SSSS. GRIDMAN Episode 5 Review: Provocation

This SSSS. GRIDMAN review contains spoilers.

SSSS. GRIDMAN Episode 5

Stop sexualizing underage girls, anime. More and more as I watch modern day anime the more I’m disgusted by how often this happens. Case in point, the very beginning of this SSSS. Gridman episode.

I have no problem with Akane walking around in a bathing suit. That’s fine, but the way the camera slowly pans up her entire body? It’s gross. She’s also draw with comically large breasts because of course, a middle school girl with her figure would have those. Sure. Right.

If it was just that one shot it’d be one thing but the episode goes out of its way to linger on Akane’s body. The same isn’t done for any of the male characters (nor should it), which proves SSSS. Gridman is doing this on purpose. This isn’t a stylistic choice with weird angles; it’s solely there to sexualize Akane. It’s not okay. It’s not right. Akane is the best character on this show and she’s being reduced to something to ogle over.

Having a sexy anime character is fine. Having a woman in revealing clothes that shows off her body? Fine, but Akane is a young girl. This is not okay and severely impacted my enjoyment of this episode, especially since it happened throughout. Anime in general needs to cut this out. 

Besides that major flaw this was mostly SSSS. Gridman settling into a status quo. Nothing big happens and there aren’t any major mysteries introduced. That sounds like a dig but I’m glad the show is just giving us a standard adventure for the team.

Having a giant Kaiju in the forest is a great set piece and made for some great sequences of Team Gridman rushing to meet each other. The Neon Genesis team having to buy the Junk computer and take it on the train was especially hilarious. I’m even starting to like Yuta and Utsumi! Seeing them freak out about the phone or talk about Utsumi’s weight was endearing and the kinds of moments we need to care about them. 

We also got another beautiful Super Human Samurai Syber-Squad reference, this week with Borr. Of course her name is a reference to a Super Human Samurai vehicle, but her attack name? Sydney Super Adhesive Missile? That’s a big ol’ reference to the pilot of the original Borr, Sydney! The name of the attack makes no sense (Tanker Cannon sounded more natural), but who cares? Did you ever think we’d be getting these kind of references to a show like Super Human Samurai all these years later?

If episodes like this are the status quo for SSSS. Gridman for awhile this could be a great chance to get to know all the characters before any big plot moves. Hopefully the new status quo doesn’t include any more sexualizing of the underage characters.

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