[Paladin]

Gridman is probably one of the more obscure bits of tokusatsu- developed by Tsuburaya Productions (better known for another Giant Hero show, Ultraman) in the early 1990's, the story involves a digital police officer protecting the Human World from monsters.

Like several other shows, it was brought to America in an attempt to cash in on the ever-growing "Power Rangers" phenomenon. The American story-inspiringly named SuperHuman Samurai Syber-Squad featured Tim Curry commanding beasts in battle against a prototype Jonas Brother.

...I really dont think I need say anything more about it. This show managed to skirt the line between awesome & terrible even more than early Power Rangers. Its still one of my guilty-pleasure shows.

As with any reputable toku, Gridman had its own toyline- most of which was ported to America with electronics gutted to reduce cost. These toys are increasingly difficult to find; they weren't highly popular during the original run & the availability was not high. After a few false starts I was able to pick up a set but at the time I was stuck with an inferior camera, so I apologize for the terrible pics.



This is our protagonist, Gridman- the policeman of the Computer World. Armed with the Accessor wrist gadget & the ability to grow to tremendous size temporarily, he is a powerful digital warrior.

Gridman has something I almost never see in Toku toys-ARTICULATION. Fully rotating arms, legs, shoulders, neck, and wrists! Its a great design.

Gridman receives assistance in the form of Helper Programs, controlled by his human allies.



The Thunder Jet, Twin Driller & God Tank! On their own these guys are somewhat unremarkable, not a lot of special features to offer (like most early Zords).

3 vehicles combine to form:



God Xenon! (or perhaps Zenon; spelling appears to vary). This is a very "Optimal" design; it has a decent amount of arm & leg movement too. The connection at the upper torso can sometimes prove frustrating to keep attached. Or maybe that's just mine.

Xenon's parts can unite WITH Gridman to form-



Super God THUNDER GRIDMAN! This awesome fighting force is ready to battle any digitized threat. In the show it could detach the shoulder-pieces & use them as missiles but the toy sadly cannot replicate that.

And the articulation still remains! SuperGod Thunder has a decent range of movement in his arms & slightly more restricted movement in the legs- but he does move; that's a serious leg up on anything else I've reviewed recently.

Gridman's arsenal is not limited to these 3 Vehicles though. At times he can also call on:



Dina Fighter & King Jet! Two powerful aircraft armed with missiles & laser cannons.

Dina Fighter can become an impressive weapon for Gridman:



The Dragon Cannon! Please take a moment to appreciate this shot; it took me 20 minutes to get Gridman's arms to hold up enough to look right. Obviously his joints are a little weak.

Later on, Dina Fighter & King Jet would appear in a single configuration-



Dragon Fortress! This flyer has yet another transformation-



Super Combination DinaDragon! A prehistoric force of destruction, always ready to lend a hand (or claw) to save Gridman.

DinaDragon can also unite with Gridman, forming-



Combination Dragon Emperor King Gridman! Arguably the most powerful configuration, Emperor kicks all kinds of digital ass. He can use the Dragon Cannon too but I didn't get a pic of that, sorry. Also the arm-cannons can fold down as an added feature.

These toys are just fantastic. The designs are very creative, the detail is superb and the actual articulation present is worlds beyond anything I would ever get from a Sentai Mech. I am beyond happy to have these on my shelves.


Syber-Squad Rules!