ADVANCED REVIEW: ‘Call of the Night,’ Volume 2

Call of the Night Volume 2 is created, written, and illustrated by mangaka Kotoyama. This second volume in the series is localized in English and published by VIZ Media through the company’s Shonen Sunday imprint — where you can also find Fly Me To The Moon. It features translation work by Junko Goda, is adapted to English by Saenib nK. Garrity, and features touch-up art and lettering by Annaliese “Ace” Christman. If you’re unfamiliar with the series, Ko is an antisocial, dorky boy, with insomnia that just doesn’t want to be a human anymore. Enter Nozuna, a fun-loving and sexy-is vampire who is set to drink his blood and buy into transforming him into her minion, and then a vampire. The one catch is that Ko has to fall in love with her first.

Now, Volume 1 ended with enough yearning to make this shonen fit perfectly along the lines of a romance. That said, despite their ages — which I still find questionable, though Nozuna is much older than she looks — Ko has to navigate the difference between lust and love for the first time. In Call of the Night Volume 2, we see Ko confront romantic questions as he struggles to deal with the yearning and decide whether or not it’s because of how Nozuna makes him feel when she feeds from him or if it’s how she makes him emotionally when they’re together. This dynamic works well and pushes their relationship further. That said, it’s not as simple as “does Ko love Nozuna?” Instead, we have the traditional love triangle presented when Akira begins hanging out with the couple. Whether it’s swimming or spending the night together, there is enough teenage angst and sexual tension to make the volume get close to fan service right before pulling back.

That part, which takes place in the first half of Call of the Night Volume 2 is well-done and explores teenage romance as much as the vampiric kind. That said, readers are thrown into a fan-service-driven section of the volume that leads Ko to get jealous when he learns about Nazuna’s night job. What’s the job you may ask? Well, the small and very young-looking Nozuna gives body messages…yup. Let that sink in. While I had issues with the choices of their ages and how sex was discussed — less for a teen audience and more for an adult — this volume pushes that further. With more double entendres as well as direct lines to the two discussing sex which feels weird given how young the two are illustrated.

That said, when Ko temps for Nozuna we get the chance to see an element of the story that focuses on saving a client from her boss and the depression she’s feeling because of them. This last bit helps ground the story and Ko in the importance of life. Instead of running from it and towards vampirism, Ko begins to realize the reasons in life that make it worth living even when it doesn’t immediately feel like they exist.

Overall, Call of the Night Volume 2 is good. I still feel extremely weird about how the characters are illustrated and some of the more fan-servicey elements. That said, there are moments of heart that drive the story and honestly make me want to pick up Volume 3 when it drops. I find myself caught in the middle with this manga. It has things I hate about shonen, but it also has things I love. So, I’m here for the ride, and to be honest, it’s worth looking into.

Call of the Night Volume 2 is available wherever books are sold June 8, 2021.