S-CRY-ed is an anime created by Sunrise. The plot is set in an alternate time where an earthquake known as the Great Uprising has divided a city in two sections: the Mainlands and the Lost Ground. One percent of the Lost Ground's people have developed supernatural powers known as "Alter". The series follows a young mercenary known as Kazuma from the Lost Ground. While doing one of his jobs he encounters a man known as Ryuho, a member from the Mainland Alter special forces known as HOLY. There has also been a manga adaptation of S-CRY-ed but following different events within the same cast.
Protagonists
Kazuma
is the main Protagonist of the story and is first portrayed as a reckless Alter user who'll do anything for money. Those around him do not know he is an Alter user, and believe he's merely avoiding work when he runs off for Kimishima's "jobs". While Kazuma has a temper, but also cares about his friends, putting his life on the line when they're in danger, most importantly Kanami Yuta, a girl he lives with. Originally considered a low-level Alter user by HOLY, Kazuma gradually makes himself an increasing priority with his continual defeat of HOLY's own Alter users.
Kazuma's Alter is called "Shell Bullet", an alloy-type Alter which transforms his right arm into a weapon.
At its first level, Shell Bullet covers Kazuma's right arm with armor and has three fin-like protrusions jutting out from his right shoulder blade, each getting progressively larger as they near his shoulder. In his second form, his arm is completely replaced by a much stronger metallic one, with a propeller replacing the three fins on his back. While, initially, this form caused him great pain due his arm slowly being disfigured as a result of its use, Kazuma would slowly grows strong enough to not only withstand, but eventually overcome this limitation. The third and final form of Kazuma's Alter, "Proud Fist", covers his entire body in golden armor, granting him Alter-absorbing fists that grow larger and replaces his propeller with a whip (though it serves much the same purpose as the previous fins and propeller).
In contrast, Kazuma's Alter only has two forms in the manga, with the second and final form being called "Death Bullet".
In the Animage Anime Grand Prix 2002 awards, Kazuma took second place, being defeated by Inuyashas title character.
Ryuho
At eighteen-years-old, is widely regarded as the strongest agent of HOLY. Ryuho develops a strong rivalry with Kazuma, the only Native Alter on Lost Ground to escape HOLY, continuously foiling their plans afterwards, and is one of the few people who's fought him one-on-one without being defeated instantly.
Ryuho's personality changed after the death of his mother and his pet doberman at the hands of Crystal, leading to him being driven by his desire to bring that Alter user to justice. When suffering from amnesia, Ryuho starts caring for the Lost Ground, to the point he and Kazuma become allies in order to protect it.
His Alter ability is called "Zetsuei", which takes the form of a short, humanoid that uses flexible, purple, ribbon-like tendrils to attack his opponents and defend himself.
Ryuho can upgrade Zetsuei into its true form; a larger humanoid with a snake-like lower body, remensiant of a Nāga.
The final form of Ryuho's Zetsuei (known as "Zetsuei Touryudan" in the manga) is actually a harmonizing-type Alter, much like Kazuma's, in contrast with its previous two forms. In this form, Ryuho is covered in sleek armor resembling that of Zetsuei (albeit lacking the many special attacks), gaining access to its high-speed flight capabilities and can use the sleek edges of the armor to slice through objects with ease.
Kanami Yuta
is a young orphan girl who lives with Kazuma, while she initially knows nothing about Kazuma's Alter or his missions; only that Kazuma's getting paid for whatever he is doing, though sometimes the pay is not enough to support the two of them.
To supplement their income, she often works at a local farm. She calls Kazuma "Kazu-kun", a name Kazuma does not like very much but puts up with anyway. Her personality is kind and determined but at the same time, when Kazuma messes up, she gives him one of those "I-am-very-disappointed" speeches, without raising her voice, to make Kazuma feel like an idiot.
Kanami has an unnamed Alter power that gives her empathic and telepathic abilities, allowing her to read other's thoughts and emotions; this first manifests as "dreams" about Kazuma, whom Kanami only knows as a strange man.