SSSS.Gridman Merchandise

“Hey where’s the seasonal post”

Well I am like many a blog poster who are terrible with commitments. I would also say my current job is making me tired but I just don’t have the energy to make an elaborate post. There will be a brief post to come though but for now I figure I would make this as a guide to SSSS.Gridman merch since someone on my server requested it and plus I intend to go back to get more merch from the show myself.

Regardless a middling if not mostly positive reception in the West, SSSS.Gridman exploded in popularity in Japan and there’s many a figurine and book out there for the series. This blog will provide pictures of each item as well as an explanation for what each item is, with that aside let begin:

BLURAYS

Currently there is only a Japanese release for SSSS.Gridman(No subtitles like the Little Witch Academia release). Funimation did pick up the show and dubbed it so I imagine an US release will likely be this coming fall or in January 2020. For now here’s the images of the JP release so you can identify such without being scammed by unfortunate bootlegs.(Key thing in general, jp blurays are real collector items generally sold at a high price, no official release is going like $20 unless it’s a SAVE edition from Funimation and they’re not jp lol). Each volume comes with storyboards, as well as parts of the voice drama that was aired alongside the show . I will include an update with the Funimation release when it comes out.

I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing it but OxT made a music video for their op song Union for SSSS.Gridman and half of the effort was actually storyboarded by Akira Amemiya(director of SSSS.Gridman).

MANGA/ANTHOLOGIES

They recently announced that there will be 5 projects involving the SSSS.Gridman continuity in some way whether it be spin off or what I believe a manga retelling of said story. Those volumes will be included eventually right now so for now I will list the heroine manga anthologies.Essentially they gathered fans of the show to write different stories regarding the show, particularly with heroines Akane and Rikka.

SSSS.Gridman Anthology. Filled with a lot of light hearted takes revolving the cast. Fans have translated this so if you type this on Mangadex you should be able see some of the translations made for these stories if interested.

SSSS.GRIDMAN ヒロインアーカイブ アカネ&六花 単行本 also of course know as the SSSS.Gridman Heroine Archive that focuses even more heavily on Akane and Rikka in their contents. The next two titles mentioned below will be similar but focusing on certain heroines.

SSSS.Gridman Comic Anthology Side: Rikka

SSSS.Gridman Comic Anthology Side: Akane

Also additionally while they’re not official merchandise. Akira Amemiya wrote some yuri esque web novels with some of the very very side characters, you can find those online and while they’re not merch I figure it would be worth pointing out.

ART BOOKS/DOUJIN

I will not be covering porn doujins here because the list would run far, as would my patience. Instead I will be bringing up doujin made by staff that also worked on the SSSS.Gridman show as well, as they are some noticeable ones.

SSSS.Gridman Art Fan Book 2018. Another fan related book but something I thought worth mentioning since it’s also on amazon.jp.

SSSS,Gridman Starter Book. This is the first book release for SSSS.Gridman was done by the staff at 2018 Anime Expo as well as at Comiket 94.(?) It includes illustrations and other art from a great deal of the animators that worked on the SSSS.Gridman project. Usually running around $100 so somewhat pricey, but essential to Trigger fans wanting to collect from staff members.

Gorgeous cover illustration by character design Masaru Sakamoto

Another staff book with illustrations and comic done by the animators participating on the project. Another worthwhile book to add to the collection of a Studio Trigger collector released at winter Comiket 95.

Yodomura aka Mayumi Nakamura

This is a doujin work created by Mayumi Nakamura who is responsible for the lovely ED sequence of SSSS.Gridman. A book I’m excited to grab when I can.

AAAA. RRRR. Noted because I believe Kengo Saito contributed to this lovely book and his art is lovely. Speaking of Saito…

Kengo Saito 8 should host a number of his great illustrations that also uploaded to remind you of the many illustrations he has uploaded. Generally you can find Kengo at this handle uploading illustrations for currently airing Studio Trigger shows but he took a particular shine to Rikka and has drawn her character dozens upon dozens of times. You can probably expect to find a lot of his online illustrations in this book but honestly I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to own such a collection.

FIGURES

This is where I think it’s undeniable for anyone in the west to deny the popularity of SSSS.Gridman because in addition megahouse/gsc gridman figurines, we’ve also got like 6 or more sets of Akane and Rikka figurines from nendoroids to 1/7 scales, to cheerleader cosplay. There is a great many to cover and I’m writing this for now quickly for another user so for now I will link the MFC link which has just about every announced figurine with pictures and preview images. Special mention to the GSC soft vinyl figures I will collecting of Ghoulghilas, Anti, and I believe Anon B.

MUSIC

A lot of music links perhaps surprisingly to those not in the know. OST release, the singles naturally, and also even character song releases. xD

OST
Union single
Youthful Beautiful single
Character song collection vol 1. including songs from Yuya Hirose and Soma Saito.
Character song collection vol 2. including songs from Yume Miyamoto and Reina Ueda.
Character song collection vol 3. including songs from Hikaru Midorikawa and Kenichi Suzumura.
Character song collection vol 4. from our boys featuring Aoi Yuuki(lol), Katsuyuki Konishi, Ryousuke Takahashi, and Masaya Matsukaze.

MISCELLANEOUS

There’s a fair bit of stuff like acrylic stands, key chains, wall scrolls, ect. There tends to be well….and endless amount so I will just focus on wall scrolls since generally that’s where it’s hard to find genuine versus counterfeit. Besides the wall scrolls on amiami, there was stuff done at comiket, and other spring up stores aside so I will link images of different possible wall scrolls you may come across in case you are ever doubtful of it being legitimate. It’s hard to find what you want sometimes so I understand the feeling and thus with the last part of the blog here we go.

I’ll try updating as I go and hopefully it will be helpful to those seeking out merchandise. As for other readers of mine if they still remain, my apologies, I no longer think I can try much of a seasonal blog I will put down some quick thoughts regarding my thoughts on Spring and I currently have for Summer. Until then I will see you guys once more.

Good Old Yakyuu…I mean Isekai: Life Recap #2

I have to say, I didn’t imagine I would be trying to rewrite this post for now a third time. Originally it was a seasonal impression post, then a post about appreciating baseball anime thanks to seasonally airing anime. The first was far too long and with the baseball post…honestly the shows I was watching were far more disappointing than I expected. I’ll wait for the season end to elaborate on those because I planned for a more timely recap post in roughly week #12-#13 of the season. Here’s a list of the show I’ll touch as being shows I’m likely to complete and write about in said write up though it may not be the complete list.

Sarazanmai

Hitoribocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu

Sewayaki Kitsune no Senko-san

Mix: Meisei Story

Cinderella Girls Gekijou: Climax Season

Chou Kadou Girl 1/6: Amazing Stranger

Kono Oto Tomare

Kenja no Mago

I will detail my watching journey as to what I’ve been doing in the mean time. While I juggle my real life commitments and prepare for a newly obtained job I’ve been keeping up with those seasonals while watching a number of shorts. Catching up with the Konosuba ovas, they are as entertaining to me as the show which is relatively positive. Every isekai adaption has it’s own take, and Takaomi Kanasaki team’s take on Konosuba to up the rotten clumsy nature of the characters is definitely one of the more memorable of what I’ve consumed. Also consumed Puchimas, which as an im@s fan who loved meme posts of the im@s community in general, watching a series of it….

I also finished the near movie length OVA Makai Toshi Shinjuku(Demon City Shinjuku). While it was a bit of a dull in content(high school boy travels with a girl to a city to defeat the evil within), the design touch of Kawajiri is immediately felt. You see guys, I’m a small brain, I wasn’t even aware that Kawajiri ends up being character designer if not providing the original character designs for nearly everything he has directed. It’s stark contrast between the manga Makai Toshi Hunter that this OVA dapted where I’m linking only the cover cover but effectively conveys the difference in aesthetic.

Manga Cover
Sayaka Rama in Shinjuku based off Sayaka Katagiri that you can see on the manga cover on the right.

This along with the visceral violence and creepy ambiance of the city made for an interesting movie visually that will stay with me for some time even if a conclusion that sour my good will towards the story told in the OVA. I’ll definitely have to check out more of stuff, probably a shame I only started doing this 9 nine years into my anime fandom.

It seems the one thing I’ve been going back is isekai. I entrench myself deeper and deeper in the web though in a refreshing(and not so refreshing way) it’s recently been anime isekai. I watched and finished Isekai Smartphone and Death March within a week time(which has me questioning while I’m normally so slow). They’re definitely not in my tier of isekai I would be excited to follow week after but there’s neat elements. Isekai Smartphone quantity of stills explaining other major events that happen throughout an episode without skipping out on it. Funny, for as much as they try not to skip the journey, the resolution often make the journey a farce but of course that is the point. Death March also has the interesting game interface for the first person perspective that emphasize that game like elements and his lackadaisical approach to things that happen in his story could make maybe for interesting comparison with other isekai works.

Still for as easily I consumed the shows I do have my frustrations with those shows if only because I wonder why certain shows are let go and other shows are pinned up. Touya’s flimsy attitude towards his harem. Satou intentionally leaning on some teenage girl despite stating previously his strike zone is older women and has sex with said characters multiple times in show.

I mean I guess Shield Hero controversy just stays as Shield Hero controversy, I just feel weird it had to be this one, and how it doesn’t soften and people just double down but I guess just like the rest of the blog: I just keep wandering around and tread the same ground. To end off though we’ll talk about dope ass fan art I’ve been found over the last couple of weeks.

Very cute and creepy per Mayu. Some variants came out with people imagining her to make it doubly sad, but I prefer my Mayu in the flesh in my fiction T_T
A wholesome family like picture where the Producer and Chihiro are like a couple. As an im@s fan I tend to go with either MayuxTakeP, UzukixTakeP, or ChihiroxTakeP since this is quite delightful.
A lot of great Mayu fan art lately but this is priceless and irresistibly cute. The idea of Mayu hiding in a sewer or just grabbing a manhole cover as a weapon.
The gekijou songs have been on point and this Max Beat art is very cute and has an airy feel.
Very cute art to celebrate the Futami Twins’ birthday.
NanamiPs have slowly been winning me over with fan art so I’m happy to see her getting #5 for cool idols.(On that note, praise Mayu for being #3 cute and #8 most popular idol over all)!
I’ve been loving the new idols, the Mirroir duo in particularly with Nagi and her need to do finger poses make my day little.
Akari is a cute, powerful cute, she will be one of my Mayu center back up dancers once I get a phone to play the game.

I admit this is a weaker post but I did want to finish it for the sake of completion though of course….you can see how it turns out. None the less I plan to write some more and if nothing else, I’ll see you guys in a month for the season recap!

Digging Into Isekai: Life Recap Week #1

It’s been a pretty busy week for media consumption in all consideration. A great number of the Winter 2019 seasonal anime have aired their final episodes but while I did finished a number of them(Preordered Kemurikusa while I was at it too) my backlog continues to grow as I binge into more isekai works as I’ve been wont to do since Shield Hero earlier this season really sparked a liking for isekai and so I ignore finishing them until today on this fine Monday day.

The melty power comes from between thy horses

As a quick wrap up I’ll go briefly into my thoughts on what I ended up watching in bullet points and save Kemurikusa for the next block.

  • Kaguya-sama and Wataten has receive lovely adaptions that I recommend along with their respective manga.(I could say the same for Mob Psycho 1000 II but honestly I haven’t read the manga for that, and also while I do like the anime, I am not that enthused).
  • Shield Hero has an adaption where it does not lack though the use of CGI is disappointing but an important necessity…still it thanks to Shield Hero that I am even writing this blog so still something I appreciate.
  • Endro! is a nice little adventure show with Yuru Yuri mangaka designs, and subverts that the demon lords needs to be beaten.
  • Manaria Friends satisfied the urge for a show that displayed a sweet yet very heavy yuri relationship. The real thing that makes it start is how even though it’s suppose a calming show, it has all sorts of crazy magic going on in every episode.
  • I’m excited yet terrified of Dororo. A fantastic adaption of the original with it’s own sort of initiative to change various elements of the narrative yet still we are only half way through on that beast.

As I start leaning towards more negative comments here.

  • Yakusoku no Neverland is a story I was never able to take that seriously but has a lot of great animation and nice focused vision. I heard that the manga fans weren’t as fond of it, or perhaps mixed is the better term.(Though to drop shade if you need every monologue, perhaps you’re better off not watching anime if that’s your issue).
  • Ueno-san has an interesting adaption with a number of new ED songs as well those fun kind of character designs you don’t see get brought to life in anime all that often. Still while it’s cute I was never that excited watch Ueno-san.(Lolis are cute justice though).
  • Finally Tensura(Slime for reference) while had some great animated highlights got a bit boring to watch but that is just the nature of the source material and not something I would blame the animation team for.
That took forever

Finally I would like to note Kemurikusa with a little more writing. After watching Kemono Friends by Tatsuki previously I was expecting a likable work certainty. As it went on it there was something that I didn’t estimate: which was that Kemono Friends was actually Kemurikusa V1 with a different franchise. What I find amazing still is how similar in ideas yet how different in ends up playing out in both versions. A tale of lost love in a gloomy dystopian world of what is actually a huge ship. Delivered with the amazing art direction of Yūko Shiromizu and the charming yet efficient janky approach that has been the approach Yaoyorozu has taken on both Kemono Friends and Kemurikusa. It’s certainly might look better with a different studio but what I’m touched by is how they take on these challenges regardless and try to find a solution to display a number of amazing set pieces and really bring the world to Kemurikusa life. It forced my hand and as we speak the bluray for volume one is arriving at my house. This smile could be prettier sure but I am very convinced that I wouldn’t take this over anything else and this is my anime of the season at the very least. I look forward to more from Tatsuki and co!

Too moe for words.

But in regards to the isekai segment of the title I shall get down to that. Over the past couple weeks I’ve been consuming more web novels/manga adaptions of isekai, particularly in the Otome Game variant with the only exception being Youjo Senki: which I freaking love.

Ducks
Potatoes
An unbeatable combo

Meme aside I fell in love with Youjo Senki particularly once I got over my very naive assertions about the series from the surface and discovered that the writer was very pro communist. Watching the anime and reading the manga(getting to the light novel soon) unfolding the tale of a staunch communist fighting with an aim to kill the gods is amazing! It follows all the isekai conventions but adds curses, double meanings, contradictory behavior, and a echo of how war affects the next generation to such a combination that I am utterly captivated. I am waiting in anticipation of the Youjo Senki Movie to get a translation so I can watch Mary Sioux get in on the action and add to the trials of tribulations of our poor salary loli “teacher”.

Last to note of the isekai wrap is a web novel I lost a fair bit of sleep over consuming but I was none the less excited to finish: Watashi no Oshi wa Akuyaku Reijou aka know as I Favor the Villainess(Henceforth referred to as WataOshi).

WataOshi Web Novel Illustration

I’m fond of yuri whether it be written more to display the truth of the situation around lesbian relationships or shameless fictions in which yuri is free to bloom unimpeded. I also have come to believe the Otome Game/Visual Novel genre to be my favorite variant of isekai oriented stories. WataOshi has such a premise to capture my heart from 0 to 100% so I was slave to it before I even began.(Reborn as otome game heroine, decides to try to romance the villainess instead of any capture targets). While I think the story can be a bit jarring and I think a little heavy handed in how it delves into LGBT issues, how the author Inori has tied it to her narrative charmed me. Early on there this rather painful chapter where our protagonist reveals that her jokey, over the top nature about how openly gay she is comes from a place of not being able cope with her own sexuality unless she mocks herself preemptively. This chapter is meaningful because it ties the conflicts our would be yuri couple face on the road to “glory.” Rei inability to seriously face the love that she has for Claire, and for Claire the pride of a heritage that whether good or bad, is steadfast to stand for even it ends in her annihilation. In two days I blazed through this story to a conclusion that I’m still reeling from how cute it ended up being has me in a relaxed state. Though to be my surprise and joy, they’re releasing WataOshi as a light novel!

So damn good, it even manages to convey the feelings and details I always felt were on hand for how the characters appear despite never getting a good description of Rei. As we speak I’m setting myself up to purchase an ebook copy because I feel it would be in poor taste if I didn’t support Inori-sensei in her struggles. I am writing in full hopes of someday a physical copy, a manga adaption, and maybe with some dumb luck: an anime. Even if these do not come to fruition, I won’t be easily forgetting the tale of Relaire(lol) all that easily in the coming year.

So as I did last time I will be posting fanart of various twitter artists here that I particularly enjoy. This time I will be spotlighting Chitose more here, I’ve yet to determine her personality but from different fan comics I’ve seen, it seems like she a mischievous girl who plays at chuuni for kicks and drags Chiyo along with her antics. Can’t say I’m not a fan of such great idols when I can imagine the real chuunis(Asuka and Ranko) being mad at the insincere attitude towards her image lol.

Fucking fanta lol

First time I wrote something I would consider a blog post that was more about my life than necessarily trying to look at a work. I hope it was fun to read but it now it’s time to bow out to the night.

In the garbage where I lie…

Milky Holmes and Power

I figure in opening up this blog I talk about something I thought was interesting in the first season of Milky Holmes. https://myanimelist.net/anime/7768/Tantei_Opera_Milky_Holmes?q=tantei

The element of note to talk about in show is how power works in Milky Holmes in the form of Toys. Essentially once our lovely but brain dead team of girls loses their Toys they are brutally exposed as to kind of people they really are when exposed to hardship. With their powers the Milky Holmes are considered the heroes of the town and the prime rivals of Phantom Thief Arsene. Without them however….

They are clumsy, unpleasant, so dumb with little of the intuition that make them the detectives they were. The powers they lost are were the crutches that kept them functioning in their own society. Cordelia’s toys of intuition and mind reading supplanted a mentally fractured girl prone to flights of delusions. Herc’s toys of super human strength aided a girl with a very weak social presence and inability to speak up for herself even among her team. Nero’s toys of manipulating technology in thoughtful fashion hid an arrogant tilt of a someone very quick to blame other people for her own issues. Worst of all be Sher’s busted toys of telekinesis that helped a balanced a clumsy moron of an individual filled with insincere platitudes. One can be bring up them being forced into a cold dusty room after losing their toys did not help their circumstance but their true problem was exposed before they even get forced out: twisted ideals.

What I really enjoy about Milky Holmes is that’s an absurd comedy that puts on a grand display of power keep away. The worst of the group’s personalities is often a point of the episode or better yet they would try to find short cuts to getting their toy powers back instead of doing anything of noticeable worth. “They said our powers will come back soon so it’s all good” on episode 10 even though Herc weakly points out the inherent issue in said resolution that cames from their ancestors saying they would come back in the previous episode(little hard to describe context other than great detective spirits are summoned).

Fortunately for the Milky Holmes team of failures there is one person who never gives up on them regaining their powers though funnily she is the one that takes them away: Henriette Mystere aka Phantom Thief Arsene.

Moments after being reflected back by the power of her tight boobs.

It’s a bit hard to describe her motives because of her tendency to be cryptic but I would guess that she is unsatisfied that her rivals have morally degraded and have become too complacent with their powers as are. In episode one, they laugh merrily as they walk around like they own the campus as they go to receive their special meals and sleep in their luxury rooms. At some point before the show, they’ve lost sight of what “it means to be a detective” and with level of their toy powers in addition to their success rate they seem to subconsciously let go. Which is no good for her alter ego: Arsene who is actively reaching to become better as a thief and with the power of her toys seeks a rival that can match the “brilliance” of her craft which of those available are the inane MH gang. She’s technically takes their powers away but I think it’s more of something she did with her toys powers of illusions where she tricks them into believing they literally lose their powers. In actuality Milky Holmes actually have their powers but with upon losing their powers, they forget the feelings that are needed to trigger their abilities. The gist of the show is for them to realize these feelings which in finale is characterized as wanting to actually help people not for the sake of fame or personal gain but for unselfish quest of just helping a fellow human being.

So the thing that makes the show great is that it could end with the powers being returned to Milky Holmes and they have a great battle with Arsene that also emotionally satisfies what feels like our true protagonist’s Henriette desire for proper rivals. However the genius of the show is that Milky Holmes while they sincere want to help the town they live through the potential perceived loss of their friend Henriette, it is because of the situation of them getting these feelings are half assed. They do realize eventually that their own corrupted personalities is the reason they are stuck as they are but the show plays a certain karma at them. Considering 11 episodes of the show is the Milky Holmes team trying to play the easy way out they are only given a free leach temporary to put on the appearance of a compelling finale only to lose their power again at the last five minutes making everyone Henriette included frazzled to the point of incoherence.

Are you fucking with me?

I’ve been compelled in my sprawl on Milky Holmes because I feel this return of the status quo is thoroughly earned and is a wonderful way to end this first season of the incompetent detectives. A lesser show would give their powers back for reasons(lol) but this show points out indirectly that none of the Milky Holme girls have really confronted the parts of them that are rather unsavory and that a bandaid is no answer to a great issue that will require contemplation from our dumb little girls to see through. Someone might think it to be a bit hasty to write on a show with multiple seasons but honestly the wonderful way this season is constructed is praiseworthy within itself.

On a different note since I intend this to be a weekly to biweekly blog I would like to promote this piece of Mayu fanart that is super fantastic. nanananananasea is a fantastically dedicated MayuP artist and I look forward to their works fervently every week.

Until I have another idea for a blog I’ll excuse myself for now.