Call of the Night, Vol. 5: Volume 5

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Chapter 180 • Chapter 181 • Chapter 182 • Chapter 183 • Chapter 184 • Chapter 185 • Chapter 186 • Chapter 187 • Chapter 188 • Chapter 189 Except it isn’t working and watching them end up drawn together, at times despite themselves, has been so satisfying. The visit to Ko’s bedroom is absolutely hilarious - Nazuna is in peak form here - and the ending of that section is quite the thing. And it just keeps topping itself - if anything, Ko is more emotionally mature and he brings that out in Nazuna. As often happens with manga serializations, the first volume of Call of the Night spent a number of chapters establishing its central situations, and felt a bit tentative in places. This volume solidified the series' tone and focus in a satisfying way. Chapter 30 • Chapter 31 • Chapter 32 • Chapter 33 • Chapter 34 • Chapter 35 • Chapter 36 • Chapter 37 • Chapter 38 • Chapter 39 • Chapter 35.5 It seems like Nazuna is encouraging Ko to be possessive, she tried making him jealous at the pool and pointing out people who’s blood she’s had. She had said various emotions add flavor to the blood but encouraging him to act like a jealous boyfriend isn’t good for him. She’s encouraging him to stay out all night and not go to school, overall she’s a bad influence on him. I think she’s just lonely and desperate for a friend, even if it is with a middle schooler.

Have you ever stayed up late staring into the calmness of the night. Do you ever feel an immense wanderlust when day turns dark? If yes then this is for you. The call of the night" has a few connotations now: Nazuna and the vampire life; sexuality and sex work (whether obliquely or overtly); drinking and parties; deserted, empty streets where you can stand in the middle of the road without danger. I liked the first volume, but I like this one even more. We learn more about each of our protagonists’ lives, get even richer emotional connections, and it all continues to captivate me as it does all this with a deft touch. There’s a pool party, massages, and misunderstandings (but nothing too severe.)In Vol 2, Ko's quest to become a vampire seems to be met until it isn't. The 'vampire' metaphor is used interestingly in this series and gives Ko room to think about his behaviors, his observations, his fears, and the not-so-subtleties of growing up. And it is done with cheeky humor and familiar awkwardness but with also a surprising gentleness. Or as gentle as can be with a Nazuna around. There are some minor wobbles that keep this from quite getting full marks. We see the lure of the night without much of its negative side, for one--especially when it comes to the ability of women to move about without interference or outright predation. Kiyohomi's story at the end of the volume doesn't sugarcoat how oppressive Japanese office life can be for a woman who doesn't already have the protection of a male partner, and I imagine author Kotoyama will not stop there. It isn't an omission so much as something they haven't gotten around to yet, I think. I really liked where they went with Akari, who is incredibly suspicious of Nozuna (with reason - vampire and all), but turns out to be far less the jealous friend and just, well, an actual friend. It’s nice that she sits in the story as the one thing that tethers Ko to his old life. Is this story an after dark travelogue or the tale of a depressed kid taking a different path in life? Maybe it’s both, maybe it’s a love story, maybe it’s the story of two people who don’t know exactly what they want spending time together. You can interpret Call of the Night any number of ways right now and I kind of like that.

And the surrounding material is so good. Despite her eyebrow raising proclivities towards younger “men”, Anko is a villain, but only from one perspective. From another it’s quite obvious how she sees her work as important and, simultaneously, how much of a threat it is to the vampire community. Sometimes you need a moustache twirler of a villain, but this sort of story about what your humanity means at the end of it all is better served with a little nuance.Chapter 110 • Chapter 111 • Chapter 112 • Chapter 113 • Chapter 114 • Chapter 115 • Chapter 116 • Chapter 117 • Chapter 118 • Chapter 119 As for their lives, we see other sides of the biting (and witty) vampire, with her profession of choice being brought up. This provides depth to her inner workings, as well as some comedy. As for the insomniac hero, he’s torn on what he wants to do, besides his wish for vampirism. Does he truly comprehend what love is? Is he ready to handle that emotion? Is she? Chapter 40 • Chapter 41 • Chapter 42 • Chapter 43 • Chapter 44 • Chapter 45 • Chapter 46 • Chapter 47 • Chapter 48 • Chapter 49