14-year-old Ko Yamori has it rough. Along with the common issues that most boys his age possess, he’s also fixated on not quite understanding how girls work, especially when it comes to those that take a romantic interest in him. The social stresses of this manifest themselves into an acute case of insomnia, causing our young bro to wander out in the streets of Japan late at night while skipping school during the day. Because who needs MIDDLE SCHOOL, amirite? But during one night trek, he encounters a girl who is infatuated with the night and who is free of inhibitions. The girl, Nazuna Nanakusa, offers to bring Ko back to her place; she has a desire to help insomniacs resolve their issues and offer advice to them. Ko is understandably reluctant, especially after Nazuna suggests that the two of them will sleep in the same futon, but eventually he gives in. As he drifts off, Nazuna reveals her true nature: She’s a vampire, and Ko’s blood is on the menu! However, because Ko hasn’t fallen in love with Natsuna, he hasn’t transformed into a vampire himself. Ko—eventually coming to the conclusion that living the #VampireNightLife is right up his alley and much less complicated than dealing with the mortal plane—asks Natsuna to fall in love with him and turn him into a vampire. She is very perturbed at this, being all about that r/VampireChildFree life, yo. However, Ko’s blood is so freaking tasty that she establishes an arrangement: Nazuna will show him the fun of the nightlife and help with his issues, and he’ll let her drink his blood. If love happens, it happens, but she won’t help the process along. Ko agrees and shenanigans ensue.
Truth be told, when I was reading Call of the Night (before I got distracted by stuff like work, more work, even more work, and did I mention work?), I thought it was a really solid story with interesting characters, but didn’t think that it would get an anime adaptation. The thought never crossed my mind. Thankfully the thought crossed someone‘s mind, and they actually did the dawg gone thing and, at least with this first episode, did a great job! I enjoyed this one! The story reminds me a lot of Dagashi Kashi, with a teenager swept into a crazy and wonderful new world by an eccentric female character who changes his whole way of thinking. I suppose it’s no surprise since that series and Call of the Night share the same mangaka! You can tell by the character designs; Ko looks like he could be Kokonotsu Shikada’s little brother, and Nazuna is pretty much Hotaru if you swap her love of candy for love of blood. Hey, whatever floats your proverbial boat.
The Opening Title sequence is…well…it’s amazing. The song “Daten” by Creepy Nuts is an absolute BOP and the animation sequence that goes with it is excellent. This could very well be the best OP of the season, if not the year! It has an “Alice in Wonderland” feel, as we see Ko fall and fly through different worlds and rooms, being pulled by Nazuna. And the fakeout where you think the song is done but it goes into another chorus—brilliant!
So where does that leave us? Simple. Call of the Night is off to a PRODIGIOUS start, and I look forward to seeing where this story leads us. It’s an absolute follow for me and I do believe you’ll enjoy watching the story of the boy dancing with the devil vampire in the pale moonlight.
* By the way, HiDive, if you’re reading this, please, for the love of all that is good and holy in the world, do something about your website. While I was writing my first impression and procuring screen captures, the viewer kept crashing over and over again, and it got so bad that I had to switch to the app on my iPad in order to finish the episode! Come on, guys! I’m gonna need you to do better!
Call of the Night can be viewed on HiDive…maybe…if you’re lucky…if the hamster didn’t fall off the wheel.
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Now that you mention it, I can totally see the similarities in character designs between this and Dagashi Kashi.
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[…] can we please talk about that OP?! Just when I thought Call of the Night was a lock for best OP of the year, “Good Morning [New] World!” by Burnout Syndromes is […]
[…] Call of the Night is one of those shows that does an excellent job of capturing emotions and sparking a relatable tone with the audience. From the moment where Ko, the insomniac teenage protagonist, steps out into the night, in awe and amazement at the new world that surrounds him, to the moment he meets the vampire girl Nazuna, who represents the allure and enticement of nightlife and the seductive temptation of being in a world normally occupied by adults—the series is evocative and a little nostalgic too. The outstanding animation quality really captures the feel of being on the streets of a major metropolitan area in the twilight hours. Also, the OP, “Daten” is an absolute bop and held the crown of Best Anime OP during its entire run…until a certain show about a certain dude with a hardware issue came along. While it doesn’t look like we’ll be getting a second season of this one, you owe it to yourself to check it out and instantly get transported to that time when, as a youth on the cusp of adulthood, you too first discovered the awe-inspiring sights and sounds of the night. ~ Josh […]
[…] night montage. Maybe if it were turned down a bit, it would be better. Also, maybe I’m spoiled by Call of the Night, but the night scenes when our two dorks are strolling around their downtown area don’t seem as […]