Forum - View topics-Cry-ed, how is it?
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BES Null Core
 Posts: 604 Location: 六十周年的东方裁判 |
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I have an irresistible temptation to visit another series with my favorite character designer, but as Gin-iro no Olynssis and Linebarrels of Iron taught me, Mr. Hirai's masterful stroke alone cannot carry the series.
From what I understand, s-Cry-ed features psychics who manifests certain augmentations as either a piece of equipment or a telepathically controlled entity. These manifestations contain some power unique to the user, and the users, mostly living in a special anarchic zone above a ruined portion of Japan, use their powers to fight. The setup does not sound immediately disastrous and may prove good. I read a volume of the manga and saw an episode. The manga was disgusting, cynical, over the top, post-apocalypse survivalist filth laden with fanservice. The anime episode was much cleaner, which leads me to believe that the manga adaptation ramped up the violence and fanservice for print. It's not a good impression, but it's also not fatal. I have to admit that I dislike the protagonist. He's a hot-headed and aggressive rulebreaker who appears to resist authority for the sake of resisting. His rival in the holy order seems like a much better character, and my understanding is that the two receive equal billing, so I haven't dismissed the series. And I've known series where I hated the main character but liked the series, like Infinite Ryvius. How prominent is Kazuma in the series? Well, I could also watch Fafner (Saw GS, Heroic Age, and Infinite Ryvius. I definitely recommend them. Not really interested in Zipang, since the style is quite different, despite having the same designer), but the comparisons to Evangelion and RahXephon make me rather wary. |
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LordRedhand
 Posts: 1472 Location: Middle of Nowhere, Indiana |
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I had the strong urge to invent time travel so I could go back in time and prevent it's creation from ever happening......
Although my dislike for the series has cooled down a bit since the first experience on AS, I can't really recommend it to others as it really is bad (a number 6 in my 5 worsts if you will but other somehow managed to do worse.....) so from the story points in your post, yeah they don't change or really do anything really overtime.... Last edited by LordRedhand on Wed Apr 15, 2009 7:20 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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LKK
 Posts: 426 Location: Virginia, USA |
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The "equal billing" you've heard mentioned is nearly literal. The show alternated between the two characters and their environments on an almost weekly basis, it seemed. You won't be able to avoid Kazuma if you watch the full series. However, you will spend almost the same amount of screen time in his rival's world as you do with Kazuma and his world. |
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Zalis116
Moderator
 Posts: 6902 Location: Kazune City |
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At its core, Scryed is equal parts "dumb fun" and pure hot-blooded shounen action. But at least it's over in 26 instead of 260 episodes. You'll be disappointed if you expect greatness, but Scryed is an entertaining ride if you take it at face value. The manga was written after or alongside the anime IIRC, so don't let the manga color your perceptions of the TV series.
I didn't see Kazuma as an annoying character -- his actions seemed consistent with the kind of life he led. But Fafner would be a much better choice. It gets flak for being too similar to a certain 1990s mecha anime about teenaged pilots, but it executes the formula much better. |
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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Er, twenty-five episodes. Although the plot only lasts for twenty-four episodes, wherein the last episode is a special surprise. Like Zalis116 has said, the show is dumb fun mixed with Shounen action. Don't expect anything substantial or deep. Don't expect many of the supporting characters to go beyond a one-note performance. Don't expect a plot which is too original, and don't expect the action sequences to be all that great, either. But this is still a decent show. Yes, you have to switch off your brain, but if you don't take it seriously it is surprisingly easy to enjoy. I thought Kazuma was loud-mouthed and annoying and reckless, and he is all that for sure. But he is also caring towards Kaname, and does have a big heart. He also has amazing determination, a virtual prototype for Kamina (from TTGL). He values his freedom and independence above the comfortable life that he could live if he joined HOLY's tyrannical reign. The Anime is actually surprisingly good at showing that both Kazuma and Ryuho have good points and good reasons why they do what they do, and why they take the moral stance that they do. Anyway, I recommend s-CRY-ed, but you have to be willing to meet it half-way. Although, I have to ask BES Null Core: who gets into a show based on the character designer? It just seems very odd that you would place that much impetus on that particular aspect. |
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blind_assassin
 Posts: 755 |
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It's dumb and pointless but it's generally rather inoffensive. As long as you just want to watching things get blown up (and as I remember it, once everyone's powers fully develop about 18 episodes in that's literally all that happens) it's something to do. If it's competing with anything else for your time then I'd shelve it but if it doesn't matter then grab it and enjoy it for what it's worth.
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18466 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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I mostly agree with Zalis116 about s-CRY-ed. (Haven't seen Fafner, so I can't comment there.) It isn't a great series, but it is an entertaining one; I gave it a B grade overall in a pre-ANN-days review I did. It has the kind of bombastic personalities you'd expect from a classic mecha series in a style and format closer to a high-spirited shonen fighting series, with just enough energy and depth to stay above your entirely run-of-the-mill shonen fare.
Essentially, the series comes down to an ideological conflict between two individuals at polar opposite sides of the hero spectrum. Ryuho represents law and order, while Kazuma represents chaos and unrestrained freedom (but not irresponsibility). They're so similar in temperament, and yet so diametrically opposed in philosophy, that they can't help but rub each other the wrong way or fight each other with little required provocation. Both of their viewpoints have their good and bad sides, so neither is treated as entirely right or entirely wrong. None of this ever gets terribly involved, though, and the series doesn't stay still long enough to ever get boring. Something's always going on in it. The technical merits are on the high end of average for the time and the musical never lacks juice. If you care at all about English dubs, this is one of the better ones from its time, including some of the best work by Steve Blum and Crispin Freeman. |
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nightjuan
 Posts: 1473 |
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I'd second what nearly everyone else has said. It pretty much follows the usual shounen fighting show formula and, outside of perhaps one-two episodes (IIRC) which actually had a fairly interesting parody/subversion of the same, doesn't really try to do anything new with it.
Still, the fights were alright, the visuals were fine, the soundtrack was nice. I enjoyed the contrast and conflict between Ryuho and Kazuma as well as how they change throughout the series, so it's a perfectly valid watch if you don't expect much more than fun out of it. As a bit of trivia though, it does share directors with Infinite Ryvius, not just character designers, but it is obviously a different kind of series. Zalis116 also made a good point about its short length and that's exactly why, personally, I'd rather (re-)watch this than even attempt to follow Naruto or any other absurdly long equivalent. |
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Top Gun
 Posts: 4809 |
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I'd have to second the recommendation for the dub, if for no other reason than the fact that its director and writers knew that they were dealing with a rather cheesy series and decided to just run with it. The result contains all sorts of wonderfully intentional innuendo and over-the-top yelling by some of the best voiceactors in the business. I'd still love to know how Crispin Freeman got through some of Straight Cougar's lines without breaking down into laughter during every take. 
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TheTheory
 Posts: 1029 Location: Central PA |
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I've not seen it, so no intelligent argument from me, but it's been sitting in TRSI's weekly specials for about two solid months now for $27 for the complete series. I'd say at that price it is worth trying. I keep on putting it in my shopping basket... then removing it... vacillating back and forth. I figure one of these days I'm going to actually get it... or it'll exit the weekly specials all together and I can stop thinking about it.
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Kruszer
 Posts: 7994 Location: Minnesota, USA |
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I also agree it's one of the better dubs. I really liked the series personally. It's just so darn fun to watch and entertaining. It's just so fantastically over the top that it creates a great atnosphere. Add to that a ton of great characters and a story that's not too bad with really good music and you get a very nice watch. |
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Mushi-Man
 Posts: 1537 Location: KCMO |
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If your looking for just a straight up action series then you can't go wrong with s-CRY-ed. It's not like it's a deep story or anything but it's still very entertaining. Not to mention it has a great English dub cast (Steven Jay Blum, enough said). Also the director is the same guy who did Code Geass, so if you enjoyed that then you'd like this series. And the music is, once again, the same person who did the music for Code Geass. Over all it's an entertaining series with some good characters. It's worth a look if you got the time. And if you like the series in the end you can get the box set a pretty good price.
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mrgetalife
 Posts: 60 |
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s-cry-ed was a fun story. If you're looking for a deep thought provoking story line then its the wrong thing to watch. What's great about it is that it has enough storyline to last 26 episodes and not drag it on any further. spoiler[The ending where they join up to fight the world however is kinda weak as its rushed]
Now someone mentioned Fafner. Fafner's not a beginner's title. Its freaking depressing. And you'll figure it out by episode 2. |
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Darc_knight
 Posts: 169 |
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Don't waste ur time on s-cry-ed unless u like meaningless action Or random action with random animations/drawings with a plot that attempts to be meaningful. What i mean is if u like old cheasy animes, then ull like this. If you want a nice anime meaning not powerranger antics, then don't watch this anime.
- just my thoughts though |
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Fuyu-san
Posts: 1 |
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hi i thought s-cry-ed was a pretty good show I admit there was a lot of hot headedness and such but there was also a sort of sweetness about how people would give there all to protect and defend the things they love.
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