Gridman the Hyper Agent (電光超人グリッドマン Denkō Chōjin Guriddoman) is a Japanese tokusatsu series produced by Tsuburaya Productions. The show ran from 1993 to 1994. It was the inspiration and source material for DiC Entertainment's Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad.
Contents
Synopsis
Three computer-savvy kids from Sakuragaoka town, Naoto, Yuka and Ippei, create their own video game superhero, but then discover it is possessed by an inter-dimensional hero, Gridman. Pursuing an evil being 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 Human World.
Characters
Protagonists
Antagonists
Side Characters
- Daichi Sho: Naoto's younger brother.
- Kana Baba: Ippei's younger sister.
- Soichiro Sho: Naoto's father.
- Michiko Sho: Naoto's mother.
- Hideyo Inoue: Yuka's father.
- Yoshie Inoue: Yuka's mother.
- Yoshihito Inoue: Yuka's elder brother.
- Hiroshi Baba: Ippei's father.
- Ayako Baba: Ippei's mother.
- Police Officer Koganemura: The police officer of the town in which Naoto lives.
- Police Officer Amagasaki: The police officer who appeared instead of Koganemura.
Kaiju
- Gilarus
- Bamora
- Volcadon
- Stealgun
- Bagira
- Anosillus
- Flamelar
- Blizzalar
- Shinobilar
- Terragaia
- Metallus
- Magnegauss
- Generadon
- Imitation Anosillus
- Mummy
- Dazzlba
- Clowns from the dream world
- Plandon
- Venora
- Boranga
- Jubagon
- Teleboze
- Gyurunba
- Chidogerah
- Abumaru
- Goromaking
- Devil Phazer
- Khan Giorgio
- Skubone
- Takeshi Todo's computer (transformed)
Songs
- Opening Theme
Denkou Choujin Gridman opening
The show's opening
- Lyrics: Akira Ōtsu
- Composition: Kisaburo Suzuki
- Arrangement: Masaki Iwamoto
- Artist: Norio Sakai
- Ending Theme
Denkou Choujin Gridman Ending Theme
- Lyrics: Akira Ōtsu
- Composition: Kisaburo Suzuki
- Arrangement: Masaki Iwamoto
- Artist: Norio Sakai
- Insert Song
- "Futatsu no Yūki"
- Lyrics: Atsushi Aida
- Composition & Arrangement: Osamu Totsuka
- Artist: Compoid Three
Cast
- Naoto Sho (翔 直人 Shō Naoto): Masaya Obi (小尾 昌也 Obi Masaya)
- Yuka Inoue (井上 ゆか Inoue Yuka): Jun Hattori (服部 ジュン Hattori Jun)
- Ippei Baba (馬場 一平 Baba Ippei): Takeshi Sudo (須藤 丈士 Sudō Takeshi)
- Takeshi Todo (藤堂 武史 Todō Takeshi): Tsuyoshi Sugawara (菅原 剛 Sugawara Tsuyoshi)
- 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)
- 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 JunsaKomatsu Shōichi) ): Shoichi Komatsu (小松 正一
- Police Officer Amagasaki (尼崎 巡査 Amagasaki Junsa): Daisuke Itsumori (五森 大輔 Itsumori Daisuke)
- Narrator (ナレーター Narētā): Yuji Machi (真地 勇志 Machi Yūji)
Voice Cast
- Gridman (グリッドマン Guriddoman): Hikaru Midorikawa (緑川 光 Midorikawa Hikaru)
- Junk (ジャンク Janku): Junko Shimakata (嶋方 淳子 Shimakata Junko)
- Kahn Digifer (カーンデジファー Kān Dejifā): Masaharu Sato (佐藤 正治 Satō Masaharu)
Home Video Releases
VHS
- The series is first released as a 11-volume VHS by Victory Entertainment. The first 6 volumes includes 4 episodes, and the remaining 5 volumes includes only 3 episodes.
- The "NON-STOP BATTLE ACTION" edition of the show is also released, containing only the fight scenes.
- The 13th episode is released in VHS as "Thunder Gridman Appears!".
DVD
- The "DVD+CD! HYPER COMPLETE BOX", released on January 26, 2005 by Avex Inc., comes with all 39 episodes and a new CD soundtrack titled "Gridman: More Original Soundtrack", containing the unreleased BGMs.
- In January 21, 2013, the series is released in individual DVDs for the very first time, containing 8 volumes and 5 (4 in Volume 8) episodes per DVD.
Blu-ray
- In December 20, 2017, the entire series is released under the "Blu-ray BOX" box set by Pony Canyon. The box set contains all episodes and credit-less opening and endings. Despite being labelled as a Blu-ray release, the episodes are entirely upscaled from the original 480p component masters.
Trivia
- Gridman the Hyper Agent is the first series to be shot in interlaced 480i.
- This series would be Tsuburaya Productions' last non-Ultra superhero production before Bio Planet WoO.
- 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.