Id:Invaded

Id:Invaded is a riveting enigma, an epic mystery, a shocking psycho-thriller. It meticulously places you on the edge of your seat only to mercilessly kick you off into the deepest depths of the abyss of contemplation. As soon as you’ve gotten over its hideously graphic imagery from unthinkable gore to appallingly creative torture, you’re buckled under its poignantly resonant character trauma if not whiplashed into pure blood-boiling hype by its abrasively awesome insert songs and mind boggling visual action. Its story is all genius, perplexing, and entrancing, and the characters who inhabit its irreplaceably unique structure imbue it with a fiercely unforgettable sense of identity ... inherent in their almost confounding amounts of esoteric conversation and characterization just oozing with degrees of implicit meaning little artists have even the creativity to come up with. The more you think you’ve wrapped your head around it, the more it wraps its head around you, leaving you with the natural assumption—having gone this many layers deep into the mind of a screenwriter so mad—that it was all just a dream, and to escape, you need only wake up.

An attempt at explanation would be daft, and an attempt at description would span infinity and eventuate in intense subjectivity. What one may find to be a bog-standard sci-fi murder mystery on paper will—I promise you—come to surprise even the most jaded of pseudo intellectual keyboard warriors and utterly scar any casual viewer with its shell-shocking ego. Being a narrative which quite literally invades the id of its ever-astounding cast of eclectic personas, from broken officers to perverse serial killers, it builds itself around the minds of those thoroughly intentional and cavernously deep characters written to clever perfection and results in a totally arresting presentation of psychotically malleable ideation turned to somehow solid environment, both of which rocket up and down in visual prominence until the only thing you have to ground yourself is your own body, a being far detached from the mental breakdown in front of you, lashing itself dangerously outside the bounds of your screen with its enchanting sense of maddeningly immersive wonder. Call it confusing or call it possessing, at the end of the day it stands as a statement of thought so unforgettable at face and unbelievably impervious to plot holes or forward criticism save production nitpicks, mere impress doesn’t even being to do justice.

Atop its labyrinthine writing and audacious conceptualization stands the freshly iconic visual direction of a true master, thunderously flaunting one visual metaphor after another all whilst juggling the countless ideas said writer bloated its context with to begin with. At once minimalistically elegant, at once overwhelmingly provocative, Id:Invaded is a feast for the senses which it doesn’t subvert, and its feverish changes of pace and betrayals of expectation all find themselves accompanied by cinema sensibilities which can only be described as sublime. While the concepts it asks you to accept out the gate are more than their fair share of freakish, never does the show break its own rules or perforate its own plot, and seeing as said concepts are presented with such acute realization of the writer’s intentions, their believability is unquestionable and their sense of immersion almost dubious in light of their exciting air of unreality. The more its science fiction morphs into pure psycho-fantasy, the more its cast of already human characters evolve and devolve into remarkably affecting icons of expert thematic execution and equally exquisite empathetic development. Be it crying in pain, smiling in wry, or celebrating in hype, Id:Invaded will move you in sincerity, and I bet my life you won’t even comprehend why, how, or by when.



Well, that’s about a lifetime’s worth of poeticism I just wrung out of my naturally prosaic fingers, isn’t it? Id:Invaded, no matter how much I love it, is just so hard to comprehensively write about—let alone critically review—such was the only way I saw forward. When I said an explanation would be daft I wasn’t kidding, and the man, the powerful fucking figure who let me not be kidding was Otarō Maijō. I expect the name Ōtarō Maijō to go over peoples’ heads as much as I expect this thickly bibliographical paragraph to turn what little of you are still reading away from this review, but to not discuss this man would be to deny the very source of the unhinged identity this show defines itself with. As bracingly weird as Id:Invaded is, Ei Aoki is not a weird director. As I’m sure many are aware given the immense popularity of many projects he’s helmed, he’s a grand director known for his sweeping perspective shots, wide frames, and foreground focus, and while Id:Invaded most certainly uses his directorial skill to its fullest extent, no one would ever in a million years walk away from this show with those aspects having been the most memorable. What completely overshadows Aoki’s personal mark is Maijō’s. Which isn’t to say Maijō’s work is better than Aoki’s, it’s more to say Maijō’s is so mentally unbalanced and deranged, even having seen some outstanding cinematography, your biggest takeaway from the experience is what in the hell you could even call that scripting. Id:Invaded is confusing in structure, execution, purpose, and is esoteric as all hell, being nearly impossible to see the immediate appeal of or the immediate intention of outside of surface level actions and fetishes. You’ll often find yourself not knowing what the point of something is, and I honestly think 50% of people who watch Id:Invaded will hate it, and to them I have no harsh words. Characters are as insane and non-relatable as I imagine Maijō himself to be, and his characterization still hits you like a train to the face. The very first sentence of the very first work of Maijō’s I ever read was “my mom is a piece of shit,” and in Id:Invaded, you watch a character deride someone to suicide, watch on contently, and that character is portrayed as being the good guy—and IS the good guy. But this was all exactly what I expected. Maijō is off his damn rocker. He’s a cult author even in Japan and has been since his early 2000s debut, and very few of his works have been translated into english, so the only people who will have likely known about him prior to now are freaks like me deep into the Faust style lore of Japanese literary culture. Since finally founding his long deserved personal studio, TROYCA, Aoki began getting more interesting writers behind his direction. I don’t know if this has gone well for him per se, but it certainly has been interesting. In 2014, Aoki brought on The Butcher, Urobuchi Gen, to write Aldnoah.Zero, and unfortunately, Urobuchi was swamped with the Psycho-Pass 2/Psycho-Pass Movie production quagmire to write any further than the original concept and scenario, and while that foundation and inciting incident were the best parts of that show by far—if not the only good parts at all—his minimal involvement likely left Aoki with some regrets. However, in 2017, Aoki vindicated himself by bringing in legendary mangaka, Rei Hiroe, and had him write the entire screenplay for Re:Creators, and it was easily the most uniquely conceptualized and thereby daringly well produced spectacle I’d seen in years. Aoki is clearly wanting to one-up himself creatively after his past critical and popular successes, and how else to accomplish this feat than bringing on the single most certifiably insane author-turned-screenwriter the industry has ever seen. What’s weirder (and the sad reason I couldn’t put a ten out of ten on this review), is how bizarre and sometimes even downright ugly Id:Invaded looks. Seeing as the pre-production and planning for this work began a whopping eight years ago before TROYCA was even around to launch Aoki’s new oddities, he had to get it off the ground at whatever studio would take it, hence NAZ, and seeing as switching studios once an obvious alternative arose would be notably bad optics, Aoki committed. In the end, they got to a point in the latter half of the production where they literally had FIVE people doing the genga for the entirety of episode twelve. That’s less animators than a student film has, and what we got—at least in that piteous context—I dare say is good enough, especially with such incredible visual direction never leaving the screen.

Now, I fully admit to cheating this game. I have the unique means to look across the room I’m currently sat in and see a shelf carrying Asura Girl and both volumes of Faust, one of which contains Drill Hole in My Brain, so I concede to bringing a gun to a knife fight. This isn’t me being an elitist, scoffing at the thought of casuals or newcomers—or even long time, truly authentic fans who’re just too young to know the industry’s older names—getting filtered by their first taste of even remotely high-minded media. No, this is me reflecting genuine concern for any normal, thinking human being who's about to unknowingly drown themselves in the literary ravings of a barely professional madman given a platform bigger than ever before by a creator outrageously gaudy enough to employ him in an effort to make a statement, only to make a statement so schizophrenic, nothing can be learned from it other than a lesson as to what happens when the wielder doesn’t know the power of the weapon he’s naively placed in his own two hands without the viewer willing to bravely dive deep into the barrel of said smoking gun, whether one thought the viewing of said weapon’s discharge to be utterly badass or fundamentally terrifying. Personally, I thought it utterly badass.

Thank you for reading.

[Minor spoiler ahead]
What do you get when you mash well thought-out ideas from other great sci-fi cop shows into a stew and then leave that stew on a oven that's not turned on? A cold mess. ID:Invaded as a product is a cold mess. I can't help but try to understand what people are praising about this and wonder to myself if we even watched the same show. Yes, it's not awful and in a landscape of established IPs and forced squeals/remakes having an original anime come out is fantastic, but is the bar set so low that this show is considered good?

I suppose ... we should talk about the good first. Despite my initial bitching if you enjoy sci-fi/cop shows this anime isn't awful. It'll scratch that itch you have and maybe even keep you going with its case of the week (2 weeks) set-up for awhile. The mystery isn't always hard, but they do give enough to them that you find yourself playing along with the show to try and figure out who the killer is this week. On top of that the character designs are worth praise given how distinct and memorable they happen to be, as well as the animation which although no Ufotable dose keep itself from feeling like they lost budget. Even if some of the shots are laughable bad.

As for the bad.....well where to start. The final big bad of the show John Walker has absolutely NO mystery to it. By episode two you could make a guess and I promise you you'll be right. A child could figure it out which makes the whole shows over arcing mystery (who is John Walker?) a complete bore. The character development is almost as bad. Only really given to our main character Sakaido all the other characters take a backseat till the plot calls for them to actually do something. Yet, when we reach our final few episodes and major (?) deaths start to happen we're supposed to care? I honestly found myself laughing when these people were dying and the show was playing the super sad music like it mattered. On that note the last two episode drop so much exposition that I'm honestly truly baffled that a studio green-lit this project. Nothing in the last two episodes feels natural and spending every five minutes to info dump so you can understand what the hell is happening you loses all tension the show had going into the finally.

I won't lie, I fell behind on this show (and others this season) and ended up marathoning the past six weeks of this show. I'm glad I did because if it wasn't for that ID:Invaded would have ended up dropped. This show isn't good. If you want to spend time watching 13 episodes of an anime in this genre please go watch something else. Psycho-Pass, Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor and if you've seen all those shows and REALLY need something new then fine. Try this show. Maybe you'll find enjoyment out of it. Or at least enjoy watching concepts from better shows get so badly botched. After all their's enjoyment in a train wreak.

“Sleep is very important.”

Half-way through the show, I chuckled on this scene. It sounds ridiculous without context, but being warped inside a world within an unconscious world, it has this heavy irony that comes with it. Like, it makes one afraid that everything is just not real after all. But at the same time, it sort of bring back an amazement of the setting that this world is enveloped in, as it gives the desire to seek for more info. That’s when it clicked.

ID: Invaded has this ability to construct a mind-bending story premise by intertwining reality and fantasy, but in a way, it ... doesn’t succumb to its own madness. It consists of sci-fi element that will mess with one’s morale and mystery that keeps one at the edge of the seat. However, even with twists, the plot doesn’t deviate away from what it set out to be, but converges through seemingly unrelated cases toward one – the creator of serial killers. It’s like a maze within a maze, and the only way out is to solve it, layer by layer.

This is where the writing and the execution of the plot becomes crucial, which it all lies in three main characters whom we see the world from each of their perspective – the brilliant mentalist, the newbie detective and the director of the analyst team. They each have their purpose – to discover, to lead and to collect. It is this symphony created among this trio that makes the team works and pushes the story forward.

ID: Invaded is also fully aware of the meticulousness needed on the reasoning and explanation behind all the unconscious mind theory, the motives of the serial killers, the methods used by the mastermind. And they do so by connecting the dots, which all linked together to this one girl that keeps appearing. They done this without altering the fundamental rules set in the story world, that’s why the mysteries are great. It gives you space to deduce, and it triggers your mind to make connection alongside the characters.

Also, the metaphysical visuals are stunning.

The action scenes are fluid, and each unconscious world of different style are handled quite nicely that it doesn’t create noticeable CGI ambiguity. But most importantly, the dream-within-a-dream concept is a really captivating way to explore the MC himself through it. It challenges and changes what he believes in, but at the same time, reconnects the pieces for the big reveal.

The studio NAZ has done a decent job in their character designs ( since this is an original series ). The generic spiky head of the main protagonist – Sakaido, made a great contrast to when he was young with after he became miserable. It’s a clear distinction between a loving father and a rogue detective that seeks justice in his own way. There’s also a 23-years-old detective Hondoumachi who gives a refreshing and cute addition to the show. The other team members are varied in characteristics and just good at their job, that’s all I can say about them.

Besides, the soundtracks are amazingly awesome. Yes, that’s double positive in one sentence. The opening ‘Mister Fixer’ by Sou flawlessly matches the agony of Sakaido and how his regrets have haunted him ever since that incident. The ending ‘Other Side’ by MIYAVI also has this J-rock rhythm that is really catchy and just good even on its own. Even the side songs – ‘Memories of Love’ and ‘Butterfly’ are chosen carefully to blend in with the emotions evoked on the scenes. That’s just how serious the producers are on the OST.

Overall, ID: Invaded is like a blue ocean. The waves envelope you with layers of uneasiness, blurring the line between dreams and reality. So, brace yourself, as this will be one hell of a dive.

Into the painful, yet beautiful world of ID: Invaded.




Other recommendations:
- Hannibal, The Mentalist, Criminal Minds, The Minority Report, Inception
- Psycho-Pass, ERASED, Death Parade, The Promised Neverland (anime)

There is a lot to be said about ID:Invaded, for all the right reasons. From it's look within the first episode, to how the story is progressing. It's a must watch for this season for sure, and here is why.

The story and how it's presented. The use of tech/virtual reality to explore a killers mind is quite something. It really details how broken, or just puzzled one's mind can be. Which I really find interesting, as it's done in a unique simulation way, and every case has something different to offer. Which is a major plus.

The main character's story is rather sad and tragic, and ... really just shows how one can suddenly be driven to the things they do, even if they don't like what they've done. There are other interesting characters to boot, as if each detective has their own personality, and isn't just a 'there' type of character, which is really great to see.

The opening is rather good too, along with the ending. Certainly one of my faves of the season. The music within in the show is fitting to each scene as well. Keeping the tension through out each case.

Overall ID:Invaded is a virtual playground of the mind, used by detectives to solve cases of murder and possible murder. I highly recommended it honestly. A great watch.

ID: Invaded is a semi-episodic crime procedural, sci-fi anime, in line with shows like Ghost in the shell: sac and second gig as well as the more recent and trendy psycho-pass. The basic setup requires a lot of psychobabble to explain. There is an organization called a Kura, which is a highly functional unit that uses technology that detects remnant particles called "cognition particles" that serial killers leave behind. The cognition particles are only one part of this whole organizations scheme. There is also a machine called the Mizunohame, a big machine that allows serial killers to enter into this dreamscape called the id: well, ... a throwback to the theories of Sigmund Freud. In this well, they can put various pieces together to figure out exactly who is the murderer and the intentions of the murderer. So, in other words, a lot of things that don't really make a whole lot of sense. Luckily, for the viewer that this sort of psychobabble is just window dressing for the bigger episodic crime thriller at play.

The main character is the brilliant detective Narihisago. Who is for all intents in purposes the emotional core of this series. Narihisago is one of several tragic characters in this show. Narihisago has the tragic past of being a rogue cop driven mad by constantly facing the grim realities of working in an investigation unit whose sole purpose is catching insane serial killers. The key difference between Narihisago is that he decides to use his talents for good instead of evil, since his arrest he is now serving in the Kura as their most talented detective.

Earlier I said Narihisago is the emotional core for this show. He is the primary window in which we learn about and become connected to this world. For Narihisago the Kura isn't just an organization, it is his life. Catching serial killers, due to his own tragic life is personal to him. The Kura and by extension Narihisago's modus operandi is peeking into the mind of the depraved. There is a lot of anime that play around with this theme, that like "the real evil is inside man!". All of these serial killers we meet throughout the show and even the main protagonist all were driven to murder, not through a seemingly sadistic middle finger to the world type of way, but usually, their backstory is always tinged in a sort of tragedy.

One of the huge characterising aspects of this shows storytelling is attention to detail. The author of the light novel for this show is known to be a sort of eclectic guy, and it shows because he reminds me a lot of Tomino(gundam director). Where he has a wealth of weird ideas, but he also expects his audience to be paying very close attention and the show doesn't really have any interest in holding the audience's hand. A perfect example of this is the character of the Perforator. A serial killer who kills his victims by drilling a hole in their head. He is caught fairly early in this show and if this was any other show you would expect that to be the last we hear about drilling holes. However, not only does his character remain a very important aspect of the show, but the fact that he drills holes in peoples heads and his motivation for that remains a fairly constant theme in this show that rears its heads over and over again.

While I like this show way more then I expected to, ID; Invaded is still very scatterbrained. The psychobabble is evidence of this because it really wasn't necessary to have that sort of window dressing to tell an otherwise simple story. The writers own tendencies to create these detailed and layered technical stories take away from the fact that he is actually really great at creating more episodic, emotional, and sentimental stories. A huge reason that I was impressed with this is that despite all the worldbuilding, all of the setup, all the Freudian psychoanalysis. There were several episodes that I think could go toe to toe with any episode of Death Parade. For example episode six, the eternal rail episode was absolutely beautiful. Narihisago holding the bloody Kaeru's hand on bent knee saying "please, you don't have to die" is haunting. There are so many episodes similar to that, whether it be episode 4 where Narihisago rescues the girl from a burning building, or episode 10 when Narihisago gets caught in the well. All of this is personal for him, and by extension the viewer.

With that being said in good faith I could never compare this to my personal favourites like Mushishi, or Death Parade or Bokurano. It gets pretty close to that level and I see very little wrong with the show. I think the show forces the viewer to a certain extent resign themselves to a lot of the pseudoscientific explanations for why the plot is happening. If you are able to do that, you are in for a good ride.

[Spoiler Warning]

I'm gonna choose to be honest here: this show is mediocre at best. I know this is not the common opinion when it comes to this show, but it really has to be said.

Now, I have no issue with the show's concept....it's a pretty interesting concept that would have made a good show if it was actually introduced well and use to its full potential (which it isn't).

To begin with, there are a stark lack of detail about how the whole well system works (the system of going inside a criminal's psyche) and why they even need a person to go inside the well ... in the first place. In nearly every episode they send the main character Sakaido into the well and he solves "mysteries" (which are a problem of their own.....) by making observations about the well.....which is all fine and dandy, execpt for the fact that the computer running the well simulation is seemingly capable of scanning and identifying anything and anyone in the well once sakaido notices it. Which is confusing because if the computer can just scan and identify anything in the well why do they need someone to actually go in for them? They can't just remotely view the well like they already do when Sakaido is in it, or just have the computer scan for relevant information??? It wouldn't be an issue if they said something along the lines of "someone has to link with the well to make clues appear" or "things in the well won't change unless someone is there to experience it".....but they say neither of those things, which leads to multiple conflictions that should have been closed in episode 1 but 5 episodes in were never touched on once.

The second issue is the "mysteries." I have no clue how anyone watching these shows thinks that the characters solving these mysteries are being skillful of being "good detectives" because so far there has not been one compelling mystery this entire show. I feel like half the people reviewing this show have never watched a mystery series before, and therefore don't understand what an well designed mystery looks like. The show does an excellent job making the characters sound like they are expending some serious brain power, but 90% of the time all the analysis is for literally nothing. Like in episode 2, where Sakaido is in a well trying to identify the location of a sniper that he believes must be the killer. He does all this analytical BS only for a random guy to just crawl by him, say one sentence to him and he's like "he's the killer." And in the most recent episode where Sakaido does this lengthy deduction (which I don't know if it was poorly translated or what but half of what he was saying didn't even make senses, but I wouldn't be surprised if that was just the writing) only to literally just look under the body of a girl that was killed (which was floating up in the air like waist level btw....) and find the clues he needed. Even the dumbest cop in the world would have enough brain cells to look under something conspicuous like that. It's like dropping your pencil when your working and having to do logical deduction and advanced mathematics just to justify yourself in looking under the table for the pencil......just stupid.
In the more recent episode too, one of the female detectives is literally quaestioning some random woman with ties to a suspect in a serial murder case, and she just asks her random questions about hever current and past love life, and whether or not she ever had a crush on the sustpect.....all of which she gives perfectly normal answers too like "no I don't have a boyfriend" and "I wasn't really close to him" which the detective says probably isn't true (which was evident) and that she did have a crush on him in middle school (which isn't "damning evidence" in the least) and she just pulls a gun on her and says she is the killer. Literally 0% of anything said in that exchange even slightly hinted to that fact, but because everyone in this show is a SUPER GENIUS the actual evidence doesn't matter and everyone just falls into the answer. Every solution to a mystery is just a fucking Deus-ex-machina that the writers try really hard to sell as actual problem solving. THAT is the level of mystery solving this show has to offer in a nutshell......

The characters are also nothing special and have very little to offer in terms of depth or back-story. I don't even remember most of their names, but here, imma list every main character using one phrase, and if you watch this show, I'm sure you'll be able to fit these to the characters: dead family, obsessed with holes, stereotypical cutesy girl, hard-boiled detective. That is every even slightly memorable character (in terms of I recognize them each episode, not in terms of whether they left and impression because none of them did that) described in their entirety......seriously.

To end off on a positive note, the music is fucking great. This show doesn't even deserve the spectacle of an opening song that it has....
And also I thought episodes 2 and 4 were pretty acceptable. I would even go as far as to say that ep 4 in particular was actually good. It got my hopes up for a second until I watched episode 5 and realized that this show was probably just going to stay trash with maybe 2 or 3 more good episodes sprinkled in.

In all, this show is a clusterfuck plain and simple. Only reason I'm giving the enjoyment an 8 is because I love just seeing where this show fucks up every week. I don't think I've ever furled my brow in confusion and said "what???" so many times while watching a show. This is probably my favorite hate watch since Cheating Craft from a couple years ago lol.

But yeah, if you know what a good mystery police show looks like, then you're not going to enjoy this sorry excuse for one. If you want an actual Sci-fi police drama, watch Psycho-Pass, as it actually has realistic mystery solving and police work that isn't just Where's Waldo every fucking episode like this dumpster fire.

Watch it if you want a good hate-watch, but if you're trying to watch this seriously I suggest you look elsewhere.

Id:Invaded is one of Winter 2020's most debatable anime. The reason? Id:Invaded is not the typical police anime. It's a fascinating, thrilling and poetic mysterious journey. I'm calling it a journey because it feels like one; even if it's a fast-paced one cour anime. This surprisingly integrated show throws the watcher deep into the abyss of ingenious writer Otarou Maijou's thoughts. What made me personally distinguish this anime is that every episode was full; so full, that it felt like 35-40 minutes long. And trust me, it never got boring! This is all due to the famous director Ei Aoki and Studio NAZ, who made ... it possible to expose such a huge pile of thoughts in just 13 episodes.

The story is about a fictional world, where criminals' minds connect in a unique way. The Mizuhanome system, only launched when used by a person who has killed at least once in his life, makes it possible for this detective to dive into an enigmatic world, created by another criminal's subconscious. While observing the detective's trip, the police staff finds clues, making the case's solution easier to reach. One of the strongest parts of the anime is the psychological one. Mainly emphasizing in emotionally traumatized people's points of view, or even psychopaths, Otarou Maijou presents the - sometimes small - gap between righteousness and sinfulness, right and wrong, success and failure. He creates an emotional rollercoaster, mostly led by the main protagonist, Narihisago, but other characters too, like the famous Kaeru-chan (no spoilers for her true identity).

This rollercoaster is so successful because the character development is on point, as it should be. For example, we get to meet Narihisago as time goes by, as he enters other criminals' wells, as he encounters reality's hardships. Is Narihisago really a criminal? Does he want to save people, or does he hate humanity? Many questions like these pop up in the watcher's minds since the beginning of the series. Episodes 9 and 10 are the climax of his character development and he shows all of his true colours.
Aside from the main character, a good development is seen in most of the "main" side characters, so if the watcher understands what messages the author wants to pass, they will definitely be satisfied with what they're watching. But like I mentioned before, mr. Maijou's thoughts are deep, poetic and sometimes hard to comprehend; as a result, they act like a double-edged sword. Many may like his concept, while many will dislike Id:Invaded - it's up to you whether you'll keep up!

As many years have passed since I first came across the Japanese culture, I've never stopped getting impressed by how well they can use their sources of influence; it does not always work, but this time it surely did. Many pieces of work that made an impact on the story can be detected. Yasutaka Tsutsui's sci-fi thriller novel "Paprika", with the addition of some details only found in Christopher Nolan's famous movie "Inception", "Drill hole in my brain", which is actually Maijo's fiction, TV series "Bones" and probably more which I can't identify. Some people claim that Id:Invaded is similar to Psycho-Pass, but I disagree. Psycho-Pass author Gen Urobuchi's ideas and execution differ a lot from Maijo's, while I agree that the psychological and sci-fi sides show similarities and apply to a similar audience.

Last but not least, the artistic side of this unusual anime has to be mentioned, especially the OST. If you're a fan of the famous guitarist and singer Miyavi and still haven't watched Id:Invaded, the first thing you should do is go for it. The studio chose wisely to feature the - as far as I'm concerned - best songs from his 2019 album, "No sleep till Tokyo". The ending song ("Other Side") fits perfectly to leave a dynamic and emotional vibe after an episode is done, while the songs "Samurai 45" and "Butterfly" are once inserted in a clever way to hype up the audience. Aside from Miyavi, a tearjerker insert song titled "Memories of love" by Hiroshi Suenami was the perfect fit to the specific scene it was played in, so I congratulate Studio NAZ and Ei Aoki for their perfect selections of music.

A summary is not needed, since I expressed everything I had to share with all of you reading right now. It's my first review ever, so feel free to text me what you didn't like about it (from the aspect of writing, not my opinions). Likewise, I'm willing to privately discuss anything that would be a spoiler with those who have watched the anime and disagree with me.

Thank you for reading!

You wake up in a broken world. All kinds of pieces from a town are floating around. You lay on the bed and suddenly all your body parts start floating away, but you quickly figure out that you can control those body parts even if they are seperated. You look around the environment. A broken piece of an house is floating nearby. You grab it and pull it towards you. You enter the piece of the house. A little girl lays on the ground with a knive stabbed right into her. She is dead. You know this girl. It is Kaeru-chan. You don't know why ... you are here, you don't even know how you came here, but you do know your name, Sakaido, and you know it is your job to figure out who killed this girl.

That is the opening scene of ID:Invaded. It is a great beginning and it immediately gets you invested in the world. And does it follow-up well after that opening scene? In my opinion, yes!

ID:Invaded is a detective anime. It has an interesting concept with Sakaido being able to enter the mind of a criminal. He is then tasked to find clues of why Kaeru-chan is killed and how the world works. With this information an outside team can use that information to find the criminal and bring him to justice.

The concept is great with a lot of fun possibilties. But not just the concept is fun, the main character is fun too. He has a very stern personality with some witty line here and there, but his backstory is what makes him so likable, which I am not gonna spoil for now. The other characters are kinda bland at this point but I expect them to get better in the future when they get more screen time.

The animation is pretty good, the story so far is really interesting (even if it episodic due to it being a detective anime handling multiple cases).

The music is also what stands out for me. The OP is okay, but the ED by Miyavi is amazing. The dubstep is so ball to the walls hard I hurt my head on the table from banging my head everytime I listen to it. Miyavi also did the Insert song, Samurai, which is also a really good track.

Overal, I recommend this anime. If you want a psychological detective anime with tons of twists and good directing, watch this anime.

THESE SCORES ARE PRELIMINARY:

Story: 9/10
Art: 8/10
Sound: 8/10
Character: 8/10
Enjoyment: 9/10

Overall: 8.4/10 (8/10).
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...
I won't go into much detail here as only 4 episodes have aired as of the writing of this review, so my thoughts and opinions are preliminary.

So far, this anime seems like a mixture of Psycho-Pass and an anime adaptation of Inception (the film).

As I loved both of the aforementioned media, this is really scratching that sci-fi/detective itch that has come-back since Psycho-Pass 3 finished.

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Basic Plot:

People who have an intent to kill leave behind special particles at the scenes of their crimes. These particles are picked up by a special division of the police force using an object that very much resembles the guns from psycho-pass.

The particles are harvested, then used to form a "well" of the criminal's unconscious mind, or psyche.

The "main character", under the alias of Sakkaido, ventures into these wells to try and find clues in order to track down the killer(s).

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Honestly, this anime is doing a very good job so far and is really intriguing as not only is each episode its own self-contained plot, but also part of an overarching plot that covers this entire season (so far).

I'm going to keep this brief and say that if you enjoyed Psycho-Pass or the movie Inception, there's a high-chance you will enjoy this anime too.

So far, art, animation and sounds have been pretty good and I just hope it stays that way throughout the season!

Recommended!

*no spoilers review!*
Currently on episode 10 and what a ride.
This is my first time writing a review here because I felt like this show really deserves one since it has a 50/50 kind of feel when you look for feedback.

The first episode can be a bit "slow" since there's a lot of monologue but at the same time you get the first contact with the "Mizuhanome System" : the diving into wells.
Quick explanation: wells are the mind of the person at the moment when they felt the intention of killing. It's their unconcious thoughts so it contains things they don't mind showing but also want ... to hide too - since they don't control it. The well state doesn't update with time/actions the ID person makes in the present, since it's a record from "the past".

Ok! Going back to the first episode! You get your first crime scene and your first puzzle. This episode is very clear in explaining how it all works from the start and it's really appealling!! But again, the main character ends up talking a lot and because he has a low tone it can set some people off so please put that aside and stay for the story, in the next episodes he doesn't talk as much!

If you enjoy mystery and crime solving. This is your story.
The most amazing thing is it's context because it's not like there's any powers, it's in the "real world" but at the same time shows you such an unique approach that you just want to see more and more.

The art is amazing (very unique and full of color!) and same goes for voice acting and soundtrack (plus OP and ED!!).
Once you learn more about Narihisago you'll also be a lot more involved (people that watched episode 10 : we are together :') ) .

So far I'm giving it a 9 on story because the end is still 3 episodes away but it's been an amazing journey.
Hope you'll enjoy it too!!

ID: Invaded starts off as a quite interesting detective anime where we follow the investigations on the culprit consciousness, or rather their "Id well". The brilliant detective Sakaido will wake up at a culprit's Id well with no memories whatsoever of his past, but he will be tied to a dead girl and she is responsible for being the conduit between this memoryless lost person to a brilliant detective to discover who killed that girl.

The first half of the series was quite interesting, a lot of people were theorising who could be John Walker, the mysterious figure that "creates" serial killers which the brilliant detective ... Sakaido - sorry if it sounds repetitive, but that's how they say on the anime - tries to arrest. And by half of the season, you can guess correctly who the main antagonist is, hoping for a better development of the story is futile, it seems as the good content was all poured on this first half, the second one leave to be desired.

I have some issues with the story, the main story has a good development, but it limits itself when you are past half of it and by the ending you still feel like something is missing, it wasn't rushed, but seems poorly wrote. Side stories, including the ones with the protagonists, are loose threads, they lack closure.

I might be mistaken here it has been sometime since the first few episodes, but I think I noticed a drop on the art and animation quality, more of the former though and the animation was more like, you can have a decrease of animation if you don't animate at all, right?

BGM is good, sound effects are okay, nothing to praise.

Only Sakaido is shown some character development worth noticing, other characters felt lacking and most of recurrent characters have any development.

It is a different anime that touches on the psychology of a serial killer, it doesn't provide a deep analysis of their minds, but it is interesting if you like the subject. I can't be too harsh since it is an original anime, but don't let yourselves be fooled by high scores.

"All humans do love beautiful things, even if they're terrifying."

ID:Invaded is a surreal-esque Sci-Fi show involving a protagonist identified as Sakaido, once a criminal himself, who ventures into the unconscious mind of serial killers, trying to find out the mystery behind the victim's deaths and the criminal's crimes.
Koharu is an incredibly intelligent, bold detective that helps with the crimes on the sidelines. She is simply amazing at decoding mysteries and vital to the show's progression.

Sakaido provides us with information about what even the culprit does not know about themself and proceeds to do so unconsciously, with each time providing an entirely different look at the ... crime to discover the killer's drive to kill. Using what is known as the Mizuhanome system, it sends him to the unconscious mind of the killer, their ID Well, inserting hints about the crimes around every corner of the show as if we were to observe the crime from the beginning, yet having to figure what everything indicated states. In a sense, it reminds me of AI: The Somnium Files, and in fact, I'd say that it's even better.

The symbolism is too intricate for the vast majority of people to understand in the ID Wells, and you would never know the truth through foresight. To uncover the mystery, one would have to look at every little corner of detail that the Mizuhanome system shows us, and then work out what each visible object signifies. With a thrilling mystery to go beside it, that alone is complicated.
However, there are other complications, such as getting kissing mixed up with killing upon impulse. That was just the explanation for a killer, which I found somewhat nonsensical; oh, wait, that gets elucidated. So. Freaking. Much. I do adore it when questions get answered, but in this depth, plus myself being able to be on the same wavelength as Koharu to understand fully where the ending is going... wow. Episode 5 is an awestruck favourite to keep. SO much was built around one little factor.
The show has a beautifully fascinating concept, and I'm a definite fan of the story, the protagonist and the events that occur around it.

Want good music? Then right back at ya! Miyavi, best-boy guitarist, has helped with the show and its soundtrack, providing an entertaining yet unique show with beautiful tracks, including everyone's newfound interest in "Other Side", which became ID's ending song, and the insert songs "Samurai 45" and "Butterfly": all from his newest album.
The visuals in the opening and the ending, especially the OP, is geometric and artistic, which probably has already made me love the soundtrack that little bit more. The OP is probably one of my favourite openings because of those visuals.
But seriously: a utaite that I love and a guitarist/songwriter/actor etc. that I admire is another productive cluster that I enjoy to hear together under one shared roof.
The whole soundtrack is super fascinating and makes me want to cry in such a positive way.

If you want a very intricate yet surreal mystery that you definitely won't figure out until the end, yet also answers every question you have of the mystery throughout the story, then I suggest watching this show, without a doubt!
It's a show heavily focused around the puzzles that make you question the mystery itself, rather than the solution. There's more than just the importance of the ending, much more.

Shockingly good. Yes, really, I didn't expect it to this degree when I started watching it. Story, characters, feelings, this has all the elements that make a great show, the kind that you don't get to see every season...
As a bonus, if you liked Inception, then this is definitely for you.

Ah, but it may not be for you if you don't like to think and have your mind challenged :P

However, I already gave it a 10 like 2 episodes ago and it's still getting better? There are no better scores left to give it..... I guess 11/10 it is ^_^

I’m a simple man and I’m not good with fancy words, so please turn away if you’re looking for some aesthetic manner of inner reflection on any anime.

For me Winter 2020 season was more like a Dull season since there weren’t many anticipated titles apart from Haikyuu and isekai quartet sequels. I started out with around 25 new anime (Out of curiosity ofc) and ended up dropping at least half of them. But yes, there were a few anime that were definitely worth watching and Id:Invaded is probably on the top of that list. It is heck of an anime and it stays true ... to its genres which are Sci-Fi, Mystery, Police and Psychological.

Story - 9/10

When genres like Sci-fi, Psychological and Mystery meets, one can easily imagine how dense it can get. The anime has a complex plot with a handful of characters. Often it’s confusing and we don’t get much explanations on how the Mizuhanome System works or what is happening right now at the first few episodes. I’m not going to write the plot here as it’s exactly as laid out in the synopsis. But one thing I can say is that the complexity won’t bother you, but instead fascinate you. A thread that connecting all the events - ‘John Walker’, and the mystery surrounding that character was a good build up. The only negative I felt is that this anime should’ve been longer, it had great potential to be something more.

Characters – 7/10

Now, why am I rating this low? Is it because the characters are boring or typical? No! It’s because they wasted an immense opportunity to explore the characters with proper back stories instead of glimpses of their past. There were many characters other than Narihisago, who needed proper stories of their own. Apart from that the character designs were really good considering it’s an original, especially the contrasting appearances of the characters within and out of the ID wells.

Art – 8/10

I have to say I’m really impressed at the way they created each world within the ID wells. And they managed to create each with such care that it reflects the identity of the suspect in a metaphysical context, bringing out their inner conflicts. The character designs are good as I pointed out above. Overall I won’t say it’s great or unique but It delivers what it intends.

Sound – 9/10
I really liked the OP, I must admit. It’s familiar, but yet so good. The ED wasn’t bad either. And those random insert tracks, especially the one on the 12th episode (it was unexpected, out of nowhere) really surprised me. When it comes to VA Narihisago had a familiar seiyuu, and his cold voice felt really cool on the character. The rest of the cast also did standard jobs.

Enjoyment – 9/10

It really was a good experience. I watched it weekly, except for the last 3 episodes which I binged, and I have to say it’s better off watching in one sitting. There were many thrilling moments and I have to say the lack of action sequences didn’t bother me at all. But as I said earlier the confusing moments in the earlier parts and lack of proper explanations affected the viewing.

Overall – 8.5/10

Id:Invaded is like an anime made by Christopher Nolan – twisted, confusing but yet properly sewed together into a fine ending. I won’t say it’s a must watch. But it definitely delivers for anyone who likes mystery, sci-fi genre. I really wish they made it to a 24 - episode anime, exploring all the characters. The plot really had the potential of becoming a masterpiece.

One of the most basic things that is taught in introductory psychology is of the ego, super-ego, and Id. they all play a part when it comes to the self with the ego being the consciousness, and the superego and id more or less being the unconscious. From what I've been told, a simple way of looking at it is like imagining them being the angel and demon sitting on someone's shoulder. The Id being the demon who bides the person into committing what can be considered bad acts. To act upon the carnal desire that is instinctive in us, to indulge in our sexual ... and aggressive drive as animals. The superego of course is the angel who doesn’t make us do good, but rather to constrain us from falling into our Id. The superego is society and culture, and the rules and lessons that we come to learn from it at a young age. Slowly reinforcing the idea that by giving into your desires might lead to consequences, until it is ingrained into the mind into the concepts of shame and guilt. The ego then is just you, the one who decides upon them, but it is not a false dilemma of either/or. Rather it’s one of mediation that best suits the person and situation to be able to act upon. It’s not a really good analogy, most really aren’t, but hopefully it’s good enough to understand.

As in the title, the show is about invading someone’s Id, their unconsciousness. Mainly pertaining to serial killers who act upon their Id and unknowingly leaving consciousness particles at each crime scene. Particles that a bureau is able to use in order to examine and even track down the criminals. The method of examination is via a technology system that allows a qualified user to jump into someone’s Id well in order to figure out the mind of the murderer. It’s very soft science-fiction so thinking very hard on how the system works will just get you nowhere.The show does give some roundabout way to how it works, but it’s more to its detriment than anything else. It’s just used for having an interesting take on a killer's psychology without the cat and mouse chasing or long internal monologuing.

The structure for the first half of the show is a bit weird as it has a feeling of being episodic, but there’s just enough content that glues them all together so that you have to watch it in a successive manner. Aside from the first two episodes,and another few near the end, each episode explores a different Id well. As the Id is part of the unconscious, they don’t adhere to the same rules of reality as one would expect. From the way the environment looks such as being broken apart or isolated, to the way the “people” in the wells look and behave, and also how the scenario plays out. Each one is influenced by the serial killer’s mind and how they see the world, and it’s up to the detective to figure it out. Not only a means of understanding their mentality in order to get the jump on them, but also since the well is still connected to the criminals, new information can still slip in making the investigators more aware of their locations. Although the way they go about finding info about the serial killer is a bit convenient from time to time. Using sometimes the most banal of clues to find a good chunk of info about them with pinpoint accuracy.

In some way I do find the Id well and the scenarios that are brought up to be very video game-y. Viewing each new well as a sort of new level in a puzzle game. I guess it’s because it reminded me of something like psychonauts. Although the level of participation that you have in the shows mysteries vary. From being a bit too easy that it can be figured out almost near the beginning of entering the wells, and other times they come in with a late game curve ball that really felt out of nowhere. Nevertheless I would say the way they go about each new well is overall clever and usually enjoyable to watch.

The second half of the show does through the show into a loop, shamefully however is that the direction is downwards. It does start interestingly enough as another standard-ish operation that becomes something more than previously expected. Getting more info about our main protagonist as well as the system that brings them in the Id wells. However the show lingers onto this plot point for too long that it starts to get boring. It gets hard to care about any new story revelations, character motivations, or even who the elusive main antagonist is. It’s basically the show trying to quickly funnel the show down to its conclusion and have everything in-story answered and wrapped up.

Before getting into what little I can say of the other characters, I'd first like to talk about John Walker. An elusive antagonistic figure who happens to appear in many of the Id wells that the Protagonist enters, and also a suspect in the protagonists predicament. They are the main perpetrator who seems to be connected to many of the serial killer cases in the show, and most likely pulling the string behind everything. I personally was able to figure out who the character was about a few episodes into the show. Not by any means of clues or foreshadowing, but rather just a process of elimination and luck because any other way to figure them out can prove to be difficult.

It does make sense that it’s hard to figure out who the antagonist is mainly because not a lot of focus is given to many of the characters. The characters who have the most characterization are the ones who are allowed to enter the Id well. The main protagonist Sakaido, a young girl who can pass as a middle schooler Koharu, and also the first serial killer of the show, Fukuda. The other serial killers mostly have their personality showcased in their Id wells with a bit of backstory just in case. As for the people who work for the bureau, they are like the forensic investigators in crime scene dramas, but without the snark or personality, just very one dimensional.

Doesn’t really help the characters when the art style is also makes them look very dull. Most of them have an angular like design to them that is also minimalist or basic. One of the more odd choices is the design of some of the characters' eyes. Some of them are depicted to be more slanted rather than the more standard version you see in most anime. However they are still proportioned the same way as the standard depiction, that the result makes it look like they sometimes are squinting. Nevertheless despite how dull the show looks it still provides a serviceable experience towards the show.

Small Tangent: one of the interesting things to note about two of the characters that can enter the Id wells is that they both have holes in their head. It means very little until you look into the main writer of the show's history who once wrote a short story called “Drill Hole in the Brain”. Maybe it’s a bit of self-indulgence, but whatever. Just something I happened to notice.

The show is only able to stand above the average crowd due to it’s interesting ideas and moments, but that is just for the first half and a bit that gets carried over towards the second. The rest of the second half just leaves nothing but disappointment. It’s obvious what they were doing in order to wrap the show up, but there was never enough in the show that could make any pay off satisfying. What could have been a decent show, came out being average at best.

I'd give it 9.4 if I could. This is definitely one of the better "detective/investigator" type of anime.

The anime does an amazing job at keeping everything in the story within a boundary of "this could actually be possible in real life. The MC's are chillingly sharp, and keen, and it can be scary sometimes which makes you happy they're "good guys. But the authors do a great job at keeping them human, and vulnerable, and making you want to empathize with what they're going through.

There are some subtle cliches, but it's never over the top. Instead the anime delivers its impact through powerful ... story & character development, and oh boy is it a ride.



I'm really enjoying this so far

The character design for most of the characters are awful. The mystery of who John Walker was really only had 1 person it could have been, so there was no mystery in that. John Walker's motivation was very bland. The only character you even care about is Narihisago. I honestly can't tell you a single name of the characters that were working outside of the well, because they don't have a personality. The idea of the ID well is interesting, but there really wasnt any way for the viewers to try to solve the mystery of a well, except for having a character explain how ... they figured it out. Music and sound was serviceable.

If you're looking for a great original mystery/detective anime, this is the one. It starts as an interesting plot, and you're constantly wondering what direction the show will go. It goes from an interesting anime that keeps you guessing, to routing for Akihito Narihisago (Sakaido) to solve the case and find inner peace. The characters are all unique in their own way and provide a way to accelerate the plot, and the music in this anime is extremely bad-ass and melancholic when the tone changes. I would recommend this anime to anyone, even people that may not be interested in this type of genre. It's ... an experience you can never forget.

In the (similar) words of Arkada (a.k.a Glass Reflection):
"What's the first thing you do in a new world? Wake up, look around and see the different settings of the world. You find the body of a young girl, dead-on-sight, you know who she is but not why and how she died, but all you know is that you're the brilliant detective, and this murder mystery is yours for the taking to solve and serve righteous justice."

With that, welcome to the world of ID:Invaded, famed director Ei Aoki's next series after his acclaimed shows (Fate/Zero, Aldnoah.Zero, Re:Creators) and teaming up with an unlikely overshadowed series composer ... Outarou Maijou for his work on "Drill Hole in the Brain" (which bears some striking resemblance which I'll share in a bit). This will be a very in-depth look and review, so buckle up and pay extreme attention.

With mystery psychological movies such as Inception and TV crime dramas like Minority Report, ID:Invaded doesn't dare to overlay the thoughts of us the audience, but instead, goes along with the audience for the ride, and whether you'd like this refreshed kind of storytelling or not, I'd admit it's kind of ingenious after watching so many mystery and psychological shows that get the formula right from the start then falter badly at the end, and this is a nice take and a fresh breath of air. Just having the answers right from the start is bad enough, but going the hurdle with question after question is a good start.

Starting with the story, while the presentation of police-detective mystery shows like this may not be new, the way that ID:Invaded presents it as is, attending to us to mention that "While this character acts as the brilliant detective to solve a murder mystery, you the audience can be as perceptive as you want, making waves of links of clues and evidence to find the mass serial killer in your own judgment, ad infinitum." is just balls-off-the-wall, vested interest bought in full. And I'd appreciate to high regard when shows like this make you think on your feet, acting along with the characters as to why and how their minds/psyches work, only to discover the loopholes that keep changing the situation at-hand and only to lash out at their actions later and change the course of history.

The world that ID:Invaded operates in is through the minds of serial killers, which are regarded as an ID:Well (which houses their victims, crime scenes and the killer's motives), one that is constantly being environmentally fractured or in a symbolic state that's ever-changing in real-time. Only people who've killed people or are victims to that can enter in the ID:Well, but the consequence is that once removed from the ID:Well, ALL memories are wiped away once they're back into the Well. This works in both ways: the Government organization that is Kura, and the usual independent police team, through Kura's perception of the brilliant detectives in the ID:Wells will they identify the killer(s) and his/her precise location in the real world, and that information is translated for the police in tandem with the Kura field investigators to make their official arrest with the help of the field investigators' tool called "Wakumusubi", a radar gun to measure "cognitive particles" a.k.a the information on people's intentions to kill.

With that, I present to you the characters:
The main protagonist (NOT MC) Akihito Narihisago, codename Sakaido. A family man with the usual family-like aesthetics, he got into a lot of trouble when his daughter was murdered by a serial killer, and with his wife taking suicide on herself out of grief, he committed a gruesome murder on the serial killer who killed his daughter, and that earned a "stunning" reputation from the police as regards to his maximum prison sentence with other killers. Based on this fact, while his family's death haunts him, his killer reputation earned him a spotlight in the Kura's operations to enter into ID:Wells and solve the mysteries in their stead. His non-sympathy to killers might not be in line with Kura, and driving killers to their suicidal deaths forefronts the misery of his post-family's situation.

The dead girl of EVERY ID:Well, Kaeru, and eventually later, Kiki Asukai, the central power of the Mizuhanome that the Kura organization is powered by. For every ID:Well, her dead body is a placeholder and an indefinite clue as to who and why the murder took place with, only except that she's the information and the brilliant detectives be relied upon as to get the ball rolling on the ever-so-different ID:Wells and their drastic measures and actions going forward (and if you'd pay attention enough, Kaeru/Kiki's ID:Well is "the Well within the Well" for the detectives within different ID:Wells to communicate to). And going back in time when she was still alive, the mass serial killer John Walker (which bears the similar reference to the whiskey) haunts her psyche to have different people murder her (even if her premonitory dreams don't last forever), which leads to her many-scenarios "different ways to die" point of view in the ID:Wells.

And speaking of mass serial killer John Walker, the main antagonist that has a similar look like the whiskey cover of Johnnie Walker, he's the Singularity (or rather the Irregularity), always distortional but appearing in every single serial killer's ID:Wells, to fuel their desires and intentions to kill. Like killers Narihisago and the others, he is also able to enter into ID:Wells, but very discreetly due to his presence only appearing at the serial killers' psyches.

Narihisago is not without his faults, and these people are roped in for the ride to help him out equalize his shortcomings:
The notorious serial killer Tatmosu Fukuda, codename Anaido. Remember what I've said about Outarou Maijou's work in "Drill Hole in the Brain"? Fukuda is a character that's loosely based off that short-story novel, the boy with a screwdriver in his brain with a psychedelic stream of consciousness of sexual fantasy. Known as the "Perforator" for massacring his victims through the drill hole on the head, as much as his enjoyment of drill-murdering stems from being a serial killer, in actual fact, the same irony of drilling in his brain is to stop his cognitive functions from acting insane back to his serial killer form. After being captured and taken to Kura for questioning and assistance to entering ID:Wells, often at times he likes to taunt other killers (especially Narihisago) and takes them on at their own weaknesses and shortcomings, where in reality he's acting the sane way and keeping his actions at bay.

The seemingly newbie and rookie Koharu Hondomachi, codename Hijiro. Working together with field analyst Kokuryu Matsuoka in the investigation department, her desire to be a detective stems through her operations in the real world, and although unlike Matsuoka's unfondness with Narihisago, her actions prove mission critical for Matsuoka in finding out mass serial killer John Walker's lackeys' movement, with her eventually transferring to the same jobs as Narihisago and Fukuda as an ID:Well investigator for her sharp and precise behavior to deduce situations at close calls. The most striking of Hondomachi's behavior is that she only kills in penchant for her strong sense of justice, and she is a perfect fit for the job, much less a young girl being brutally murdered by the brain-drilling Fukuda, only for the both to reconcile later post-crime.

Aiding all of this is the Kura organization, a team of specialized investigator analysts who helps track the ever-changing landscape of information through the detectives infiltrating the psyches of the serial killers' ID:Wells and digging out information to retrieve their presence in real-time and bring them to justice, with Chief Hayaseura at the helm as head chief and creator of the Mizuhanome system. And I'd say: "Do NOT take anyone with one's eyes shut" as the twists and turns will keep you invested more and more about who's to blame and ultimately, the biggest plot twists that convolute the situations even more that the payoff doesn't feel satisfying, but understanding. Don't believe me? Watch the show for yourself.

The various amounts of characters (both trying to play protagonists and serial killer antagonists) and their different desires may seem nonsensical at times, but it's their actions that do raise legitimate concerns, and for us the audience to act the play together is a real treat and a W in my book. So go figure and be the brilliant detectives in our own style!

The only fault that ID:Invaded could have mitigated is with the animation department. Studio NAZ is just as average as many "quantity for quality" studios out there with low-quality budget animation, but with this work, it seems that the production stuff (most particularly Ei Aoki himself) has envisioned the world that this series resided in, and it was a delight to see his past work (Re:Creators) carried forward here with the subtle traits and whatnot. Other than that, the low quality animation really rears its ugly head when things go full-on absurd, but to that point, it was done decently good. Just wished that a more talented studio (like Ei Aoki's self-owned studio TROYCA) had been given this project, and it would've been twice as satisfying.

On the other hand, the music department is nothing short of amazing. You may have never heard of this Polish composer Salvek Kowalewski, but the music here really compliments this show pretty well. Even more is the OP/ED pairing for this show's OST and it's never-ending streams of insert songs. Sou's OP "Mister Fixer" actually directly hints at Sakaido's job as the "Brilliant Detective" while MIYAVI's ED "Other Side" subtles in the ID:Wells and how the character perceive their connections (once the link between Kaeru and Kiki Asukai), allowing them to see the past and foraging into their current settings. Both are great songs and can be listened to on repeat. Easily one of the best pairings of the Winter season.

I'd never thought I would enjoy another Ei Aoki-directed anime again after his famed works, but this show easily adds a number onto his list. My credits, while can easily go to the famed director himself, it's rather to series composer Outarou Maijou though (in cooperation from Aoki-san) for the very tight pacing and substantially progressing story that gets more insane and with it, the understanding of why everything works in the first place.

AND YET, this show is SEVERELY underrated, and to put it slightly, an anime ORIGINAL to boot. More people should watch this show, it's blasphemingly great and satisfying from start to finish! Don't try to fight the narrative, just enter this show blindly and you'll see why.

Meticulously indulgent, yet ever beautiful. In one ear, out the other; that does not apply to this. As the D**** guy (* to avoid the spoiler), who's name I can't recall, would say. Now, surely, you agree.

The good: Generally unencumbered, the main character, ventures into the fantasies and extravagances of others in their virtual [ID (hence the title of the show)] dimension. Very proficuous are the hints that the show allows the viewer: things that many might find too ambiguous or meticulous.

The bads: Almost none to count. If I had to pick one, the clues might be easy for people to overlook, well, if they ... do not try hard enough to find them, that is. Do not be keen to overlook the clues. Heed my words, to quote or forlorn protagonist - many things he's persevered.

The ugly: This show, although something that I admire and indulge, is not for meek ones, faint of heart. Riddled with shocking scenes and scares, one might not be able to detect the clues through all of the madness. But madness to one, is excitement to me.

In conclusion, John Walker remind me of many of the anxieties of life and society.

P.S: enjoyment is so low because, for me at least, I had to cope with many of my darknesses - for this show connects. But in conclusion, it allows me to put a name to my madness, at least. John Walker.