The Bottom Line
On the surface, Switch is a pretty boy cops and criminals drama that desperately wants to be a smart, hip successor to the shonen suspense sensation, Death Note. But while it has stylish art and potential to be a page-turner, Switch starts off with some abruptly-paced action that leave readers with emotional whiplash.
The story kicks into gear later when rookie narc Kai goes undercover as an assistant to a drug-addicted actor and Kai's partner Hal has a run-in with the Chinese syndicate. I'm intrigued enough to keep reading, but I hope these tangled plot threads are woven into a more cohesive tale in Volume 2.
Pros
- Stylish, contemporary artwork with page after page of bishonen eye-candy
- A hip take on the urban detective genre and veteran cop / rookie story
- Includes hints of dark, intriguing secrets to be revealed in installments to come
- Smart, contemporary crime drama in the tradition of Death Note
Cons
- A strange mix of humor, gritty violence and psychological drama that can be a bit hard to follow
- Kai's naïvete makes it hard to understand how he got a job with the hardboiled narc squad
- Despite Hal's numerous appearances, we get very few insights into this major character
- Pacing of the story is abrupt at times, leaving the reader with emotional whiplash
- With numerous references to guns, violence and drug abuse, it's not kid stuff
Description
- Original Title: Switch (Japan)
- Author & Artist: naked ape (Saki Otoh and Nakamura Tomomi)
- Publishers:
- VIZ Media (US)
- Square Enix (Japan)
- ISBN: 978-1-4215-1764-3
- Cover Price: $9.99 US / $11.99 CANADA
- Age Rating:
OT – Older Teens, Age 16+
for drug abuse, violence
More about content ratings. - Manga Genres:
- Shonen (Boys') Manga
- Bishonen (Pretty Boys)
- Drama
- Mystery / Suspense
- US Publication Date: March 2008
Japan Publication Date: July 2002 - Book Description: 184 pages, black and white illustrations
Guide Review - Switch Volume 1
Baby-faced Kai Eto is a rookie in the Greater Kanto Narcotics Control Division. In fact, he's so wet behind the ears, he shows up late to a crime scene with a kid on his back, announcing "I'm here!" right before his fellow narcs are ready to pull out their guns to make a bust.
I'm not an expert in police procedures, but Kai's actions are beyond boneheaded – It should have gotten him fired. However, in the bishonen (pretty boy) universe of Switch, his mistake is laughed off, and Kai is given a partner and a new assignment. This is how Switch starts out: It slaps you with the kind of sloppy, abruptly-paced storytelling that gives readers emotional whiplash.
But if you can suspend your disbelief for a few more pages, things do get more intriguing, as we get a glimpse of a hidden darker side of Kai's personality and a hint of mysteries yet to be revealed. Just when it would be easy to write this series off, the action kicks into gear in last chapters, as Kai goes undercover as an assistant to a famous actor who is addicted to a new street drug, Dragon Speed, and Kai's partner Hal has a run in with the Ryugen, the Chinese drug smuggling ring responsible for this deadly amphetamine.
Switch desperately wants to be an intelligent, hip crime/suspense drama like Death Note. On the up side, Switch has a lot going for it: stylish art with lots of bishonen appeal, plus cop and criminals action and psychological drama.
Switch has potential, but it just isn't as smartly-written or as deftly paced as Death Note. In Switch Volume 1, various plot threads are left in a tangled mess, and despite numerous appearances by Hal, we learn very little about Kai's crabby partner. I'm intrigued enough to keep reading, but I'm also hoping that naked ape will weave this tale into something more cohesive in Volume 2.
