History Anime / SCryed

* 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, and there is some struggle still going on against the mainland, potentially. There is a similar one in '''Alteration''', which focuses on Native Alter Users making trouble; the major difference is that it's implied Cougar is still alive instead of his ambiguous death from the anime.]]

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

A massive disaster hits Japan, turning the Kanagawa Prefecture of Japan into a new island officially known as the "Muraji Special Economic District", but more colloquially called ''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. So far, none of the light novels have been translated into English.

The manga (written by Yosuke Kuroda, with art by Yasunari Toda), 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. It's also HotterAndSexier, and the artist proudly chooses to wear the premise's resemblance to ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure'' on its sleeve. Creator/{{Tokyopop}} released the manga in English in 2003.

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 chairman captures the attention of one of HOLY's soldier, Ryūhō, and ultimately kickstarts a series of events that threatens both the Lost Ground and Japan as a whole.

* AllLoveIsUnrequited: Kimishima likes Ayase, who likes Kazuma, who's friendly with Ayase but doesn't return her feelings to the same extent. 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.
* AndTheAdventureContinues: The final scenes of the anime show Kazuma and Ryūhō continuing to fight against ''someone'', likely mainland invaders. [[spoiler:This is also the ending of ''Alteration'', albeit with more of a focus on troublemaking Native Alter Users.]]

* AnotherDimension: Alter Power comes from one; everyone who is born with the ability to form Alters is someone who was born close to the "gate" opened to that dimension (i.e. having to be born in the Lost Ground) and can subconsciously look into that dimension through it. [[spoiler:The Alter User who killed Ryūhō's mother hails from this dimension and is the true origin of Alter Power.]]

* 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 [[NecessarilyEvil deeming it necessary]], but his intentions and beliefs are true. Urizane, Elian, 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, 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, and the lessons he learns while amnesiac lead him to continue fighting against HOLY even after recovering his memories.]]
* BackstoryInvader: [[spoiler: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.]]

* BashBrothers: It takes about 20 episodes, but Ryūhō and Kazuma eventually work together on principle [[spoiler:to fight against the mainland directly. This does not stop them from trying to bash in each other's faces afterward, in a brutal fight to finally settle for themselves just who the toughest one is.]]
* BatmanCanBreatheInSpace: Ryūhō and Kazuma eventually gain enough power that they can reach Earth orbit unaided; their BattleAura apparently keeps them from asphyxiating while up there.
* BattleAura: Ryūhō and Kazuma both have one when particularly pumped up.

** Kidnap or endanger Kanami, and both [[IdiotHero Kazuma]] and [[KnightTemplar Ryūhō]] will [[BigBrotherInstinct hunt you down]].
* BigBrotherInstinct: Kazuma has one for Kanami, given their age difference and how much he cares about her and keeping her safe. Surprisingly, [[spoiler:Ryūhō develops this for Kanami after he regains his memories. She even calls him "Ryū-kun" like "Kazu-kun".]]

** Kazuma and Ryūhō get plenty of these moments, too.

* 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.]]

** Ryūhō: "My vigorous left fist!" and variations.

* ClingyJealousGirl: Scheris takes a dislike to Mimori merely because she is a love rival for Ryūhō, so she spends as much time as she can with him.
* CombatBreakdown: [[spoiler: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.]]
* CombatClairvoyance: Eventually, [[spoiler:by hijacking Kanami's alter, Kyoji Mujo gains this ability]]. It allows him to dodge any attack thrown at him--including those from a character who can move and react faster than the speed of sound.
* ConflictKiller: Nothing can stop the rivalry between Kazuma and Ryūhō...except [[spoiler:Kyoji Mujo's EvilPlan]]. After they take care of him, they go back to beating each other up.
* ConservationOfNinjutsu: Kazuma and Ryūhō go up against a joint aerial and naval invasion force of Refined Alter Users and win. Given that at this point Kazuma and Ryūhō have [[spoiler:Level 3 Alters juiced up from the Other Side]] and are fighting a bunch of artificial Alters who are, at best, Level 1, it makes sense.

* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadAss: Cougar is a powerful Alter User [[spoiler:and possibly the strongest Alter User other than Kazuma, Ryūhō, and Mujo]], as well as an odd individual who constantly talks about how he "shortens the world" with his speed.
* CurbStompBattle: Kazuma is subjected to this at Ryuho and Zetsuei's hands in the first episode. Later on, 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 plus 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, leading to his arm being the most drastically affected and partial blindness when he's not using Shell Bullet, while Ryuho 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.]]
* DeathWail: Ryūhō does this twice--once after his family is killed, and again when [[spoiler: Scheris dies]].

** In the main series and the ''Alteration'' movies both, [[spoiler:Kazuma never defeats Ryūhō, but the two still come to a similar relationship.]]

* DefiantStoneThrow: A little boy confronts Ryūhō openly when a fight is going on between Ryūhō and adults in an Inner settlement. Ryūhō says that he respects the boy for his courage and uses it as part of his TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to the adults for sneaking around and taking hostages.

** 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. [[spoiler: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.]]
* {{Determinator}}: If Kazuma can breathe, he can fight. If Kazuma can fight, he never gives up. Only [[spoiler:losing his best friend]] makes him slow down, and even then, he eventually gets back up and keeps fighting. Ryūhō is equally determined in his pursuits of both the Alter User that killed his mother and Kazuma.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: This exchange between Kazuma and Kyoji Mujo.

'''Mujo:''' Correct. I'm the one who refined her.\\

'''Mujo:''' You have my word of honor.

* 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.

* 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. By contrast, Scheris lives in the manga and starts a relationship with Ryūhō.]]

* EvolvingCredits: There are at three basic versions of the opening, for Kazuma and Ryūhō and one for when they have equal focus, each with a different verse of the opening theme; each episode mixes elements together reflecting the episode and the plot to date. Only two episodes share the exact same opening credit sequence.

* FunWithAcronyms: HOLD, the parent organization of the HOLY strike force that Ryuho belongs to, stands for "Hole of Loose Dawn".

* 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, Elian, and Urizane. Cougar may be as well, but he is less antagonistic to Kazuma, while Ryuhou is an [[KnightTemplar aversion]].
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Scheris performs one after the Crystal kills Ryūhō near the end of the anime; she uses Eternal Devote at full power, reviving him but killing herself by fusing with him completely.]]

* HowMuchMoreCanHeTake: The last part of the final battle sees both Kazuma and Ryūhō [[spoiler:basically pummel each other bloody with their bare hands.]]

* 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. ]]

--->'''Mujo:''' Stupid. You are so stupid.\\

* 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.]]

* MegatonPunch: Kazuma's basic ability is a super punch. At his base level, he once punched a mook across a football field. In the finale, [[spoiler:he punches Mujo into ''another dimension''.]]

* MoralityPet: Kanami for Kazuma; Mimori for Ryuhou. Both of them demonstrate the kindness and compassion the latter possesses outside of battle and form a significant part of their motivation for good.
* MotherlyScientist: Dr. Mimori Kiryu feels compassion for how Kazuma is tortured and lets him escape. Later she gets interested in the Inners, [[spoiler:eventually forming a community with them and becoming a school teacher.]]

** [[FlyingBrick Completely averted]] with [[spoiler: Kazuma and Ryuho's final forms]], which let them fly right into [[BatmanCanBreatheInSpace outer space]].
* NotSoDifferentRemark: Kazuma asserts this to Ryuho in the talk on the cliff, accusing Ryuho of using "justice" as an excuse to do whatever he wants.

* OneDimensionalThinking: [[spoiler:Averted in Straight Cougar's final battle, attacking Kyoji Mujo from numerous angles to try and overwhelm him but failing miserably.]]

* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: Kazuma and Ryuho are obsessed with defeating each other and get upset when someone butts into their grudge match.

* 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.

* PsychoForHire: George Tatsunami is a thug and a brute that does dirty work for HOLY. In the manga Urizane is similar.

* ReallyDeadMontage: [[spoiler:Scheris gets one in the anime shortly after Ryūhō realizes that she's actually dead.]]
* RedOniBlueOni: Kazuma and Ryuho, respectively; the former is hotheaded and aggressive and the later is more focused and uses finesse in fights.
* 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--down to the winner of their final bout still being unclear--and they're working as grudging BashBrothers, we get to see Mimori and Kanami interacting a bit more, and Cougar's shown 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. [[spoiler: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.]]
* TheRival: Ryuhou and Kazuma are this for each other; an obstacle that the other wants to crush in order to validate their own stance.

* 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.]]

* SequelHook: A council of government officials in episode 25 are seen [[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.

* 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.

** Kyoji Mujo [[AGodAmI has a god complex]] that only gets more inflated the more power he gains.

* SpotlightStealingSquad: Ryuho definitely gets the lion's share of screen time in the second half, and is in every episode, whereas Kazuma misses a few. In the finale, Kazuma is relegated to fighting Biff and a bunch of mooks while Ryuho fights the Crystal Alter and Jigmar. However, it is Kazuma who ultimately hands the BigBad his final defeat.

** Kazuma gets slapped around by Ryuhou in their first meeting, and [[spoiler: again in their second after Zetsuei shows that he's [[IAmNotLeftHanded not left handed]].]] Then, after it appears Ryuhou's won their third encounter [[spoiler: Kazuma whips out his second form... or at least he tries to. He loses control over it, briefly sends himself and Ryuuhou to the Other Side, and causes the Second Uprising.]]
** Ryuhou sees the Crystal after [[spoiler: he and Kazuma get thrown into the Other Side]], but he doesn't get a chance to fight him before he's blown away. The second time, [[spoiler: the Crystal ''kills'' him, at least until Scheris revives him.]] The third fight [[spoiler: he wins, after fusing with Zetsuei.]]

* {{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 going to do something unsavory to 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.
* TheUnreveal: By the time the final episode rolls around [[spoiler: Kazuma and Ryuho have fought several times, with no clear winner after the first one. The last ep has them indulge in one last, decisive brawl. At the end, we see that only one is left standing...but we never find out which one it is. [[note]]however, the victor raises a hand and makes the symbol of the Zetsuei, then curls into a fist the same way Kazuma does when summoning his Alter...[[/note]]]]

* WickedCultured: Between his undeniably good fashion sense and condescending attitude towards Native Alters, Kyoji Mujo definitely qualifies for this trope.
* WideEyedIdealist: Mimori is one, evidenced by her insistence that the Lost Ground can be made into a peaceful and prosperous place without the heavy-handed approach of HOLY. She was even more of one as a child when she thought that Alter was universally a good thing. Several characters lampshade this, some more sardonicly than others. It's not that she's wrong, just naïve. [[spoiler: In the end, while Kazuma and Ryuhou are off fighting the Lost Ground's enemies, she is teaching its children.]]
* TheWorfEffect: Straight Cougar is [[spoiler: effortlessly defeated by the BigBad in the anime, showing off how dangerous Mujo is by having him easily defeat a guy who beat Kazuma and Ryuhou with his level 1 Alter. It also shows off the CombatClairvoyance he acquired from the captive Kanami's alter]].

* AllLoveIsUnrequited: Kimishima likes Ayase, who likes Kazuma, who's friendly with Ayase but may not actually return her feelings to the same degree. 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.

* 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 [[NecessarilyEvil 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.

* BadassNormal: Kimishima is an aversion, he has no Alter and only carries a pair of pistols, and while he is good with them, he cannot defeat an Alter User on his own.

** Anyone who calls Cougar "slow" pisses him off.
** Kidnap Kanami, and both [[IdiotHero Kazuma]] and [[KnightTemplar Ryūhō]] will [[BigBrotherInstinct hunt you down]].

* BodyHorror: [[spoiler:Kazuma's arm and eye are pretty messed up by the end due to his Level 2 Alter.]]