A Shattered Glass Anime? SSSS Gridman Piles on Transformers References

This made me think "oh it's like the post with CV Ultra Shockwave fitting in with CHUG" at first, but then I noticed how deep the references are. Good eye to those that caught em!

This is actually pretty insane, I've been wanting to check this out because of its tangent relationship to a series I watched when everyone wanted to copy power rangers...Superhuman Samurai Cyber Squad (try saying that ten times fast). That series used original footage from the gridman live action show.

I wonder what other references the creators have put in...and why shattered glass got the lion share.

At first I was like "come on guys you're just reaching" but the cyber planet key sealed it. I went back and looked closer and noticed the cliffjumper headlights in the shoes and the cut in the 8 and am totally on board with this.

For some reason this makes me incredibly happy. I especially love the strafe lapels.

Just imagine what will happen when Mikey on moonbase2 finds out. He loves studio trigger.

ZeroWolf wrote:This is actually pretty insane, I've been wanting to check this out because of its tangent relationship to a series I watched when everyone wanted to copy power rangers...Superhuman Samurai Cyber Squad (try saying that ten times fast). That series used original footage from the gridman live action show.

I wonder what other references the creators have put in...and why shattered glass got the lion share.

is actually superhuman samurai syber squad. which makes the fact that the new anime is named SSSS.gridman itself also a reference

LE0KING wrote:Just imagine what will happen when Mikey on moonbase2 finds out. He loves studio trigger.

Assuming he runs the podcast's Twitter account, he already has and appears to quite enjoy it!

Why Shattered Glass of all things? More importantly, how did they get to that? Is there a FunPub insider?

Immortal Starscream wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:This is actually pretty insane, I've been wanting to check this out because of its tangent relationship to a series I watched when everyone wanted to copy power rangers...Superhuman Samurai Cyber Squad (try saying that ten times fast). That series used original footage from the gridman live action show.

I wonder what other references the creators have put in...and why shattered glass got the lion share.

is actually superhuman samurai syber squad. which makes the fact that the new anime is named SSSS.gridman itself also a reference

Ah yes I forgot they did that weird thing with the s, confused me a lot as a kid

*adds SSSS.gridman to already large anime backlog after reading*

There's also this character, with SG Rodimus colored clothing:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:Why Shattered Glass of all things? More importantly, how did they get to that? Is there a FunPub insider?

Shattered Glass has a keen cult following in Japan.

Also, this:

And now we have confirmation from Transformers artist Kei Zama that the director of SSSS Gridman, Akira Amemiya, is a big Shattered Glass fan, and is also responsible for designing the Shattered Glass Rodimus T-shirt that was a Tokyo Comic-Con 2017 exclusive.




And here's an image of the character designer (Masaru Sakamoto)'s desk, on which are Transformers both official and not:





Also, dudes colored like SG Straxus, SG Octopunch , and SG Treadshot in the opening:







And here's a reference from way out of left field:







Even characters' names are references - https://twitter.com/shougaichou/status/1051251135355355137?s=19

First victim's name or nickname
Tonkawa Sakiru > Tonka and Cy-kill
Toiko > ToyCo
Kena-chan > Kenner
Doi Hako > Toybox (Hako means box)
Takara Nana > TAKARA and Seven (Nana means seven)

Because of course they'd kill off an anime girl representation of Cy-kill in the first episode, why not?

Samsonator wrote:Because of course they'd kill off an anime girl representation of Cy-kill in the first episode, why not?

Thing is, this is a Bandai series, even.

Sabrblade wrote:

Samsonator wrote:Because of course they'd kill off an anime girl representation of Cy-kill in the first episode, why not?

Thing is, this is a Bandai series, even.

That was my next question, who was the money behind the series, makes sense though, wonder how they feel about all the references to their competitors stuff

Great crappy street fighter transformers all over again find toy looks resembles anime character and paint them in anime colors of characters in series

Sabrblade wrote:And now we have confirmation from Transformers artist Kei Zama that the director of SSSS Gridman, Akira Amemiya, is a big Shattered Glass fan, and is also responsible for designing the Shattered Glass Rodimus T-shirt that was a Tokyo Comic-Con 2017 exclusive.

He's also responsible for Flame Toys' Transformers Furai Models designs among other things.

Emerje

dragons wrote:Great crappy street fighter transformers all over again find toy looks resembles anime character and paint them in anime colors of characters in series

Considering that Bandai are paying for this series, I wouldn't worry about any crossover toys outside fan customs. This is just harmless fun.

I found the Matrix in the opening

Don't know if anyone mention before, the "SG Megatron" girl, her name is Rikka Takarada.

For those who watched Toys That Made Us should remember: Takara was firstly famous for their Rikka-chan doll line.

ZeroWolf wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

Samsonator wrote:Because of course they'd kill off an anime girl representation of Cy-kill in the first episode, why not?

Thing is, this is a Bandai series, even.

That was my next question, who was the money behind the series, makes sense though, wonder how they feel about all the references to their competitors stuff

Hey, if you cant beat them, Exploit ‘em.

I have learned so much about this anime in the past 12 hours, and wow, given what Sabr and Emerje said about the Director, this is no way a coincidence

And now it's been shown that this show is also paying homage to the Brave series - https://twitter.com/knight_runner_/status/1051311813705383936?s=19

LE0KING wrote:At first I was like "come on guys you're just reaching" but the cyber planet key sealed it. I went back and looked closer and noticed the cliffjumper headlights in the shoes and the cut in the 8 and am totally on board with this.

For some reason this makes me incredibly happy. I especially love the strafe lapels.

Pretty much the same sentiment. I thought it was reaching until the piles of evidence. Still as a huge fan of all the Ultraman series (which is actively referred to), and Transformers, I never would have noticed as I'm not really into Shattered Glass.

I'm actually old enough to remember watching the original Ultraman on US TV in the early 80's. I also watched SSSS when I was in college (disappointed that it was an awful adaptation like Power Rangers, I much would have preferred just an English dub of Gridman).

I was kind of disappointed a few years back that Gridman was ignored When Ultraman Zero got his own team of revamped TPC Ultra-Like heroes. But this series has started out well. Two episodes in, and am thoroughly enjoying it.

Toho should really take a good long look at TPC. They both know how to do showa era style live action shows in modern times, AND give us a really fun anime adaptation as well.

Even more references found, this time for Blizzard video games:

So, while SSSS Gridman is getting a lot of play in the main Transformers forum for its more plentiful and overt references, I'm also geeking out a bit because someone on Trigger's staff might also be a bit of a Blizzard fan.

In this screenshot specifically, we get numerous references to Heroes of the Storm. The most prominent vinyl kaiju figurine seen here is obviously Pajamathur (a "cute" version of Starcraft II's Abathur), the one-eyed creature in multiple iterations. But there's also a Zagara (Starcraft II/Heroes of the Storm, right shelf), a couple of Stitches (Warcraft III/World of Warcraft Abomination zombie), a lone Dehaka peeking into the frame (HotS character design, Starcraft II character), and bits and pieces of various Butcherlisks (Zerg-themed reskin of Diablo III's Butcher demon).

More references have arisen:

This week, there's a Youtube group where all 4 members (along with the group) are named after toy companies that have made Macross toys. And how does this relate to Transformers? They're all Jetfires.



Spoiler
Also, the boys that die in the episode are named after the toy companies that went out of business. That is the nerdiest a dark joke I've ever seen in a TV show.

That is dark... Man a lot of love is going into this show!

myanime002 wrote:Don't know whether anybody notice previously, the "SG Megatron" young lady, her name is Rikka Takarada. For the individuals who viewed Toys That Made Us ought to recall: Takara was right off the bat well known for their Rikka-chan doll line.

Thing is, the way the names of Rikka Takarada and the doll you mention are spelled and spoken aren't the same.

Rikka Takarada's name is rendered in Kanji as 宝多 六花 (Takarada Rikka). The 六花 (Rikka) part when written out in Hiragana form would be as りっか (Rikka).

The name of the doll, Licca-chan, when written in its original Japanese form is リカちゃん (Rika-chan). Or as her full name is Licca Kayama, that would be written as 香山リカ (Kayama Rika). Either way, her given name of "Licca" is rendered in both forms as neither in Kanji nor in Hiragana but in the foreign-word alphabet Katakana as リカ (Rika). And if one were to write her name in Hiragana form, it would then be as りか (Rika).

As a result, we have りっか (Rikka) for the Gridman character and りか (Rika) for the doll. Both are spelled differently and are spoken differently as well. "Rika" is pretty straightforward "ree-kah", while "Rikka" is more distinct in how there's a brief pause between the two syllables and an extra emphasis place on the beginning of the second syllable, sort of like "ree-'Kah".

It's a subtle difference to us, yes, but a notable enough one in Japanese to make them unalike in the native tongue of the country from which both originate.

O hai G1 Ironhide-colored vans - https://twitter.com/portarmy/status/1058906676542095360




Plus more - https://twitter.com/Protoman/status/1058808024146489344

Those were the only references in the episode? I somehow caught all three since they were so obvious. I really thought there would be some other better hidden references like in the other episodes. Rikka's bikini and some of the shorts seemed like they were supposed to be something, but maybe that was just me. Akane does ask Yuta if he's "transforming" in the dub, not sure if that was an intentional reference or not.

Emerje

Emerje wrote:Those were the only references in the episode? I somehow caught all three since they were so obvious. I really thought there would be some other better hidden references like in the other episodes. Rikka's bikini and some of the shorts seemed like they were supposed to be something, but maybe that was just me. Akane does ask Yuta if he's "transforming" in the dub, not sure if that was an intentional reference or not.

Emerje

This is being simuldubed? Does that mean funi are handling it?

ZeroWolf wrote:

Emerje wrote:Those were the only references in the episode? I somehow caught all three since they were so obvious. I really thought there would be some other better hidden references like in the other episodes. Rikka's bikini and some of the shorts seemed like they were supposed to be something, but maybe that was just me. Akane does ask Yuta if he's "transforming" in the dub, not sure if that was an intentional reference or not.

Emerje

This is being simuldubed? Does that mean funi are handling it?

Not only that, but the person doing the dub voice of the main villain is doing a Tim Curry impression in homage to Curry having been the voice of Kilokahn back in Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad.

Sabrblade wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:

Emerje wrote:Those were the only references in the episode? I somehow caught all three since they were so obvious. I really thought there would be some other better hidden references like in the other episodes. Rikka's bikini and some of the shorts seemed like they were supposed to be something, but maybe that was just me. Akane does ask Yuta if he's "transforming" in the dub, not sure if that was an intentional reference or not.

Emerje

This is being simuldubed? Does that mean funi are handling it?

Not only that, but the person doing the dub voice of the main villain is doing a Tim Curry impression in homage to Curry having been the voice of Kilokahn back in Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad.

I need to see this

I think this is all of the Transformers visual references in SSSS Gridman through episode 5. I just wanted to clean up some of the images, some I redid, some I cleaned up, and some I'm just pasting unaltered. Due to limitations I think this will be 3 posts. There's quite a few here that haven't been posted yet so enjoy!

Part 1











Emerje

Part 2











Emerje

Part 3








Is that all of the Transformers visual references?

Emerje

I'm just amazed at the amount of references in this, of a toyline from Bandai's rival no less.

It warms my heart to see other people who love Shattered Glass like I do, especially ones that make TV shows

D-Maximal_Primal wrote:It warms my heart to see other people who love Shattered Glass like I do, especially ones that make TV shows

In a country that never even officially got the Shattered Glass toys and fiction (barring one shared exclusive set), no less.

Hasbro, and by extension Takara Tomy, retained the rights to Shattered Glass right? Hasbro has released Heatwave and Rodimus Unicronus at retail so they must. Akira Amemiya should pitch a SG series, some animated shorts from Studio Trigger and a line of repaints of recent figures. Think along the lines of what they did with Transformers Go!, but without an excess of unused molds to play with.

Emerje

Emerje wrote:Hasbro, and by extension Takara Tomy, retained the rights to Shattered Glass right? Hasbro has released Heatwave and Rodimus Unicronus at retail so they must. Akira Amemiya should pitch a SG series, some animated shorts from Studio Trigger and a line of repaints of recent figures. Think along the lines of what they did with Transformers Go!, but without an excess of unused molds to play with.

Emerje

Hasbro does retain the rights to FunPub's fiction and character likenesses (on that note, Hero Mashers Heatwave was probably an accident, the Rescue Bots one was probably intended), sharing with TakaraTomy if Blaster is any indication.

If there was any doubt that Trigger needs to make a Transformers anime, this should wipe it clean. You wonderful, wonderful nerds, Trigger.

myanime002 wrote:Don't know whether anybody notice previously, the "SG Megatron" young lady, her name is Rikka Takarada. For the individuals who viewed Toys That Made Us ought to recall: Takara was right off the bat well known for their Rikka-chan doll line.

totally agree with you. I read that in other forums as well. Rika was the one helping Yuta with his amnesia too for those of you who don't know

davidpratt wrote:

myanime002 wrote:Don't know whether anybody notice previously, the "SG Megatron" young lady, her name is Rikka Takarada. For the individuals who viewed Toys That Made Us ought to recall: Takara was right off the bat well known for their Rikka-chan doll line.

totally agree with you. I read that in other forums as well. Rika was the one helping Yuta with his amnesia too for those of you who don't know

Except, as I explained before, it's not the same name as the doll.

I'm surprised at how short this series was (only 12 episodes). In times past most anime and even live action Toku series run for 26 (half-year) or 52 (a full year), or some number close to that. Is Japan following the North American trend of shortening everything....?

(Except NA is going form 22 minute to single 11 minute episodes, Japan is just significantly shortening their series overall...).

Still...it was an interesting ending, loved the classic Gridman look, and theme-song, just wish there was more to it.

o.supreme wrote:I'm surprised at how short this series was (only 12 episodes). In times past most anime and even live action Toku series run for 26 (half-year) or 52 (a full year), or some number close to that. Is Japan following the North American trend of shortening everything....?

(Except NA is going form 22 minute to single 11 minute episodes, Japan is just significantly shortening their series overall...).

Mini-series are becoming more in-style over there along with half-year and full-year long series. This series just happened to fall into the mini-series category. But don't worry, there's still plenty of half-year and full-year shows over there too. Those formats probably aren't going away anytime soon.

o.supreme wrote:

LE0KING wrote:At first I was like "come on guys you're just reaching" but the cyber planet key sealed it. I went back and looked closer and noticed the cliffjumper headlights in the shoes and the cut in the 8 and am totally on board with this.

For some reason this makes me incredibly happy. I especially love the strafe lapels.

Pretty much the same sentiment. I thought it was reaching until the piles of evidence. Still as a huge fan of all the Ultraman series (which is actively referred to), and Transformers, I never would have noticed as I'm not really into Shattered Glass.

I'm actually old enough to remember watching the original Ultraman on cute plushies selling Japanese stuffed toys here including anime plushies as well US TV in the early 80's. I also watched SSSS when I was in college (disappointed that it was an awful adaptation like Power Rangers, I much would have preferred just an English dub of Gridman).

I was kind of disappointed a few years back that Gridman was ignored When Ultraman Zero got his own team of revamped TPC Ultra-Like heroes. But this series has started out well. Two episodes in, and am thoroughly enjoying it.

Toho should really take a good long look at TPC. They both know how to do showa era style live action shows in modern times, AND give us a really fun anime adaptation as well.

Well said! Toho should really take a good long look at TPC.