Call of the Night

Call of the Night (よふかしのうた) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kotoyama. It was serialized in Shogakukan's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Sunday from August 2019 to January 2024. In North America, the manga is licensed for English release by Viz Media. An anime television series adaptation produced by Liden Films aired from July to September 2022 on Fuji TV's Noitamina programming block. A second season has been announced.

In 2023, the manga won the 68th Shogakukan Manga Award for the category.

Plot
Unable to sleep or find true satisfaction in his daily life, Ko Yamori stops going to school and begins wandering the streets at night. He encounters a girl named Nazuna Nanakusa, a vampire who shows Ko the joys of being a night-walker. This results in Ko wanting to be a vampire as well, but in order to achieve his goal he must first fall in love with her.

Main

 * Ko Yamori (夜守コウ)
 * A fourteen-year old boy in his third year of junior high, who slowly finds himself unable to sleep because of his dissatisfying life. To reinvigorate himself, he slips out at night to walk the streets. Ko is trying to fall in love with Nazuna in order to become a vampire and leave his human life. It is later revealed that as he begins to develop more emotionally, he can enter into a half-vampire state. This seems to be dependant on emotional or physical distress at first, and later shown to emerge through some semblance of blood loss, whether that is from an injury or just a simple ear piercing. Anko later gives him an ear piercing kit to easily transform at will, and also believes that by entering this half-state repeatedly, Ko's vampire half will eventually take over his human half, or that as his love develops for Nazuna, the transition will complete.
 * A fourteen-year old boy in his third year of junior high, who slowly finds himself unable to sleep because of his dissatisfying life. To reinvigorate himself, he slips out at night to walk the streets. Ko is trying to fall in love with Nazuna in order to become a vampire and leave his human life. It is later revealed that as he begins to develop more emotionally, he can enter into a half-vampire state. This seems to be dependant on emotional or physical distress at first, and later shown to emerge through some semblance of blood loss, whether that is from an injury or just a simple ear piercing. Anko later gives him an ear piercing kit to easily transform at will, and also believes that by entering this half-state repeatedly, Ko's vampire half will eventually take over his human half, or that as his love develops for Nazuna, the transition will complete.


 * Nazuna Nanakusa (七草ナズナ)
 * A "night-walker." She encounters Ko on his night out, then offers to stay with him at an abandoned building to free himself of his worries, where she then sucks his blood as he sleeps. She is very shy when it comes to love and gets embarrassed easily, but enjoys lewd jokes and teasing Ko. She also loves to drink beer. It is later shown that Nazuna's existence is a mystery to everyone involved, with her not even knowing her exact age, assuming she has been around 30 to 40 years. She mentions her embarrassment with not being an older more classical vampire. It is revealed Nazuna is a special case among vampires as she was not turned, but rather born as one, with a vampire mother and human father. She was begrudgingly raised by Kabura, the woman turned by Nazuna's mother, Haru, who discovered that Nazuna's life cycle is completely different, her body already fully developed after a few years even with the mental state of an infant. It is also assumed that Nazuna might be the only vampire by birth currently known. She is kept at a distance from the main vampire group due to her stunted personality, lower intelligence, and immaturity. No one knows what her birth could mean for the vampire world or what she is. Her weakness is later revealed to be her preserved umbilical cord.
 * A "night-walker." She encounters Ko on his night out, then offers to stay with him at an abandoned building to free himself of his worries, where she then sucks his blood as he sleeps. She is very shy when it comes to love and gets embarrassed easily, but enjoys lewd jokes and teasing Ko. She also loves to drink beer. It is later shown that Nazuna's existence is a mystery to everyone involved, with her not even knowing her exact age, assuming she has been around 30 to 40 years. She mentions her embarrassment with not being an older more classical vampire. It is revealed Nazuna is a special case among vampires as she was not turned, but rather born as one, with a vampire mother and human father. She was begrudgingly raised by Kabura, the woman turned by Nazuna's mother, Haru, who discovered that Nazuna's life cycle is completely different, her body already fully developed after a few years even with the mental state of an infant. It is also assumed that Nazuna might be the only vampire by birth currently known. She is kept at a distance from the main vampire group due to her stunted personality, lower intelligence, and immaturity. No one knows what her birth could mean for the vampire world or what she is. Her weakness is later revealed to be her preserved umbilical cord.

Humans

 * Akira Asai (朝井アキラ)
 * Ko's childhood friend, who lives in the same apartment complex as him. She attempts to try and convince him to return to school, but also, reluctantly, is supportive of his dream of becoming a vampire. She treasures her relationship with Ko and Mahiru.
 * Ko's childhood friend, who lives in the same apartment complex as him. She attempts to try and convince him to return to school, but also, reluctantly, is supportive of his dream of becoming a vampire. She treasures her relationship with Ko and Mahiru.


 * Kiyosumi Shirakawa (白河清澄)
 * A busy-body office worker and one of Nazuna's clients from her massage gig. After hearing about her struggles in life due to her heavy work schedule, Ko vows to help her, as he feels they share the same plight, and will offer to turn her into a vampire when he becomes one himself.
 * A busy-body office worker and one of Nazuna's clients from her massage gig. After hearing about her struggles in life due to her heavy work schedule, Ko vows to help her, as he feels they share the same plight, and will offer to turn her into a vampire when he becomes one himself.


 * Mahiru Seki (夕真昼)
 * A popular boy at school, and one of Ko and Akira's old friends, who also starts to hang out at night. He is initially apprehensive of Ko's dream of becoming a vampire after they are attacked by one, but after learning the woman he fell in love with, Kiku Hoshimi, is also one, he decides to let himself be turned too.
 * A popular boy at school, and one of Ko and Akira's old friends, who also starts to hang out at night. He is initially apprehensive of Ko's dream of becoming a vampire after they are attacked by one, but after learning the woman he fell in love with, Kiku Hoshimi, is also one, he decides to let himself be turned too.


 * Akihito Akiyama (秋山昭人)
 * Seri's vampire underling. He befriended Seri, and after a situation where he was saved by Ko who helped the two of them understand their feelings, he asked her to turn him into a vampire. He is often referred to as 'Draggo','Menhera-san', or 'Mr. Mental' by Ko.
 * Seri's vampire underling. He befriended Seri, and after a situation where he was saved by Ko who helped the two of them understand their feelings, he asked her to turn him into a vampire. He is often referred to as 'Draggo','Menhera-san', or 'Mr. Mental' by Ko.


 * Anko Uguisu (鶯餡子)
 * A vampire-hunting detective. She is a heavy smoker. She is initially introduced as an antagonist to Ko and the vampires, attempting to convince the former to give up on his dream, and revealed to have discovered how to kill vampires using their "weakness" (mementos from their human past). She is later revealed to be "Kyoko Mejiro", Nazuna's first friend and first attempt at creating a familiar. While she was originally on board with becoming a vampire to escape her home life, after an incident where her father was turned into a vampire, who killed her mother, with her using his weakness to kill him, she began to loathe vampires and kickstarted her hunting crusade. She attempted an elaborate suicide plan to get Nazuna and the vampires to kill her, which would result in the existence of vampires being exposed and people to be scared to go out at night. With the flaws in her plan unveiled, and Ko saving her from her own suicide, Anko and Nazuna reconcile and she becomes an ally to the vampires. Ko and Nazuna help her to achieve closure by confronting the vampire that turned her father and spiralled her down this path, Kiku Hoshimi.
 * A vampire-hunting detective. She is a heavy smoker. She is initially introduced as an antagonist to Ko and the vampires, attempting to convince the former to give up on his dream, and revealed to have discovered how to kill vampires using their "weakness" (mementos from their human past). She is later revealed to be "Kyoko Mejiro", Nazuna's first friend and first attempt at creating a familiar. While she was originally on board with becoming a vampire to escape her home life, after an incident where her father was turned into a vampire, who killed her mother, with her using his weakness to kill him, she began to loathe vampires and kickstarted her hunting crusade. She attempted an elaborate suicide plan to get Nazuna and the vampires to kill her, which would result in the existence of vampires being exposed and people to be scared to go out at night. With the flaws in her plan unveiled, and Ko saving her from her own suicide, Anko and Nazuna reconcile and she becomes an ally to the vampires. Ko and Nazuna help her to achieve closure by confronting the vampire that turned her father and spiralled her down this path, Kiku Hoshimi.

Vampires

 * Seri Kikyo (桔梗セリ)
 * A flirtatious vampire who resembles a . She approaches Ko when she hears that Nazuna is spending the night with a human where she attempts to suck his blood, until she is stopped by Nazuna. The two do not get along well, as she questions why Nazuna is spending so much time with Ko while not having turned him yet.
 * A flirtatious vampire who resembles a . She approaches Ko when she hears that Nazuna is spending the night with a human where she attempts to suck his blood, until she is stopped by Nazuna. The two do not get along well, as she questions why Nazuna is spending so much time with Ko while not having turned him yet.


 * Nico Hirata (平田ニコ)
 * A vampire who doubles as a teacher who teaches night classes. She is not as accepting of Ko in her first encounter with him, but becomes willing to let him stay with Nazuna so long as he fulfills his intentions on becoming a vampire and Nazuna continues to suck his blood.
 * A vampire who doubles as a teacher who teaches night classes. She is not as accepting of Ko in her first encounter with him, but becomes willing to let him stay with Nazuna so long as he fulfills his intentions on becoming a vampire and Nazuna continues to suck his blood.


 * Kabura Honda (本田カブラ)
 * A vampire who wears elegant dresses. She works as a nurse in a hospital and she is Nazuna's adoptive mother. She is hopelessly in love with Nazuna's mother, Haru Nanakusa, the woman who turned her, and due to how similar Nazuna looks to her mother, she has a tendency to act like an overbearing and doting parental figure, while also venting her own feelings toward Haru at Nazuna.
 * A vampire who wears elegant dresses. She works as a nurse in a hospital and she is Nazuna's adoptive mother. She is hopelessly in love with Nazuna's mother, Haru Nanakusa, the woman who turned her, and due to how similar Nazuna looks to her mother, she has a tendency to act like an overbearing and doting parental figure, while also venting her own feelings toward Haru at Nazuna.


 * Midori Kohakobe (小繁縷ミドリ)
 * A long-sleeved shirt-wearing vampire who works in a maid cafe. She is very aware of her good looks leading her to seem a little self-absorbed in some situations.
 * A long-sleeved shirt-wearing vampire who works in a maid cafe. She is very aware of her good looks leading her to seem a little self-absorbed in some situations.


 * Hatsuka Suzushiro (蘿蔔ハツカ)
 * A male vampire who appears feminine because of his slender body, shoulder-length hair, cute face, and choice of clothing.
 * A male vampire who appears feminine because of his slender body, shoulder-length hair, cute face, and choice of clothing.


 * Kiku Hoshimi (星見キク)
 * A poorly understood vampire of an unknown age that suffers from extreme sociopathy turning hundreds of people into servants. There is a theoretical rule, never observed, that suggests if a vampire loves a human and bites them, then the human dies. Kiku has been feverishly trying to test this rule to prove she has the emotions for love. Currently, Mahiru is her next target. It is later revealed her true motivation is to become human, testing another theory that states a vampire will turn back if they drink the blood of a human they are in love with.

Manga
Call of the Night is written and illustrated by Kotoyama, his second manga series after Dagashi Kashi. Kotoyama named the series after the song of the same name by Creepy Nuts, which later became the ending theme song for the anime adaptation. It started in Shogakukan's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Sunday on August 28, 2019, and finished on January 24, 2024. Shogakukan has collected its chapters in 20 volumes, released from November 18, 2019, to March 18, 2024.

On July 3, 2020, Viz Media announced an English release of the manga in North America. The first volume was released on April 13, 2021. On May 9, 2023, Viz Media launched their Viz Manga digital manga service, with the series' chapters receiving simultaneous English publication in North America as they were released in Japan.

Anime
On November 11, 2021, a website opened to announce an anime television series adaptation produced by Liden Films. The series is directed by Tomoyuki Itamura, with Tetsuya Miyanishi serving as chief director, Michiko Yokote writing the series' scripts, Haruka Sagawa designing the characters, and Yoshiaki Dewa composing the music. It aired from July 8 to September 30, 2022, on Fuji TV's Noitamina programming block. The opening theme is "Daten" (堕天), while the ending theme is "Yofukashi no Uta" (よふかしのうた), both performed by Creepy Nuts. Sentai Filmworks has licensed the series in North America, Europe, Oceania, and selected Latin American and Asian territories. The first season consisted of 13 episodes. At their Otakon panel in July 2022, Sentai Filmworks announced that the series would receive an English dub, which premiered on September 8, 2022.

At the Fuji TV Anime Lineup Press Conference 2024 event on March 11, 2024, a second season was announced.

Episodes
Michiko Yokote wrote the script for every episode, with Haruka Sagawa being the lead animation director.

Accolades
In 2020, the Call of the Night manga was nominated for the sixth Next Manga Awards and placed seventh out of the 50 nominees with 15,134 votes. The series ranked eighth on the "Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics of 2021" by the Honya Club website. In 2023, the series won the 68th Shogakukan Manga Award in the category, along with Ao no Orchestra.

The anime adaptation was nominated at the 7th Crunchyroll Anime Awards in three categories: Best New Series, Best Ending Sequence ("Yofukashi no Uta" by Creepy Nuts), and Best Romance.

Critical reception
In Anime News Network's Summer 2022 preview guide, contributors generally responded positively to the series, praising the narrative, unique take on the common trope of vampires, and high production value, comparing it favorably to the Monogatari series, which series co-director Tomoyuki Itamura had previously worked on at Shaft.