History Anime / SCRYed

A massive disaster hits Japan, separating the Kanagawa Prefecture of Japan into a new island known as the "Lost Ground". The disaster also causes [[BizarreBabyBoom 1% of the babies born there to develop superpowers]]. Now, before you pass this off as your standard {{Mutant}} story, remember that this is ''[[WidgetSeries anime]]'': Instead of being born with powers such as [[HealingFactor quick healing]], [[{{Telepathy}} reading minds]] or [[SelectiveMagnetism controlling magnets]], the "[[DifferentlyPoweredIndividual Alter Users]]" have the power to call upon and use '''mecha''' in battles. By [[ShapeshifterBaggage dismantling nearby matter]]--areas of landscape, vehicles, watermelons, or even dead bodies--and reassembling it, they can {{summon|Magic}} separate, [[MechanicalMonster machine-like]] beings known as Alters, which personify a superpower of some sort.

* AllLoveIsUnrequited: Kimishima likes Ayase, who likes Kazuma, who might at least be friendly with her but may not actually return her feelings. Cougar likes Mimori, who likes Ryūhō, as does Scheris. Ryūhō may like Mimori back, despite his standoffishness toward her, but to what degree is unclear; however, Ryuho ultimately refuses to have a relationship because of [[spoiler:guilt over Scheris's sacrifice to save him. It takes the events of the s-CRY-ed After Light Novels for Ryuho to change this--he uses the last remaining bits of Scheris' alter to save Mimori's life before directly accepting her feelings]]. The only character who gets a relationship with someone is Asuka Tachibana--and his girlfriend, Cammy, is only a minor character.

A massive disaster hits Japan, separating a section of Tokyo into a new island known as the "Lost Ground". The disaster also causes [[BizarreBabyBoom 1% of the babies born there to develop superpowers]]. Now, before you pass this off as your standard {{Mutant}} story, remember that this is ''[[WidgetSeries anime]]'': Instead of being born with powers such as [[HealingFactor quick healing]], [[{{Telepathy}} reading minds]] or [[SelectiveMagnetism controlling magnets]], the "[[DifferentlyPoweredIndividual Alter Users]]" have the power to call upon and use '''mecha''' in battles. By [[ShapeshifterBaggage dismantling nearby matter]]--areas of landscape, vehicles, watermelons, or even dead bodies--and reassembling it, they can {{summon|Magic}} separate, [[MechanicalMonster machine-like]] beings known as Alters, which personify a superpower of some sort.

The series was originally licensed for American distribution by Creator/BandaiEntertainment, releasing DVD sets through 2003 and 2004, alongside select episodes appearing on Creator/AdultSwim's video-on-demand service through 2004 until the full series was run on the channel itself in 2005. After Bandai Entertainment's closure in 2012, Creator/SentaiFilmworks picked up the American distribution rights. However, they never released the series on DVD or Blu-Ray, and eventually [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-05-03/discotek-licenses-detective-conan-episode-one-love-hina-again-s-cry-ed-anime/.159099 the license was picked up]] by Creator/DiscotekMedia in 2020, with a release finally slated for early 2021. A set of light novels, ''s-CRY-ed Atarashiki Meiyaku'' and the two-volume ''s-CRY-ed After'', were written by Kazuho Hyodo in 2002 and 2003 under the [[Creator/DengekiBunko]] imprint, with a complete-version rerelease of ''s-CRY-ed After'' in 2012. All of this material remains untranslated into English.

The series was originally licensed for American distribution by Creator/BandaiEntertainment, releasing DVD sets through 2003 and 2004, alongside select episodes appearing on Creator/AdultSwim's video-on-demand service through 2004 until the full series was run on the channel itself in 2005. After Bandai Entertainment's closure in 2012, Creator/SentaiFilmworks picked up the American distribution rights. However, they never released the series on DVD or Blu-Ray, and eventually [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-05-03/discotek-licenses-detective-conan-episode-one-love-hina-again-s-cry-ed-anime/.159099 the license was picked up]] by Creator/DiscotekMedia in 2020, with a release finally slated for early 2021.

* AllLoveIsUnrequited: Kimishima likes Ayase, who likes Kazuma, who never notices her; Cougar likes Mimori, who likes Ryūhō, as does Scheris. Ryūhō may like Mimori back, but ultimately refuses to have a relationship because of [[spoiler:guilt over Scheris's sacrifice to save him. However, it was averted later in the sequel novel, when Ryuho used the last remaining Scheris' alter to save Mimori's life then held her in his arms despite his crippled body accepting their feelings]]. The only character who gets a relationship with someone is Asuka Tachibana--and his girlfriend, Cammy, is only a minor character.

** [[FlyingBrick Completely averted]] with [[spoiler: Kazuma and Ryuho's final forms]], which let them fly right into [[BatmanCanBreatheInSpace outer-space]].

* OrderVersusChaos: Ryuhou and Kazuma respectively. Notably, Ryuhou talks about bringing order to society multiple times and Kazuma once took a job in the city and found something inherently wrong with how structured and orderly it was.
* PainfulTransformation: Kazuma, once he gets his level 2 Alter, complains about how much pain he feels in his arm.
* PersonalityPowers: Tachibana [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] how fitting Alters are to their users when speaking about Kazuma; a PowerFist is perfect for punching down walls.

* SequelHook: A council of government officials in the penultimate episode, discussing [[spoiler:production of further Darz and that they have time to prepare, now that the Kiryuu family has given up on trying to find Minami and bring her back]]. Combined with the unresolved conflict with the mainland (since it's at least implied that they try again even after Kazuma and Ryuho beat back a large force at the end of the penultimate episode) provide a line for more storylines. ''Alteration'' adjusts it slightly, but it's still implied that other Native Alter Users in the Lost Ground are causing trouble.

** Kigetsuki is a narcissistic parasite but in Cougar's words: [[spoiler: "Rejected by your own alter? You're pathetic."]]

* SuperSpeed: Straight Cougar's ability is to "make anything go faster!"

* {{Troll}}: Straight Cougar takes Mimori out to see Ryuho fighting but stops in the middle of nowhere. When she demands to know what's going on, Cougar implies he's actually going to rape her, only to reveal he's just messing with her and it's simply not safe to get too close to a fight between Alter Users.

* AmnesiacDissonance: [[spoiler:Ryūhō, after losing his memories, ends up regarding HOLY as evil and defends a settlement from them. When he is told about his past, he finds it strange that he would oppress people in such a manner. He continues to fight against HOLY even after recovering his memories.]]

* BadassNormal: Kimishima is an aversion: He has no Alter and only carries a pair of pistols; while he is good with them, he cannot defeat an Alter User on his own.
* BashBrothers: It takes about 20 episodes, but Ryūhō and Kazuma eventually work together on principle. This does not stop them from trying to bash in each other's faces afterward, though that fight is more of a friendly brawl than a fight to the death.

* CallBack: When Kazuma first fights Ryūhō, [[spoiler:he gets his ass kicked, and tries to raise his arm and form a fist before collapsing.]] In the final episode, [[spoiler:an unidentified arm rises up and forms a fist. In the DistantFinale of the '''Alteration''' movie duology, Kazuma does it again, this time flashing his fist through the different forms of his Alter.]]

* CombatBreakdown: The final battle between Ryūhō and Kazuma has them cycle through all their Alter forms and back down to normal. By the end, they can both only manage to summon a fraction of their power for one last strike: Kazuma armors his fist, while Ryūhō generates a small spike. They both collapse after the final blow.

* ConservationOfNinjutsu: Kazuma and Ryūhō go up against a joint aerial and naval invasion force of Refined Alter Users. This results in a victory for the former. The story implies that Kazuma and Ryūhō win because they are using Level 3 Alters juiced up from the Other Side to fight a bunch of artificial Alters who are, at best, Level 1.

* CurbStompBattle: Just about anyone Kazuma or Ryūhō fights between [[spoiler:the timeskip and them entering Mujo's fortress]] has their ass handed to them.
* DeadlyUpgrade: [[spoiler:Upgrading one's Alter ability causes gradual but irreversible damage to one's body. An unnatural upgrade, such as the mainland's "refinement", seems to cause more immediate damage, as evidenced by Zigmarl's RapidAging and Cougar's odd walk and the gray streaks in his hair. In extreme cases such as Ayase's refinement, the process does enough damage that the Alter User can die from extreme stress. In contrast, "natural" Alter Users suffer damage at a more gradual pace. Kazuma and Ryūhō both seem to suffer minor physical deformations from using their Alters. Kazuma suffers more than Ryūhō, as the former's body-reshaping Alter modifies him at all three stages, while the latter has an independent Alter that just becomes a suit of armor at Level 3, so his changes are minor. In the epilogue of the series, however, the damage done from continuous use of the Alter does catch up to Ryūhō.]]

** In the main series, [[spoiler:Kazuma never defeats Ryūhō, but the two still come to a similar relationship. The movie, ''Alteration'', implies that Kazuma wins their last fight.]]

** On HOLY's end, George Tatsunami, Emergy Maxfell, Sou Kigetsuki, and Kyouji Mujou are all examples of how Ryūhō's nobler intentions act as a check for the potential excesses he could fall into during his pursuit of revenge and justice. In particular, Kigetsuki's smug arrogance demonstrates this to an amnesiac ''Ryūhō'', showing him what he looked like from the perspective of Kazuma and the Inners. Result: HeelFaceTurn. Kazuma still pisses him off by ''breathing'', but that is just TeethClenchedTeamwork.

* DumpThemAll: [[spoiler: In the anime, the Scheris/Mimori/Ryūhō love triangle ends with Scheris dead and Ryūhō rejecting Mimori despite his implied attraction to her because he feels it would not be right. Although Ryūhō displayed no attraction to Scheris, she died for him because she loved him, so once Mimori confesses her love for him, it's implied that Ryūhō fears her meeting the same fate, so he turns her down. In the manga, Scheris lives and starts a relationship with Ryūhō.]]
* DyingAsYourself: [[spoiler:As Biff dies, his mind control is shattered.]]

* GreyAndGrayMorality: The first half is a battle of wills between a [[AntiHero chaotic]] [[HotBlooded rageaholic]] [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold who just wants to keep his independence]] and an [[TheRival equally determined]] [[AntiVillain workaholic]] [[KnightTemplar who will stop at nothing to bring peace to a lawless land.]] It's OrderVersusChaos instead of [[BlackAndWhiteMorality good vs evil]].

* HeroAntagonist: Several members of HOLY qualify as they just trying to manage Alter crime (of which there is a lot) and improve the situation in the Lost Ground. This group includes Scheris, Illian, and Urizane. Cougar may be as well but he is less antagonistic to Kazuma. Ryuhou is an [[KnightTemplar aversion]].

** Zetsuei's "childlike" form is its basic form. Ryuuhou learned how to transform it to the more dragon-like combat form pre-series and brought it out when Kazuma got powerful enough for him to need it.
** Kazuma pulls this a couple times after getting his second-stage Shell Bullet, as Holy never anticipated that Kazuma would independently evolve his Alter. Ryuuhou in particular lampshades this during their rematch, and Kazuma points out he's in no position to complain since he pulled the same trick.

* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: [[spoiler: Subverted with Scheris' death, since rather than allow Ryuho and Mimori to get together, it causes Ryuho to distance himself from Mimori or any other woman who loves him because a romantic relationship doesn't feel right after the last girl who loved him gave her life for him. So in a twist of irony, Scheris ends up cock-blocking Ryuho and Mimori from beyond the grave.]]
* IdiotHero: Kazuma may be trying to help the Lost Ground by fighting off HOLY but he has a simple minded and brutish approach to it.
** He himself [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] this.

** Judging from other characters' assessments of him, this applies only to his being BookDumb; while he has virtually no formal education and isn't very sociable, he's shown to be tactically deadly in a fight. As one of the others notes, "he isn't throwing his punches at random."

* KnightTemplar: Ryuhou believes himself to be the one enforcing justice and peace on the lawless and violent wasteland of the Lost Ground, but the locals see him as an oppressive bully. [[spoiler: CharacterDevelopment sees him become heroic over time; keeping his ideals while losing the heavy-handed actions.]]

* LightheartedRematch: Subverted. After teaming up and defeating the real BigBad, the two leads decide to have a bout to see who is the best once and for all - but this takes up ''the entire [[GrandFinale last episode]]'' and is the longest and definitely most brutal fight in the entire series. It's pointed out and lampshaded several times during the episode that neither of them actually ''hates'' the other anymore -- it's just that they can't calm down until they finally settle their score. It appears to end in a double knockout - but one last shot as the credits start imply that at least one is still moving. [[spoiler:A hand rises behind a curtain of dust, and does a gesture typical for Kazuma after appearing to do Ryūhō's signature knife-hand tic.]]

* MookHorrorShow: Kazuma's UnstoppableRage after [[spoiler:Kimishima's death]] is pretty scary for HOLY mooks.

* MutantDraftBoard: Alter users have choice to either join HOLY or become test subjects. It's a good deal, too, as HOLY doesn't really police its members; Inners are considered lowlife scum to be abused at will even by the normal members of the organization.
* NoFEMAResponse: The Lost Ground has been placed under the jurisdiction of HOLD and HOLY, which doesn't seem to care about civilizing the area in any way other than getting Alter Users under their control and imprisoning the normal Inners to use as forced laborers.

** Kazuma and Straight Cougar's alter ability provide a powerful acceleration for their attacks. Though this effect is used only for horizontal movement, they can achieve a pretty impressive flight time when propelling themselves from an elevated surface.
** The trope is downplayed with [[spoiler: Kazuma's second form]], which basically tacks a propeller onto their back. Though we're never shown just how long they can maintain flight, it is seen being used to hover for short periods, as well as gain higher ground.

* NotQuiteDead: [[spoiler: Straight Cougar; turns out he really was just sleeping, as Alteration shows.]]

* OneDimensionalThinking: Averted in Straight Cougar's final battle where he attacks [[spoiler: Kyoji Mojo]] from numerous angles.

* PersonalityPowers: Tachibana [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] how fitting alter powers are to their users when speaking about Kazuma; a PowerFist is perfect for punching down walls.

* TheRemake: s-CRY-ed Alteration Tao and Quan, which add extra scenes that give [[spoiler:Kyoji Mujo]] more presence and alters some of Kazuma and Ryuhou's fights. [[spoiler:It also has a new version of the finale; though Kazuma and Ryūhō's fates are still unchanged and they're working as grudging BashBrothers, we get to see Mimori and Kanami interacting a bit more and Cougar's proven to still be alive.
* RewritingReality: "Mad Sprict" (sic) -- its user, Unkei, attempts to use this as MoreThanMindControl on Kazuma to persuade him to join HOLY. Unfortunately for him, he blows it BADLY by misunderstanding Kazuma's mindset, misusing DefeatMeansFriendship at the end of the script; Kazuma, knowing subconsciously that the real Ryūhō would never accept anything but a total victory, shakes off Sprict's effects.

* SequelHook: A council of government officials in the penultimate episode, discussing [[spoiler:production of further Darz and that they have time to prepare, now that the Kiryuu family has given up on trying to find Minami and bring her back]]. Combined with the unresolved conflict with the mainland (since it's at least implied that they try again even after Kazuma and Ryuho beat back a large force at the end of the penultimate episode) provide a line for more storylines. '''Alteration''' adjusts it slightly but it's still implied that other Native Alter Users in the Lost Ground are causing trouble.

* LightheartedRematch: Subverted. After teaming up and defeating the real BigBad, the two leads decide to have a bout to see who is the best once and for all - but this takes up ''the entire [[GrandFinale last episode]]'' and is the longest and definitely most brutal fight in the entire series. It appears to end in a double knockout - but one last shot as the credits start imply that at least one is still moving. [[spoiler:A hand rises behind a curtain of dust, and does a gesture typical for Kazuma after appearing to do Ryūhō's signature knife-hand tic.]]

* NoFEMAResponse: The Lost Ground has been placed under the jurisdiction of HOLY, which doesn't seem to care about civilizing the area in any way other than getting Alter Users under their control.

Broadcast in 2001, ''s-CRY-ed'' was produced by Creator/{{Sunrise}} and developed by Goro Taniguchi who wanted to make a show with an alternate take on the themes explored in ''Anime/InfiniteRyvius'' as well as how people would adjust to the 21st century. The series was originally licensed for American distribution by Creator/BandaiEntertainment, releasing DVD sets through 2003 and 2004, alongside select episodes appearing on Creator/AdultSwim's video-on-demand service through 2004 until the full series was run on the channel itself in 2005. After Bandai Entertainment's closure in 2012, Creator/SentaiFilmworks picked up the American distribution rights. However, they never released the series on DVD or Blu-Ray, and eventually [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-05-03/discotek-licenses-detective-conan-episode-one-love-hina-again-s-cry-ed-anime/.159099 the license was picked up]] by Creator/DiscotekMedia in 2020, with a release finally slated for early 2021.

The manga, which was serialized after the anime had already started airing, makes a number of changes: Whereas the anime uses subtle characterization and two mutually-antagonistic {{Antihero}} leads--the KnightTemplar and the IdiotHero--without overly favoring one or the other, the manga often resorts to {{Card Carrying Villain}}s and offers [[EvolutionaryLevels a different explanation]] as to the MetaOrigin of the Alters.

* AwesomeMcCoolname: ''Straight Cougar'' and his Alter ''Radical Good Speed''.

* IAmNotLeftHanded: [[spoiler:Zetsuei's "childlike" form is its basic form. Ryuuhou learned how to transform it to the more dragon-like form pre-series and brought it out when Kazuma got powerful enough for him to need it.]]

* BizarreBabyBoom: Only a small percentage of children born in the Lost Ground develop Alter power; Minami states at one point that, twenty-some years after the Great Uprising, only about 5% of the people living there are Alter Users.

* RewritingReality: "Mad Sprict" (sic) -- its user, Unkei, attempts to use this as MoreThanMindControl on Kazuma to persuade him to join HOLY. unfortunately for him, he blows it by badly misusing DefeatMeansFriendship at the end of the script; Kazuma, knowing subconsciously that the real Ryūhō would never accept anything but a total victory, shakes off Sprict's effects.

* AntiVillain: Ryūhō is ruthless and inflexible when it comes to dealing with Alter criminals; he also dismisses the flaws in the oppressive operating style of HOLY by [[NecessaryEvil deeming it necessary]]. Urizane, Illian, and Scheris are all part of HOLY by such reasonable means as a paycheck or SubordinateExcuse. Cougar's motives go unexplained, but based on his actions, the only reason he counts as an "anti-villain" is by association with HOLY.

* CospicuousGloves: Kazuma wears a single fingerless glove on one hand, which he refuses to remove. It's possibly to hide scarring from overuse of Shell Bullet--certainly the scarring was there when we saw the glove removed later on in the series. In flashbacks his hand is bloodied and bandaged, hinting that as a child, he may have made some mistake in re-forming the split arm.

* FingerlessGloves: Kazuma wears one on one hand, which he refuses to remove. It's possibly to hide scarring from overuse of Shell Bullet--certainly the scarring was there when we saw the glove removed later on in the series. In flashbacks his hand is bloodied and bandaged, hinting that as a child, he may have made some mistake in re-forming the split arm.

* AntiMagic: Kanami has a mild version. She ignores Unkei's Mad Sprict power without even noticing. She also instantly deduces that Kigetsuki's Tokonatsu Sisters are not actually human, despite the fact that there is basically no way to tell on sight. Both can be attributed to [[spoiler:the clairvoyance that her Alter Power provides her]].

* CallBack: When Kazuma first fights Ryūhō, [[spoiler:he gets his ass kicked, and tries to raise his arm and form a fist before collapsing.]] In the final episode, [[spoiler:an unidentified arm rises up and forms a fist.]]

** On HOLY's end, George Tatsunami, Emergy Maxfell, Sou Kigetsuki, and Kyouji Mujou are all examples of how Ryūhō's nobler intentions act as a check for the potential excesses he could fall into during his pursuit of revenge and justice. In particular, Sou's smug arrogance demonstrates this to an amnesiac ''Ryūhō'', showing him what he looked like from the perspective of Kazuma and the Inners. Result: HeelFaceTurn. Kazuma still pisses him off by ''breathing'', but that is just TeethClenchedTeamwork.

* DistantFinale: [[spoiler:The last scenes of the anime take place when Kanami has grown into a teenager. The Lost Ground has grown into a nice place to live, but fighting still goes on in parts of it.]]

* DumpThemAll: [[spoiler: In the anime, the Scheris/Mimori/Ryūhō love triangle ends with Scheris dead and Ryūhō rejecting Mimori despite his implied attraction to her because he feels it would not be right. Although Ryūhō displayed no attraction to Scheris, she died for him because she loved him. Once Mimori confesses her love for him, he fears her meeting the same fate, so he turns her down[=/=]refused to disrespect to Scheris' memory. In the manga, Scheris lives and starts a relationship with Ryūhō.]]
* DyingAsYourself: [[spoiler:As Biff dies, his mind control is shattered]].

* FingerlessGloves: Kazuma wears one on one hand, which he refuses to remove. It's possibly to hide scarring from overuse of Shell Bullet--certainly the scarring was there when we saw the glove removed later on in the series. In flashbacks his hand is bloodied and bandaged, hinting that as a child not knowing how to use his first-form Alter he may have made some mistake in re-forming the split arm.

* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: Scheris' Alter "Eternal Devote" is aptly named because it requires her to "devote" her life to the person she's reviving.]]

* HowMuchMoreCanHeTake: The last part of the final battle sees both Kazuma and Ryuuhou [[spoiler:burn out their alters completely and just start fighting each other barehanded.]]

** There's also Sprict who attacks with paper. Though at least this is a last resort when his MoreThanMindControl gets broken.

* LightheartedRematch: Subverted. After teaming up and defeating the ConflictKiller, the two leads decide to have a friendly bout to see who is the best once and for all - but this takes up ''the entire [[GrandFinale last episode]]'' and is the longest and definitely most brutal fight in the entire series. It appears to end in a double knockout - but one last shot as the credits start imply that at least one is still moving. [[spoiler:A hand rises behind a curtain of dust, and does a gesture typical for Kazuma.]]
** This was foreshadowed when Kazuma was trapped in Mad Sprict. Uneki attempted to conclude his "script" with Kazuma and Ryuho facing off in a lighthearted rematch, ending with them becoming friends and equals. Kazuma refused this, knowing that neither he nor Ryuho would accept anything less than complete victory. This refusal ultimately freed Kazuma from Sprict.

%%* OneWomanWail

%%* ReallyDeadMontage:

* TheRemake: s-CRY-ed Alteration Tao and Quan, which add extra scenes that give [[spoiler:Kyoji Mujo]] more presence and alters some of Kazuma and Ryuhou's fights.
* TheReveal: In Alteration, we find out [[spoiler: Kazuma really did win, since the credits this time around clearly show his fist morphing into the various forms of Shell Bullet.]]
* RewritingReality: "Mad Sprict" (sic) -- a HOLY agent attempts to use this as MoreThanMindControl on Kazuma to persuade him to join; unfortunately for him, he blows it by badly misusing DefeatMeansFriendship at the end of the script.

** Straight Cougar getting people's names wrong, e.g. "Minori" for Mimori and "Kazuya" for Kazuma. Kazuma himself occasionally does this too [[spoiler:which is foreshadowing the fact that Cougar raised Kazuma as a younger sibling figure.]].

* SequelHook: A council of government officials in the penultimate episode, discussing [[spoiler:production of further Darz and that they have time to prepare, now that the Kiryuu family has given up on trying to find Minami and bring her back]]. Combined with the unresolved conflict with the mainland (since it's at least implied that they try again even after Kazuma and Ryuho beat back a large force at the end of the penultimate episode) provide a line for more storylines.

* SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids: This is HOLD's and Ryuho's attitude towards Mimori; namely that compassion and research aren't going to do any good in the Lost Ground and she should stop treating the "inners" like human beings because they are truly criminal scum that need to be enslaved for the good of the region.

A massive disaster hits Japan, separating a section of Tokyo into a new island known as the "Lost Ground". The disaster also causes [[BizarreBabyBoom 1% of the babies born there to develop superpowers]]. Now, before you pass this off as your standard {{Mutant}} story, remember that this is ''[[WidgetSeries anime]]'': Instead of being born with StockSuperpowers such as [[HealingFactor healing fast]], [[{{Telepathy}} reading minds]] or [[SelectiveMagnetism controlling magnets]], the "[[DifferentlyPoweredIndividual Alter Users]]" have the power to call upon and use '''mecha''' in battles. By [[ShapeshifterBaggage dismantling nearby matter]]--areas of landscape, vehicles, watermelons, or even dead bodies--and reassembling it, they can {{summon|Magic}} separate, [[MechanicalMonster machine-like]] beings known as Alters, which personify a superpower of some sort.

Some Alter Users are "alloy-types", summoning Alters which form part of themselves, and one or two display the ability to affect other's Alters without summoning one themselves. For the most part, though, Alters are used like {{Mons}}, though a given person does not tend to acquire more than one. The nature of the superpowers varies from typical StockSuperpowers to really weird ideas such as "turn anything into water", "turn any car into a pink [[Anime/SpeedRacer Mach 5]]", "summon [[{{BFG}} an enormous gun]]", or even "[[ImaginationBasedSuperpower do anything, as long as it involves watermelons]]".

* NotSoDifferent: Kazuma asserts this to Ryuho in the talk on the cliff, accusing Ryuho of using "justice" as an excuse to do whatever he wants.

* TunnelOfForeshadowing: The opening changes both as the story progresses and acording to which character has the spotlight this episode.

** Emergy Maxfell acts like Kazuma is just another toy to play with [[spoiler: and completely losses his shit when he losses their fight.]]
** Kigetsuki is a narcissistic parasite but in Cougar's words [[spoiler: "rejected by your own alter? You're pathetic."]]

%%* ZettaiRyouiki: Scheris' cute and sexy uniform.

Broadcast in 2001, ''s-CRY-ed'' was produced by Creator/{{Sunrise}} and developed by Goro Taniguchi who wanted to make a show with an alternate take on the themes explored in ''Anime/InfiniteRyvius'' as well as how people would adjust to the 21st century. The series was originally licensed for American distribution by Creator/BandaiEntertainment, releasing DVD sets through 2003 and 2004, alongside select episodes appearing on Creator/AdultSwim's video-on-demand service through 2004 until the full series was run on the channel itself in 2005. After Bandai Entertainment's closure in 2012, Creator/SentaiFilmworks picked up the American distribution rights.

* AllLoveIsUnrequited: Kimishima likes Ayase, who likes Kazuma, who never notices her; Cougar likes Mimori, who likes Ryūhō, as does Scheris. Ryūhō may like Mimori back, but ultimately refuses to have a relationship because of [[spoiler:guilt over Scheris's sacrifice to save him]]. The only character who gets a relationship with someone is Asuka Tachibana--and his girlfriend, Cammy, is only a minor character.

* Foreshadowing: [[spoiler: The opening shows Kazuma or Ryuuhou about to summon their Alter before different parts of their bodies begin to flash different colors. Later on, they both gain full body Alloy-type Alters.]]

* SequelHook: A council of government officials in the penultimate episode, discussing [[spoiler:production of further Darz and that they have time to prepare, now that the Kiryuu family has given up on trying to find Minami and bring her back]]. Combined with the unresolved conflict with the mainland (since it's at least implied that they try again even after Kazuma and Ryuho provide a line for more storylines.

Broadcast in 2001, ''s-CRY-ed'' was produced by Creator/{{Sunrise}} and developed by Goro Taniguchi who wanted to make a show with an alternate take on the themes explored in ''Anime/InfiniteRyvius'' as well as how people would adjust to the 21st century.

* AnotherDimension: Alter Power comes from one. [[spoiler:The Alter User who killed Ryūhō's mother hails from this dimension and is the true origin of Alter Power.]]

** Kimishima is cowardly and somewhat self-centered, but he will also fight to the bitter end.

* SacrificialRevivalSpell: Toward the end of the anime, [[spoiler: Scheris uses her "Eternal Devote" alter power on Ryuuhou shortly after he's killed by BigBad Kyouji Mujo. His agony and gratitude upon seeing her deceased boost his power.]]

* {{Sequel hook}}: the council of government officials at the end discussing things and that they have time to prepare combined with the unresolved conflict with the mainland provide a line for more storylines.

->--'''Kazuma'''

Some Alter Users are "alloy-types", summoning Alters which form part of themselves, and one or two display the ability to affect other's Alters without summoning one themselves. For the most part, though, Alters are used like {{Mons}} of a sort, since a given person does not tend to acquire more than one. The nature of the superpowers varies from typical StockSuperpowers to really weird ideas such as "turn anything into water", "turn any car into a pink [[Anime/SpeedRacer Mach 5]]", "summon [[{{BFG}} an enormous gun]]", or even "[[ImaginationBasedSuperpower do anything, as long as it involves watermelons]]".

The mainland's military police force for the Lost Ground, HOLD, works to keep the Alter User population in check while rebuilding civilization on the island. The group even employs a special strike group, HOLY, that is made up entirely of Alter Users. All the while, various rebels and thugs put up a resistance against HOLD and HOLY, and small communities live independently of the government in the wilder lands. One such "thug" is the mercenary Kazuma, whose rescue of a HOLY soldier captures the attention of another soldier, Ryūhō, and ultimately kickstarts a series of events that threatens both the Lost Ground and Japan as a whole.

* AntiVillain: Ryūhō is ruthless and inflexible when it comes to dealing with Alter criminals; he also dismisses the flaws in the oppressive operating style of HOLY by deeming it necessary. Urizane, Illian, and Scheris are all part of HOLY by such reasonable means as a paycheck or SubordinateExcuse. Cougar's motives go unexplained, but based on his actions, the only reason he counts as an "anti-villain" is by association with HOLY.

* AmnesiacDissonance: [[spoiler:Ryūhō defends a settlement from a HOLY unit, even after regarding them as evil. When he is told about his past, he finds it strange that he would oppress people in such a manner. He continues to fight against HOLY even after recovering his memories.]]

* BizarreBabyBoom: Only a small percentage of children born in the Lost Ground develop Alter power.

Some Alter Users are "alloy-types": Their Alters form part of themselves, and one or two display the ability to affect other's Alters without summoning one themselves. These Alters are mostly used like {{Mons}} of a sort, since a given person does not tend to acquire more than one. The nature of the superpowers varies from typical StockSuperpowers to really weird ideas such as "turn anything into water", "turn any car into a pink [[Anime/SpeedRacer Mach 5]]", "summon [[{{BFG}} an enormous gun]]", or even "[[ImaginationBasedSuperpower do anything, as long as it involves watermelons]]".

* AllLoveIsUnrequited: Kimishima likes Ayase, who likes Kazuma, who never notices her; Cougar likes [[strike:[[RunningGag Minori]]]] Mimori, who likes Ryūhō, as does Scheris. Ryūhō may like Mimori back, but ultimately refuses to have a relationship because of [[spoiler:guilt over Scheris's sacrifice to save him]]. The only character who gets a relationship with someone is Asuka Tachibana--and his girlfriend, Cammy, is only a minor character.

* DeadlyUpgrade: [[spoiler:Upgrading one's Alter ability causes gradual but irreversible damage to one's body. An unnatural upgrade, such as the mainland's "refinement", seems to cause more immediate damage, as evidenced by Zigmarl's RapidAging and Cougar's odd walk and the gray streaks in his hair. In extreme cases such as Ayase's refinement, the process does enough damage that the Alter User can die from extreme stress. In contrast, "natural" Alter Users suffer damagae at a more gradual pace. Kazuma and Ryūhō both seem to suffer minor physical deformations from using their Alters. Kazuma suffers more than Ryūhō, as the former's body-reshaping Alter modifies him at all three stages, while the latter has an independent Alter that just becomes a suit of armor at Level 3, so his changes are minor. In the epilogue of the series, however, the damage done from continuous use of the Alter does catch up to Ryūhō.]]

* DefeatMeansFriendship: Kazuma eventually becomes...well, not "friends", so much as "rivals with an understanding" with [[spoiler:Tachibana]] after defeating him, but it took ''two'' defeats.

* HeroAntagonist: Several members of HOLY qualify as they just trying to manage Alter crime (of which there is a lot) and improve the situation in the Lost Gound. This groub includes Scheris, Illian, and Urizane. Cougar may be as well but he is less antagonistic to TheProtagonist. Ryuhou is an [[KnightTemplar aversion]].

* TheReveal: In Alteration, we find out [[spoiler: Kazuma really did win, since the credits this time around clearly show his fist morphing into the various forms of shell bullet.]]

* TheDragon: Ryūhō is Commander Jigmar's best soldier, so he is sent to all of the Lost Ground's problem areas. He is also the biggest challenge to the AntiHero {{Protagonist}}, Kazuma.

* AllLoveIsUnrequited: Kimishima likes Ayase, who likes Kazuma, who never notices her; Cougar likes [[strike:[[RunningGag Minori]]]] Mimori, who likes Ryūhō, as does Scheris. Ryūhō may like Mimori back, but refuses to have a relationship because of [[spoiler:guilt over Scheris's sacrifice to save him]]. The only character who gets a relationship with someone is Asuka Tachibana--and his girlfriend, Cammy, is only a minor character.

* BackstoryInvader: Happens to Ryuhou in the second half, after he's lost his memories and his former organization tracks him down. While he was implicitly already familiar with Kigetsuki's Alters, a trio of almost-entirely-human beings called the Tokonatsu sisters, Unkei forces this trope on him by using his Alter, Mad Sprict, to implant false memories within Ryuhou and make him believe the Tokonatsu sisters were all his fiancees since childhood - complete with revisiting earlier flashbacks to Ryuhou's childhood when he first met Mimori, but with one of the three Tokonatsu sisters taking Mimori's place in the different flashbacks. Ryuhou is definitely not pleased when his memories actually return.