions were made elevates SSSS.Gridman above other homages to 90s anime. Look at Pacific Rim for example, a movie I love mind you. The film has a love for Kaiju and Mech designs, but it also bashes on the medium's poor story telling with the attitude that the only thing that matters in Kaiju animes are big monsters fighting big robots. I think it's fair to be self aware about the stuff we loved in the past, but after watching SSSS.Gridman I realize this kind of attitude is dismissive of the idea that everything we experience and have experienced molds who we are as people. SSSS.Gridman might recognize the flaws from those cartoons past, but it also recognizes that the media we consume as children made the heroes we aspire to be now. And again no spoilers, but the ending enables the viewer to connect with their past and maybe see how those dumb cartoons shaped us to be the people we are.

One aspect I want to give big praise to is the sound experience I had with this show. First, the OP is amazing. OxT captures that 90s anime, childish, hyped up attitude while adding in modern OP elements. The song is extremely clean and I did not skip it a single time. Then comes the choice to not play background music. Some other animes rely on OST too much to invoke emotion, but SSSS.Gridman strips this back which forces the animators and character designers to invoke that emotion and the sound designers to use diegetic sounds. This creates less stress on the ears and allows you to interpret emotions and scenes for yourself.

SSSS.Gridman gave me a lot to think about about how my childhood experiences affected me now, and it tells its viewers to not be ashamed of their fandoms. For delivering such in interesting, simple, yet pensive message in a very tastefu, clean way, this show has won me over.