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12-07-2020, 09:22 PM | #201 |
Reiei
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 3,691
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Rikka and Akane is just what it is, I guess. Maybe they couldn't fit in some things because of the 12 episode runtime? Idk. Altho, I like to think the ED is the one that's suppose to bridge that gap despite how little context we get in the ED beyond two girls just hanging out.
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12-07-2020, 10:03 PM | #202 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,467
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Not to steal Androzani's bit, but my favorite thing in this entire episode was that the background music during Akane and Rikka's final conversation is an instrumental remix of OG Gridman's ending theme, "If I Got to Know You More", which struck me as a really great shout out, because the original song, lyrics and all, sort of weirdly fits the scene perfectly?
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I don't know if I'll end up giving my thoughts on the show as a whole, but I will say, I have a massive soft spot for this finale. All those massive writing flaws you mentioned are there, for sure, but I had been dealing with that for 11 episodes already, so the good stuff was what was left to shine through for me.
And oh yeah, there is great stuff to enjoy here. That entire middle section and that last bit with Anti and Anosillus 2? Hoo boy, great stuff. Quote:
And yeah, makes Anosillus 2 talking about "the spirit of music" in the previous episode she was in make alot more sense, dunnit? Haha. Quote:
Rikka and Akane is just what it is, I guess. Maybe they couldn't fit in some things because of the 12 episode runtime? Idk. Altho, I like to think the ED is the one that's suppose to bridge that gap despite how little context we get in the ED beyond two girls just hanging out.
If the ED really is supposed to be our fill in, that is weirdly meta even for this show, but also still doesn't work given that said ED shows up even before Rikka sees Akane for the "first time in ages" at the bus stop.
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12-07-2020, 10:36 PM | #203 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
Posts: 3,833
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Hey man, if you feel like giving your thoughts, go for it. I promise I won't cry(much). Though I will say, it seems like we're actually on opposite ends from what I can tell? Me liking the earlier episodes more and you liking the later ones more, I mean.
It's not perfect, but it almost singlehandedly got me to see a show I honestly hadn't been enjoying in a new light. Which, uh, yeah, at this point, it'd be pretty teasing not to elaborate on that a bit, huh? I'll definitely try and do another post after your final thoughts, but man, hopefully I can even figure out where to start.
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12-08-2020, 12:27 AM | #204 |
Reiei
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 3,691
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Hime and Samurai, the prequel manga, probably touches on this considering Akane is a major character here too and is a bit more socially active than the show. Only two chapters are translated, unforunately. |
12-08-2020, 04:05 AM | #205 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 2,556
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Yeah, this has to be one of the most hype finales I’ve seen this year (since that’s when I first saw this show). Especially that reveal that Gridman was actually the og version all along (granted Ultraseven X did the same twist, but I don’t remember a lot about that series beyond the theme song.)
While I wasn’t in the crowd when the anime first came out, I found people on both sides of the dub vs sub battle mostly weren’t in this for the source material familiarity, since a lot of them were disappointed that Gridman’s “new look” wasn’t more robotic. Then again, we can’t expect everyone to be familiar with a short lived 90s show from the period where everyone wanted to replicate the success of Power Rangers, even the makers of Power Rangers. Anyway, on with my regular feature. And boy, is it a big one. * Zegga's design is actually recycled from a scrapped concept art of Kahn Digifer's invasion tentacle from the final episode of Denkou Choujin Gridman. * Gridman's true form is, of course, the original design of Gridman from the 1993 series. * The original Yume no Hero plays while Gridman fights Alexis. * A piano cover of Motto Kimi o Shireba, the ending song of Denkou Choujin Gridman, plays during Akane and Rikka's final coversation. * The area where Gridman and the Neon Genesis Junior High Students stand before leaving is a replica of a similar area Gridman stood in while within Junk in Denkou Choujin Gridman. (which Syber Squad used for scenes where Servo was talking while within Sam’s Compaq) * In the Japanese version, Alexis Kerib reveals that the inhabitants of Tsutsujidai are Repli-Compoids. Compoids being humans who live in the Computer World in the original series. (The official subs by Funimation refers to them as replicants, removing that little nuance). * One possible interpretation of what Rikka is to Akane is one of these, to Takeshi's good clone Takeo from the original Gridman. Rikka physically resembles Akane's real self, but her personality can be interpreted as an idealization of Akane's own, much like Takeo represented what Takeshi could be at his best. And now for something in general throughout the series. * One of the stops for the buses and trains is Sakuragaoka, which is the city that forms the setting of Denkou Choujin Gridman. And to conclude, I’ll point out the final live action shot is the first few seconds of oxt’s mv for Union, this show’s OP. |
12-08-2020, 04:17 AM | #206 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,467
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Yeah, that's suppose to be a fill in before the start of the series. They probably grew distant after the appearance of Gridman and/or erased her memories.
Hime and Samurai, the prequel manga, probably touches on this considering Akane is a major character here too and is a bit more socially active than the show. Only two chapters are translated, unfortunately. Quote:
Yeah, this has to be one of the most hype finales I’ve seen this year (since that’s when I first saw this show). Especially that reveal that Gridman was actually the og version all along (granted Ultraseven X did the same twist, but I don’t remember a lot about that series beyond the theme song.)
While I wasn’t in the crowd when the anime first came out, I found people on both sides of the dub vs sub battle mostly weren’t in this for the source material familiarity, since a lot of them were disappointed that Gridman’s “new look” wasn’t more robotic. Then again, we can’t expect everyone to be familiar with a short lived 90s show from the period where everyone wanted to replicate the success of Power Rangers, even the makers of Power Rangers. Anyway, on with my regular feature. And boy, is it a big one. * Zegga's design is actually recycled from a scrapped concept art of Kahn Digifer's invasion tentacle from the final episode of Denkou Choujin Gridman. * Gridman's true form is, of course, the original design of Gridman from the 1993 series. * The original Yume no Hero plays while Gridman fights Alexis. * A piano cover of Motto Kimi o Shireba, the ending song of Denkou Choujin Gridman, plays during Akane and Rikka's final coversation. * The area where Gridman and the Neon Genesis Junior High Students stand before leaving is a replica of a similar area Gridman stood in while within Junk in Denkou Choujin Gridman. (which Syber Squad used for scenes where Servo was talking while within Sam’s Compaq) * In the Japanese version, Alexis Kerib reveals that the inhabitants of Tsutsujidai are Repli-Compoids. Compoids being humans who live in the Computer World in the original series. (The official subs by Funimation refers to them as replicants, removing that little nuance). * One possible interpretation of what Rikka is to Akane is one of these, to Takeshi's good clone Takeo from the original Gridman. Rikka physically resembles Akane's real self, but her personality can be interpreted as an idealization of Akane's own, much like Takeo represented what Takeshi could be at his best. And now for something in general throughout the series. * One of the stops for the buses and trains is Sakuragaoka, which is the city that forms the setting of Denkou Choujin Gridman. And to conclude, I’ll point out the final live action shot is the first few seconds of oxt’s mv for Union, this show’s OP. And oh yeah, despite my complaints, the finale overall IS really hype. Heck, even seeing it a second time, I still got super hyped just like I did a couple years ago. Just watched that fight again and released, Gridman's' pose when using Fixer Beam is actually the a reference to both Detonator Orgun's' Grand Cross and Tekkamen Blade's' Voltekka. Nice.
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Last edited by DreamSword; 12-08-2020 at 04:35 AM.. |
12-08-2020, 08:16 AM | #207 |
Reiei
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 3,691
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So, because I enjoyed following this, drew Dynazenon a while ago, and am debating on picking up a Figma of Akane I saw a while back. I spent way too much time digging for more Gridman content.
What did I find? There is a yuri web novel of two of Gridman's side characters. "Uniforms of others schools that I don't know." I wanna find it, though it's probably untranslated which means I'd have to brush on my non-existent japanese reading. Edit: http://ncode.syosetu.com/n9623dz/ Found it! And on the topic of shipping, I like how you can ship Yuuta and Rikka (which I do, as equally as Akane and Rikka) and it would technically be a 4-people ship but still only two if we go by the implications that Akane is Rikka irl and "Akane" is just her ideal self AND that Gridman and Yuuta are kinda one in the same during the series. At this point I'm just rambling, but it's so fun and hilarious to think about. Last edited by TheRaizin; 12-08-2020 at 08:19 AM.. |
12-08-2020, 09:45 AM | #208 |
King of Souls
Join Date: May 2020
Location: Georgia
Posts: 841
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I still think one of my favorite implications is Yuta being able to see through Akane's disguise and caring for her "true self"
Also the whole Akane is Rikka thing kinda kills the ship for me a little bit. I feel like Akane needed to learn how to love herself, more than she needed a s/o?
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12-08-2020, 06:59 PM | #209 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,467
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Aww, thank you!
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What did I find? There is a yuri web novel of two of Gridman's side characters. "Uniforms of others schools that I don't know." I wanna find it, though it's probably untranslated which means I'd have to brush on my non-existent japanese reading.
Man, that is a lesson I wish stories in general would teach more. Having a significant other is great and all, but it's not the end all be all. You should learn to love yourself and be able to make your own happiness, rather than feel worthless because you don't have a lover.
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12-08-2020, 10:24 PM | #210 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,467
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Giganto-post incoming. You have been warned.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON SSSS.GRIDMAN I am a simpleton. Whenever I experience a story, especially for the first time, I tend to just take everything it gives me at face value. I tend not to think too much about it. Things I tend to more focus on and thus attach myself to are the characters presented, as well as the general atmosphere that the story in question is gunning for. I'm a sucker for stuff like that. It's the reason why alot of details that many others would find blatant tend to go over my head. I remember in Fish's'(best) Kuuga thread, there were many details and moments everyone loved and went into loving detail about, meanwhile I was just all "uhhh yeah that was certainly cool I guess." Heck, Kurona's current coverage of OOO and Die's' coverage of Blade also did this to me(he totally ate that puzzle piece). Want me to go further? Well, you know all of the analysis I've done in regards to Anti throughout this entire rewatch? Yeah I totally missed like half of that on my first watch through this show. The Puppeteer Kaiju, which very blatantly symbolizes Anti's' own feelings of being a puppet? TOTALLY went over my dumb-dumb brain on my first watch. But despite that, Anti was and still is my favorite character in this show, and the thing I'd say I attached to the most throughout the show's' entire run. A great character goes a long way. I guess what I'm trying to get at here is that I can deal with alot of stuff; I'm really patient with stories as long as they give me a single reason to keep caring. Whether it be a character I really love and/or relate to, great comedic timing, an intense atmosphere, great action scenes... I tend not to ask for alot. And I most certainly was not asking for alot when I tuned into SSSS.Gridman for the first time, and I still don't. The only thing I expected going in was a reboot that kept the general spirit of Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad, and, well, it's not a 1/1 exact comparison by any stretch, but I got it! I feel the need to tell you all this because, well, I feel like I kinda gave the wrong impression with my write-ups on the second half of this show. Let me make this clear here and now: I DO like this show! I had alot of fun rewatching it! It's just that, two years later, with this rewatch, I noticed alot more flaws than I had before, and I felt the need to point them out, as a way of showing that yes, I was infact paying attention and not simply trying to shill a show to you all. The whole point of these posts I make isn't just advertising, it's also discussion. With all that out of the way, I am going to present and break down what I feel are the biggest aspects that this show has to offer, and give my thoughts on what I felt worked, and what didn't. I'll try my best to end on an overall positive note, as per usual, but we'll see how this goes(you might've noticed by now I just kinda type my thoughts as they come to me in some inane ramble). So with that said, and I know you all are more than likely sick of hearing me complain about it, let's start off with what is, without a shadow of a doubt, the single biggest factor of SSSS.Gridman, and what I feel will be one of the key factors in determining whether or not the average viewer will come out liking this show. Akane Shinjo I didn't like her the first time around, and this time, I did my best to try and analyze and understand what exactly the writers were trying to get across in terms of who is essentially the central character of this story. And I will warn you all here and now, I am by NO MEANS any sort of expert on mental health, and I am trying my very best to be respectful about it here. If I end up crossing some sort of line, I deeply apologize in advance. The best I could come up with is the writers wanted to create a character who is their own worst enemy. Someone so caught up in and trapped in their own shell that they bring harm to themselves as well as those around them, to the point that they become depressed and potentially suicidal. Unfortunately for them, it all falls short once you factor in that not only does Akane have no redeeming qualities to get the audience attached to her, but every character in the shows talks about how wonderful she is, with nothing at all to show for it. Not only that, but despite the show's' insistence that Alexis must be the one who made her the way she is, there is exactly no evidence to support such, which in turn makes Alexis, despite being the main villain, the most honest person in the entire show. Ontop of that, she's a murderer. One who laughs with glee and sees absolutely nothing wrong with killing those off who inconvenience her. The best the show does to try and justify this(as if you even could), is to try and make every past interaction that she killed over "deeper" in some context. The one that is the most blatant is actually in the very first episode: Killing Tonkawa and the Volleyball Club over them accidentally smashing the Special Dog she tries to give to Yuta. What the show is basically saying is "You see it's totally understandable that she'd kill over that because it stopped her from getting closer to the boy she fell in love with!" Call me a heartless douchebag, but, no. Screw that and screw any sort of excuse you try and give her. Again, even when it seems like Akane is finally about to admit to her own faults, here come the other characters, even those who should know better, to say "No Akane, you're better than that! It's all Alexis' fault! You're the best person ever!" It'd be one thing if the show simply let life slap Akane down hard, but it doesn't, instead insisting that people like her are actually really good if you just give them a chance. Yeah, tell someone like Yusuke he should've just given someone like Daguva a hug and see how far that gets you. Heck, the overall lesson the show seems to want to preach(and thus the one Akane learns) is that you shouldn't stay cooped up in your shell and you should give life a chance, because there's alot of wonderful things out there for you to experience. ...A lesson Akane only "learns" via being cooped up in her own shell. Cool. Add onto all of that that she's an abusive mother towards Anti and stabbed Yuta in cold blood, and I have no sympathy for this girl. I don't even have to look very far to present ways that this was done better, because this franchise right off the bat provides two: Anti and Malcolm. Anti's' redemption works because he actually gets slapped down multiple times, ontop of him discovering the hard way that life is more than any one single-minded goal. Unlike Akane, his story actually SHOWS the ins and outs of his everyday life, and how just a small bit of kindness goes a long way in getting him to reconsider things. He also never makes any excuses for his behavior, and actively WORKS to try and redeem himself. Meanwhile with Akane, we get NOTHING on what made her the way she is, other than the other characters INSISTING that it must be Alexis, despite all evidence to the contrary. And when confronted on all the terrible things she's done, most of her responses amount to "Well I'm a God/bad person so I can do whatever, deal with it." Meanwhile Malcolm, while certainly petty, also has a much better handled redemption arc. Sure, many of the plots of Syber-Squad were started over some petty squabble that Malcolm had with the kids at school, but here's some key factors: 1. Malcolm never meant to out and out kill anyone. All of his plots were, at best, a super annoying inconvenience. And those that were actually super dangerous? Kilokahn's' doing. Almost every episode and ruthless kill in this anime however? All on Akane, and she did it with glee. 2. Malcolm has far more and far better interactions with the rest of the cast, making his feelings alot more apparent and clear-cut. There are multiple times were he tries to put in an honest effort at fitting in, but his own attitude problems(as someone who has autistic friends, he comes across as someone with severe Asperger's'), alongside his own social awkwardness, means he doesn't have an easy time connecting with anyone, and he's often ridiculed for it. Akane meanwhile, has none of that. Malcolm actually tried. Akane does not. 3. Malcolm is actually out and out betrayed. All throughout the show, he does his best to actually bond with Kilokahn, multiple times actually! Kilokahn of course has none of it, but heck, come the Finale, Malcolm genuinely asks "Kilokahn... aren't we friends?' And everything goes downhill from there. Meanwhile Akane and Alexis have dinner together like... once, and that's about it. I guess him complimenting her sculpting work went a long way? Pretty lame in comparison though. And the last bit of all of this is, well, my own personal experience. I hate to admit it, but growing up, I shared a handful of traits with Akane. I too grew up a socially awkward shut-in nerd(Hell, I'm almost 28 and in many ways I still am), I too would often pass off something awkward I'd just said as a joke just to avoid being judged, and I too have had many an episode of severe anxiety. But what separates me and Akane, and keeps me from feeling any sympathy for her, is that I know my own past experience, and I never let them turn me into someone who actively wants anyone who so much as accidentally bumps into me dead. The bottom line is that we know absolutely NOTHING ABOUT Akane's' past(or even Akane herself really), which in turns leads to another major problem this show has... Informed Attributes Outside Akane, I'd say this is probably the biggest flaw that this show has. Characters will often comment about certain traits that some other character is supposed to have, but it's either never followed up on or was never presented in the first place. I've pointed out several of them throughout the write-ups, so I won't go over them all again, but some highlights include Sho being called the jerk despite Rikka being the one who was being unreasonable at the time, Rikka insisting that she never wanted to help in any of the Kaiju battles despite her very much being more than willing to do so, and the Neon Genesis Junior High Students coming to the conclusion that they and Gridman all used to be a single entity because... um... reasons??? I understand that you can only convey so much in twelve episodes, but that highlights another thing that bothers me. Pacing Now, I'm not about to say the pacing is out and out bad(trust me I've seen way worse), but it definitely has some issues. Now, maybe it's just me, but the show really does feel like it was originally supposed to be a few episodes longer but then it got cut down. And heck, I could also easily see this being another "just me" thing, but... I honestly feel like, with the way the overall story flows, that this show was designed to be binged. The show very much wants you to get on this high and to carry that feeling all thoughout its run. In some ways though, this actually does work in its favor, because of its... Atmosphere That first episode's' atmosphere is absolutely fantastic and I will not hear otherwise. If there's one thing this show knows how to do well(atleast most of the time), it's create a mood. From the deep air of mystery in the first episode to the excellent comedic moments almost every character has, it knows how to blend imagery, music, and events to create a world that does truly feel alive, and one that you could easily immerse yourself in. Heck, speaking of world building, the truckload of foreshadowing done in the first couple of episodes shows that the team very much did have a roadmap of how they wanted the story to go, it's just that, well, getting to the destination itself was a little bumpy. But I've pretty much already covered why that is. The various references are also done extremely well in this aspect. None of them are at all distracting and are instead used to enhance the overall experience, and serve as a nice treat to those who can recognize them. They very much serve a narrative purpose. Whether or not the grandiose moments totally work there within is of course up to the viewer(the various lingering plot threads certainly don't help), but where the atmosphere MOST DEFINITELY gets pulled off the best is in this show's'... Action Scenes Almost every single action sequence in this show, big or small, is an absolute joy to watch. The animation, the choreography, the sound effects, and the flow, are all done absolutely fantastic here, and where it most definitely shines the brightest are in the first fight with Initial Gridman, and in the final battle with Gridman and Alexis. That first battle shows such a love and care in terms of recreating an old school Toku battle. From the fact that Gridman moves really slow to how the Kaiju looks and moves like someone in a rubber suit, you could really feel the animation team paying homage to that past era. And as for that final battle? No joke, that is one of the THE MOST hype final battles that I've ever seen in an TV show, and believe me, I've seen alot. The animation team totally fired off on that moment, and MAN did it pay off! I just wish that such a moment could've also been done for what I feel is the biggest takeaway from this entire thing... Anti Yeah you all knew this was coming. The show already had enough good going for it to keep me hooked, but Anti was the primary reason I looked forward to every episode. And I am by no means saying I find every other character to be bad or lackluster(other than Akane), it's just that man, props to whoever on the writing staff handled everything related to Anti. Anti is a character who has it all. Plentiful character development, a great voice actor(Stephen Fu, for those who don't know), wonderful character design, great action scenes, hilarious comedic timing... there's basically nothing I don't love about this guy. To put it into Kamen Rider terms, he's basically everything I feel a Secondary Rider should be. Not that they all have to be pulled off the exact same way, but in terms of sheer quality? Oh yeah. He's a wonderful look into what would happen were a Boss Monster suddenly given a conscience and life of their own, as well as just how hallow a single-minded existence can actually be. Keeping up with the Kamen Rider comparisons, I find him to be alot like Ankh in that respect(another character I love). Overall SSSS.Gridman is a show where it's very clear alot of love and attention went into its making, it's just unfortunate that sometimes(heck, alot of times), passion projects don't turn out perfect. Personally, I found enough in this show to keep me entertained and overall enjoying my experience, but I'm also very willing to admit that it has some issues that many won't(and shouldn't) ignore. So let me end this all by (Studio)Triggering you all with one last bit of trivia about me. I actually can't stand Studio Trigger's' works most of the time. Kill La Kill? Didn't like it. TTGL? Absolutely HATED it. The only other show of theirs I liked before this was Inferno Cop. So to me? SSSS.Gridman was a HUGE step up for them in terms of, well, everything! Which also had me going on it easier than what other critics might. SSSS.Gridman has great animation, great callbacks, great action, a great understanding of atmosphere, and a great character. It's a show I wholeheartedly enjoy despite its shortcomings, I'm looking forward to season 2, and I hope anyone who's willing to give the show a chance finds something to love about it too. My final rating for this anime is a 5/6.
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Last edited by DreamSword; 04-09-2021 at 10:59 AM.. |
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