this was a pleasant surprise from start to finish! I'm glad I went out on a limb and purchased this, it was more fun than I anticipated!
Before I get in to my review, I want to address two common complaints I've seen about this series:
the age gap between Ko and Nazuna and the admittedly slow pacing.
First, the age gap, I will admit, I was stunned to learn that Ko is, The summary didn't give Ko's age and I can only assume this was because the publishers knew if they gave away that information, people would be hesitant to purchase this volume.
And considering how many people gave this volumestar ratings because of the age gap, the publishers were right to be wary, Now, do I approve of this deception No, Does the age gap bother me Nope, Why Because age gaps between supernatural beings and humans are so commonplace in media that unless something really problematic is happening, I don't care, And frankly, nothing problematic occurs in this volume, Yes, Nazuna wears a scantily clad outfit and makes a lot of sexual innuendos, but she never gropes or assaults Ko, In fact, the only time you could say Ko is in a vulnerable position is in the first chapter when she leads him to her place, but she doesn't sexually assault him.
She bite his neck cuz, you know, SHE'S A VAMPIRE, And yes, to her biting a human's neck is considered sexual, but Ko doesn't see it like that and is clearly not bothered by it once the situation's explained, so I have a hard time being bothered by an age gap when nothing sexually problematic happens.
But if this bothers people and they don't want to read it, that's fine, I can totally understand why this bother others and I don't want to shame them, it just doesn't bother me,
The second issue is the slow pacing, I have to agree that the pacing is much slower than in other shonen titles, but I actually like it here, There's such a heavy focus on the scenery and setting and it kind of gives the series a meditative feel, Not that I'm saying this is scholarly reading, but the slower pacing makes you take in everything and give you a chance to pause and think about what you've read.
It certainly won't be for everyone and I'm sure it will put off most, but I liked it a lot,
Okay, with that out of the way, here are the rest of my thoughts on this series:
I really liked Ko's character, specifically his apathy and lack of motivation.
I think it's great that we have an apathetic main lead who isn't really a dick, just a kid who's hit a rut early in life and doesn't know what to do about it.
I also love how he's grappling with understanding friendship and love on an emotional and logical level, I can't really explain it, but it's refreshing to see a character honestly address the more complicated feelings surrounding these things in a time where kids are expected to just go with their emotions.
But what happens when there's a kid who doesn't experience those emotions and has no one that is willing to take the time to guide him That's Ko, and I'm glad we have a shonen protagonist who's dealing with these issues without being an ass about it.
As for Nazuna, I LOVE her design, It's so simple but works for her character and personality so well, I like how she can be, but she can restrain herself when she wants to, It's nice to see a vampire who is constantly trying to get into the main protagonist's pants, Also, she unabashedly drinks in front of Ko and blushes when love is brought up, but has no trouble discussing sex, She's just a lot of fun and I really like her,
Don't have much to say about Akira, Love her design, I think she's a nice, downtoearth influence for Ko, and is just a genuinely good person,
I love the artwork and attention to scenery/setting, It really sells the "night life" vibe and how beautiful yet grungy it can be,
Okay, that's all
I've got, So, do I recommend this Absolutely! I think it was a lot of fun, even if it was slow, If age gaps are an issue for you, though, you might want to proceed with caution, If not, this was a fun start to a series and I'm looking forward to more, I really enjoyed this first volume, I thought the characters and story were interesting, The art style was different from what I usually go for, but was something I also enjoyed about this volume, I look forward to seeing where this story goes and I'll definitely be picking up a finished copy of this volume as well as the next!
Thank you to Viz Media for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this volume in exchange for my honest review.
This in no way affects my thoughts on this volume,.This is the definition of malegaze, there are so many panels that are just the legs/crotch of the female I am aware this is a common thing in the genre but that does not make it okay.
The protagonist is also a literal child,years old, which makes it really uncomfortable to read, I'm really disappointed. Ko has insomnia.
Hes never been able to sleep well, Recently, though, its gotten much worse, He thinks school has something to do with it, Hes received confessions from several girls but has turned them all down, Hes not interested in love or relationships, Hes only, after all. But, turning down those girls has made many of his classmates upset at him,
He doesnt feel like he really belongs at school,
So, Ko has stopped going,
Now, he spends his sleepless nights wandering the streets, Taking in the sights. The world feels new at night,
On one outing, he meets mysterious Nazuna,
Shes loud and brazen, highfiving drunk strangers and cracking crude jokes, Shes truly shameless and super blunt, Shes unlike any girl Ko has ever met before,
Of course Ko agrees to go home with her when she asks, especially when she promises to help him sleep,
Little did Ko know he was walking into a vampires home,
More, he never knew he has apparently “delicious blood, Nazuna is a big fan, She wants more.
Luckily, so does Ko,
He wants to be a vampire! But, according to Nazuna, you can only become a vampire if you fall in love with one, It doesnt just happen by trading blood,
So, Ko decides hes going to make Nazuna fall in love with him,
Nazuna dares him to try,
So, this is a pretty fun story, Overall, I do enjoy it, The characters are fun and pretty interesting and the story is not overly complicated, Plus, who doesnt like a good vampire story
That said, I dont necessarily like how young the main characters are, especially in a story with so much innuendo.
It makes me a little uncomfortable, Its not clear how old of a vampire Nazuna is either which also makes me question her relationship with the main character,
Maybe its not as much of an issue if youre closer in age to the main characters But, it make me feel like Im a voyeur to something I dont want to see.
But, the story is still an entertaining read Until I learn more about the story, I want to reserve some of my critiques, God diggity damn!chapters in and this middle school Twilight shit just might cure thisyear olds seasonal depression! There's something lurking beneath the surface of Call of the Night.
What that is isn't clear yet, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the whole story is something of a metaphor for depression and introversion, Ko, the protagonist, had been doing all right in life until he hit fourteen, at which point his lack of interest in romance suddenly became stressful socially right there with you, buddy, eventually leading to him developing insomnia.
He began walking the night and not going to school, with his parents basically checked out of his life, but his perambulations aren't really helping with his problems.
Then he meets Nazuna,
Nazuna's a vampire, and she's nominally after Ko's super tasty blood, but once again, there's something else simmering beneath the surface, She has no interest in turning Ko into a vampire which would require him to fall in love with her, but she does seem invested in his emotional wellbeing, something she's possibly unaware of.
Are they friends Something more It's not clear, nor is it obvious if Ko's sudden proclamation that he wants to become a vampire is due to him actually wanting to be a vampire or to a need to prove that he CAN fall in love.
Whatever else it is, Call of the Night is not your typical vampire story and that's a very good thing, .