Review of SSSS.Gridman

This is a surprisingly good series that starts simple but quickly becomes rich with character complexity and development. People who are not able to appreciate the creativity and care that went into the series are smoking something. Gridman is not a simple monster of the week beat-em-up as it might appear based on the first few episodes. On first watching the first three episodes feel almost formulaic, but soon it becomes clear that there is far more to the story. Aside from the character development, the standout aspect of this show is the cinematography and how it is used to effect visual storytelling. Nearly every shot isdripping with implication and meaning; characterization also benefits from this as the way characters are posed and frames speaks volumes without requiring a word of dialogue. It's clear that the creators of this show are masters of the craft and had a clear vision for what they wanted to create.

I have two recommendations. One, don't stop watching until at least the 4th episode as the series takes about this long to really get going.

Two, watch it a second time. There are many small but significant details hidden in plain sight that will make more sense and be appreciated more on a second viewing.