Call of the Night Review: A Sleepless Boy Wanders the Night City and Meets a Vampire Who Wants to Make Him One Too
by Kotoyama
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Quick Take
- One of the best vampire manga in years — the "night as belonging" atmosphere is beautifully realized, and Ko's genuine disconnection from daytime life gives the vampire premise emotional honesty
- Nazuna is one of the most distinctive characters in recent manga; her relationship with Ko develops with genuine care
- 16 volumes complete; essential reading for vampire manga fans
Who Is This Manga For?
- Readers who want vampire romance with genuine atmospheric depth
- Anyone who has felt more alive at night than during the day
- Fans of slow-burn romance with supernatural elements
- Readers looking for complete atmospheric romance with action elements
Content Warnings & Age Rating
Age Rating: M (Mature) Content Warnings: Blood and vampire drinking depicted sensually; some explicit content; night life themes; teen protagonist in M-rated situations
M rating — adult readers; the blood content has romantic/sensual charge.
Yu's Rating
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Story Depth | ★★★★★ |
| Art Style | ★★★★★ |
| Character Development | ★★★★★ |
| Accessibility for Non-Japanese Readers | ★★★★★ |
| Reread Value | ★★★★★ |
Story Overview
Ko Yamori is fourteen and cannot function. Not because anything is wrong with him that a doctor could identify — but because daytime feels false. The social expectations of school, the performance of normal adolescence — none of it connects. He starts sneaking out at night.
The night city is different. Alive in a way the day is not. When he meets Nazuna Nanakusa, who is drinking blood from sleeping people in an alley, he does not run. He asks her to make him a vampire.
The condition: to become a vampire, you must fall in love with the vampire who gives you the final bite. Ko decides he needs to fall in love with Nazuna. Nazuna, who has never tried to make someone love her, begins something she did not expect.
The series is about what it means to belong somewhere — Ko's genuine home is in the night, and the question of becoming a vampire is inseparable from the question of where he belongs and who he belongs with.
Characters
Ko Yamori — A protagonist whose disconnection is honest rather than performed; his attraction to the night is the series' emotional foundation and it never feels like a pose.
Nazuna Nanakusa — A vampire whose casual warmth and genuine uncertainty about being loved make her one of the most interesting vampires in the genre; she was not expecting to matter to anyone.
The night people — Other vampires and night wanderers whose stories add dimension to the night world Ko is entering.
Art Style
Kotoyama's art is the series' visual soul — the night city panels have genuine atmospheric beauty, the relationship between Ko and Nazuna is drawn with physical closeness that communicates warmth without being explicit, and the blood drinking scenes have a sensual charge that earns the M rating. The night imagery is among the most accomplished in recent manga.
Cultural Context
Call of the Night ran in Weekly Shonen Sunday from 2019 to 2024. Kotoyama previously created Dagashi Kashi. The series draws from the vampire tradition while making the vampire's perspective — Nazuna's centuries of watching humans — an ongoing source of the series' melancholy beauty. Urban night as a specific atmosphere is the series' visual and emotional setting.
What I Love About It
The way the night is drawn. Every page set in the night city has something in it that makes the night look genuinely attractive — the right combination of light, shadow, and emptiness that makes Ko's preference for it completely understandable. The series makes you want to go outside at 2am.
What English-Speaking Fans Say
Western readers describe Call of the Night as the best vampire manga since Vampire Knight and one of the more emotionally intelligent recent romantic manga — specifically noted for the atmosphere being genuinely beautiful, for Ko and Nazuna's relationship developing with unusual care and mutual character development, and for the series avoiding the typical harem expansion. Consistently cited as essential.
Memorable Scene ⚠️ Spoiler Warning
The first time Ko realizes the difference between what he thought he wanted (to become a vampire) and what he actually wants — and what that means for Nazuna — is the series' most emotionally concentrated scene.
Similar Manga
- Vampire Knight — Vampire romance in shojo register
- Dance in the Vampire Bund — Vampire politics and romance
- Vanitas no Carte — Historical vampire romance with similar atmospheric depth
- Given — Slow-burn romance with similar emotional care
Reading Order / Where to Start
Volume 1 — Ko's sleeplessness, the night city, and Nazuna's introduction establish everything.
Official English Translation Status
Viz Media published the complete English series. All 16 volumes available.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Atmosphere is genuinely beautiful
- Ko and Nazuna develop with unusual care
- Night city as setting is consistently realized
- Complete in 16 volumes
Cons
- M-rated content may limit accessibility
- Slow-burn pacing requires patience
- Some readers may find the teen protagonist in M-rated situations uncomfortable
Format Comparison
| Format | Notes |
|---|---|
| Individual Volumes | Viz Media; complete series |
| Digital | Available |
Where to Buy
Get Call of the Night Vol. 1 on Amazon →
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Written by
Yu
Manga Enthusiast from Japan
I grew up in Japan and manga literally saved me during a tough time in elementary school. My English isn't perfect, but my love for manga is real — and I want to share it with you.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.