Yofukashi no Uta
Call of the Night

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Thank you for reading Call of the Night

My review:
The narrative initially had a somewhat sluggish beginning, revolving around a young boy's attempt to forge a romantic connection with a vampire girl, aspiring for her bite to transform him into a vampire as well. However, as the series progressed, the plot underwent a gradual evolution with the introduction of new characters, leading to the intricate development of the Hokkaido arc.

In my opinion, the Hokkaido arc stands out as the pinnacle of the manga. The meticulous effort invested in crafting the arc's setting is truly commendable, and its conclusion resonates as a beautifully executed finale. The narrative ... intricacies, combined with the emotive conclusion, elevate this particular arc to a distinguished status within the series.

The strength of the manga undeniably lies in its well-crafted characters. Notably, Kiku and Anko emerge as shining examples of superb character development, with their respective story arcs demonstrating a level of artistry in storytelling.

And now, addressing the culmination of the series—the ending. In the concluding arc, a poignant revelation occurs as both characters, Nazuna and Kou, come to the profound realization of their love for each other. However, this newfound understanding is overshadowed by the inherent complexities of their situation. Nazuna, no longer able to extract blood from Kou, and the subsequent gradual acknowledgment that their union is unattainable, added a poignant layer to the narrative that, for me, was truly heart-wrenching to navigate.

The connection between Kou and Nazuna has been a source of unadulterated joy for me throughout the series, making the realization that their love couldn't culminate in a conventional happily-ever-after particularly difficult to accept. Witnessing the unraveling of their bond in the final chapters was undeniably painful for me as a reader.

Yet, paradoxically, this emotional distress is one of the reasons I found the ending deeply satisfying. The emotional weight and realism injected into the narrative added a layer of authenticity, making the resolution more impactful and genuine.

Summing up the conclusion in a single word, I would choose 'simple.' Despite the intricate emotions and complex relationships explored throughout the series, the resolution itself opted for a straightforward approach, allowing the authenticity of the characters' experiences to shine through. Following their separation, Nazuna chooses to retreat to the North, intending to remain there until the intensity of her feelings for Kou gradually diminishes. After a passage of three years, Kou, spurred by a profound yearning, embarks on a quest to find her. Their eventual reunion becomes the poignant conclusion of the manga. In a heartfelt moment, Kou reveals that he has spent the time honing his skills to become stronger, envisioning a future where they can be together. The final panel captures them reclining on the snow, engaged in a serene conversation.

For me, this conclusion is immensely satisfying and represents the pinnacle of Kotoyama's storytelling prowess. The decision to conclude the narrative with a moment of reconnection and the promise of a shared future beautifully encapsulates the essence of their relationship.

While the bittersweet reality of bidding farewell to one of my favorite manga is undeniable, the sense of contentment prevails. The well-crafted ending imparts a profound sense of closure, ensuring that the characters' journeys come full circle, leaving readers with a lasting impression. Despite the melancholy associated with the series' conclusion, the overarching sentiment is one of happiness, as the manga bows out with a fitting and optimistic resolution.

My score, is 9/10.
Goodbye Call of the Night.
Thank you, Kotoyamaa

I don't hate it. I actually liked it... most of the time. But the flaws make me unable to love it because they are such pointless flaws that didn't need to exist but they still purposely did some of them anyways and they do detract from the story and themes.

Pros
-Explores the dynamic between vampires and humans and is very honest about the issues it causes to nobody's benefit.
-Attempts to keep grounded on said issues while exploring mental health issues that can stem from or relate to the above.
-There isn't some random uncalled for reveal about a main villain or whatever.
-Explores other (and related) mental health ... issues.

Cons
-It's just too blunt on anything that isn't clearly the author's favoured content.
-Randomly and inconsistently turns into a shonen battle manga which is a jarring contrast from the usual subject matter.
-MC gets an addition at one point that should not have been a thing. Author doesn't even try to justify it, lampshades he might be breaking the internal rules of the world to do it, and keeps bringing up the fact he's not justifying it. Why?
-After they flesh out actual side characters, they start bloating the cast with undeveloped side characters that don't go anywhere.

And the biggest con... The Ending.
Thoroughly unsatisfactory. Maybe just outright bad because it tries to be inoffensive for the main characters but comes off as indecisive. Like they didn't know how to end the manga while keeping true to the themes and character development. So they kinda didn't do either. It's bordering on disrespectful despite what the author intended to show.

Again, I don't hate it. But I have a bad tendency to only review things that leave a bad taste in my mouth and the ending just tipped me over the edge.

The story has an extremely strong start. And if this was all there was to it, this would be a great work. The problem is the author decided to move away from the dynamic between the two main characters, and decided to change the genre several different times. The story expands to explore all the different outcomes of Vampire's various relationships with Humans, and by god, they're all sad.

Without spoiling too much, there's this MASSIVE digress where both main characters are presented as some kind of exception to basically all the rules established. Then, after the author spends literally over one hundred chapters setting ... it all up... we end up with a disappointing wet fart of an ending that just tosses it all aside and goes on to actively destroy everything that's been built up. This author hates ending his works, and it's twice now that we get such a disappointing waste of time for a conclusion to a series.

But hey, I finished it, if only through sheer stubbornness. There were some points where I almost stopped reading, but I guess it's not all that bad if I finished reading it.