Review of SSSS.Gridman
I really don't know how to start off my take on SSSS.Gridman. What started off as "holy shit this is some good R34" became a mixed bag of emotions and thought thrown at me at about the last 4 episodes of the show. Spoilers are included, I don't know how to write this out without. Our MC, Yuta is more or less a blank canvas who just so happens to enjoy good ol tree-trunk-thigh Rikka, and while perfect to project whatever personality you'd want onto him, is also the biggest flaw in my opinion. This isn't a "pick your own story" like Skyrim or Fallout, this isa story that wants to guide you through the experience, and a blank canvas achieves not-that.
Rikka is pretty much what led me to check out Gridman. Aside from having unnecessarily thicc thighs, she's relatively quiet throughout the show, and her "friendship" with Akane was only somewhat utilised during the final episodes of Gridman. Not that it was a poor execution, hell I think it was a decent idea that wasn't executed as much as it should have to make the story somewhat engaging.
Akane is probably the star of the show. She's cheerful, she's popular, she'd probably get into a graduation bukkake, wait her room's an absolute dumpster and nothing you'd expect from a chick's bedroom, hold on she's...she's not what everyone believes she is, is she? Throughout the story, Akane's cheerful mask gradually gets peeled off, a girl who's had everything now has...nothing. Her descent is probably the one and only element trucking this show along its knees, her (back)story is powerful, you can very clearly see Akane tearing herself apart as for the first time in her life, nothing's going her way. Also, the off-shoulder jacket is sexy as all hell.
Our star of the show, Gridman, really is...just a star. He's painted in bright colours, constantly accommodated by flashing rainbows, saving the day...and that's it. He barely progresses the plot aside from the last 2 episodes, he beats down kaiju with abilities he'll chant out loud, he beats down bigger kaiju by fusing Power Rangers style (I really don't watch shows like that, its the only reference I have), and to no one's surprise he finally decides to ADC and press that goddamn ult button to one and for all take down the main villain (who isn't well-written, at all, that's all I have to say about him). He's persona-less aside from the justice-craved "we must fight" and the longest sentence I remember him saying can be filled by a single subtitle thread. Just like Yuta, he's awfully blank.
As a bonus gift, SSSS.Gridman has an antihero, literally named "Anti". Run of the mill "I'm bad until I'm not", his concept is overused yet his execution, just like Akane, was interesting to watch. Even with his Bakugo-esque distancing behavior, it's possible to notice he genuinely has changed/gained a heart and rises up to the occasion when the going gets tough. He still lurks around with the "you can't die unless under my hand" (which is a tiring troupe) but his actions also act as a stepping stone for the plot.
The story itself is barely narrated until the last quarter of the anime. Episode 1 starts you off with a mystery, who am I, who are you, then quite literally ignores it in favour of a monster of the week "eyy lmao slapped the bad dudes" marathon before finally remembering it has an ongoing plot and decides to move all pawns on the chessboard at once. This is my main gripe with the show. It doesn't push the narrative all the way through until the end, and I would be fine with meaningless big boi vs kaiju for all 12 episodes if it never implied a plot at all.
The animation is...a mixed bag. I can't stand CG, and for it to be relatively dominant in fight scenes (except the final fight which all the budget went to) was enough for me to alt+tab to Discord just to chuckle at it with some mates. When traditionally animated though, its sometimes mesmerising. The combine sequences, Gridman throwing a non-CG punch, Rikka's hair flowing as her head turns, it baffles me that they couldn't just stick with pen on paper like Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans had.
TL:DR SSSS Gridman felt like it started off with Director A, was then lead by Director B with nonsensical fighting for about 8 episodes before finally being passed back to Director A for him to continue the storyline. And the show would probably be better if it stuck with only one director. Nevertheless, its an enjoyable watch and will trigger nostalgia for most.