With Netflix Japan releases the timing of when I watch them is strictly a matter of chance, really – it all comes down to availability (both the subbed version’s and mine).  But ideally I think Godzilla Singular Point and SSSS.Dynazenon really should be watched back-to-back, because they share so much thematically.  If you love kaiju you should certainly love these two shows, and while Dynazenon is also lavishly paying homage to old-school anime and one of the charms of GSP is that it feels rather un-anime like, the sense of love for the subject matter is totally shared.  And infectious.

As with pretty much every Godzilla film, the star doesn’t make his entrance until deep into the narrative.  But as a warmup act the radon are fulfilling their role admirably.  They’re the canaries in this kaiju mine for sure, giving humanity a chance to come to grips with what’s headed their way in training wheels fashion.  An entire “red sky” worth of radon is obviously a lot more dangerous than a few loners, but I’ll take that over a blue-flame breathing 50-meter lizard any day.  These radons, as it happens, are a lot smaller than the early arrivers, but what they lack in size they make up in number.

Just what is it with these Pteranodons anyway?  Are they emitting iron oxide, staining the very sky around them?  Apparently they’re not themselves radioactive (which is certainly a good thing) but they seem to be attracted to any form of electric current, especially radio waves.  That gives old Gorou (that Caddy convertible is perfect for him) the idea to use finely calibrated radio waves to lure them out of town, which they’re in the process of rather wreaking havoc upon.  And the plan seems to be working until the scooter-mounted transmitter takes a tumble, temporarily knocking Yun unconscious and leaving the old coot trapped in a bus with the driver and a high school girl.

This rest stop scene is your classic monster movie fare done right – no surprises, but that’s not why we’re here.  Yun and Muscles are pinned down in  the diner as the radon pick apart the bus (which is emitting radio waves a-plenty).  Yun shows off his genius by using the archery bow – and skills – of the girl trapped with them and some old bottles (and his AI assistant) to MacGyver a radon-voice synthesizer in very cool fashion.  This gives he and Haberu a chance to get the scooter back on its feet and lure the monsters away from the bus.

Meanwhile, Mei and Pero II have hijacked borrowed the Outaki “second” robot and take it out on the road, where it arrives in time to lend the boys some much-needed assistance (although the original mission was rescuing laundry) but gets severely asswhupped in the process.  Pero is proving to be quite an entertaining part of the mix, even as Mai’s role in the story grows more mysterious.  A reporter named Kai, acting on behalf of the reclusive Professor Li, arrives to proffer an invitation to meet at the professor’s hideaway and exchange genius thoughts as the threat to the world increases.  And undersea, our next kaiju makes its first appearance…

This is all tremendous fun, and every episode cliffhanger is a winner so far.  As to that kaiju at the end (interestingly it also seems to be emitting a red cloud), while we know the big guy came from under the sea that doesn’t look to be him (still too early I think).  Could it be Manda, the undersea dragon who first turned up as part of 1963’s Atragon?  And will Mai and Yun finally meet in person, or will they continue to communicate via proxy and personal device?