Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		2.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.5

Gridman: The Hyper Agent Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman August 24, 2021

Gridman: The Hyper Agent is a charming relic (it's crazy to think of something that released in 1993 as a "relic" but with the way technology has moved, it most certainly is) from the early days of computer proliferation and the beginning thought processes of the wars that could be waged within the computer domain. Of course the digital medium has today evolved into something far more sinister than a virtual playground for oversized heroes and villains, as this show depicts them, battling it out in its own vision of "cyber space," but back in the day the idea of digital turf wars with real consequences, fought with digital avatars, was still something relatively novel and cool. Gridman essentially reworks the Ultraman formula by merging man and digital creation to battle cyber kaiju within the computer network realm. It's chunky, it's funny, it's crude by today's standards, but its also a hearty blast from the past, a product of a bygone era and a vision that didn't necessarily develop but that was well versed in the basic concepts of the computer as the 21st century battleground.

Official synopsis: Three computer-savvy kids, Naoto, Yuka and Ippei created their own videogame superhero, but then discover it possessed by an interdimensional police officer, Gridman. Pursuing an evil program called Khan Digifer, he merges with Naoto and fights Khan Digifer's digitized monsters (created by social misfit Takeshi) in order to prevent the computerized demon from wreaking havoc on the Human World.

The look, the feel, the sights, the sounds: Gridman: The Hyper Agent is a show that is joyously stuck in the 90s and, even far removed from the series' roots it's a perfectly natural continuation of the structure and style and inherent charms that helped to make the Ultra franchise so successful. Of course this is marginally, at best, related to the core Ultraman franchise. There are aesthetic similarities and plot device connections and repurposes, but that's about it. It kind-of sort-of looks and maybe even feels like Ultraman, but the connections are loose at best. Still, it's a show that is sure to delight Ultra franchise fans for its basic adherence to essential formula, even if it's been drastically reworked into its own setting and style.

Gridman does well to develop its human characters within the opening story salvos. It paints a stark contrast between Naoto, Yuka and Ippei -- three friends who are inseparably joined at the hip, who thrive in one another's company, building "Junk" (the nickname for their computer system), and experiencing the joys and sorrows, the ups and downs, the ebbs and flow of life together -- and Takeshi, the classic loner who is socially awkward and only able to be expressive and define himself in front of the computer, alone. Often the battles are a product of his temper; he feels dissed or upset and vows revenge on things like a crowd at a fruit stand or a couple playing a keyboard in a music shop. It's no wonder he becomes a vessel for villainy. There is a sharp contrast between the two, how they sing, how he sulks, superficially all in the name of narratively facilitating the digital battles inside the computer. But one of the great things about Gridman is that the human characters are not fully one dimensional and that their stories are not merely a convenient framework. While the show always does point, ultimately, to the action, there's no denying that the show works hard to make something of its human characters and the narrative that builds outside the computer. Even if it's often in parallel with whatever might be happening inside, there's always a satisfying and ever-developing arc at play in the real world as well as the digitally artificial, yielding a satisfying structure that is harmoniously interconnected start to finish.

The show's technical constructs are comically dated but do fit into that pleasantly nostalgic window; Gridman is like a time machine back to the nascent days of the computer revolution when PCs were just starting to really become a household fixture and the possibilities seemed endless. Of course Gridman takes those possibilities to the extreme, blending man and machine (very much in classic Ultraman style) and battling it out in a computer realm where a series of chunky "digital" structures serve as the background and the source of much destruction. The monster and Gridman suit design are clunky but workable and further add to the charm.

Gridman: The Hyper Agent Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Gridman: The Hyper Agent was shot on 4x3 video. The Blu-ray presentation preserves the native 1.33:1 aspect ratio, placing vertical "black bars" on either side of the 1.78:1 display. The program is presented in 1080i resolution, upscaled from the standard definition source. It's not particularly attractive by today's standards, but the image is faithful to the inherent aesthetics. The picture lacks the crisp resolution of native high-definition content; this is simply an upscale of native standard definition material and with that comes less dynamic imagery: softer edges, failing intimacy, and so forth. The picture struggles with color output as well, lacking crisp nuance and intense tonal barrages, favoring a stale, if not fundamentally effective, output. False colors are commonplace while jagged edges and other native artifacts are in evidence. The picture struggles with some encode issues on the Blu-ray side, showing some background blocking that further interferes with image integrity. Overall, however, the image looks fine within its native context; with current technology this is about as good as it's going to get, and it's plenty watchable as it is. Even videophiles shouldn't balk too much; what is here is mostly faithful to the source, and source integrity should trump all else.

Gridman: The Hyper Agent Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Mill Creek brings Gridman: The Hyper Agent to Blu-ray with a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack in the native Japanese language. There is no English dub but optional English subtitles do default to the "on" position. The track may be confined to two channels but makes the most of what's available to it. Stretch along the front is excellent; there's no wasted space or a feel of cramped content here. Musical clarity certainly lacks the precision that would accompany more modern or higher budgeted content. The same may be said of various sound effects. Clarity is acceptable and spacing is fine; there's just not that sense of might and awe and majesty inherent to the sound design. The Blu-ray essentially delivers what is available to it as well as can be expected, even if that means a track that can't keep up with superior sound design. Dialogue is clear and precise with constant front-center imaging; there is never any serious drift.

Gridman: The Hyper Agent Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Gridman: The Hyper Agent contains no supplements across any of the six discs. However, a full color booklet is included which offers an introductory paragraph, character profiles, detailed episode summaries, and a photographic Kaiju guide. No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This release does ship with a slipcover which includes all of the pertinent back cover information; the Blu-ray artwork proper contains no text beyond the spine.

Gridman: The Hyper Agent Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Gridman: The Hyper Agent is essentially an Ultraman spin-off that moves the battles from the "real" world (or various alien planets) to the digital realm. It follows new characters and new possibilities within the blend of real and digital but holds to the same essential structuring of many Ultraman shows. There's a bit more depth and characterization here but it holds to something of a cheeky tone that puts entertainment value above anything more. Mill Creek's featureless six-disc set offers video and audio presentations that are acceptable within their natural parameters. Recommended.