Review: CALL OF THE NIGHT is a Fun Manga with Some Depth
Call of the Night is a manga by Kotoyama that saw its first volume published in April by VIZ Media. The second volume is releasing soon and VIZ Media was kind enough to send me a copy of the first volume to review. I read it and it’s an interesting take on the world and uses vampires as an interesting way to explore it. Call of the Night Volume 1 is available now from your local comic shops, favorite bookstores, or even through digital outlets like comiXology (affiliate link). Volume 2 will be available on June 8.
One sleepless night, Ko slips out to walk the streets. Life after dark is a revelation! When flirtatious Nazuna invites Ko to spend the night at her place in an abandoned building, he’s stoked! But then he awakens to kisses on his neck with a little too much bite to them... Is it just the delicious taste of his blood that makes her meet him night after night for late-night adventures, conversation and...naps? Or something else? Then, when a cute girl from Ko’s past shows up and competes for his attention, his budding relationship with the undead is put to the test!
On the surface, Call of the Night appears to be a romantic comedy about an insomniac and a vampire. However, there’s quite a bit more under the surface. As I read, it appeared to be more about being wanted and accepted and building relationships with others. There’s also a sense of self-discovery about the book and a message about living in the moment. There’s definitely a lot more to this story than it seems at first glance.
Kotoyama has created interesting characters and planted seeds for a lot of different themes to grow if cultivated well. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still a rom-com in this manga with some will they/won’t they drama, but it’s a lot more superficial than I originally believed. I also really enjoy the art style used for this manga. Does Nazuna remind anyone else of a popular character from a popular anime from both a design perspective and by the way she acts sometimes.
If you’re looking for a teen manga to read that’s not all about action, Call of the Night is a pretty solid choice. It’s a lot deeper than I originally expected and I’m really interested to see how Ko and Nazuna grow.
