gridman anime

Anime Like SSSS.Gridman

Amnesiac Yuta Hibiki one day encounters Hyper Agent Gridman inside an old computer. Gridman tells him that he needs to fulfill his mission.

While sorting out what that all means, a giant monster attacks his city. Yuta then discovers he can merge with Gridman to fight the monster, but once it is done, everyone’s memories reset and the dead are forgotten.

Mecha isn’t so popular anymore, but Gridman reminded us how good it could be. For more anime recommendations like SSSS.Gridman, head on down below.

Anime Like SSSS.Gridman

For Fans of Slightly Comedic Mecha

planet with anime

Planet With

Despite not having memories of his past, Souya lives a peaceful high school life. However, one day his town is threatened by huge objects floating in the sky.

Conventional weapons are useless against them, but the 7 heroes charged with defending the city emerge in their mechs and head into battle.

Souya, too, finds himself drawn to battle, but not against the objects, he is drawn to fight the heroes.

Similarities Between Gridman and Planet With

  • Both series feature cities that are under attack mysteriously
  • The main characters have memory issues
  • Both series feature serious action, but aren’t afraid to be a little silly with it sometimes
  • The silly beginnings do actually have more serious endings that make everything make more sense.

Differences Between Gridman and Planet With

  • The main character in Planet With is, technically, the antagonist of the situation in the beginning.
  • Planet With, with its giant cat mechs and mysterious meat-denying maid, is the more creative, wacky series at a glance. Although, it does surprisingly explain that wackiness.
  • Planet With is a less traditional mecha series, but that’s not a bad thing.
bravern anime

Bang Brave Bang Bravern

Humanity has advanced to the point where mechs called Titatonostriders are used for combat in warfare. In a joint training exercise, soldiers from around the world have gathered on the Hawaiian island of Oahu to put their Titatonostriders to the test in combat exercises. Ao Isami from the Japanese Self-Defense Force and Lewis Smith from the United States Marine Corps are two participants that cross paths during a battle.

However, the training exercise is disrupted when an unknown alien enemy starts decimating the surrounding area. With Titatonostrider weaponry proving majorly ineffective, hope seems lost until a giant robot proclaiming himself as Bravern swoops in and tells Isami that he is to be his pilot.

Similarities Between Gridman and Bravern

  • Both series take older mecha tropes and sometimes turn them into comedy
  • Both are mecha action anime about saving the city (or world) from large attackers
  • The giant robots have a similar personality where they will say strange things as if they are perfectly normal and not elaborate.
  • A mystery is slowly being unraveled over the course of the series
  • Both are strongly referencing older series (Hyper Agent Gridman, The Brave series)

Differences Between Gridman and Bravern

  • A good chunk of the comedy in Bravern comes from the straight-faced homoerotism injected in there.
  • Bravern features a pilot that doesn’t actually want to be a heroic world-saving mech pilot
  • Bravern is about defending Earth from aliens, who are often just large mechs, rather than fighting kaiju in a single city like Gridman.
gurren lagann anime

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

Simon and Kamina were living boring lives in their deep underground village when, on an excavation dig, they find a mysterious object that turns out to be the ignition key to an ancient war machine.

With their new weapon, the pair are able to fend off an attack from above, but upon catching a glimpse of the sky, they set off on an adventure that will take them out of this universe.

Similarities Between Gridman and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

  • Inspiring mecha series with an above-average amount of more light-hearted comedy
  • Large, energetic action scenes
  • The intrigue about their enemies is unraveled over the course of the series
  • Both series feature rather unwilling mech pilots

Differences Between Gridman and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

  • Gurren Lagann is, by far, the more intense and energetic series when it comes to action
  • Gurren Lagann is about taking Earth back from aliens in a post-apocalyptic wasteland rather than saving a single city from Kaiju like Gridman
  • Gurren Lagann has a much larger cast with far more eccentric characters

For Fans of Tokusatsu Inspirations

fuuto pi anime

Fuuto PI

In the city of Fuuto, criminals are making use of Gaia Memories that transform them into super-powered monsters called Dopants.

However, there are also good guys like the self-proclaimed hard-boiled detective Shoutarou Hidari that also use Gaia Memories to fight these criminals.

While the production of Gaia Memories have halted, sightings of Dopants still occur and Shoutarou and his Narumi Detective Agency are on the case.

Similarities Between Gridman and Fuuto PI

  • Both series are stories that were inspired by older Tokustasu series
  • Both are brimming with fan service for fans of the Tokusatsu series, but not disruptive to new watchers
  • Likable character dynamics to carry the show outside of action
  • CGI action that is interesting, but can show its CGI-ness a bit too much

Differences Between Gridman and Fuuto PI

  • Fuuto PI is more private detective action story than high school boy pulled into world-saving like Gridman
  • Fuuto PI is actively continuing the Kamen Rider story whereas that was not as clear for Gridman until much later. It makes Fuuto PI feel a little like you are missing something if you are not a Kamen Rider fan, though.
  • As Fuuto PI is Kamen Rider, it features more of a henshin-style suit transformation rather than a giant mech like Gridman
  • Fuuto PI makes all its characters a little more mysterious whereas Gridman follows more the main character’s mystery.
ultraman anime

Ultraman

Fifty years ago, an extraterrestrial giant of light inhabited a human host and saved humanity before disappearing. This being, known as Ultraman, left his host, Shin Hayata, without memories of his time as a hero. However, his son Shinjirou appears to have been born stronger and sturdier than normal humans.

When the organization that worked with Ultraman, the SSSP, revealed to Hayata his past as Ultraman, he donned the power suit again. One night, Shinjirou is rescued from an alien named Bemular, but his father is gravely wounded in the process.

With the original Ultraman out of commission and dangerous aliens still lurking, Shinjirou dons the Ultraman suit as his replacement.

Similarities Between Gridman and Ultraman

  • Both series are anime adaptations of older Tokusatsu franchises
  • Memory issues play a role for some characters. (the main character in Gridman, the main character’s father, who was the first host to Ultraman, in Ultraman)
  • Both series are about saving a single city from various villains

Differences Between Gridman and Ultraman

  • Ultraman features more henshin-style suit transformation rather than giant robots and kaiju like Gridman
  • Gridman is often about recovering Yuuta’s memories while Ultraman is more about a son picking up the torch as a hero after his father is out of commission.
  • Ultraman is adapting the actual Ultraman series while Gridman is more of a re-imagining
Gatchaman Crowds anime

Gatchaman Crowds

One day, Hajime Ichinose is given a small book called a NOTE. It turns out that this is a device that allows her to transform into a Gatchaman, one of the legendary protectors of her city.

Meeting other Gatchamen, they stress upon her the importance of staying secret and invite her into their base of operations and task her with helping them keep the city safe.

Similarities Between Gridman and Gatchaman Crowds

  • Both series are rebooted re-imaginings of older Tokusatsu series
  • The main characters are fighting to defend a city
  • Likable characters carry the show outside the action
  • Both main characters are normal-seeming, but also innately mysterious.

Differences Between Gridman and Gatchaman Crowds

  • Gatchaman Crowds is more of a group of defenders rather than just a kid, a terrible computer, a giant robot, and his terrible IT support friends like Gridman.
  • Gatchaman Crowds moves at a pretty fast pace and can be harder to grasp some of the story going on.
samurai flamenco anime

Samurai Flamenco

Fueled by hero tales, the legend of his own grandfather, and an enduring sense of justice, the superstar model Masayoshi Hazama turns into the Samurai Flamenco by night.

Featuring a cheesy handmade costume, he tries to foil crime with his nonexistent fighting skills.

Similarities Between Gridman and Samurai Flamenco

  • Both series feature very clear Tokusatsu inspirations
  • Both series are equal parts legitimate tokusatsu action and a lighter parody of those beloved tropes.
  • Likable characters and their reactions carry the show outside of the action
  • Legitimately interesting intrigue unraveling over the course of the series

Differences Between Gridman and Samurai Flamenco

  • Samurai Flamenco is a tokusatsu parody… Right up until it isn’t. Gridman plays things more straightforwardly.
  • Samurai Flamenco isn’t referencing a specific series like Gridman is.
  • Samurai Flamenco is more Super Sentai than fighting kaiju in a giant robot.

For Fans of Kaiju Fighting

kaiju no 8 anime

Kaiju No. 8

For years, grotesque giant monsters have appeared suddenly to attack Japan. To combat the destructive threat, the Defense Corps was established to fight them and the Professional Kaiju Cleaner Corporation was created to clean up the massive remains.

Kafka Hibino is a middle-aged man who works as a sweeper cleaning up remains despite his big childhood dreams of becoming a Defense Corps member with his childhood friend. While his friend thrives as a powerful asset in the Defense Corps, Kafka has failed the recruitment exam numerous times.

After meeting an ambitious new recruit to his sweeper unit named Reno, a kaiju attack leaves them both in the hospital where a small, parasitic kaiju embeds himself in Kafka and turns him into a monster.

With Reno’s help, Kafka is able to flee and eventually transform back into a human, but he is left with the ability to become a kaiju at will and has access to superhuman abilities that he can use to fight kaiju.

Similarities Between Gridman and Kaiju No. 8

  • Both series are about specifically fighting kaiju
  • Both are about slowly unraveling the mystery behind where the kaiju come from
  • Large monsters, as they should, causing massive destruction in a city
  • Both series feature likable main character not adept in combat, but given a chance due to a foreign being.
  • Big, beautiful action that is fun to watch

Differences Between Gridman and Kaiju No. 8

  • Kaiju No. 8 follows a military organization who have long fought the kaiju
  • Kaiju No. 8 isn’t referencing any older Tokusatsu IP like Gridman, outside of using kaiju
  • Kaiju No. 8 follows a middle-aged main character who is a bit more goofy
godzilla singular point anime

Godzilla Singular Point

Yun Arikawa is an engineer who runs a do-it-all shop in Nigashio City. One day, he is tasked with investigating a supposedly haunted Western-style mansion. Elsewhere, Mei Kamino, a graduate student studying imaginary creatures, is tasked with investigating a mysterious signal in the old administrative building in Misakuioku’s Tsuguno district.

These two strangers, investigating mysteries in two different places, are suddenly brought together when they hear the same strange song that signals the beginning of an unprecedented threat to the universe.

Similarities Between Gridman and Godzilla Singular Point

  • Both series have Godzilla-adjacent kaiju
  • Both series are about cities attacked by kaiju and the main characters solving the mystery behind it
  • The main characters aren’t particularly adept at fighting, and were pulled into the situation almost by happenstance.

Differences Between Gridman and Godzilla Singular Point

  • Godzilla Singular Point uses CGI more awkwardly with its kaiju
  • Godzilla Singular Point is more intrigue than action as it follows researchers trying to figure out what is going on.
  • Godzilla Singular Point follows adults rather than high school children like Gridman
neon genesis evangelion anime

Neon Genesis Evangelion

The world is on the brink of destruction following the landing of the Angels, massive monsters that want nothing more than to kill and destroy. The only hope lies with the select few that can pilot government agency Nerv’s special Evangelion-type mechs.

The pilot must be compatible in order to pilot the Evangelions, and for Nerv leader, Gendo Ikari, one of those compatible few is his son, Shinji.

With the fate of mankind on his shoulders and fights that often mean death for the pilots, is 14-year-old Shinji up to the task?

Similarities Between Gridman and Neon Genesis Evangelion

  • The city is under attack by giant monsters
  • It is up to a kid and his giant robot to save everyone
  • Both series explore the drama surrounding their younger pilots who have various mental problems.
  • Both feature excellent action, but also solid character exploration.

Differences Between Gridman and Neon Genesis Evangelion

  • Neon Genesis Evangelion is the more serious anime, and is notorious for mindfuckery.
  • Neon Genesis Evangelion is not fighting specifically kaiju like Gridman, but Angels are giant destructive monster none-the-less.
  • Neon Genesis Evangelion is more vicious and crueler to its characters, which gives it a much different tone than the often more positive Gridman.

Do you have any more anime recommendations like SSSS.Gridman? Let fans know in the comments section below.

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