Awakening

Awakening (覚・醒, *Kakusei*) is the first episode of the *SSSS.GRIDMAN*.

Monster of the week: Ghoulghilas

## Synopsis

Yuta Hibiki wakes up in the home of his classmate, Rikka Takarada, with amnesia. A voice from an old computer, identifying himself as "Gridman," has a mission for him, but can he even survive the next day of school without his memories?

## Summary

It's a peaceful day at school. Akane Shinjo stands at the roof of the building, looking to the sky, where she sees a star split into six.

Later, Yuta wakes up to an unfamiliar ceiling. An unknown girl, Rikka, tells him that he collapsed and worried her, and offers to let him use the washroom. Looking in the mirror, Yuta comes to the realization that he can't remember anything.

He hears a voice call "Yuta," which he follows to arrive at an old computer. The screen turns on suddenly, showing Gridman, who introduces himself and tells Yuta he has to remember his calling. Rikka comes and asks what he's doing, and he realizes that she can't see Gridman. They converse, and he finds out that he's in Rikka's home, the shop, and establishes that he has amnesia. Rikka's Mother tells her to take Yuta to the hospital.

Outside, there's thick mist. Above, he sees a giant kaiju, but when he points at it, he finds out Rikka can't see it.

The hospital tells him that it'll probably return to normal soon, but as he starts to leave, he finds he can't remember where he lives. Rikka, who doesn't know either, borrows Yuta's phone to text Sho Utsumi for his address. Since it's getting late, they stop to get donuts. Yuta finds out that, rather than being friends, this is allegedly the first time he and Rikka spoke so much since they were put in the same class. He sees Samurai・Calibur staring at him from across the street and is a little weirded out.

They finally arrive at Yuta's house, and Rikka tells him that Utsumi will come to pick him up the next day. He finds out that his parents were on an around three-month business trip and thinks that it felt weird, like someone else's life.

He meets up with Utsumi, and they walk to school together. Utsumi tells him that they only got to know each other in April, so they can just pretend they're becoming friends again. When asked what kind of person Yuta was, Utsumi tells him that he was regular, but "not a bad guy." Yuta tells him about Gridman.

Namiko is snuggling Rikka in a classroom with Hass, and tells Rikka that she saw her yesterday with Yuta. She and Hass tease Rikka about getting a boyfriend, Yuta stopping by to thank her for fueling their prodding. Later, Rikka tells Yuta about her friends and asks him to let her have her space.

Yuta forgot to bring his lunch, so Akane offers him a special dog that she had extra. However, Tonkawa accidentally hits a volleyball into it and it falls to the floor. The class is still for half a minute. Tonkawa apologizes, and Yuta still eats the special dog.

We see someone working on carving something, and someone's eye through glinting cracked glasses. Alexis comments on it, saying that something unforgivable must've happened to need another kaiju.

When walking home, Yuta remarks that Akane was kind, leading Utsumi to tell him that she's a miracle girl who the whole class likes. Yuta asks him if he likes her, and he mumbles and denies it before changing topics and asking about Gridman. They both follow Rikka home.

Meanwhile, Tonkawa is skipping volleyball practice.

Yuta tells Rikka that he thinks her family gets along great, to which she responds that it seems normal. Utsumi remarks that the computer is cobbled together like a pile of junk. Gridman tells him that there's danger closing in on this world, and they find out that Utsumi can't see it either.

Alexis・Kerib uses "Instance Abreaction" on a sculpture of Ghoulghilas, and Yuta's arm tingles with something that looks like electricity. He gets the feeling there's trouble, hears a kaiju, and the room shakes soon after. The city is revealed to be in danger, with fires and Ghoulghilas kicking around cars. Yuta and the others go outside to see. Just after Utsumi suggests going to the main road to see better, the Ghoulghilas fires a bunch of fireballs. One of them bounces into the school, where Tonkawa was sitting outside. Rikka remarks that it was the school's direction.

Yuta, who hears Gridman's voice, runs to the junk shop and talks to Gridman, who says they have to awaken and then says he'll explain later. The computer sucks him in, and Utsumi and Rikka arrive just in time to see it. Utsumi says he's been swallowed by Junk, establishing the computer's name, and Rikka remarks that old computers are terrifying.

Yuta and Gridman fuse, which both Utsumi and Rikka see on the computer screen. Gridman appears outside, which Rikka and Utsumi see, although the fog makes it difficult. Utsumi hears Yuta's voice coming from Junk, and he and Rikka return.

Gridman charges at the kaiju, and is knocked into a building. Ghoulghilas shoots fireballs into the air, causing explosions between it and Gridman. Utsumi and Rikka see this happening on the computer. An alarm sounds from Junk, which is spitting sparks, to which Utsumi says that old computers are awesome, and they theorize that Junk and Gridman are linked, meaning that Yuta is in danger. Utsumi laments that if it was the Ultra Series, the kaiju would have a weakness, but then he figures out that its neck is weak, since it's crumbling. Yuta sees that the school is on fire. Rikka communicates about the weakness with Yuta through typing in the keyboard. Yuta hears them, and his stats are shown increasing. He charges at Ghoulghilas again, punching through a fireball, and pulls its neck off, revealing a bunch of circuits. He kicks the rest of its body and finishes it off with Grid Beam.

Yuta comes back through the computer, to Rikka's relief and Utsumi's excitement. After Utsumi compliments him, Gridman tells Yuta that he has to complete his mission and that the fight with the kaiju was only the beginning. Utsumi enthusiastically says that they need a name for themselves, like the "Gridman Alliance." Rikka, tired and confused, and asks them to go home. Rikka's mother tells Rikka to answer her phone, telling her that she was worried. Yuta and Utsumi leave.

It shows responses to the kaiju attack on media. Alexis calls Gridman an "unexpected guest." Samurai Calibur is seen looking out at the Ghoulghilas's head.

The next day, Yuta, Utsumi, and Rikka find out that the school is still standing.

## Characters in Order of Appearance

* Akane Shinjo
* Yuta Hibiki
* Rikka Takarada
* Gridman
* Rikka's Mother
* Samurai Calibur
* Sho Utsumi
* Namiko
* Hass
* Sakiru Tonkawa
* Toiko
* Alexis Kerib
* Ghoulghilas

## Trivia

* Rikka is using an Apple computer, with a line cut out of it instead of a bite.
* The convenience store they got donuts at, 721, is a reference to Ultraseven 21.
* When Yuta sees Samurai Calibur, Namiko can also be seen in the frame.
* References from *Denkou Choujin Gridman*:
	+ The hospital Yuta goes to is called the "Inoue Hospital", which references how Yuka Inoue's family ran a clinic.
	+ The special hot dog given by Akane was seen in "The Perfect Sword With A Man's Pride".
	+ The design of Junk looks exactly like that of its live-action counterpart, and is named because it is made of old computer parts. Both versions also share the exact same alarm sound too.
	+ Gridman's line where he stated that he'll explain later to Yuta is the same within the live-action series to Naoto Sho.
	+ Yuta being stated to be "swallowed by Junk" was in the original series for Naoto, too.
	+ Gridman had same stats within the live-action series.
	+ Grid Beam was in the original series, too.
	+ The hand motion which Akane makes is copying Ippei Baba from "The Perfect Sword With A Man's Pride", who was doing an impression of Alien Baltan from the Ultraman franchise.
* Utsumi's binoculars are an imitation of Longview, a Transformer.

## Gallery

Akane looking at the sky in episode 1The stars Akane sees in the skyYuta looking in the mirror when he realizes he has amnesiaGridman showing on JunkThis hand motion was seen previously in "The Perfect Sword With A Man's Pride"The kaiju Yuta sees in the distanceRikka and Yuta walking to the hospitalRikka's text conversation with Utsumi to get Yuta's addressRikka telling Yuta they haven't talked muchSamurai Calibur watching YutaA photo of Yuta with his parentsRikka being cuddled by NamikoAkane talking to her classmatesTonkawa playing with they volleyball ball during lunchAkane's Special Dog gets smooshed. One was previously seen in The Perfect Sword With A Man's PrideCracked glasses shiningAlexis KeribThe city when Ghoulghilas is attackingThe school being hit by a fireballSho and Rikka seeing Yuta get sucked in by JunkGridman and Yuta fusing on Junk's screenGhoulghilas and Gridman fightingGridmanThe Gridman Alliance seeing the school back to normal the next day
## Voice Drama

* **1.1: It Is Hard to Say In the Classroom (教室じゃ話しにくい, *Kyōshitsu ja hanashi nikui*)**
	+ Namiko and Hass ask Rikka about what she was doing with Yuta.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.crunchyroll.com/ssssgridman/episode-1-awakening-777756