TV-Series
Description
Kazuyoshi Usui, better known by his nickname Switch, is one of the three main members of the Sket Dan, serving as the group's secretary and primary source of information and technical expertise. He is a tall and notably handsome young man with black hair and a calm, composed demeanor. His most distinctive physical features are the plastic-framed glasses he always wears, which contain no lenses, and his typical uniform of a green vest worn over his school clothes. This appearance is not original to him but an intentional copy of his deceased younger brother, Masafumi, whose memory he honors in this way.
The defining characteristic of Switch is his method of communication; he never speaks aloud. Instead, he uses a voice synthesizer program on the laptop computer he carries everywhere to express himself. The synthesized voice is usually flat and monotone, but he will occasionally manipulate it to higher pitches for comedic effect or to mimic others. This choice of communication stems directly from a profound personal tragedy. In his first year of high school, Switch envied his brother Masafumi's natural talent for science and electronics. When a childhood friend named Sawa was being stalked, his feelings of inadequacy led him to step aside, allowing his brother to accompany and protect her instead. While they were out, the stalker—revealed to be a jealous friend of Sawa's—stabbed Masafumi to death, mistaking him for Sawa's boyfriend. Consumed by guilt and believing he should have been the one to die, Kazuyoshi cut his hair like his brother's, adopted his nickname "Switch," and eventually stopped speaking altogether, withdrawing from the world and becoming a hikikomori.
He was only able to return to the world because of Yuusuke "Bossun" Fujisaki, the leader of the Sket Dan. Bossun personally reached out to Switch and helped him begin the process of healing, an act for which Switch feels a deep and lasting debt of gratitude. As a result of this trauma, Switch's present personality is defined by a stoic and reserved nature. He almost never shows visible emotion, delivering even the most absurd jokes or sarcastic remarks with a completely straight face and his signature deadpan humor. Despite his quiet exterior, he can become intensely passionate when discussing his hobbies, which include anime, manga, and dating-simulation games. He often provides long, highly detailed, and comedic analyses of these subjects, though he ironically denies being an otaku.
Within the Sket Dan, Switch functions as the brains of the operation. His role is to provide the information and technological support that enables Bossun's deductive intuition and Himeko's physical strength to succeed. His most notable ability is his mastery of all things electronic. Using his laptop, he can hack into systems, track signals, and manipulate data with incredible speed. He also maintains an extensive information network across Kaimei High School, giving him access to personal data, secrets, and gossip about nearly every student. This database of information is so thorough that he can recite a person's height, weight, and blood type on demand. He is also a skilled inventor, creating various gadgets and devices to help the Sket Dan solve its clients' problems, as seen during a shoot-off tournament where he used his laptop to fake a gunshot sound and revealed he is ambidextrous to secure victory.
Beyond Bossun, Switch shares a deep and loyal bond with his other teammate, Himeko. Together, the three form a tight-knit family, with Switch acting as the calm anchor to Bossun's energy and Himeko's impulsiveness. He also has a notable antagonistic relationship with Reiko Yuuki, an occult enthusiast, as his rational, science-based mind constantly clashes with her belief in the supernatural, though this conflict hints at a mutual respect. Throughout the series, Switch gradually recovers from his past, learning to forge new connections and move forward without being entirely defined by his brother's death. However, his quiet loyalty and his role as the unwavering, tech-savvy supporter of the Sket Dan remain central to his identity.
The defining characteristic of Switch is his method of communication; he never speaks aloud. Instead, he uses a voice synthesizer program on the laptop computer he carries everywhere to express himself. The synthesized voice is usually flat and monotone, but he will occasionally manipulate it to higher pitches for comedic effect or to mimic others. This choice of communication stems directly from a profound personal tragedy. In his first year of high school, Switch envied his brother Masafumi's natural talent for science and electronics. When a childhood friend named Sawa was being stalked, his feelings of inadequacy led him to step aside, allowing his brother to accompany and protect her instead. While they were out, the stalker—revealed to be a jealous friend of Sawa's—stabbed Masafumi to death, mistaking him for Sawa's boyfriend. Consumed by guilt and believing he should have been the one to die, Kazuyoshi cut his hair like his brother's, adopted his nickname "Switch," and eventually stopped speaking altogether, withdrawing from the world and becoming a hikikomori.
He was only able to return to the world because of Yuusuke "Bossun" Fujisaki, the leader of the Sket Dan. Bossun personally reached out to Switch and helped him begin the process of healing, an act for which Switch feels a deep and lasting debt of gratitude. As a result of this trauma, Switch's present personality is defined by a stoic and reserved nature. He almost never shows visible emotion, delivering even the most absurd jokes or sarcastic remarks with a completely straight face and his signature deadpan humor. Despite his quiet exterior, he can become intensely passionate when discussing his hobbies, which include anime, manga, and dating-simulation games. He often provides long, highly detailed, and comedic analyses of these subjects, though he ironically denies being an otaku.
Within the Sket Dan, Switch functions as the brains of the operation. His role is to provide the information and technological support that enables Bossun's deductive intuition and Himeko's physical strength to succeed. His most notable ability is his mastery of all things electronic. Using his laptop, he can hack into systems, track signals, and manipulate data with incredible speed. He also maintains an extensive information network across Kaimei High School, giving him access to personal data, secrets, and gossip about nearly every student. This database of information is so thorough that he can recite a person's height, weight, and blood type on demand. He is also a skilled inventor, creating various gadgets and devices to help the Sket Dan solve its clients' problems, as seen during a shoot-off tournament where he used his laptop to fake a gunshot sound and revealed he is ambidextrous to secure victory.
Beyond Bossun, Switch shares a deep and loyal bond with his other teammate, Himeko. Together, the three form a tight-knit family, with Switch acting as the calm anchor to Bossun's energy and Himeko's impulsiveness. He also has a notable antagonistic relationship with Reiko Yuuki, an occult enthusiast, as his rational, science-based mind constantly clashes with her belief in the supernatural, though this conflict hints at a mutual respect. Throughout the series, Switch gradually recovers from his past, learning to forge new connections and move forward without being entirely defined by his brother's death. However, his quiet loyalty and his role as the unwavering, tech-savvy supporter of the Sket Dan remain central to his identity.