The early 2000s were a dark time for original action anime, budgets were thin, and so were sales. It's surprising then, that something like s.CRY.ed could exist at such a time. It's a quality product not tied to any manga, and boasting some impressive action scenes.

Of the coast of Japan, a supernatural phenomenon has given birth to people with incredible powers. The "Lost Ground" has the eyes of the world watching it's every move. On one side, the native alters who want to live simple lives free from interruption, and on the other, the Japanese government's HOLD, an agency dedicated to reclaiming the territory and harnessing the power of the Alters for combat and subjugation.

The premise might sound overly familiar to many, with it's focus on people with unique abilities fighting it out, and it certainly won't win any awards for originality. s.CRY.ed still manages to tell an interesting story focusing on two main characters. Kazuma, a rebellious loner/tsundere who just wants to punch things without people telling him what to do, and Ryuho, a man who has abandoned everything in his pursuit for justice against the individual who killed his family.

There are several other side characters too, all of whom get a fairly large amount of screen time; including the standout STRAIGHT COUGAR, I shouldn't need to say much more than his name to give you an impression of how radical this man is.

The series usually follows Kazuma and Ryuho as they try to find out the truth and protect what they care about, running across all manner of strange individuals with unique powers. Some of them are truly strange, but telling you about them would be spoiling the fun.

The presentation of the show is generally what you'd expect, with a few good action scenes sprinkled in to keep things interesting and dynamic. On the negative side, the character designs from Hisashi Hirai have that melty face problem again. After Gundam Seed I have a habitually negative reaction to them, you'll have to get over that hill to get to the good stuff.

The opening is a banger, but the sound mixing can seem a bit suspect at times, a difference made obvious between the original audio and the dub. Continuing the Gundam Seed connection, Soichiro Hoshi lends his voice to Kazuma, although sounding a bit less... strangled cat this time, being allowed to let loose with some angry screeching. Overall the voice acting is very solid, especially between the two leads.

At the core though, this show is about the rivalry between our two lead characters. If you're looking for a show about two guys in a fierce rivalry, this show should be at the top of your list.