ID is the first of several Korean manga I’ve recently picked up. Sadly Korean works don’t seem to gain the attention as much as their japanese counterparts, which is a shame, since the few i’ve read are all equal to their counterparts.

ID_ is no exception, though sadly it is unlicensed, and only available from a scanlation group.

Once you get used to reorientating your reading (Korean manga read from left to right) ID_ has a charm and fluid style that a lot of the japanese ones lack, it also doesn’t have the rushed and cluttered feel that many japanese manga have.

Two scanlation groups started the project, BNC and K-Manga, of the two only K-Manga is still active on the project. Both groups have their pros and cons, however K-Manga are defiantly the group to follow, their releases are always of a high standard, compared to the bad editing of BNC. However K-Manga do have a problem with their editing as well. The fonts they use are at times difficult to read due to being to small, which can hinder the flow of the story a bit. However that aside, their releases are usually on a consistent schedule, a chapter every week or so. Where as BNC (who seemed to have died now) were more inclined to sporadic large batches.

K-Manga also have both an active website as well as IRC Channel complete with bots hosting their releases. So if you decide to pick up the series (As I have) drop by their IRC channel and show your appreciation for their hard work

Before I go into the manga itself, here’s some desktops for your collection, credits to the original creators of course. If you made these, drop me a line through the contact page and I’ll credit your name properly. These images are huge, so be warned, they will blot out your screen Better to right click and save as.

credit list: top left: Id by Ikasam, Top Right: Id by zeronero, bottom left: Irlina by Irix, Bottom Right: Lamia by ???

Now, onto the manga itself…

The manga has a strong cliche element, the way the characters meet, the party composition, just about everything is cliche, yet it doesn’t do it in a cheesy way. It’s a perfect example of that old tricks can still be entertaining.

It follows Chun Hwa-nim (nim appears thought the series attached to peoples names, i got the impression it was a form of respect), as he travels to find something. It’s not until the 6th volume we find out who and what he is and his past, but even then there are still mysteries around him.

When he first meets the others of the party (Ilran, Grey, Reindelph, Hael and Irlina) he changes his name to ID, as he was told his real name would be conspicuous and out of place.

In a lot of way’s this story reminds me of my old AD&D days, and the Lodoss series Each of them has a reason for traveling, and they join together to help each other out. As a result they get caught up in some devastating events.

So far I’ve read all of the six volumes currently scanlated and i love the series, the love triangle that forms between Lamia and Irlina is extremely interesting. Lamia being a sentient sword and Irlina being a High Elf, and poor ID caught in the middle hehe.

Like all cliche stories ID is pretty clueless and a bit naive about some things, yet he’s incredibly strong. He performs feats that the others see as magic, but to ID they’re nothing special, I got the impression of old style martial arts myths.

Volume six is where the true story seems to begin, this volume is packed to the brim with action, plot and character development, and the introduction of the enemy, though no one is aware of them yet.

The entire method of telling the story is amazing, Kenny has drawn a series that flows perfectly, and written a script that fits with the atmosphere he creates, a rare feat.

I’m eagerly hoping that some one (preferable Del Ray or Tokyopop) picks up this series and starts to release it. Several other Korean manga have been released, so there’s no reason for this one not to be.