The night fascinates. For some it is synonymous with fear and anxiety, but for the characters in Call of the Night it is synonymous with freedom.
Call of the Night is a shonen by Kotoyama, also author of Dagashi Kashi, released in 2019 and ending this year 2024 :(. In this manga, we follow the story of Ko, a schoolboy wishing to become a vampire. But to do so, he is forced to fall in love with the only vampire willing to help him: Nazuna Nanakusa. The manga has an excellent anime produced by LidenFilms, released in 2022 (and a sequel wouldn't be out of place!).
The storyline may seem a little cliché, but in truth Call of the Night is a manga that deals brilliantly with human relationships. Throughout his adventure, Ko will meet other characters, both human and vampire, who will influence him but also give him a vision of life different from his own. Despite being a shonen, Call of the Night is also a romance and a comedy. The mix of the two works extremely well, the humour is really effective and manages to keep coming back for more. As for the romance, it's also very interesting to follow and is more subtle than it seems. Even though Call of the Night is a shonen, I've always found it hard to classify this manga, given all the genres it mixes and how finely it handles them.
One of the highlights of Call of the Night is, of course, the cast. Each character is unique and has their own importance and development in the story. This is one of the only mangas where I really like almost all the characters. They all have their own mysteries and philosophies of life that are interesting to follow. Obviously Ko and Nazuna, the duo we follow, are more than successful. Their relationship is very interesting and the duo works very well when it comes to making us laugh or moving us.
As for Kotoyama's style, it's also a real success, and we can see that she's clearly improving as the manga progresses. The chara-designs are successful and the atmosphere conveyed is truly unique. Her style is truly original and makes the manga a pleasure to read.
Finally, the themes addressed by Call of the Night are very interesting and finely handled. Whether it's identity, loneliness or love, each theme is important and subtly addressed. It's a manga which, paradoxically enough given that there are vampires, deals perfectly with human relationships, all under the backdrop of the night which is supposed to guarantee "freedom".Far from being over-powered or dangerous vampires, in this manga they also seem hesitant, awkward with others and, if anything, almost more human than humans themselves.
I obviously recommend this manga, and I think it's one of the best surprises I've ever read!