In Sunrisethe anime s-CRY-ed, which originally aired on TV Tokyo in 2001, the future is a chaotic time – the world is still reeling from a mysterious geological phenomenon known as “the great uprising” which is absolutely devastate part of Japan. Although life continues to find its way into Kanagawa Prefecture, humanity is forever changed by the relatively recent appearance of people who develop a variety of “Alter” powers related to the event.

While s-CRY-edThe focus on a fiery protagonist rallying to an icy rival who leads a group of uniformed warriors begs comparison to many series in the anime’s canon, its themes about people finding ways to survive in a world. who doesn’t care if it’s hospitable for human life and worth revisiting. More than that, however, s-CRY-edThe gorgeous character designs and smooth action sequences of are visual delights that have more than held up in the 20 years since the series premiered, especially when watching Discotek MediaThe recent high definition version of that finally made its way to the West earlier this year.

Because a small but significant percentage of Native Alter users acquire a variety of fantastic abilities through the event, HOLD – an extension of the mainland-based government – authorizes the creation of HOLY, a specialized working group of these. supercharged people meant to police the inhabitants using their comparatively more advanced powers. Like all the natives still living on the island which became known as the “Lost Land” once it was torn from the rest of Japan, 16-year-old mercenary Kazuma Torisuna (Sōichirō Hoshi; Steve Blum in the dub) lives under the strict and authoritative rule of HOLD. And s-CRY-ed begins by immediately immersing you in Kazuma’s wild life which to him and the other natives is actually quite ordinary and reflects their lower class in society. As Kazuma pulls out a commercial plane in the series premiere, it establishes that he is only in his dangerous job to support his friend Kanami (Yuta Yukari Tamura; Carrie Daniels), a young girl whose Alter allows him to experience others. lives through her dreams, and the other vulnerable people living in the Lost Land.

Before s-CRY-ed fully brings its antagonists into the picture, it zooms in first to show you how penniless everyday life in Lost Land is to clearly show how suffocating poverty is one of the most effective weapons HOLD wields against Native Alter users. Corn s-CRY-ed too explains how and why HOLY – The Lost Ground’s response to an overly violent police force – is simply part of a persecuted minority that willingly agrees to impose state-sponsored oppression on its own people. Being confronted with this truth is a big part of the reasons the members of HOLY go to great lengths to get revenge on the Native Alters who dare to stand up to them. In Kazuma and Kanami’s daily struggles for basic things like food and shelter, you can see how the continent has effectively resigned itself to the idea that the lost ground is a lost cause, full of people who deserve it. misfortune and the brutality that SAINT inflicts on them.

Because most people just don’t have Quirk powers to fight back, there’s little they can do to defend themselves against HOLY’s systematic attacks on their livelihoods, and those with abilities are rarely able. to defend themselves for a very long time. Most Alter users are strong enough to survive (but not to win) Battles with HOLY eventually disappeared, brainwashed, and turned into agents of HOLD. But Kazuma’s courage and knack for imagining inspired ways to use his powers to outwit more powerful opponents gives him an edge that makes him a threat to the group. In addition to his unwavering determination, Kazuma brings his fists to the multiple metaphorical shootouts that the members of HOLY begin, and he’s able to deliver a punch thanks to the way his specific Quirk power manifests. One of s-CRY-edThe biggest mysteries in the world revolve around what caused the Great Uprising and how the Alter powers actually work. One of the first ways the show gives you clues about certain responses is through its fight sequences; Whenever Kazuma and other Quirk users activate their powers, the glowing auras they emit are accompanied by the dematerialization of random objects around them.

As the series progresses, you learn that part of what the Quirks do is instinctively reshape the available material in a way that reflects elements of their identity. The armor that wraps around one of Kazuma’s arms when he uses his Quirk makes him physically stronger, but the obvious incompleteness of the armor shows how he’s not quite ready to be the warrior. that he claims to be. Kazuma is tough, but he’s still just a teenager discovering himself, and so is his main rival, HOLY member Ryuho Ryu (Hikaru Midorikawa; Jason Spisak). Kazuma’s Quirk manifesting on his body speaks volumes about how he embraces his emotions and feels comfortable forging direct personal connections. Ryuoho’s Quirk – a humanoid creature with sash-like appendages instead of arms – is bonded to him mentally, and he can receive physical feedback through their bond. But Ryuho’s Quirk existing completely outside of his body, and the way his fighting style prioritizes ranged attacks over close combat both testify to Ryuho’s more antisocial and insecure tendencies.

Other Quirks like Mimori Kiryu (Yuko Nagashima; Dorothy Elias-Fahn), who can transmute things into water, and Urizane (Bin Shimada; Kirk Thornton), who can grow and handle watermelons to teleport, have skills which initially seem much less useful for battle. But what all Alter users have in common is how they evolve in terms of understanding their individual powers and understanding the larger power system in which they all exist together. As the series’ first and only season draws to a close, s-CRY-ed More and more embrace its identity as an action show full of overflowing emotions, and it’s the perfect balance with the show’s emphasis on heavier ideas. All together, they form a compact saga from which it is difficult to look away.

s-CRY-ed is now streaming on Crunchyroll.

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