 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | VIZ MEDIA | | | ▪ | AUTHOR / ART: | | NAKED APE:
SAKI OTOH & NAKAMURA TOMONI | | | ▪ | FORMAT: | | JAPANESE / B&W | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 200 | | | ▪ | RATING: | | OT | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 09/15/2009 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 11/18/2009 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | SCOTT CAMPBELL |
Kai Eto may look like a squeaky clean kid, but the greater Kanto Narcotics Control Division’s new investigator hides a violent alter ego and a dangerous past. Together with his stoic partner Hal Kurabayashi, Kai is assigned to track down and stop the distribution of a dangerous new drug – Dragon Speed. But Ryugen, the syndicate trafficking the drug, is almost impossible to infiltrate. Add street violence and a jurisdiction war with the Meguro Police, and poor Kai is in for some very long days at the office. In volume ten, everyone’s worst fears come to light as it is discovered that Hal may not be who he says he is. When Hal comes under suspicion in the death of a girl, his reputation and his sanity both begin to crack. His partners discover that Hal may also have a past connection to the drug Switch. Now the NCD has to decide whether Hal is one of them or a traitor in their midst… Wow, this volume is tense! It’s a perfect example of what happens to people or a group when it is discovered that things are not what they seem. When lines are drawn, and we know who is on our side, then at least we know who to trust and who is on our team. But when that line blurs and the certainty is gone, chaos quickly takes over and the situation may never be fully sorted out. This is exactly the case in volume ten as Hal comes under question to both the characters and the reader. It’s a great story arch and a good twist – it really throws the reader for a loop this time around! What isn’t much of a surprise is that the art is still wickedly appealing and stylish – this manga shines in its unique artistic light as always. People with a mature taste for different and varied art styles would likely appreciate the way Switch is drawn and formatted. It’s nice to see something mature and produced on a “higher” level for us “older kids.” The use of contrast in the art is really cool – the straight up black and white mixed with hard lines gives Switch a really appealing look. Switch also still keeps a good balance in the way that it will appeal to both female and male audiences – there’s a little something for everyone here, rather than giving it a very gender specific appeal. The author and artist have a good formula that they’re working with, and I hope they continue to stick with it until the end. As for extras, there are a number of preview advertisements for other book series from VIZ Media. A little about the author and artist for your educational enjoyment: Naked Ape is the collaboration of Tomomi Nakamura and Otoh Saki, who were born just three months apart. Nakamura, the artist, takes things at her own pace and feels no guilt for missing deadlines. Saki, the writer, also does cover design and inking and is called President by the assistants. Naked Ape’s other works include Black Tar and the ongoing futuristic crime thriller DOLLS.
IN SUMMARY:
Switch is a great story backed by appealing, and unique art. The twists and turns that take place in volume ten are especially appealing, and make the wait for volume eleven even harder! |
