SSSS.Dynazenon

Humans always use monsters to visualize their fears and anxieties. And yet overcoming such oddities is part of human existence. Thus it's fitting that in SSSS.Dynazenon these fears materialize into "Kaiju".

Both structurally and thematically, Dynazenon presents itself as beeing seemingly mundane. While unoriginal there is a new monster every week and the heroes overcome their weaknesses to beat the enemies. But there is nothing wrong such a with structure. For this is one show that takes it's structure to it's advantage. It takes care to develop it's characters, to imbue them with a sense of humanity. Character drama becomes the backbone of what is ... essentially a very straightforward action show.

And when it comes to action, it delivers. Every battle manages to be unique and fresh in spite of the presence of supermoves and lengthy transformation sequences. The music is perfectly integrated to enhance action. Contrasted heavily with scenes of levity that keeps things from feeling dire or stale.

Above all else Dynazenon is earnest. It beacons to an era where entertainment was less dire and dreary while simultaneously managing the desire to offer morals to it's viewers. If you aren't cynical enough to completely ignore raw passion, I'd highly recommend that you give it a watch.

This show is not Gridman. And it's not trying to be Gridman. It is expanding upon the universe of the 1993 show which was arguably had a lot of weird episodes on it. TRIGGER has finally found its cash cow series, and they're doing a good job milking it so far. And it shows since the studio feels most at home with the amount of transformers references in it. nonchalant character interaction, and giant robots.

And now for that mandatory segment rating.

Story:7
This show is based upon ep 18. It's about the cyber mummy. And it does ties in well with the lore since Dyna dragon was ... eventually conjured from that event. It's got a good mystery going on whether one of the main cast is the mummy, or a cohort of them. So far it implying them to be the reincarnation of the mummy. And how the rest of the main cast deals with their life dysfunction in a rather unhealthy way. We've yet to see how they progress in their endeavors.

Art:8
typical trigger. Like gridman before, it keeps the sense of weight its had in the fights as a homage to classic toku fights. And they did step it a notch when it came to fight choreography. Also Dynazenon is a great design rehaul to the Dyna Dragon. Sorry god zenon, you're literally an afterthought in your show. But the new designs are definitely more out there starting with the main cast's and the motw really diverse color range(it is a homage to transformers G2)

Sound:8
DYNAZENOOOONNN~ DYNAZENOOOONNNN!!!~

Character:8
Rather typical to your highschool anime. But it's how they interact with the world and each other just feels normal, human. Sure Gauma and the Eugenics are the oddballs but they ann't normal people. And the former is relatively restrained by trigger standards.

Enjoyment:10
It's understandable why this is not very popular among westerners due to cultural norms(seriously why is the west so mechaphobic). But fight scene aside, which I already mentioned on the art. The show has flow and you can get sucked into the characters interactions

So despite my positive review on this show, It's worthless and it's all down to whether you like this style of anime. But it's clearly a show made for Toku Fans. Word of warning for those really liked it. Wait for the reviews of the Toy. GSC had a lot of quality control issues with the gridman toy, so buyers beware.

*some spoilers for SSSS.Gridman, as SSSS.Dynazenon is a distant sequel that's best experienced with the context of Gridman*

SSSS.Dynazenon is an impressive follow-up to 2018's SSSS.Gridman. It improves on all of the visual elements of its predecessor while having a far superior cast that gets explored with the level of precision rarely seen in 1-cour anime outside of Ping Pong: The Animation. With said rogues gallery, Dynazenon maintains the depth of Gridman while having more overarching themes and ideas to focus on.

SSSS.Gridman was a piece of anti-escapist media. Its focus was on Akane Shinjou and her struggle to accept that she can't just callously play a ... malevolent god in this world she created for herself to escape her problems. Despite some unease and dissatisfaction with the show's worldbuilding, it manages to tell its message in fascinating and resonant ways thanks to director Akira Amemiya and his team. Unfortunately, while its focus is primarily on Akane and perhaps one or two others, the cast was largely pretty dry. Most of the main characters hardly had much to their personalities and weren't all that entertaining. Outside of one side character, the cast was really carried by its antagonists: Akane, Anti, and Alexis.

This is where Dynazenon comes in. The main focus this time is on getting over your troubles and regrets in order to move on with a sense of purpose and direction in your life. It explores this through its entire main cast and some of its antagonists, as unlike Gridman, Dynazenon wishes to explore and develop its ensemble cast. Yomogi, Gauma, Yume, Koyomi, and Chise make up the initial Dynazenon crew, as well as the heart and soul of the show.

Let's start with Yomogi, as his issues are the least important. This is not a slight against the character, but rather a statement of fact that he himself agrees with. He feels uneasy about his mom dating a new guy who could potentially become his step-father. Big whoop. Compared to everyone else, his problems are the most benign, and therefore, the easiest to get over when the show reaches its bonkers 10th episode storyboarded by Kai Ikarashi. In reality, his character is more centered around understanding the call of duty in comparison to the normal life he tried to lead, and his burgeoning and frankly charming relationship with Yume.

Speaking of, Yume herself is probably the most interesting and resonant character of the lot. In stark contrast to Yomogi, Yume is probably the most damaged of our main leads. Due to the mysterious death of her estranged sister Kano, she found herself detached and standoffish for years. Since the death came after Kano invited Yume to her club's recital for the first time, she developed a habit of asking boys out and standing them up, breaking promises like the one that was robbed from her. After doing this to Yomogi and realizing that the two are now pilots of parts of Dynazenon, they eventually become closer. Yume takes the initiative to find out the truth behind her sister's death, and Yomogi joins her as their relationship deepens. Said  relationship is deemed interesting by Kaiju Eugenicist, Shizumu, who finds people's dependence on each other limiting and sad, but nonetheless finds emotions beneficial as they are what fuel Kaiju.

The reason the two come together in the first place is due to Gauma and the appearance of the 4 pieces of Dynazenon. Gauma is brash, passionate, principled, and in no way accustomed to modern day society thanks to his experiences breaking away from the Kaiju Eugenicists of yester...millenia. Regardless, he's arguably the most entertaining of the bunch, and his struggle to remember the final important thing his beloved mentioned, as well as his grapples with being unable to find her, are nonetheless compelling. His interactions with Yomogi tend to be pretty amusing and endearing after the latter saves him from starvation. Plus, his antics upon getting a part-time job are priceless. He's the one who chews out Yume for standing Yomogi up and breaking promises (important thing 1), and he finds himself relating somewhat to Koyomi, as the latter lives a rather pathetic life by his own feelings (thing 2). 

As for Koyomi, he's a 33-year-old NEET. The most important moment in his life was when he ran away from his crush in middle school after she proposed to run away with him. He was afraid to take life by the horns, and now he's a loser who has made nothing of himself with the girl he likes ends up coming back into his life with a husband she's on the rocks with. At best, he lives with his younger cousin, Chise, who doesn't go to school just as he doesn't go to work. He ends up being a foil to Mujina, who has no ambitions and hardly knows much about herself. Koyomi goes along with the Dynazenon cuz it gives him something to do, and Mujina goes along with the Kaiju Eugenicists' myriad of motivations including the destruction of humanity and a world where Kaijus are needed, for the same reason.

To round out the main cast without spoilers, there's Chise: the middle-schooler who felt ignored by all her peers. She's also the odd one out in that she's the only member without a piece of the Dynazenon. Yomogi has Dyna Soldier, Yume has Dyna Wing, Gauma has Dyna Diver, and Koyomi has Dyna Striker. Qt best, Chise just tags along and gets a little bit of practice as a substitute, but between this and Koyomi's own subplot, she feels like she's second fiddle once again. She's also the only one without any Kaiju Eugenicist to serve as a foil. Yume and Yomogi have Shizumu, Koyomi has Mujina, and while the next comparison is more shallow, Gauma does have the soft-spoken, mild-mannered Juuga as well as the more brash and psychopathic buttmonkey, Onija. Chise has none of that. Her arc does come to a head around the same time as Yume's does, and Chise manages to lift the both of them up in a time of need. However, she does have the fewest connections out of anyone in her group.

It's not often that a 1-cour series successfully juggles this many character arcs at once so naturally while having all of them constantly play off of and run alongside each other. Each member of the show’s ensemble cast is lively in their own way, and has a lot of powerful moments before climaxing in episode 10. Even the Kaiju Eugenicists have a lot of chemistry with one-another, especially when the shoe dedicates time to showing them just dicking around. It's where Mujina in particular, ends up shining the most, as the empty and often stoic girl becomes just as vibrant, fun-loving, and expressive as most of the cast.

There's still a lot of fascinating and compelling specifics regarding Yume and Chise in particular left out for the sake of a spoiler-free review, and there was still a lot to unpack. To think, we didn't even get into the characters that make this show a distant sequel. There's also the two-part ending that details what happens after the bulk of the conflict is over and everyone is forced to move forward on their own terms based on their developments, or in the case of the Eugenicists, drift along due to the lack thereof over the course of the show. We shan't get into them here, but the two returjing characters add even more fun humor, character chemistry, and transformations into the show. The ending is certainly weird, but it's nonetheless a powerful conclusion. 

The audiovisuals are also an improvement from Gridman. There is still a lot of CG, and when it comes to debris, it can still look weird and choppy. However, the tokusatsu feel is captured much better this time, as the compositing and the new kaiju models are more appealing to look at. The show still retains the feel of the rubber suit kaijus in toku works, as well as the environment toppling over like cardboard. It's just that the team at Studio Trigger has refined this aspect of the franchise, leading to more dynamic and stylish fight scenes with less of the jank of Dyna's predecessor.

The character designs are a lot more vibrant than the largely plain and uninteresting designs of Gridman's protagonists. Even the returning cast looks incredibly sharp compared to before. Additionally, while there are still some wonky, off-model shots characters have towards the middle of the show, they don't seem to surpass Gridman's iffy moments, either. There are several absolutely gorgeous shots in every episode, thanks to often beautiful art direction and Akira Amemiya and his team mastering sick wide-shots. Then, there's episode 10: a highlight among highlights. Kai Ikarashi's more jagged, stretchy style lends well to the extreme emotions and situations the characters find themselves in at the climax of their arcs. Here, the show sells a sense of desperation and impact like never before. The visual representation of TV screen static and cracks and Yomogi tries to help everyone deal with their issues, is difficult to describe. It really must be seen to be believed. Rarely is Dynazenon exactly a masterclass of visuals aside from its noteworthy presentation Akira Amemiya carried over from Gridman. However, episode 10 isn't just cool and interesting, it a highlight of the year!

As for the music, the show does something interesting yet again. It does carry over Gridman's distinct lack of music in a lot of scenes where no one's fighting. However, the show ends up having a lot of insert tracks thst liven up the battle and exist diagetically as music bumped up by the titular Dynazenon. Most of the music is likable enough, though special mention must go to the bombastic orchestral transformation themes, as well as the OP and ED. "Imperfect" by Masayoshi Ooishi is an incredibly fun and lively OP theme, embodying a hopeful, youthful energy more so than Gridman's OP did. It also makes a satisfying transformation appearance in episode 1, as well as a gut-busting appearance in episode 2. Meanwhile, "Strobe Memory" is easily Maaya Uchida's best anisong for being a solid, peppy closer to every episode. Her singing is way better than in her Gridman ED, to boot.

SSSS.Dynazenon takes everything that worked about Gridman, and just runs with them. There are some strange character beats here and there that at least make some sense. However, there aren't that many issues to be had aside from some strange pacing at points, a few of the Eugenicists not getting all that much focus, and perhaps some odd aspects of the Eugenicists' pasts which also get no real spotlight. Still, this show is even more ambitious and emotionally resonant than its predecessor, knocking its messages and the handling of its ensemble cast out of the park! There are several fun, little touches as well regarding the way the show carries itself. Concurrent conversations overlap and there's often this sense of quietness and awkwardness to the characters as they bumble about their lives in and out of battle. It's this mumble-core type feel that further cements the series' identity. It is best if you watch SSSS.Gridman before Dynazenon, but either way, this show is a must-see if you wanna experience what will surely be one of the best anime of 2021.

If you've watched SSSS. Gridman but have been putting this off, I recommend giving it a shot. From the first episode alone it provides a fresh start and take on the franchise with many questions that the show doesn't drag out and beat around the bush for. Reading the reviews for this anime have been pretty disappointing (and quite honestly read like satire), so I'll take a crack at it for my first and only review. I'll try and keep it short and sweet.

Story: 8
So far the story is simple but engaging. An ensemble cast is thrown into a mecha called Dynazenon, from there they ... choose to help protect their town from Kaiju. What's a simple premise is executed very well and able to keep the monster of the week formula badass and entertaining. The everchanging pace of the series never makes it feel repetitive which is a huge plus coming into a show with such premise.

Art: 9
The character designs are great, and the animation accompanying them also do their job well. Every aspect is given great care and every setting while being familiar to the eye is able to accompany the world they live in quiet well. Some backgrounds are reused from SSSS. Gridman, but before jumping to call it lazy like many have already we have to wonder if this means anything first. We'll have to wait and see as the overarching plot for the show is constantly developing.

Sound: 9
The use of OSTs in this show is used very precisely, many stretches of the episode will go with 0 OST usage until a battle or emotion beat happens. What can be seen as a risky approach is made a common place in the series in every episode so far, which can attest to both Amemiya's skill as a director and legend Shiro Sagisu accompanying him.

Character: 8
The characters in the show are great so far. Since the cast is ensembled we get a fair view into everyones lives and they all develop steadily while not feeling static or uninteresting. Right off the bat the Dynazenon mecha is given 4 pilots, so character's do not sit around and wait for the battle to finish; instead they partake in it which allows for a feeling of unison among the importance of the cast. The interactions are also a high point in the series. Natural and genuine conversations that flow well and add a lot of comedy and characterization that makes all of the cast (even the villains!) likeable. Overall, the cast still has a lot of room for development and I trust show to end it strong with the already satisfying amount they've shown in the first 4 episodes.

Enjoyment: 10
I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy every second of this show. I think the series has managed to create something special and I recommend this to anyone who wants badass robots and a unique experience that not many anime offer, even if you weren't a fan of Gridman.

Story:
The story is about how a boy named Yomogi meets Gauma, saves his life and they become friends. This was kind of nice and it reminded me of the relationship between Yuu and Shirayanagi in Charlotte. It also involves them battling in Kaiju suits. This is pretty much where the good things about this show end, unfortunately. Besides the action, most of everything that happens is boring and mundane.

Art:
Appalling. Dynazenon takes place in the same location as Gridman and the staff have been lazy and reused backgrounds from Gridman rather than showing different angles. The character animation is inconsistent too and you will see numerous ... instances of characters going off model. Additionally, a lot of corner cutting 3dcg is used during action scenes and it badly clashes with the hand drawn art. I recall witnessing smoke change style 3 times in 20 seconds during one scene. I should also note that the 3dcg models use cel shading to mimic the 2d hand drawn aesthetic but also move and turn way too much making it obvious that they’re 3d. This is highly counter-intuitive and makes it clear that the show doesn’t know what it’s doing.

Characters:
Character designs feel like fujobait and are incredibly bland looking.

Sound:
This is the only saving grace of this terrible show so far. Music is better than Gridman at least.

Overall Enjoyment:
4/10. This was difficult to sit though.

Dynazenon throws us back into the Trigger/Tsubu world after a 4 year wait and I’m glad to be back.

The spiritual successor to SSSS Gridman, Dynazenon retains a lot of the same features that made Gridman successful. Great toku action scenes, a good cast with solid chemistry and an entertaining story. In my opinion, Dynazenon was actually better than its predecessor. I felt the main cast in Dynazenon’s chemistry, particularly the MC and main heroine, was amazing. A lot of their interactions felt like legitimate conversations, the seiyuus did a good job of removing that usual “anime voice” and sounding like normal teenagers. The side characters ... in Dynazenon also were more interesting to me. I think they played a much more relevant role, especially the Eugenicists who act as the main opposition throughout much of the series. Their backstories are so well fleshed out that you almost want to root for them. The overall story of Dynazenon was probably slightly worse than Gridman, but the quality of the characters makes up for it. I think the show also does a good job of setting up Trigger to do even more with Tsuburaya, so I’m excited to see what they’ve got up their sleeves.

Dynazenon, like Gridman before it is essentially a toku anime, and with all toku series the most important thing is the action. The CGI action sequences were well done and really brought back that feeling of watching Kamen Rider or Super Sentai on Saturdays. The kaiju designs were on point throughout and were a unique mix of classic Ultraman and Kamen Rider designs. I briefly mentioned it earlier, but I have to bring up the voice acting again. It’s one of those things that can totally change the atmosphere of an anime, and in this show it really created the feeling that you were listening to real people talking. That type of quality is rare in this medium and I appreciate it a lot.

Overall, Dynazenon is a really fun time and does a great job of setting up future Trigger/Tsubu works. Based on its popularity in Japan, I don’t think we’ll be waiting too long for a third instalment. While the story may be weaker, I found the show way more enjoyable than Gridman, and the characters more likeable. I am sad to see it end.

SSSS Dynazenon gets 9 Ankhs out of 10.

If you were a fan of Gridman then you will for sure enjoy this show as well. SSSS Gridman brought out my love for the mecha/kaiju genre and I had no idea what I Was missing out on.

Spoilers




Yomogi one day runs into a mystery man named Gauma which startles him, later he is found following Yomogi around for saving him by giving him food. Yume sort of an outcast and emotionally troubled because of her sisters passing she became distant from people besides her friend Mei. but her secret well not really a secret because she is known for breaking promises for the boys ... she meets. The other two characters who are brother and sister are so forgettable and definitely the worst part about the show so far. The villain's of the show which there are four used to be friends with Gauma 5,000 years ago but are now enemy's and we've only learned very a little about why that is. This rivalry is why there are kaiju's that are brought by command.


This story is staring a whole new cast which I think are arguably weaker than the cast in Gridman but some standouts are definitely Yomogi, Yume, and Gauma. I feel the villain's of this show are kind of underwhelming compared to Gridman, but we are only 4 episodes in so they could show there true colors.

The art while keeping up with triggers style is beautiful at times and I feel there really having fun with this universe.

The sound design in the SSSS series is fantastic and it always keeps you on the edge of your seats with the mech sounds and the fantastic soundtrack which has been great in both shows.

After 4 episodes 8/10.

This anime is over-rated, my score is only 4 out of 10, after watched 12 episodes

Story is poor:
1) Story of Minami's sister takes a lot of time, but quite boring
2) Story and power of Chise is unclear
3) Story of Gauma and kaiju users has not been planned well
4) Story between Yomogi and Minami looks awkward
5) Power of Yomogi unexplained
6) Destruction of city has been ignored every episodes
7) Kaiju users' reason to battle is illogical
...
Character is awkward:
1) Yomogi is very awkward, shy like a female
2) Kaiju users still wearing same clothes, not blend into modern world
3) Minami's characteristic is very bad as a main female character

Fighting technique and strategy is poor:
1) Everything regarding to technique unexplained
2) Every time kaiju appears, they just only start gathering, and sometimes people absent

Good side of this anime:
1) Graphic is good
2) Robots and fusion are cool

Tl;dr: Visuals are sub par, writing is pretty bad and the ED theme is about this show's only redeeming quality. If you're watching more than a few shows this season or have a long backlog you wont be missing much by skipping this one.

Now for the comprehensive review that contains spoilers.

Story:
SSSS Dynazenon is a show about teenagers piloting mechs to fight the "Kaiju Eugenicists". These Kaiju Eugensists want to destroy all of humanity. Yea, that is really it. The writing is that terrible. No real reason is ever explicitly stated as to why they want to destroy humanity despite it being so central to ... the plot. The fights tend to be boring as we are never given a compelling reason to care as well as the visuals being plain bad. The 3dcg makes you feel like you're watching Overlord or OPM S2. The show additionally wastes a lot of time on a subplot about Yume's dead sister Kano and follows her and Yomogi's investigation into whether he death was suicide or not. In the end we are never given any closure on the subject which is frustrating to say the least. There is no payoff and you feel like you wasted your time at best and at worst just longing for some kind of satisfaction that you didn't get. All the time wasted on this subplot also meant the ending was rushed and a lot like how Darling in the Franxx ended.

Art:
The 2d character art and backgrounds are generally fine however the action scenes are downright awful. SSSS Dynazenon is produced by the same studio who did Darling in the Franxx but the visuals are much worse by comparison. The action scenes are now confirmed to be plagued by lots of corner cutting 3dcg. Some of the time the combatants are hand drawn in the style of the show and other times they're 3dcg. The constant jumping between styles is for no reason other than it being more difficult/costly than the producers think is worth it to draw. The smoke also pointlessly changes styles often within a short period of time showing that there was no good communication between the various animation departments during production. It's highly jarring and looks really ugly compared to Darling in the Franxx. This sort of thing takes you out of the experience and undermines the physical properties of the word. It makes Dynazenon feel less like a work of art and moe like a cheap commercial product. You're left feeling like the show doesn't have an aesthetic or doesn't look like anything. At times it felt like I was watching a tacky youtube video with cheap editing, after effects in it. I was very disappointed because I know the studio can do better than this.

Sound:
No major issues here aside from music being too loud and annoying during the fight near the end of the penultimate episode. The ED track is pretty great and the best thing about this show.

Character:
The characters are uninteresting and unmemorable. You only really remember the main 4/5 characters through how much more often they're on the screen as opposed to great storytelling. Gauma is a plot device to develop Yomogi and is sidelined during the final episodes. Yomogi and Yume never really explain why they like each other nor do they have any heartwarming moments together. Their whole relationship comes off as artificial and even cringe-worthy at times. Something like Angel Beats has vastly more compelling characters for comparison.

Conclusion:
This is a pretty bad show. 4/10 My advice would be to skip it.

It's that time again when Trigger (and most appropriately, it's in-house highly acclaimed director Akira Amemiya) has found another series to milk from, and it's from the cult classic that is Tsuburaya Productions' Gridman mecha series. SSSS.Gridman back in Fall 2018 was an unexpected game-changer in the slew of mecha-genred shows, showcasing that despite the "love it or hate it" backlash of the West that doesn't appreciate Tokusatsu shows like the ingraining of Japan, the latter has always been very positive of anything that is Tokusatsu-related. Fast forward to Spring 2021, and we get the sequel installment in the form of SSSS.Dynazenon: the continuation of ... the prequel season that while is 100% intergrated into the Gridman Universe, everything else is standalone.

Despite being in the same universe, please do not see Dynazenon as merely another iteration of Gridman, because it's clearly not trying to be one. Tokusatsu shows have always been meant to showcase the iconic "robot vs. Kaiju-of-the-week" formula that fans love, and Dynazenon, like Gridman, doesn't shy away from the fact that this sequence is still essential to its world-building, with or without stories that start off being nonsensical to making some sense out of it. You have the stereotypical character cast whose cultural standards of the way of life have been disrupted by Kaiju and enemies, and in Dynazenon's case, to put it in a similar Western context, is like Power Rangers in all of its kid-like fancy pizzazz and allure that everything feels right at home where it should be according to its foundation.

If you're thinking of comparing between the character cast between Gridman and Dynazenon, I'm sorry to say that you'll be sorely disappointed as their rudimentary objectives are very different from each other. Still though, while it is strictly conforming to the Trigger formula for shows like these, you can expect to have similar, but different feelings when putting your shoes and interacting together with the cast on their nonchalant journey to find themselves and defeat Kaiju while at it. All in all, the familarity of the formula module, combined with fans who adore the Tokusatsu feeling, will instantly click and vibe with what Dynazenon has going for it. It's standard brandishing nonsense (with some sense) that mecha fans will enjoy with this one, and IMO, while it's no Gridman, this standalone project is as equally enjoyable, only to a certain degree.

Other than that, if you've seen SSSS.Gridman back in the day, everything else is standard: from the familiarized Trigger-style bombarding animation to the classic mecha-style hyped OST (which I've gotta commend to Dynazenon that the production team actually referenced the original Dynazenon transformation music in big battle episodes, that was epic). While this sequel's OST is IMO a downgrade when compared to Gridman, both Masayoishi Ooishi and Maaya Uchida did their best to create a song pairing that suits the thematics of Dynazenon, accounting to the fact that while the sequel has had its fair share of some disingenuous-like storytelling (that adds to the charm of an already non-linear plot established with Gridman), there's some enjoyment values to be had here.

An "Imperfect" sequel, but is by no means bad, serving as a "Strobe Memory" of sorts if you're into mecha (or more specifically, Tokusatsu shows). Only a select few of you who has any interest of mecha (or more specifically Tokusatsu) shows will find an inkling of this show to be had, and for the naysayers, don't be an implicit dick to strike off people who enjoy Gridman, and by extension, adding to the "conglomerate" of the cult classic, now with Dynazenon. Lovers be lovers, haters be haters, let's keep it civil that the mecha genre is for the niche group of people who'll leap with joy for all things grandiose of flashy robotz and Kaiju from design to size.

If you are looking for one of those somewhat underrated animes, flying under the radar, but with both entertainment and good technical elements guaranteed, search no more. SSSS.Dynazenon is what you are looking for. There are many reasons for this: engaging characters, a story that will keep your interest every single chapter, a superb soundtrack, a nicely achieved homage to the "tokutatsu" genre, epic fight scenes, beautiful designs and a good balance between drama and comedy.

I'll start with the characters, since I think it is the most outstanding aspect of the series. The best word to describe them is "engaging". As you watch the show ... it is easy to generate a connection with every one of them. Each one has their own personality traits and a particular background. They generate a nice synergy among them, which will make you miss them when you finish watching the last chapter. The main conflict and the mecha/shounen aspect is spiced with some slice-of-life elements that are quite welcome. Drama, comedy and action are very well balanced.

The story may appear to start slowly. You might even think that, at some point, it is going nowhere. But, without spoiling anything, that statement ends up not being true. Every chapter will leave you waiting impatiently to know how the next one will develop; what is the mistery behind. I'm not going into the details, so I don't spoil anything, but yes, at some point the various plots get nicely rounded. Maybe, this happenned a little bit to fast in a couple of chapters, but that minor flaw didn't negatively affect the enjoyment.

The good story is accompanied with an excellent soundtrack. You can find "anthem like" themes that ressemble those from old tokutatsu shows, upbeat metal for the fights and heart-warming pop songs. The opening and ending could very probably end up being on the top ten for 2021. Perhaps I'm not being very objective here, since both Masayoshi Ooishi and Maaya Uchida are among my favorite singers.

The artwork is beautiful. I'm not going to be picky about some of the CGI or small animation flaws which are never absent. I prefer to talk about, for example, the characters design. Looking at them complements very well their personality. It really helps enhancing the connection one can have with them. There is also, as its predecessor SSSS.Gridman, good waifu potential, being Kaijuu Shoujo Anosillus (2-daime) my personal favorite. There is variety for every taste, anyway. Other than that, both the backgrounds and the mechas are designed and animated very well according to their goal: being a homage to the tokutatsu shows. Whether you are a tokutatsu fan or not, you will find the animation and artwork very adequate to the series thematic.

Finally, even when this anime is connected with SSSS.Gridman, you don't need to previously watch it in order to enjoy Dynazenon (but I highly recommend it).

As I mentioned at the beginning, if you are looking for an anime with amazing fights, action, drama and comedy, unforgettable soundtrack and engaging and beautifully designed characters, SSSS.Dynazenon is the show for you. While it is true that, if you are a fan of the tokutatsu or the mecha genre, you will enjoy the show more, this series can provide something unforgettable for everyone. Also, if you like the old Gainax/Evangelion feeling and how Trigger develops it, SSSS.Dynazenon will grant you this bonus.

Past regrets, finding a purpose in life, and moving forward. SSSS.Dynazenon effectively conveys a vast range of emotion with masterclass creativity and superb writing. Dynazenon does not strive to emulate the classics. Instead, it confidently crafts its own niche in the mecha genre—inhabiting a space between realism and science fantasy.

Every moment, shot, line of dialogue holds meaning. Though it lacks the constant stunning animation of large-budget anime, it surpasses most with considerate editing, thoughtful framing of each storyboard, expressive character acting and detailed body language, and complex background art. Dynazenon uses every aspect of anime to its advantage, designing a work of art that reveals ... more information through its visuals than through simple dialogue. Many scenes are cut before the dialogue finishes, abruptly stopping all background sounds. Each cut is purposeful; it gives us a sense of how the characters feel and what meaningful information we must pay attention to. The times Dynazenon is fully animated, it looks as fantastic, if not more, than Trigger's best titles.

Dynazenon has its fair share of formulaic elements repurposed for its benefit. Our four main characters combine pieces of a toy mecha to become Dynazenon—the robot as tall as a skyscraper. The cast aimlessly wanders through their everyday lives until a kaiju appears and gives them a purpose, to fight evil kaiju as Dynazenon! Dramatic tension slowly builds up throughout each episode's quiet and subtle first half, leading into a bombastic last third. Again and again, a kaiju is summoned to wreak havoc on the city. The tonal shift between subtle and over-the-top tokusatsu mecha action is deserved. It's pure cathartic joy.

All five main characters have a vibrant personality and distinct idiosyncrasies that set them apart from the rest. Their lives, fears, and insecurities are vividly detailed through quiet, intimate scenes and backstories. Confronted with their past, they must overcome their relatable insecurities. Notably, all of them feel real. Of course, they're animated, but their personalities are never forced, as so often happens with anime targeted at a young audience. These successes can also be attributed to the impressive VA performances. A few of the VAs are surprisingly industry newcomers—like Minami's actor. She delivers every emotion naturally.

Conversely, Gauma, the supposed kaiju slayer reincarnated 5,000 years ago, talks and acts like a zany anime hero. He speaks with every trait of an energetic kid fascinated with fictional stories. Unlike the others, Gauma works three jobs, doesn't go to school, and lives under a bridge, firmly grounding him in reality. Although at first, his aspiration to be a hero comes off as heavy-handed, through developments, he transforms into a person worthy of admiration. Taking a glance at the poster, you might guess Gauma is the main protagonist, but Yomogi fits that role the most. He is our central perspective. We spend the most time with him. His life is like an open book—unlike everyone else, he's not mysterious or secretive. More importantly, when everyone is given a piece of Dynazenon, he gets the middle part, Dyna-soldier. Yomogi could've quickly fallen into the bland protagonist archetype; luckily enough, he has an intriguing depth surpassing his traditional appearance.

Koyomi and Chise, the last two of the group, leave a slight impression at first, being shuffled to the side in favor of Gauma and Yomogi. Their development comes later, but it's well worth the wait. Both of them are necessary to the success of the team. Chise isn't given a piece of Dynazenon, though she is very much a part of the team. Oftentimes we see the catastrophic battles from her perspective. Connecting with others is a theme they embody. Without a strong connection, they would be unable to pilot Dynazenon together.

Each kaiju has a distinct power that I couldn't possibly spoil because they're so creatively thought up. Certain kaiju powers test the characters' minds, memories, and trauma. If any of them are facing obstacles, whether physically or mentally, it will show in how they fight as Dynazenon. If one of them is off, all of them are. Part of their growth as a team is dealing with individual problems together. Beginning as random strangers, they become a believable found family.

Forever, kaiju have been known as irrationally vicious monsters from films like Godzilla. Similar to how Jaws made me think sharks were man-eating monsters. In truth, they only kill three humans every year. Dynazenon challenges our assumptions of Kaiju. They're innocent creatures, often small and scared until the Kaiju Eugenicists control them with mysterious powers. These four antagonists could be mistaken for ordinary people. They appear to wear futuristic military uniforms, and they treat human life with no care in the world. Despite doing everyday things, like eating at a restaurant or visiting a water park, they're unambiguously cruel. As antagonists, they embody 'banality of evil,' a trait associated with fascists. They have hidden motivations, which are both comprehensible and morally reprehensible. Their fascist ideals directly conflict with the heroes' righteous morals—emotionally charging each of their confrontations. Unfortunately, there was not enough time for the series to adequately delve into each villain.

There are no wordy explanations for powers, kaiju, or robots, no need for exposition. If we receive new information, it is from witnessing it rather than being told it. The sci-fi elements, such as controlling mechas, maintain an internal logic. There are no retcons or forced developments. Director Akira Amemiya found his niche in SSSS.Gridman and refined it, this time embracing a more personal script giving the cast room to explore every emotion. This fact is especially true in the anime's finale—a moving, thought-provoking reveal that will linger in discourse long after the end. Like its predecessor, SSSS.Gridman, this series is brimming with foreshadowing, visual metaphors, and awe-inspiring twists. Is Dynazenon a sequel to Gridman? No. There are a multitude of references, similar themes, and two minor characters who connect both universes. You don't need to watch Gridman first, though it would undoubtedly make you appreciate it more. Both anime are highly recommended.

SSSS.Dynazenon is the work of master artists. It may not have a big budget to attract mainstream attention, what it does have is talent, ambition, and heart. Like all great sci-fi anime, the story it tells is less about giant robots battling and more about the human condition. It successfully told a compelling story with well-rounded characters in a mere 12 episodes. There are few anime more deserving of the label "Underrated" than this fantastic show.

No anime has quite captured my attention as much as SSSS.Dynazenon while being somewhat unpopular or niche within the community. This is a quasi-sequel to SSSS.Gridman, a mecha/tokutatsu series that surprised viewers with both its creative direction and undeniable Saturday morning cartoon feel, which you will find again here. But don't worry, no prior knowledge of the previous series (or the even larger Gridman Universe) is needed to get in on the fun.

Director Akira Amemiya and his team at Studio Trigger are back at it to creating his uniquely singular take on the countlessly-done setup of mixing the banal and the fantastical. But whereas he ... previously focused on mood-setting and world-building, this is more of a character study that happens to have short fun fights at the end. I'd like to emphasize how that change made a difference. Gridman is a show I appreciate; Dynazenon is a show I love. Although 2 characters take up most of the screen time, the gang itself are fun and likable right out of the gate.

If I wasn't so busy right now, I could honestly write paragraph after paragraph about why its great and why you should watch it. I could even discuss to returning fans the differences and similarities between the two series. Its characters, beautiful shot compositions, astute sound design, and numerous other aspects truly deserve a more thorough discussion than what I can convey to a passing viewer on an anime rating site.

Still, if you're looking for something fresh, interesting, or just plain enjoyable, then you've come to the right place

Story - 7
Art - 9
Sound - 9
Character - 9
Enjoyment - 9

I completely get the direction they were going for, and it works. No one would ever think that a robot anime would fit in with a slice of life anime, but this studio succeeded.

This studio succeeded in delivering excellent character development and a chill slice-of-life vibe while maintaining the sci-fi plotline. Each character was interesting and had their own personal problems that were unique to one another, which were individually covered and expressed fabulously within the time frame given. The fact that the series dived deep into each character's family perspective constantly showed what the characters were thinking and feeling at the moment, which also ... makes us enjoy the journey of watching them grow mentally through the problems they have to face and appreciating their results.

The soundtrack fits the atmosphere quite well in every episode, and the opening/ending is just downright gorgeous.

Sadly, the story's pace and plot aren't very engaging for the first half of the series, making it quite dull and boring at first. But, it was essential for it to lead to the second half, which explained why the first part was also important.

In short, one of my favorite slice of life anime I've ever watched. It is definitely not for everyone, but it certainly will hold a special place in my heart—a solid 8/10.

Studio Trigger is a studio I always want to root for because of their flare, ambition, and their frequent anime originals. However, many of their anime stumble in the latter half of their episodes because they forgot that there is a plot that needs to get going, and as a result I am always doubtful of any of their work these days. All of my usual gripes with the style of Trigger shows seems to be minimized whenever they are paying homage to classic shows, as seen in SSSS.Gridman (which until now I thought was the studio's best TV anime) and most recently its sequel, ... SSSS.Dynazenon.

I enjoyed Dynazenon for a lot of the same reasons as Gridman. The art style is utterly gorgeous - from the colors, to the detailed background art, to the dynamic lighting. It is all top notch. The normal everyday world character designs show off a trendy and modern style very characteristic of how people of this past decade would dress, while the designs for Gauma and the Kaiju Users are stylish, zany, and eyecatching.

What really enamored me about this anime was the naturalistic dialogue that is carried over from its prequel. Coupled with great voice acting, the dialogue in Dynazenon is incredible. The way people talk as well as not talk at all feels unforced and real. The budding relationship between Yomogi and Yume slowly starts off awkward as the two tip-toe around each other, probing the other to get a grasp of what the other person is like. As their relationship progresses, they gradually become more comfortable with each other, confiding in their personal issues and cracking teasing jokes at each other. Unlike other anime, Dynazenon embraces silence. There are long breaks between lines of dialogue or just still set pieces with people going about their day where only ambient noises are heard. The amount of silence throughout the show lends itself greatly to capturing the monotony of life... And then when it's time to fight the Kaiju enemy, all of a sudden the anime gets LOUD. Fight scenes are filled with the impassioned screams of our heroes as they pilot towering machines that shake the ground as it walks, firing high powered missiles and lasers at the bellowing monster doing the same, all while the city around them crumbles and topples from the sheer destructive force of the battle. When they are not fighting, a beautiful silence permeates every scene. And when they are fighting, the music is bombastic and the dialogue becomes markedly more campy. I thought the juxtaposition of everyday life and city-destroying battles through sound and dialogue was brilliant.

One aspect that differs between Gridman and Dynazenon is which characters they chose to put the most focus on. In Gridman, most of the time was spent on Rikka and the antagonist Akane. As for Dynazenon, Yomogi and Yume undoubtedly receive the most development in the show. While I quite loved the romance between the two as they slowly grew to understand each other better, the lack of development for the rest of the cast is my biggest knock on the anime. I felt that Koyomi's story progressed pretty decently despite it feeling sidelined. Chise's story on the other hand felt a tad rushed, with the tiny crumbs of foreshadowing in earlier episodes being its saving grace. Gauma's search for his princess is pretty straightforward, but is bogged down by the lack of background for his former allies, the Kaiju users. The Kaiju users themselves are quite entertaining throughout the show, but the fact that not much is revealed about their past makes their ambitions as villains rather flimsy and half-baked. I thought that more could have been done between Mujina and Koyomi, as well as more for Shizumu rather than just mysteriously standing around every episode.

Overall, I super enjoyed this anime for its character-focused plot and beautiful directorial framing. The story isn't anything exceptional or deep, but it is entertaining. I have always had a thing for using the supernatural or otherworldly to drive real-life and relatable character drama. To me, Studio Trigger is at their best when they are put on a leash like this, and I hope that they do better in suppressing their bad habits that have plagued their past work.

INSTANCE DOMINATION!

Gridman was one of my favourite anime from 2018. I say this despite not being into Tokusatsu all that much. The way Gridman challenged your expectations and left you with grand anticipation for every new episode, plus the excellent contrast between the human/existential drama and the over-the-top action made it one of my favourites. Dynazenon on the other hand, is thoroughly average all the way through.

For what it is, Dynazenon is still a fine and competent show, but it's really missing that extra something to really reel you into its world. The human drama and high stakes action are still there, though less intense compared ... to its predecessor in both aspects. It's an average tokusatsu that doesn't do enough to elevate itself beyond mediocrity. The music isn't as good, the animation is less refined (though understandable given current conditions), and the action scenes all blend together. The show also reuses its transformation/combination stock animations far too much to the point of just making them unimpressive and dull as the episode rolled on.

The plot itself doesn't go anywhere interesting, with the complete apathy of the general populace to their city being destroyed each episode (apart from like one scene) being such a strange detail I swore it was a plot point (it wasn't). It's your typical coming of age plot, learning to work with others, moving on yadda yadda yadda. The characters are again just fine. Like, there's nothing truly outstanding about this, which wouldn't be such a problem if this were a standalone, but the fact that it had to follow up Gridman leaves a lot to be desired.

As it stands, Dynazenon is thoroughly average. It doesn't do anything particularly bad, nor does it do anything particularly good, though thankfully it isn't boring. But coming of the heels of Gridman, and having director Amamiya at its helm, it's not unfair to have such raised expectations coming into this.

5/10

SSSS.Dynazenon is the second anime in the Gridman universe, just like the tokusatsu and the previous anime, SSSS.Gridman, this one uses Kaijus to represent something. The theme is bland and even simplistic, but it is represented through the changes the characters have after becoming close and confronting the conflicts of their past, after all in SSSS.Dynazenon the kaijus are born from the wills of humans. All this is shown to us through EXCELLENT direction, it's amazing and becomes even better when you notice parallels between previous scenes (Some from SSSS.Gridman). Also, SSSS.Dynazenon is a very exciting and well animated anime, the fights are amazing especially ... the one in the final episode, very epic. Summing up... I LOVE IT

I didn't know what I was expecting from this series but I have watched SSSS gridman so I figured it'd be something similar. Nope, Dynazenon was far inferior to Gridman in almost every aspect.

Characters: not gonna lie the otaku looking dude was probably the best character in the entire show considering that he was the only one with significant change by the end, and every other character kinda just remained stagnant throughout the entire series so not much to say there. But the character designs were pretty dope doe like yume and that kaiju chick were the highlights of this show if anything. Aside from ... that I just didn't really like the cast and I thought they were pretty forgettable since I don't even remember their names after watching the damn thing.

Story: nothing too special here, I mean it didn't really pack a punch like gridman, and the character motives throughout the show were all over the place considering that nothing really happened even at the end of the series aside from "LOOK I made some friends". the kaiju guys weren't really that bad and I totally thought there was gonna be a final boss where it required the kaiju guys to work together with the dynazenon team, that would've been dope.

Animation and music: I really liked the mix between styles where there would be a 3d scene and a 2d scene back to back, that shit looked clean as hell. The animation is well.... Trigger, so not much to say there aside from the fact that we all kinda expected this level of animation anyways. The music choice was pretty solid, and really added to the atmosphere of some scenes, and even when there were scenes that didn't have any soundtrack attached to it, I thought the decision to leave music out was a good choice on the directors end.

6/10
Overall: Decent show, but not great.

It is outstanding Mecha anime so far. It doesn't give a vibe of justice defeat evil but some sort of slice of life anime with somehow accidentally involve with the super robot. It is very fresh and new and yet interesting. It still doesn't leak the plots that much but it is trying to persuade the audience (and the Gridman Fan) to watch more.

This series tries to be more on a daily life event. Like when you play Persona 4 or 5. You are done working your daily routine and fighting the monster at the end of the day. Then finished the job and go ... to sleep.

Ps. If you prefer some flashy action scene. it does have some but not the whole.

This is so far my anime of the season...hell at this point probably the year - and I'm surprised it's being so slept on here. There's still two episodes to go but I'm confident after the most recent episode that they know what they're doing and that they're gonna slide this one out of the park.

SSSS.Dynazenon is carrying forth a lot of the fantastic work done by Trigger's B-Team with SSSS.Gridman and just dialing it up on everything that was working. The impeccable direction, shot composition, and the right blend of surreal and exciting - that's all here, perhaps even better than before. Gridman is ... my favorite show from Trigger and Dynazenon is doing everything that worked about the original show without retreading the same ground - and playing with way more riskier concepts and theming than before.

So much of this show feels like it was done with intention - every shot, every line of dialogue felt like it had special care to make sure there was a reason it was there. There's a level of craft here that I don't even see in Trigger's other works and I think that's down to the show having strong (if simple) ideas and making everything tie together with the nicest bow wrap imaginable. I've made it a habit to rewatch episodes upon finishing them to just take a gaze at the details I've missed, and the hints regularly made about the show's direction and characters.

Special praise has to be given to the character dialogue and voice direction, which is some of the best in anything I've ever experienced - it fits the tone of the show so freaking well. There's a sense of surrealism, realism, and even comedy to the way characters respond to each other and it naturally flows together pretty much perfectly. I'm honestly envious - I'd kill to make something that's got direction this tight. If I could achieve even a monochrome of the success they've done here, I think I'd die happy!

Of course, who knows how this show will end up - I'm not the kind of person that likes to put my thoughts on a show until I finish seeing it to the end, but I'm more-and-more positive with each week that SSSS.Dynazenon is going to be a favorite of mine for years to come - a show that I'll watch a million times over like I've done with its predecessor. This show is a essential watch, especially if you've watched SSSS.Gridman. Let's check back in two weeks and see if that 9 is a 10.