SSSS.Gridman

SSSS.Gridman
Key visual
Genre
Created byTsuburaya Productions
Anime television series
Directed byAkira Amemiya
Produced by
  • Miho Ichii
  • Tomoyuki Ōwada
  • Hiroshi Kamei
  • Sōji Miyagi
  • Hidehisa Nagasawa
  • Hirofumi Ishii
  • Mikio Ono
  • Yoshiki Usa
  • Yūki Watanabe
  • Tomoyoshi Asō
Written byKeiichi Hasegawa
Music byShirō Sagisu
StudioTrigger
Licensed by
Original networkWowow, Tokyo MX, MBS, BS11
English network
Original run October 7, 2018 December 23, 2018
Episodes12 (List of episodes)
Manga
Hime to Samurai
Written byKei Toru
Published byMedia Factory
MagazineMonthly Comic Alive
DemographicSeinen
Original runOctober 26, 2019February 26, 2022
Volumes2
Manga
Shinseiki Chūgakusei Nikki
Written byAriko
Published byMedia Factory
MagazineMonthly Comic Alive
DemographicSeinen
Original runOctober 26, 2019October 27, 2020
Volumes2
Manga
Written byYūki Konno
Published byShueisha
MagazineShōnen Jump+
DemographicShōnen
Original runNovember 30, 2019December 11, 2021
Volumes5
Manga
Sengoku Gridman
Written byYūki Tamura
Published byAkita Shoten
MagazineMonthly Shōnen Champion
DemographicShōnen
Original runMay 2, 2020April 6, 2021
Manga
Shinseiki Chūgakusei no Shitsuji Cafe
Written byMisaki Sano
Published byAkita Shoten
MagazineMonthly Shōnen Champion
DemographicShōnen
Original runMay 2, 2020April 6, 2021
Manga
Gridman Dogma
Written byHazumu Sazuka
Published byShinchosha
MagazineKurage Bunch
DemographicSeinen
Original runApril 13, 2021April 26, 2022
Related

SSSS.Gridman (stylized as SSSS.GRIDMΛN)[a] is a Japanese anime television series jointly produced by Tsuburaya Productions and Trigger. It is the first installment in the shared Gridman Universe media and an adaptation of the 1993–1994 tokusatsu series Denkou Choujin Gridman.[5] It was broadcast for 12 episodes from October to December 2018. A sequel, titled SSSS.Dynazenon, was broadcast from April to June 2021.

Synopsis

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The story focuses on Yūta Hibiki, an amnesiac first-year high school student living in the fictional Japanese city of Tsutsujidai. He meets the Hyper Agent Gridman in an old computer, who states that the boy has a mission he must fulfill; Yūta sets out to find the meaning to those words and his memory loss. The sudden appearance of kaiju eventually changes the usual dynamics of Yūta and his classmates.[6] Yūta is able to merge with Gridman to fight kaiju, but after the kaiju attack, people's memories are reset and those who die are forgotten. As the "Gridman Alliance", Yūta and his friends now seek to stop the kaiju and uncover the truth behind the disappearances, with assistance from mysterious friends of Gridman who can transform into weapons that Gridman can use in combat.

Broadcast and release

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SSSS.Gridman was announced during Studio Trigger's panel at Anime Expo 2017, alongside Darling in the Franxx and Promare. Trigger described the show as "their anime take on the tokusatsu series", with an original storyline unrelated to the earlier live-action series.[7][8] During Tokyo Comic Con 2017, more details about the show were provided, including the main staff, October 2018 premiere, Masayuki Gotou as Gridman's character designer, and voice actor Hikaru Midorikawa reprising his role as Gridman.[5][9][10]

On March 24, 2018, the official website revealed another visual and main voice cast details.[11][12] During Studio Trigger's Anime Expo 2018 panel, Trigger acknowledged the differences between the US and Japanese releases of Gridman, clarifying that SSSS.Gridman is a new show with the same concept. They emphasized that despite having an all-new story, SSSS.Gridman wasn't a reboot. Production of SSSS.Gridman took place alongside Promare; staff related stories during the panel about production details for SSSS.Gridman being worked out during Promare meetings and vice versa. A special video featuring director Akira Amemiya was shown, emphasizing the story "would focus on the youth of Japan and their relationship to technology". The world premiere of the show took place after the panel ended.[13]

The series aired from October 7 to December 23, 2018.[14][b] The series is directed by Akira Amemiya, written by Keiichi Hasegawa, and animated by Trigger. Masayuki Gotou designed Gridman with Masaru Sakamoto handling the other character designs, many of which are directly inspired by characters from the Transformers franchise.[15][16] Shirō Sagisu composes the music.[9][4] The opening theme is "UNION" by OxT, and the ending theme is "youthful beautiful" by Maaya Uchida.[17] During their Anime Expo 2018 panel, Funimation announced they licensed the series for streaming on FunimationNow and an English dub.[18] The anime was also licensed by Funimation in the United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. The anime was simulcast by Crunchyroll in those countries.[19]

On December 14, 2019, a sequel series titled SSSS.Dynazenon was announced at Tsuburaya Production's own convention, Tsubucon. The animation project is a continuation of SSSS.Gridman set in the same shared "Gridman Universe".[20] It premiered on April 2, 2021.[21]

On November 15, 2020, it was announced during an Adult Swim YouTube livestream panel that the anime's English dub would premiere on the network's Toonami programming block on January 17, 2021.[22][23][c]

A compilation film was released in cinema on January 20, 2023 before the premiere of Gridman Universe anime film.[24]

Manga adaptations

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On May 27, 2019, a manga adaptation and five manga spin-off adaptations were announced. The manga spin-offs announced were a comedy spin-off by Ariko, a spin-off centered around Samurai Calibur and a girl named Hime Kuzuki by Kei Toru, a then-untitled spin-off by Misaki Sano, a Sengoku-era spin-off by Yūki Tamura, and an untitled spin-off centered around Akane Shinjo by Shun Kazakami.[25] The manga adaptation by Konno was serialized in Shueisha's Shōnen Jump+ website from November 30, 2019,[26] to December 11, 2021.[27] It has been collected in five tankōbon volumes.[28]

On October 26, 2019, the two spin-off manga adaptations by Ariko and Kei Toru began serialization in Media Factory's seinen manga magazine Monthly Comic Alive.[29] Shinseiki Chūgakusei Nikki ended serialization on October 27, 2020;[30] Hime to Samurai ended on February 26, 2022.[31]

On May 2, 2020, the two spin-off manga adaptations by Yūki Tamura and Misaki Sano began serialization in Akita Shoten's shōnen manga magazine Monthly Shōnen Champion.[32] Both series ended serialization on April 6, 2021.[33]

On July 9, 2020, the planned manga spin-off adaptation by Shun Kazakami was cancelled due to creative differences.[34]

A manga spin-off written and illustrated by Hazumu Sazuka, titled Gridman Dogma, was serialized in Shinchosha's Kurage Bunch website from April 13, 2021 to April 26, 2022.[35][36]

Notes

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  1. ^ The "SSSS" in the title is an acronym for "Special Signature to Save a Soul" as revealed in the final episode.[3] It is also a reference to Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad, a US adaptation of Gridman the Hyper Agent, although it is not directly related to the series.[4]
  2. ^ Wowow lists the series as premiering at 24:00 on Saturday, which is effectively Sunday at 12:00 a.m. JST.
  3. ^ Adult Swim lists the series as premiering at 2:30 a.m. (26:30) ET/PT on Saturday, which is effectively Sunday.

References

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  1. ^ "Ssss.Gridman". Funimation. Archived from the original on November 7, 2018. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "SSSS.GRIDMAN - The Fall 2018 Anime Preview Guide". Anime News Network. October 26, 2018. Archived from the original on April 27, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  3. ^ Farris, Christopher (December 27, 2018). "Episode 12 - SSSS.Gridman". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Hodgkins, Crystalyn (2018-07-07). "SSSS.Gridman Anime Reveals 2nd Promo Video, New Character, More Staff". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 2018-09-11. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  5. ^ a b 完全新作TVアニメーション『SSSS.GRIDMAN』製作決定! (in Japanese). m-78.jp. 2017-12-02. Archived from the original on 2017-12-02. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  6. ^ Ressler, Karen (October 4, 2018). "SSSS.Gridman Anime's English Dub Trailer, Cast Unveiled". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  7. ^ "Studio Trigger Announces Gridman Anime". Tokusatsu Network. 2017-07-02. Archived from the original on 2018-07-07. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  8. ^ "Studio Trigger Announces 3 New Anime Titles". Anime News Network. July 3, 2017. Archived from the original on July 3, 2017. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  9. ^ a b "Trigger Reveals SSSS.Gridman Anime's Cast, Staff, Fall TV Debut". Anime News Network. 2017-12-02. Archived from the original on 2018-07-30. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
  10. ^ "Tokusatsu Hero Gridman Will Be Reborn in All-New TV Anime "SSSS.GRIDMAN" in Autumn 2018". Crunchyroll. 2017-12-02. Archived from the original on 2018-07-07. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  11. ^ "SSSS.Gridman Anime's Video Reveals Cast". Anime News Network. 2018-03-24. Archived from the original on 2018-07-07. Retrieved 2018-03-24.
  12. ^ "2018年秋放送開始のTVアニメ『SSSS.GRIDMAN』よりキービジュアル・PV第1弾が公開。追加キャスト:広瀬裕也・斉藤壮馬 ほか" (in Japanese). moca-news. 2018-03-24. Archived from the original on 2018-07-07. Retrieved 2018-03-24.
  13. ^ "Anime Expo 2018: TRIGGER Panel". Anime News Network. 2018-07-08. Archived from the original on 2018-07-25. Retrieved 2018-07-25.
  14. ^ "SSSS.Gridman Anime Reveals New Promo Video, New Visual, October 6 Premiere". Anime News Network. 2018-09-10. Archived from the original on 2018-09-11. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
  15. ^ "SSSS.Gridman is the year's biggest anime surprise". Polygon. 11 December 2018. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  16. ^ "Here's Why 'SSSS.Gridman' is the Best Anime of the Season". Archived from the original on 2020-10-10. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
  17. ^ Ressler, Karen (2018-07-26). "Trigger, Tsuburaya's SSSS.Gridman Anime Reveals New Visual, Additional Cast". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 2018-07-26. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  18. ^ "Funimation Licenses SSSS.Gridman Anime for Fall Streaming". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 2018-07-07. Retrieved 2018-10-08.
  19. ^ "Crunchyroll Announces Final Fairy Tail Anime and More for Fall 2018". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on 2020-11-09. Retrieved 2018-10-08.
  20. ^ 「SSSS.GRIDMAN」の制作陣が再集結!新作アニメ「SSSS.DYNAZENON」制作決定. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. December 14, 2019. Archived from the original on October 30, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  21. ^ Mateo, Alex (March 2, 2021). "Trigger's SSSS.Dynazenon TV Anime Premieres on April 2". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 2, 2021. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  22. ^ Hazra, Adriana (November 15, 2020). "Toonami to Start Showing SSSS.Gridman Anime in January 2021". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  23. ^ Luster, Joseph (November 15, 2020). "SSSS.Gridman Anime Heads to Toonami in January". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  24. ^ Cayanan, Joanna (December 13, 2022). "SSSS.Gridman, SSSS.Dynazenon TV Anime Each Get Compilation Film Before Gridman Universe Film Opens". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  25. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (May 27, 2019). "SSSS.GRIDMAN Gets Stage Play, Manga Adaptation, Manga & Novel Spinoffs". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on October 14, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  26. ^ "[第1回]SSSS.GRIDMAN". Shōnen Jump+ (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  27. ^ "[第52回]SSSS.GRIDMAN". Shōnen Jump+ (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  28. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (November 15, 2021). "SSSS.GRIDMAN Manga Ends in 2 Chapters". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  29. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (October 2, 2019). "Kei Toru, Ariko's SSSS.Gridman Spinoff Manga Both Launch on October 26". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  30. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (October 30, 2020). "Ariko's SSSS.Gridman Spinoff Manga Ends". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  31. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (March 1, 2022). "SSSS.Gridman Princess & Samurai Spinoff Manga Ends". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  32. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (April 6, 2021). "Misaki Sako's SSSS.Gridman Spinoff Manga Reveals Title, May 2 Launch". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 6, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  33. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (April 6, 2021). "SSSS.Gridman Anime's Butler Cafe, Sengoku Period Manga Spinoffs End". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 6, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  34. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (July 9, 2020). "SSSS.Gridman Manga Spinoff About Akane Canceled". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  35. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (April 4, 2021). "Manga Briefs Roundup: March-April 2021". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 9, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  36. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (May 24, 2022). "SSSS.Gridman Spinoff Manga Gridman Dogma Ends". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
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