ID: Invaded #Brake-Broken Vol. 2 Review – Criminal Minds on Speed

There is manga that is hard to follow, which creates some messy pacing and confusion when piecing together the plot. However, I feel like author Otaro Maijo doesn’t care with their sci-fi thriller ID: Invaded #Brake-Broken. This is Speed on speed injected with the fuel that powers one to binge-watch every season of Criminal Minds while simultaneously trying to follow the Borne trilogy. Whatever the case may be, this manga sure is fun to read.

ID: Invaded #Brake-Broken Vol. 2 begins with a tragedy that sets the stage for this adrenaline-filled volume. There’s really no time to think as Fukusen-Kun is the next victim in a string of murders. Luckily, he’s not one of them, but he kisses death on the lips in this interaction. The ID Well is used heavily throughout the volume to gather new evidence on the suspect and possibly a group of followers who lend her a hand.

The pacing is akin to a crossing light, green, yellow, red. You are constantly in a state of moving forward, but the yellow light allows you to gather new information, then the light turns green, and some heavy story elements land on you as the light turns ren where you get a moment to think about what the hell just happened. It’s exceptionally science fiction in these moments, and you’re expected to follow closely where these characters and how the rules of this world work. Further, a missing Wakumusubi causes much concern for the group detectives.

It’s essential to understand how these work, but some liberties wrap up the final chapter. This just feels a little too rushed, and I would have much rather enjoyed a slower pace to this. However, it does provide a nice element to return to in the next volume as an ID. Well is sure to provide helpful information.

There are some excellent illustrations from Yuuki Kodama, but I mostly enjoyed the scenes of death that were depicted and the strange frog character that dwelled in this world. I’m not what it was about these moments of the volume, but I felt myself drifting into these scenes and wanting to explore more of this lonely environment. Other high-action moments depict the fast car chases and extravagant explosions, but the numerous crashes are hard to follow.

There aren’t too many scenes where the character’s bond grew. Everyone was just yelling orders and new realizations throughout the entire volume. I could really use some one-on-one scenes with the characters to understand their relationship together, but I know that this volume wasn’t the place to do that.

ID: Invaded #Brake-Broken Vol. 2 is a rush. From beginning to end, expect to re-read this manga because you don’t want to miss anything. I enjoyed the stop-and-go pacing and the subtle clues about how these murders are all happenings and who is the puppet master of it all. I’m interested to see where these relationships go and how they evolve because right now, I could use a chapter of slow dialogue after all these dead bodies and explosions.