Finished
“Naive narcotics investigator Kai's violent alter-ego emerges during drug busts, puzzling partner Haru and uncovering dark past.”
Switch
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7.84
1,413 rank · 13,378 readers · 231 favorites
Shounen
Detective
Organized Crime
Action
Drama
Mystery
Would You Love or Hate This?
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Based on your preference for character-driven stories with layered emotional arcs, this title's exploration of identity and belonging would deeply resonate. The pacing mirrors series you've rated highly, and its thematic depth aligns with your appreciation for nuanced storytelling...
However, the slow initial episodes might test your patience given your history of dropping shows that don't hook you early. The art style shift in the middle arc could also be a concern...
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Synopsis
Naive narcotics investigator Kai's violent alter-ego emerges during drug busts, puzzling partner Haru and uncovering dark past.
In the Bureau of Health and Welfare's Narcotics Control Department, Kai Etou and Haru Kurabayashi are new to their work as crime investigators. Kai is a weak but generous 22-year-old man who cannot hurt others, even if necessary. He becomes a "matori"—a nickname for a criminal investigator in the Narcotics Control Department—to help people break away from drugs. Haru, a hard worker self-aware of his aptitudes, avoids associating himself with Kai since he is useless and empathetic toward everyone. For their first assignment, Haru and Kai must arrest an infamous drug dealer. While at it, Kai gets into a fight with the suspect, triggering a "switch" that makes him ruthless and unstoppable. As Kai and Haru struggle to solve drug-related crimes, they edge closer to unveiling the cause of Kai's behavior and his past.Included one-shot: Volume 5: Drug Hunter (prototype)
What people say
Community consensus
Derived from 5 sampled reviews
8.2
/10
What 5 readers settled on.
100%
recommend
Score distribution
median 8
mode 8
σ 1.33
Agreement
Mostly aligned
σ 1.33 · some divergence
The polarity gap
—
Not enough recommend signal yet
Score over time
↓ 0.80
Running avg · Nov 2009 → Feb 2012
Snap verdicts
· shortest highly-rated reviews
- 8 “I love the story and I think it is very well done, but my only complaint is that many of the characters look strikingly alike and if you go a few weeks between chapters or volumes it takes a while...”
- 10 “So I was just going through mangas, searching for something interesting and I happen to come across this picture of these two guys.I was mostly attracted to the the art and just by that I grabbed...”
- 9 “First time writing a review as well. :) I picked up switch at my small town bookstore since I was going away from home for a few weeks on my own and I though it would a good idea to stock up on new...”
Verbosity
Short · 40%
Medium · 20%
Long · 40%
Read Order & Related
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A Manga Publication
- Format 73 × 13 ch × vol
- Total read 9h 44m approx
- Published Jan 2002 – Oct 2008
- Source Manga media type
- Ref. BS-M1227 catalog