Crunchyroll’s Psychological Thriller Anime Is So Mind-bending, It Puts Mindhunter to Shame

Fans of the Mindhunter series, if you are looking for something interesting in the world of anime — Crunchyroll's ID: Invaded is perfect for you.

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When it comes to psychological thriller anime series, ID: Invaded is probably one of the most notable series in the genre. If you liked the narrative of Netflix’s Mindhunter series, you’ll love what Crunchyroll’s ID: Invaded anime series brings to the meaning of the Psychological Thriller anime genre.

ID: Invaded’s Storyline Redefines What ‘Psychological’ Means

An original Japanese anime television series produced by Studio NAZ, ID: Invasion, follows the story of  Akihito Narihisago, a brilliant detective imprisoned for murdering his daughter’s killer. To piece together the truth behind his own tragic past and the larger criminal plot, Akihito navigates through bizarre and fragmented realities to solve cases under the alias of Sakaido.

The fragmented realities are within the surreal subconscious worlds of serial killers known as “id wells”. Sakaido, being a former detective, finds clues for a special police unit, Kura, an organization that operates the Mizuhanome system, using detectives to gather intelligence from these wells to catch criminals in the real world. Every episode of the 2020 anime series is embedded with the Sci-fi and psychological thriller genres at their peak.

With every episode of the series, a new psychological mystery is uncovered with a new narrative and plot, except for the recurring characters. Talking about recurrent characters, while Sakaido is the main protagonist appearing, a mysterious and shadowy figure also appears in multiple id wells. The character is John Walker, the main antagonist of the series.

The series is really intellectually written and very complex to the core, unless you are a true fan of serial killers and murder mysteries. The core themes of Studio NAZ’s anime series explore the understanding of serial killers on a subconscious level, without becoming one, and the dangers of observing evil atrocities too closely. The series is more mentally focused than physical altercations.

Will There Be A Season 2 For Crunchyroll’s ID: Invaded?

Crunchyroll’s ID: Invaded first aired on January 5, 2020, and after a very successful 13-episode maiden run, the last concluding episode of Season 1 was released on March 22, 2020. Ever since then, many fans have been wondering: Will there be a Season 2 of the anime series, and when will it come out?

With already 6-years passed after the first airing, it is safe to say that, unfortunately, there will not be a Season 2 for ID: Invaded, and the anime industry will not return. However, with the production studio- Studio NAZ- still active, you can never know when something might suddenly be announced. But does the story end with Season 1?

No, the story does not end with the anime series. A Japanese manga sequel illustrated by Yuki Kodama, titled ID: Invaded #Brake Broken, was serialized in Kadokawa’s Young Ace magazine from October 4, 2019, to November 4, 2020. The series has a total of 3 volume compilation, and Yen Press licensed the manga for a North American release.

What are your thoughts on the Crunchyroll’s ID: Invaded anime series? Does it really triumph Mindhunter‘s narrative? Let us know your opinions in the comments below.

All episodes of ID: Invaded are available to watch on Crunchyroll and Amazon Prime Video.

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