 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | VIZ MEDIA | | | ▪ | AUTHOR / ART: | | NAKED APE | | | ▪ | FORMAT: | | JAPANESE / B&W | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 184 | | | ▪ | RATING: | | OT | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 01/12/2010 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 01/07/2010 | | | ▪ | 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 twelve, a brand new drug of choice hits the streets and causes more havoc than anyone could have predicted. Narita investigates the deaths of dealers selling this new drug called "seed" When he receives a mysterious package, he discovers that someone is looking into his days with his old partner Saiga. Now Narita has to solve two mysteries: who is rummaging through his past, and what that has to do with the current murders. It’s a double twist that will keep you guessing in this latest volume of Switch! Something that stands out right away when you start reading this volume is the phenomenal depth to the art. Switch has always maintained a great look to it, with highly professional and unique art, but the depth of it was just more apparent in this last volume. It’s amazing how the artist manages to make the visuals look like they’re really “popping” up off the page, or that they flow deep into the background as well. A lot of manga has a flat look to it, but Switch takes the time to do something pretty visually entertaining with its depth. As for the story this time around, depth seems to be a theme running through volume twelve! There are a few mysteries packed on top of each other to try to figure out this time around – poor Narita sure has his hands full! Weird packages and an addicting new drug called “seed” are just part of what befalls our character’s daily experiences this time around – there’s much more to it then first meets the eye… All in all, you’ll be pleased to know that not only does Switch keep up everything that has been good about it so far; it also continues to up the ante with new plot twists and surprises that are all more than welcome. The story doesn’t falter, and the art seems to get better with each volume as the artist is pushed to deliver something even better than the last volume contained. This is exactly how fans would want a manga to progress, so Switch is certainly on the right track and should continue as such until the end. As for extras, there’s always a little snippet about what the artist and author have been doing lately or some personal thing about them – it’s fun to read. 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:
This volume of Switch is even better than the last, showcasing the usual fantastic art, and a gritty storyline with a number of twists. All of this comes together to create a more than entertaining manga package that should delight many different kinds of readers. |
