Call of the Night
You know that feeling when the world feels too loud, and suddenly, the quiet of the night feels safer than daylight? That’s what Call of the Night pulled me into. At first, it looks like just another vampire anime—boy meets mysterious vampire girl—but it hit me in a way I didn’t expect. The main character, Kou Yamori, is this restless teen who just can’t sleep. And instead of lying there, tossing and turning, he slips out into the night like a ghost wandering through neon-lit streets. That restlessness—God, it felt like it mirrored something in me.
Then he comes across Nazuna. She is not a vampire as you would think her to be the dark, broody, romantic type. She is sarcastic, untidy, straight-forward, even shameless. And it was that which made her so human. She did not make any efforts to conceal her personality, she was not polished to make a good impression on anybody. And Kou, in his shy, lost fashion, just gravitated towards her. Watching them was like watching two lonely parts slowly rotate around each other, not quite sure whether they fit, but eager to make an attempt.
One of the scenes which really resonated with me was when Kou starts doubting what it means to live. He does not want to become as lifeless and tired as the people around him who are adults. That is what struck me so painfully--as though he was saying out aloud the apprehension we all have, in our secret hearts: what would life be but this endless cycle of working, sleeping and awaiting something better? Nazuna, and all her weird humor, suddenly turns out to be this anchor to him. She is not a problem solver, but she gives him a reason to desire more.
Then the surprise, Kou tells her he wishes to be a vampire. I initially believed that it was a simple adolescent rebellion cranked to the next level. Then you find it goes deeper. He seeks liberation, flight, a new form of life in which he does not need to adhere to the rules as other people do. The condition however is harsh; he must fall in love with Nazuna in order to get it to occur. That is when the story takes a different turn as now it is not just about sleepless nights, but also about the horrifying, awkward and messy process of opening your heart to someone.
There’s this one episode that wrecked me quietly: Kou sees a group of other vampires, and they’re not like Nazuna. They’re dangerous, manipulative, almost predatory. And suddenly, the dream of becoming one doesn’t look so simple. It’s like being hit with the realization that the thing you’ve been chasing might destroy you too. That shook me because it reminded me of how sometimes the things we think will save us—quitting everything, running away, reinventing ourselves—aren’t always the perfect cure.
But the actual tear-jerker moment was? It was not the spectacular battles of vampires, it was not the crazy turns. It was when Kou in this raw, vulnerable manner reveals that he does not know what love feels like. He is almost ashamed to ask Nazuna whether what he feels is even real. And I swear that I felt that crack in my chest. How many times have we been in that position where we were trying to call out some emotions that we cannot really describe, afraid of making a mistake? The sincerity of that scene was more penetrating than any battle ever was.
Nazuna--she does not offer him some platitudinous encouragement. She shoves him off, flirts with him, but on her terms, she comes to his rescue. It came to me then: love does not always have to be big things or understanding everything. Sometimes it is simply remaining. Choosing one when he/she does not have it all figured out.
When I completed Call of the Night, I understood that it was not just a vampire anime. It was a story of loneliness, identity and that restless desire of something more. It reminded me of my sleepless nights when I wanted someone to share with and to stroll with along the streetlights and just live without any pressure. It is the kind of anime that creeps under your skin- quietly, softly and leaves you hanging at the ceiling long after the credits end.
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