Gridman the Hyper Agent

Denkou Choujin Gridman (電光超人グリッドマン, Denkō Chōjin Guriddoman, lit. Lightning Superman Gridman), or known as Gridman the Hyper Agent in some English-speaking territories, is a 1993-1994 Japanese tokusatsu "Giant Hero" series created by Tsuburaya Productions (the producers of Ultraman) and would be Tsuburaya's last non-Ultra superhero production before Bio Planet WoO.[1] It was the inspiration and source material for DiC Entertainment's Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad.

Denkou Choujin Gridman
Genre
Created byTsuburaya Productions
Developed byNaoyuki Edo
Yasushi Hirano
Directed byKimiyoshi Soga
Starring
  • Masaya Obi
  • Jun Hattori
  • Takeshi Sudo
  • Tsuyoshi Sugawara
Voices ofHikaru Midorikawa
Narrated byYuji Machi
Composer(s)Osamu Totsuka
Country of originJapan
Original language(s)Japanese
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes39
Production
Producer(s)Kazuo Tsubaraya
Nobuyuki Oyama
Hiroshi Inoue
Running time24 minutes
Production company(s)Tsuburaya Productions
Release
Original networkTokyo Broadcasting System
Original releaseApril 3, 1993 (1993-04-03) –
January 8, 1994 (1994-01-08)
Chronology
Related showsSuperhuman Samurai Syber-Squad
SSSS.Gridman

Shot on live video, Gridman was the first series by Tsuburaya Productions to utilize D-2 digital video for its special effects scenes, allowing for smoother slow-motion photography. Tsuburaya, having switched to digital techniques since then, would continue to use D-2 for all future productions.

The series was released in the United States with subtitles in English on the television network TOKU on December 18, 2017.[2] The series was also made available on Toku's streaming service and on its Amazon Prime channel.

Story
Main article: List of Gridman the Hyper Agent characters

Three computer-savvy kids, Naoto, Yuka and Ippei create their own videogame super-hero, but then discover it's possessed by an inter-dimensional police officer Gridman. Pursuing an evil program called Kahn Digifer, he merges with Naoto and fights Kahn Digifer's digitized monsters (created by social misfit Takeshi) in order to prevent the computerized demon from wreaking havoc on the town of Sakuragaoka and the entire Human World.[1]

Episodes
  1. The Birth of a New Century Hero! (新世紀ヒーロー誕生!, Shinseiki Hīrō Tanjō!)
  2. The Secret of Acceptor (アクセプターの秘密, Akuseputā no Himitsu)
  3. Telephone Panic Crisis (電話パニック危機一髪, Denwa Panikku Kikiippatsu)
  4. Runaway Automobile (暴走自動車, Bōsō Jidōsha)
  5. Hissatsu Sword of Man's Pride! (男の意地の必殺剣!, Otoko no Iji no Hissatsuken!)
  6. Melody of Terror (恐怖のメロディ, Kyōfu no Merodī)
  7. Microwave Oven Explosion in 0 Seconds (電子レンジ爆発0秒前, Denshi Renji Bakuhatsu Zero-byō Mae)
  8. Brotherly Bonds (兄弟の絆, Kyōdai no Kizuna)
  9. The Fiendish Brainwashing Strategy (悪魔の洗脳作戦, Akuma no Sen'nō Sakusen)
  10. Dangerous Gift (危険な贈り物, Kiken na Okurimono)
  11. Pocket Money is 100,000 Yen? (おこづかいは十万円?, Okozukai wa Jūmanen?)
  12. Beware of Catburglar Matty! (怪盗マティに御用心!, Kaitō Mati ni Goyōjin!)
  13. I Don't Like Sports and Such (スポーツなんか大嫌い, Supōtsu nanka Daikirai)
  14. Manipulated Time (あやつられた時間, Ayatsurareta Jikan)
  15. Crooked Target (歪んだターゲット, Yuganda Tāgetto)
  16. Ippei, Shranks!? (一平、チビる!?, Ippei, Chibiru!?)
  17. Lonely Hacker (孤独なハッカー, Kodoku na Hakkā)
  18. Dragon's Legend (竜の伝説, Ryū no Densetsu)
  19. Sexy Policewoman SOS! (セクシー婦警SOS!, Sekushī Fukei Esu Ō Esu!)
  20. Colors Are Disappearing From Earth?! (地球から色が消える?!, Chikyū kara Iro ga Kieru?!)
  21. Execute! The Dream Hero (処刑!! 夢のヒーロー, Shokei!! Yume no Hīrō)
  22. Resurrection! Dinosaur Emperor (復活! 恐竜帝王, Fukkatsu! Kyōryū Teiō)
  23. Assassination! Underworld's Thunder (暗殺! 地獄の雷鳴, Ansatsu! Jigoku no Raimei)
  24. Love! Bioflower (恋! バイオフラワー, Koi! Baio Furawā)
  25. Showdown! Hero's End (First Part) (決戦! ヒーローの最期 (前編), Kessen! Hīrō no Saigo (Zenpen))
  26. Showdown! Hero's End (Latter Part) (決戦! ヒーローの最期 (後編), Kessen! Hīrō no Saigo (Kōhen))
  27. Astounding! Toy Revolt (驚天! オモチャの反乱, Kyōten! Omocha no Hanran)
  28. Spirited Away! Yuka Has Vanished! (神かくし! ゆかが消えた!!, Kamikakushi! Yuka ga Kieta!!)
  29. Pet Dog Bomb Project (愛犬爆弾計画, Aiken Bakudan Keikaku)
  30. The Day the World Died (世界滅亡の日, Sekai Metsubō no Hi)
  31. Monster Mama is a College Girl (怪獣ママは女子大生, Kaijū Mama wa Joshidaisei)
  32. Attack of the Human Vacuum Cleaner (人間掃除機の襲撃!, Ningen Sōjiki no Shūgeki)
  33. Another Takeshi (もうひとりの武史, Mō Hitori no Takeshi)
  34. Bodyguard Benkei, have Arrived! (ボディガード弁慶参上!, Bodīgādo Benkei Sanjō!)
  35. Shock! Sukeban Yuka!? (ぎくっ! スケバンゆか!?, Giku! Sukeban Yuka!?)
  36. Did It! Baby (やったぜ! ベイビィ, Yatta ze! Beibi)
  37. Huh-! The Death Penalty for Papa? (えっ! パパが死刑?, E! Papa ga Shikei?)
  38. Danger Earth! (危うし地球!, Ayaushi Chikyū)
  39. Farewell, Gridman (さらばグリッドマン, Saraba Guriddoman)

Cast
  • Naoto Sho (翔 直人, Shō Naoto): Masaya Obi (小尾 昌也, Obi Masaya)[1]
  • Yuka Inoue (井上 ゆか, Inoue Yuka): Jun Hattori (服部 ジュン, Hattori Jun)[1]
  • Ippei Baba (馬場 一平, Baba Ippei): Takeshi Sudo (須藤 丈士, Sudō Takeshi)[1]
  • Gridman (グリッドマン, Guriddoman, Voice): Hikaru Midorikawa (緑川 光, Midorikawa Hikaru)[1]
  • Junk (ジャンク, Janku, Voice): Junko Shimakata (嶋方 淳子, Shimakata Junko)[1]
  • Daichi Sho (翔 大地, Shō Daichi): Masahiro Iwaoka (岩岡 真裕, Iwaoka Masahiro)
  • Kana Baba (馬場 カナ, Baba Kana): Kanako Nakatake (中武 佳奈子, Nakatake Kanako)
  • Soichiro Sho (翔 宗一郎, Shō Sōichirō): Edo Yamaguchi (エド 山口, Edo Yamaguchi)
  • Michiko Sho (翔 道子, Shō Michiko): Miru Hitotsuyanagi (一柳 みる, Hitotsuyanagi Miru)
  • Hideyo Inoue (井上 英世, Inoue Hideyo): Daisuke Ban (伴 大介, Ban Daisuke) (Played as Naoya Ban (伴 直弥, Ban Naoya))
  • Yoshie Inoue (井上 良枝, Inoue Yoshie): Yumi Mitani (三谷 侑未, Mitani Yumi)
  • Yoshihito Inoue (井上 良仁, Inoue Yoshihito): Masakazu Arai (あらい 正和, Arai Masakazu) (Played as "新井 昌和")
  • Hiroshi Baba (馬場 寛司, Baba Hiroshi): Goro Kataoka (片岡 五郎, Kataoka Gorō)
  • Ayako Baba (馬場 彩子, Baba Ayako): Yuko Tsuga (津賀 有子, Tsuga Yūko)
  • Police Officer Koganemura (小金村 巡査, Koganemura Junsa): Shoichi Komatsu (小松 正一, Komatsu Shōichi)
  • Police Officer Amagasaki (尼崎 巡査, Amagasaki Junsa): Daisuke Itsumori (五森 大輔, Itsumori Daisuke)
  • Takeshi Todo (藤堂 武史, Todō Takeshi): Tsuyoshi Sugawara (菅原 剛, Sugawara Tsuyoshi)[1]
  • Kahn Digifer (カーンデジファー, Kān Dejifā, Voice): Masaharu Sato (佐藤 正治, Satō Masaharu)[1]
  • Narrator (ナレーター, Narētā): Yuji Machi (真地 勇志, Machi Yūji)[1]

Other media

Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad
Main article: Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad

Airing from September 1994 to April 1995 in syndication, Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad was an American adaption of Gridman produced by Tsuburaya, Ultracom (Tsuburaya's American division), and DiC Entertainment. It starred Matthew Lawrence as Sam Collins/Servo, Glen Beaudin as Malcolm Frink, Troy Slaten as Amp Ere, Kevin Castro as Tanker, Robin Mary Florence as Sydney Forrester, Jayme Betcher as Jennifer Doyle, John Wesley as Principal Pratchert, Diana Bellamy as Rimba Starkey, Kelli Kirkland as Yolanda Pratchert, and Tim Curry as the voice of Kilokahn. The story revolves around a rock band named Team Samurai, led by Collins, that fights evil Mega Virus monsters created by Malcolm Frink and brought to life by Kilokahn in the Digital World. Due to direct involvement from Tsuburaya, unlike most adaptions of Tokusatsu programs from that time period, Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad remained largely faithful to its source material and retained elements from Gridman including sound effects, character traits and arcs, plot points, and certain names.

Denkou Choujin Gridman: boys invent great hero

In 2015, the series inspired an animated short directed by Akira Amemiya and produced by Studio Trigger for the Japan Animator Expo. Entitled, Denkou Choujin Gridman: boys invent great hero (電光超人グリッドマン boys invent great hero, Denkō Chōjin Guriddoman Boizu Inbento Gurēto Hīrō, Lightning Superman Gridman: boys invent great hero), it debuted on January 16, 2015.[1][3] It features the return of Takeshi Todo and the brief appearance of Gridman Sigma (グリッドマンシグマ, Guriddoman Shiguma), another Hyper Agent like Gridman who has never made it to the show's final cut.

The entire short took place in 22 years after Gridman's final battle with Khan Digifer. Takeshi Todo, a former brainwashed servant of Khan, reflects on the past incidents as monster attacks took place in real life. Using the Acceptor, he transforms into Gridman Sigma before facing the monster.[4][5]

SSSS.GRIDMAN
Main article: SSSS.Gridman

During Anime Expo 2017, Amemiya, Trigger and Tsuburaya announced SSSS.GRIDMAN, a brand new original anime series incorporating elements from both the original Gridman and its western adaptation.[6]

Songs
Opening theme
  • "Yume no Hero" (夢のヒーロー, Yume no Hīro, "Dream Hero")
    • Lyrics: Akira Ōtsu
    • Composition: Kisaburo Suzuki
    • Arrangement: Masaki Iwamoto
    • Artist: Norio Sakai
    • The piano version of "Yume no Hero" made its appearance in the sixth episode of SSSS.Gridman.
Ending theme
  • "Motto Kimi o Shireba" (もっと君を知れば, "If I Get to Know About You More")
    • Lyrics: Akira Ōtsu
    • Composition: Kisaburo Suzuki
    • Arrangement: Masaki Iwamoto
    • Artist: Norio Sakai
Insert song
  • "Futatsu no Yūki" (ふたつの勇気, "Two Courages")
    • Lyrics: Atsushi Aida
    • Composition & Arrangement: Osamu Totsuka
    • Artist: Compoid Three
    • The karaoke version of "Futatsu no Yūki" made its appearance in the fourth episode of SSSS.Gridman.

References
  1. "『電光超人グリッドマン』Blu-ray-Box発売決定！「ウルトラマンフェスティバル2017」特別イベントでは会場全体でグリッドビーム！" (in Japanese). m-78.jp. 2017-08-25. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
  2. "TOKU to Air Gridman Live-Action TV Series". Anime News Network. December 1, 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  3. "Kill la Kill's Trigger Makes Gridman Short for Animator Expo". Anime News Network. January 12, 2015. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  4. "「電光超人グリッドマン」20年経てアニメで動く　日本アニメ(ーター)見本市に登場" (in Japanese). animeanime.jp. 2015-01-16. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
  5. "9th Animator Expo Short 'Gridman' Streamed". Anime News Network. 2015-01-19. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
  6. "Studio Trigger Announces 3 New Anime Titles". Anime News Network. July 3, 2017. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
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