SSSS. GRIDMAN Episode 4 Review: Suspicion

This SSSS. GRIDMAN review contains spoilers.

SSSS. GRIDMAN Episode 4

Akane is the character to watch SSSS. Gridman for. Her motivations for wanting to kill people are more and more intriguing with every passing week. This episode she wants to kill this group of guys because one of them bumped up next to her. On the surface this seems innocent enough but it takes on a more shocking depth when you remember how young Akane is and how the guys were all in college.

It made Akane’s actions, while extreme, at least have a purpose. Those dudes were creeps! Why were they all so eager to hang out with these young kids? One of them even tried to be with Rikka one on the one. That’s not okay! I think the episode was supposed to make Akane look more evil for erasing them but let’s be real, they were terrible.

While I’m glad SSSS. Gridman is embracing a bit more wackiness I wasn’t really entertained with Yuta stalking Rikka around. Little crushes are very cute and the Neon Geneies High Schoolers (greatest group name?) commenting on it was great, but the way it was framed rubbed me the wrong way. Is that all Rikka is, someone to be crushed on? At least by the end Yuta realized he should just ask her to hang out and not be a creep.

Thankfully Rikka does have more to do in this episode than just be the object of affection. Akane is trying to extract information out of her to confirm the suspicions of Yuta being Gridman, and Rikka worries she has something to do with the Kaiju. She even puts herself on the line to save one of those creepy guys, which makes her a far better person than anyone in this episode that’s for sure. 

We’ve also got Anti, who’s still hanging around and refuses to do Akane’s bidding. It seems Akane’s programming of them only covers fighting Gridman, which pisses Akane off. It makes for a great fight scene, with Anti coming in to take out Akane’s newest Kaiju. Four episodes in and we’re already varying up the fights. SSSS. Gridman also takes time to establish the Junk computers can’t handle all the assist programs being used in one fight, meaning we can avoid questions like, “why doesn’t Yuta just summon all the weapons at once?”

Read and download the Den of Geek NYCC 2018 Special Edition Magazine right here!

The series mysteries keeps getting deeper. Akane’s new Kaiju was able to wipe out those guys without Gridman sensing it? Why doesn’t Akane just kill Anti? What is Akane’s deal?

It’s a shame the main cast doesn’t provoke this much interest but Akane’s plot is so good it’s carrying the show. Yuta’s memory loss so far is fairly boring so hopefully that picks up soon. If it can make the entire cast engaging, then SSSS. Gridman will really start to shine.

Shamus Kelley is a pop culture/television writer and official Power Rangers expert. Follow him on Twitter! Read more articles by him here!