Kou Yamori is an average middle school student who struggles with grasping the complex concept of love. Because he sees little sense in surrendering to the norm, he soon stops going to school. Plagued with insomnia due to his idleness, Kou begins roaming the lonesome streets at night.
One night, Kou encounters a bizarre girl named Nazuna Nanakusa who believes that people stay awake during the night because they are dissatisfied with how they spent their day and cannot rest until they release their inhibitions. Nazuna offers to help Kou with his sleep issues and invites him over to her place, where she convinces him to share a futon with her. Feeling uncomfortable, Kou only pretends to doze off—which is when Nazuna suddenly bites his neck, revealing herself to be a vampire!
While Kou thinks the bite will turn him into a vampire, the specifics of transforming are not that simple. In order to change, he must be bitten by someone he truly loves. Ready to let go of his dreary mortal life, Kou decides on a new goal: he will fall in love with Nazuna and become a vampire himself.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Nenhum episódio encontrado.
Comentários
Mcsuper
The night is a very unexplored landscape for many of us. Some of us perceive it as dangerous and scary, and some others perceive it as a time to party, to let themselves go, and for most of us, we’re probably fast asleep. I’m sure a lot of you have experienced a time in life when you just didn’t want to fall asleep, perhaps because you weren’t satisfied with what you achieved in the day, or you feared what tomorrow will bring, but rest assured, in Call of the Night, the night is viewed as a beautiful time, and a time to release all inhibitions,a time to have the time of your life, so dream on, and imagine yourself in the wonderful dreamscape!
Tomoyuki Itamura, the director of the highly acclaimed Monogatari Series, and the Case Study of Vanitas, is back again for yet another vampire themed anime, and what a job he did! The background composition looked absolutely immaculate, to the point where I have those purple skies as my phone wallpaper. The art direction really evokes a sense of imagination, as it allows us to imagine how alluring the night can look, and combined with great chill music from Creepy Nuts, the atmosphere is quite perfect for this anime.
My grading criteria: Story: /25 Art: /10 Music: /10 Characters: /20 Enjoyment /15 Thematic Execution /20
STORY: 19.8/25
The story starts off relatively slowly, focusing on Kou Yamori, a boy who was quite despondent about his everyday life. He struggles to grasp the concept of love, and stops going to school altogether one day. Plagued with insomnia, he ventures out into the dark of night, and one night, he encounters a very peculiar girl called Nazuna Nanakusa, who has quite the belief about how people can’t rest until they release their inhibitions. Nazuna helps Kou out with his insomnia, and invites her over to her place, where she reveals herself to be a vampire! Having experienced this incredible night, Kou finds himself wanting to be in the night all the time, so he wants to become a vampire, but turns out, you gotta fall in love with a vampire to become one!
The story itself isn’t strong at the start admittedly, as many episodes were focused on the bonding between Nazuna and Kou, along with other characters as well, some of whom that eventually find out about their relationship.
Where it turned for me, in terms of enjoyment, was the fact that vampires, however attractive they look, and whatever fun it seems like they’re having, there’s a darker side to everything, and becoming a vampire isn’t the best thing ever to happen to a person. Aside from that, there are also a number of excellent themes this show tackles, such as how romance and friendships work, the sickness of the human condition, and every human’s inner narcissism, in that humans and vampires alike want to be liked, and paid attention to.
A quick comment about the fan service now, because I know that’s what a lot of you will criticize. The non-vampire fan service is a bit much, but the fan service of vampires I think was quite necessary for the plot, to emphasize the beauty of them, and when we learn about the other sides of vampires, it really makes you think how such beautiful creatures can have such difficult lives too.
ART: 9.8/10
The art is really quite spectacular, and definitely the thing that stands out the most. You can really see the experience of the director, and some sequences look as brilliant as some scenes in Monogatari, which is really saying something. The nighttime ambience is just done so well.
MUSIC: 9.5/10
Also amazing, as the OP and ED are excellent both visually and musically, as well as the excellent soundtrack by Creepy Nuts. Great vibes, and it fits so perfectly with the nighttime ambience, heck, it even adds to the ambience.
CHARACTERS: 19/20
Not only are the characters so fun to watch, their voice actors really do a great job. Nazuna’s such a fun character, really nailing the comedic aspects and also her badassery. Considering her voice actor, Sora Amamiya, voiced Chizuru from Rent-a-Girlfriend, and Nazuna, really goes to show how good her range is, and what different roles she can play. Now our other main character, Kou, is honestly a severely underrated character. From being quite the clueless and despondent guy at the beginning, to being able to stand up for others, and voice his opinions without holding back is great development, plus he was even able to gain some empathy for others. Even for his age, he feels oddly mature in a way, even though he is naive and misguided for sure, especially for skipping school as much as he does. One more character worthy of so much praise is Anko Uguisu, as her voice actor Miyuki Sawashiro really nails her character so well. The comedic aspects and the intimidating aspects of her character were done to perfection, and Sawashiro’s performance was incredible.
ENJOYMENT: 14.7/15
I enjoyed this a ton, with the production and the characters, really impressive stuff.
THEMATIC EXECUTION: 18.5/20
With the ambience of the nighttime, the imaginative theme of the night is really done to near perfection, while Nazuna and the other vampires create a sense of playfulness and have such a jovial tone to them. When the story picks up, the themes of danger and intimidation are also done with great care. Just such thematic brilliance, and while there are slight jarring tonal shifts at times, I never found that a glaring problem.
OVERALL: 91.3/100
Probably one of the best non-sequel series of the year, as it creates such an immaculate atmosphere, and also featured some great characters and themes as well. Brilliant visual direction, and an engaging story near the end. This is a series I would wholeheartedly recommend, as it’s quite the easy watch. The night is short, walk on boys and girls!
RebelPanda
Pink-haired goth vampire girl grooms a 14-year-old black-pilled incel. Call of the Night is a relaxing vampire anime about an antisocial middle school student named Kou. One night wandering the streets, he encounters a mysterious woman named Nazuna, and she turns his world upside down. As Kou gets to know her, he discovers that she's a vampire who has lived for decades and has been searching for a special connection. Together, the two explore the city's dark and vibrant nightlife and discover a hidden world of insomniacs, vampires, and unconventional love. Nazuna's relationship with Kou is purely transactional, so they say. She drinks his blood; hewants her to turn him into a vampire. The blood-sucking is played up to be sexual and embarrassing for Kou, and the joke never gets old. She is a very mysterious and powerful vampire who can fly and possess super strength. Her true intentions are mysterious, which makes her fascinating, but like Kou, she seems to be looking for a companion. She also acts as a mentor to Kou, teaching him about the supernatural world and helping him learn about love, vampirism, and vibing out at night.
Kou is a relatable main character by design. He's antisocial, intelligent, loves big boobs, and feels free during the nighttime. Kou frequently narrates his thoughts, typically his feelings about Nazuna and explains the reasoning behind his behaviors. It's typically apparent what he's thinking, but the way he describes his thoughts is very poetic, so I can't fault the show too much for its wordy script despite its simplistic story. Kou's character arc consists of gaining self-confidence, understanding romance, and embracing his introversion. Through Kou, the show scratches the surface of intriguing subjects like sexuality, aromanticism, and intimacy.
What is the "story" of Call of the Night? There's not much, and that's ok. The anime is practically episodic, and each one is about a problem Kou or one of his friends has that needs to be fixed. Making nighttime friends, considering the future, and contemplating romantic feelings are common. Call of the Night is an anime you watch for the vibes. It is designed to be watched on a laptop in bed at 2 am with the lights off. The writing gets dicey when you question the anime's unique supernatural logic.
The premise requires Kou to fall in love with Nazuna to achieve his dream: to become a vampire. The rules are shaky; how do you actually gauge love? Is it measurable? A thing I like about the show is how it does develop their romance, and even though the age gap is unethical, they ride the line. Obviously, the author wanted to make an age-gap romance and had to write rules to accommodate that, and the rules aren't solid, so what you get is apparent fetishes hidden in plain sight. The more the characters say, "I'm only falling in love with her because she's turning me into a vampire", the more obvious it gets. Don't look at me like that. It's a fetish. Biting, saliva, domination, do I need to spell it out for you more?
They avoid making the relationship creepy by telling the story from the young boy's perspective. He's attracted to Nazuna and tells us so with his narration, but she is only in it for his blood. Things only become a bit suspicious when she becomes jealous of him with other girls. That's when the age-gap bias in the source material pokes through, so if you can ignore a couple of weird moments, the rest is fine. It is a little contrived how they are forced to fall in love within a year, or Kou won't become a vampire. Yes. Does it make sense? Not really, no. But the ticking time bomb plot device adds a sense of urgency.
The art style is very detailed, and the backgrounds are beautiful. The characters are all very well-designed and the colors used are vibrant and eye-pleasing—such a visually distinctive galaxy purple color palette. The animation is minimal, which benefits the quality of the background art. There are a couple of fight scenes that are brief but well-animated.
The soundtrack combines calming and nostalgic mellow sounds with a relaxed, laid-back feel. It incorporates hip-hop and jazz elements and features low-tempo beats, heavily filtered instruments, and noise-based textures. There's one chill, hip-hop insert song throughout the season used frequently, but it never got old. It always fits the vibe and is a joy to the ears.
With a mix of romance, slice-of-life, and comedy, Call of the Night is a must-see for fans of vampire anime.
Marinate1016
Yofukashi no Uta is a brilliant tale of teen angst, depression and anxiety and one of the best examples of artistic storytelling I have seen in anime. By now, everyone has seen Nazuna memes and gifs floating around the internet, and while Nazuna is without a doubt a great waifu with some really funny moments. What makes Yofukashi no Uta so good is how it works as an allegory for mental health issues. Ko, the MC, avoids going to school by staying up all night and wandering around a gorgeously rendered nightscape environment. On that journey he meets everything from vampire families to other studentssuffering the same type of insomnia. Their character interactions act as the cornerstone of the series. Each person Ko meets on his journey each night provides a unique story and lessons.
That’s the obvious part of the story. What people might miss is how the literal tone and colours in the show gradually change over the course of the story reflecting Ko’s perception of the world. At the start he’s obviously alone, then when he meets Nazuna his perception changes to become more optimistic. His quest to fall in love with Nazuna and become a vampire motivates him and gives him purpose. Those honeymoon phase episodes feature much brighter and more eccentric lights. When Ko finds out his wish may not be quite what he thought it to be initially in episode 12, the show takes on a more solemn and neutral tone. Within in the various episodes there’s mini examples of this as well. When Ko and Nazuna are having their nightly joy rides, the background art becomes an explosion of colour. While this may not seem like a massive deal to some, I personally found it incredibly refreshing and unique. Some anime will have things like this on a small scale, but I can’t think of one that legitimately uses colour to compliment the story to this extent.
I really loved the symbolism of having these random strangers run into each other each night. Everyone’s got their own reasons for being out at night, whether it’s vampires hunting for food and “partners” or teenagers who want to escape their mundane and boring lives. The night is a means for people to be something more than they are in the daytime. Whereas Ko felt isolated and alone at school, he’s able to make a variety of connections and find purpose at night. I think that’s something that everyone can relate to. Everyone wants to find and be accepted by a group of like minded individuals. Humans are by nature social beings who need community. The night provides that community in Yofukashi no Uta.
Symbolism and philosophical stuff aside, this is just a genuinely great show with some genuinely hilarious, but also heartwarming moments. Nazuna is so popular for a reason. Every scene she’s in just feels so alive and fun. But there’s some other great characters in the show as well. I personally thought Akari was the best girl and enjoyed the relationship she and Ko had. My one complaint with the show is that there wasn’t more of her. The vampire family’s introduction really got the story going after a couple of relatively stagnant weeks too. I wish we would have had more time with them, but I guess that’s all the more reason for a second season.
Yofukashi no Uta, like the rap song that it’s inspired by is a really eccentric and colourful experience. It’s unlike anything I’ve seen in recent memory and its hype is very much warranted. While the actual plot of the show didn’t really get going until episode 8 or so, the character moments and stylistic direction choices make it a very enjoyable time throughout.
Yofukashi no Uta gets 9 out of 10.
Stark700
Monster movies has been a source of entertainment that has been around for a century. Iconic monsters such as Godzilla, King Kong, and Kajiu are recognizable by their reptuation alone. However, vampires has always been in an oddball position. There are some iconic vampires such as the infamous Dracula, but the sheer amount of vampires in the media today has been oversaturated. It's a market that hardly strikes as unique even when translated into anime. Thankfully, Call of the Night is one such show with vampires that I grew fondly of this year. Based on the manga of the same name, we have another adaptation createdby Kotoyama, who previously put themselves on the map with Dagashi Kashi. Call of the Night begins with protagonist Kou Yamori, a character with a lack of interest in school. Suffering from insomnia, he meets a strange girl named Nazuna who offers to help him with his insomnia problem. One thing leads to another and he eventually learns that she's a vampire. After being bitten, he doesn't turn into a vampire like in most monster movies because of the circumstance that he has to fall in love with her. A catchy twist, right?
Call of the Night's story has a somewhat unique premise although the standard vampire tropes still apply to some characters. Nazuna for instance, still has an appetite for blood, although she doesn't hunt humans like a predator. Instead, she is protrayed as an outgoing and graceful vampire who acts like a teenager. This clashes with Kou's personality, who happens to be more reserved. He treats school almost like a prison and walks around at night believing it's his expression of freedom. A key selling point is the character chemistry between Kou and Nazuna. Seeing a human (well, in more sense, a half vampire) and an actual vampire interact with each other with contrasting personalities is no short of entertaining. Every episode protrays them like a daily adventure where they get to know more about each other. With each progressing episode, Kou also begins to open up more and feels less glommy when around others. Meanwhile, Nazuna's personality blends the line between a human and vampire. You could say that she behaves like a human but has the curiousity of a vampire as well. Remember, in order to be a full vampire, Kou has to fall in love with her. And at the center of this plot, these two will have to learn what love really means.
If there's anything to learn from Kotoyama's works, it's that they provide a character roster with charisma. Funny enough, this is usually for its female cast while the main male protagonist is protrayed an Average Joe. Watching Call of the Night gave me a similar impression when we meet characters such as Seri, Kotoyama, Nico, among others. Perhaps the most similar character related to Kou is Akira, a normal girl with a self disciplined attitude. On the vampiric side, we meet Seri, another prominent character with a sarcastic attitude and just as playful as Nazuna. However, it's noticable that Seri is much more flirtatious and seems to always finds opportunities to tease Kou. Watching their chemistry feels like a test of love it's obvious that Kou doesn't have romantic feelings towards her. The fact is, this show main character pair is hands down, Kou and Nazuna.
When you combine genres with supernatural, drama, and romance, Call of the Night fits with all those categories. But what about mystery? This show doesn't require Sherlock Holmes to solve cases related to vampires but we do meet a detective by the name of Anko Uguisu. Introduced late in the show, Anko is protrayed as an intelligent person but also an agenda against vampires. Let me just say that if there's anything close to an antagonist in this season, it may be her. On the supernatural romance, the anime doesn't develop any deep storytelling between Kou and Nazuna. Both characters remain relatively the same throughout each episode and the anime protays their everyday adventures like sitcoms. As mentioned before, vampire in this anime are protrayed in a much lighter tone. They act more like teenagers than monsters hunting for food. This is what seperates the show from generic Monster themed movies. Too often time these days, we see monsters protrayed as violent creatures but the vampires here are much more carefree. So in essence, Call of the Night is a relatively harmless anime that practically anyone can watch.
Call of the Night often feels like mini-movies because the quality of its coloring, chereography, and overall designs. The animation studio went above and beyond by illustrating lustrous backgrounds especially during nightimes. It looks surreal and fits perfectly with this anime's theme. The nighttimes in this anime express a feeling of freedom, something that Kou deeply desires. Similarly, characters in this show always act carefree and enjoy the freedom of expression and life. And don't mind the character designs because they fit very well with Kotoyama's works.
You don't need to be a fan of monster movies or like vampire to enjoy Call of the Night. In fact, you hardly need to. This anime protrays itself as a lighter supernatural drama than most genres. And truth to be told, I'm surprised at how much I enjoyed this anime from start to finish. To protray vampires in this matter makes it all too entertaining than seeing it being protrayed like some monster movie.
KANLen09
Vampires exist everywhere: history or modern, enclosed in media where depending on the medium, they're either the most vicious "Creatures of the Night" or in some cases, sexually objectified because of their predatory bloodsucking and capability to use their prey to create offspring. One case example is the ever so "lovable" but cringeworthy Twilight series that has won the hearts of fangirls oogling not at the actual vampires, but the actors themselves, because you know, it's Hollywood and ABSOLUTELY nothing about it is shameful (and yes, even 10~15 years since its release, I still hate it with a passion). Ugh, definitely more in terms ofemotional manipulation.
In mangaka Kotoyama's case, it's definitely not just manipulation that he was aiming for, but paedophlia as well, concerning between the leads. But before we head off to the more discerning stuff, a short story about how this came to be. Yofukashi no Uta a.k.a Call of the Night is his 2nd series after Dagashi Kashi, which is a slice-of-life, rom-com series about Japanese candy and snacks, and a whole lotta ecchi sub-context despite the romantic subtext that's very prevalent in that series. And Yofukashi no Uta is unsurprisingly no different in that regard to an undeniable degree to which it functions as a vampire wife simulator, undoubtedly carried by the series' shove-in-your-face fanservice and inert sex jokes between the misogynies of its cast of characters. I personally haven't read or watched Dagashi Kashi to know much about the traits that Yofukashi no Uta picked up upon, but in many a case, the majority saw this show in a bad light, and honestly, it's not theirs to blame but towards Kotoyama's way of thinking and thought to concoct such a premise.
And that premise, starts with Ko Yamori, a 14-year-old boy whom in the unforgivingness of daily life, discloses himself with insomnia and starts to trail on the night life of the streets, hoping to seek a deeper meaning into his life. And this is where he meets the "night-walker", the 30~40 year old-ish adult vampire that is Nazuna Nanakusa, hearing his worries and hoping to lure him into the night life, and utmostly, turn him into a vampire, because she is one. As ANN's Steve Jones put it: "Ultimately, Call of the Night lives or dies on the appeal of Ko and Nazuna's relationship." And this is very important because suddenly, the 14-year-old boy feels like he has found his "calling" in life, and despite having his blood already sucker-tacked on by Nazuna, he still lives within his own bubble that he wants to be a vampire, just like Nazuna. And the only way to do it is if he can fall in love with her, but due to their inadequateness when it comes to romance, lots of their dialogue are laced with long, winding, full of suck-heavy innuendo as Ko unashamedly embraces the "Call of the Night" and not questioning the legality of his night excursions as he becomes Nazuna's blood bag in between this relationship formed by outcasts whom have coincidentally found each other and seemingly aspiring to be mutual monsters.
Let's just get the bad out of the way first: a 14-year-old and a 30~40-year-old adult, many would've called this out, especially for people who've been victims of paedophlia, because let's be real: everything presented in Yofukashi no Uta is just like Twilight but in anime form, sexually glorified to the max, so much so that it makes them feel uncomfortable. And don't be a dick to say that "you can't learn to tell the difference between fiction and reality." I'll admit that we all wear different lenses to see things differently, but you can't tell me that it's normal to see an underaged kid be together with someone who is younger/older (and vice versa). If anything, a recent case like Mushoku Tensei has proved that Rifujin no Maganote has a penchant on pedophilia that's rampant throughout his series, and detractors from everywhere (except Japan) have called him out for it. A vampire romance like Twiight is acceptable if the male and female lead were within the certain range where it's feasible, but for Call of the Night, boy, is this a hard pill to swallow for distaste. It's just that bad and they will denounce this anime in trying to hammer its over-sexualized themes for a loss in plot progression and character "development".
However, if you (like me) are the type to turn off your brains to give Yofukashi no Uta a go, I would say it's quite the watch. I have a penchant for 14-year-old Ko, being someone who has lived through nights of insomnia in my young and rebellious teenage times where the night is literally where I feel like I'm called to live, just like nocturnal owls whom are only active at night. Someone who desires the calmness of the night life with the lividness of the dark sky, looking for something fun to engage in being in total freedom when the world sleeps and no one can restrict me. And no, it's not vampire related. That said, like Ko himself, the young me certainly cannot make decisions right, and it's only when he is forced into a corner to answer things that "cannot be believed" as reality, he shudders with his second thoughts at times, but slowly gained momentum for choosing to believe what he's doing will help him out of his insomniac race. That's the part I like about Ko, and his feelings towards Nazuna, other than the sex-crazied moments, is purely her innocence about romance to drive sexual innuendos just to get tantalizing moments of flushes from Ko, and not gonna lie, I love those moments that Kotoyama is able to flesh the character traits so well. The same goes with the other characters within the circle of friends (Ko's human friends of childhood friends Akira Asai and Mahiru Seki, the vampire-hunting detective Anko Uguisu, and Nazuna's vampire "friends" of gyaru Seri Kikyo, teacher Nico Hirata, nurse Kabura Honda, maid cafe worker Midori Kohakobe and Midori Kohakobe) as the night only gets more infested and invested on not just blood, but the whole "vampires birthing offsprings" business as well. And to be fair, like Dagashi Kashi, starting out as an anime-only really did immerse the experience for me as the already great source material has its fans, and the anime translated that to the highest pedigree, which is definitely saying something about the production values within Call of the Night.
Liden Films is an average studio, no doubt about that. But what if you pair an average studio with people that have a much higher reputation who knows their craft all too well? This is exactly what is happening in Yofukashi no Uta, and it's thanks to directors Tomoyuki Itamura and (chief) Tetsuya Miyanishi. These two have worked together in previous anime, and you might know the former as the famed director for the Monogatari series (which also has its own vampire niches as well). After he left Shaft, Tomoyuki Itamura worked as a freelance director, and it's not until the most recent series that he caught a lot of attention: Jun Mochizuki's Vanitas no Carte a.k.a The Case Study of Vanitas, another vampire series that got an anime adaptation courtesy of Bones which recently wrapped up early this year. And being in the same realm about vampires, it's not a coincidence that he would be tasked with adapting Kotoyama's work, and true to honest: it's already better than the already great source material as acclaimed by its fans. What's also not a white-wash is character designer Haruka Sagawa's attention to close detail, and while some might say that Nazuna looks a lot sexualized than she is in the manga, you can't deny that that's pristine quality, going above and beyond for such a "dimly lit" series. The nightlife just oozes quality, and definitely makes you feel like you're like Ko being carried into the night sky by Nazuna, sinking in and capturing all the fine details of the nightscapes that's quite exuberant and lively from the looks of it. What a showcase of quality over quantity, and style that balances with substance.
To me, where this show shines the most is in its OST, heralded by music director Yoshiaki Dewa and a certain hip-hop group called Creepy Nuts. Yoshiaki Dewa's name while not a mainstay, he has done several impressive works from the likes of Heion Sedai no Idaten-tachi and Shiroi Suna no Aquatope, and if it's anyting to go by, the upcoming Jigokuraku anime adaptation will be yet another hit of his. But creeping back to the nuts, it's a love affair between Kotoyama and Creepy Nuts, as they are the only J-pop group to be featured because of one reason: its influence on the entire work. If you do not know, Yofukashi no Uta was first a song released in 2019, to then be adopted by Kotoyama just the week after on his newest work based on the hip hop band's song of the same name, and now used as the ED theme song. It's been a while where the OST game has been this strong, and in this Summer season, Yofukashi no Uta has been one of the season's strongest, with both the OP and ED being a lyrical, yet psychedelic experience that's a sight to behold and listen, more than just completing the circle of creative camaraderie.
Yofukashi no Uta a.k.a Call of the Night may make or break you according to your angles of how you see paedophilia within the midst of the show's underlying themes, but make no mistake that everything else was just splendid. It all just depends on which side you're on at, and any side is OK to love or hate the series for its imagery or flack. Ultimately, anime is fiction, and this is the embodiment of interests all wrapped on one cohesive package. I may have enjoyed this much, but maybe you do or don't, which is alright. This show ain't for everyone, that's all.
Chief_AJ
Welcome to the most stylistic and relatable anime of the summer season. Call of the Night is as good as it hyped up to be. I think we all had those moments growing up where we didn’t know what our point in this world is, so with that relatable belief sprinkled in with some vampire fun, it ends up making a really good anime. From the characters to the environments, to the story, everything was done so well. It was funny when it needed to be, and did a really good job when it dealt with some serious tones. In all honesty, it really surprisedme.
Art: 10
Stylistically speaking this anime had the best art of the season for me, and maybe even the best art of the year. For starters the animation was crisp, and if you weren't surprised by the good animation, the beautiful backgrounds of the nighttime atmosphere were done in a way that I've never seen before. It was really a pleasure to look at. Now you topple that with the banging music that this anime gives you along with the fire character designs and you get a 10/10 art score right there.
Characters: 10
I originally had this score at a 9 because this anime has really strong characters, that you can just relate to, even the side characters were going through actual problems that we would go through in our everyday life which made them incredibly complex, but I thought that we didn’t have enough info of why our main characters are the way they are, both Kou and Nazuna. However that all changed as the show entered its later half, and we really got into detail about them. Honestly, almost everyone was so well developed in this short time span.
Story: 9
Let's just say that the narrative overcame my expectations. The story is really good, I can not lie. I say this because after the tone shift of the anime, and once it started heading into the climax, it really grabs your attention and makes you want to see where it goes next, and the fact that the story is backed by excellent characters makes it even better. Not even mentioning the banger of a finale episode that we god. Overall this anime ended up being great, I give it 9 vampire teeth out of 10
Longnines
A boy decides to sneak out at night and finds the experience of roaming the suburban and city streets to be exciting and fulfilling, discovering that he has a great appreciation for the evening and the atmosphere it brings. In his nighttime exploration he encounters a peculiar character that will change his outlook on life entirely. The story is contrived; the main character is a conveniently empty husk that has no apparent awareness of friendship or intimacy and lacks a fundamental understanding of relationships, despite being depicted via his various internal monologues as being relatively self-aware, socially competent at communicating with many different personalities, and beingan alleged model student - despite skipping school in favor of staying up all night long to roam the streets with or without his preferred company. This characterization, convoluted as it is, is essential for the stilted plot of this seasonal romance to work. The major supporting character (and cover girl) is a force of personality that - when her qualities of longevity, lifestyle, and acquaintances are all accounted for and brought into question - seems little more than an indecent and predatory harlot, preying upon naive adolescence. She can only be described as a sensual and sharp object that would be prone to having nightmares (or perhaps they would be daymares?) about handholding.
The supporting characters encountered throughout the anime are at least congruous to the main characters; there are a variety of personalities and circumstances, some of which are merely episodic and non-recurrent, that serve to flesh out the main characters or as problems for them to solve and navigate.
There is adversity in the story, which seems shoehorned in explicitly to prolong the runtime of the series, as there is no sign of adversity for the first half of the show. It is simply another ingredient haphazardly tossed into the awkward concoction to give the final product a dramatical flare, which does little more than frame the wrap-up of the season as being stilted. Had these elements of conflict been present early-on or referenced then it may have been an elegant layer added to the storytelling, but instead these arrive to the setting late and present as being forced conditions to promote character development.
The animation is good, as are the character designs. The ED is highly complementary to the spunkiness and vulgarity of the lead girl. The atmosphere of the setting is great - it does deliver a sense of grandeur and excitement into the idea of being a prowling night owl who goes about experiencing nightlife.
Overall, I can only assume the target demographic for this anime is lonely, awkward teenagers that feel alienated and isolated from their peers or from society as a whole, wondering what their place is in the world, as I cannot believe nor be convinced that the main characterizations present in the story could achieve any level of resonance with anyone who has any measure of worldly experience. I cannot recommend this anime, but I also believe that there are many people who would find something they enjoy in this. If what I've written here sounds at all attractive then watch the first few episodes and see for yourself if this is something that interests you.
AnimeExplorer21
This anime has left me speechless, and I'm not even kidding when I say it's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. The animation? Top-notch. The way Ko Yamori's emotions were conveyed through his expressions and movements? Unbelievable. I felt like I was right there with him, experiencing every high and low. And Nazuna Nanakusa? Oh man, her character development is insane! From her initial sassiness to her vulnerable moments, I was completely invested in her journey. But what really got me was the storytelling. It's like the creators took all my favorite themes - music, love, loss, and self-discovery - and wove them intothis stunning narrative that had me hooked from episode one. The way Ko and Nazuna's relationship evolved, amidst the chaos of their supernatural world, had me rooting for them till the very end.
I won't lie, I was a bit skeptical at first. I mean, a vampire anime? But trust me, this is so much more than that. It's a poignant exploration of what it means to be human, and the struggles we face in finding our place in the world. Even secondary characters like Akira and Midori added so much depth to the story!
Now, I'm eagerly waiting for season 2 (please, creators, make it happen!). I need to know what happens next in this captivating world and with these characters who've stolen my heart.
If you're looking for an anime that will make you feel all the feels, look no further than Yofukashi no Uta. Just be prepared to have your emotions put through a wringer - in the best possible way.
P.S. - The soundtrack? Incredible. I've had the opening theme stuck in my head for days.
ChrisDC
Yofukashi no Uta stands true by its name: Call of the Night, and I mean this not just in the literal sense but also in the metaphorical sense. Synopsis: Call of the Night represents an adventure into the unknown, filled with all sorts of excitements, escapisms and dangers on all fronts, whether we are aware of them or not. To reinforce this concept, our main primary protagonist, Kou, embodies the willingness to blindly adventure into the night to distract himself from the mundane reality he's associated with, while our secondary protagonist-sometimes antagonist, depending on your perspective, represents the concept of the Call of the Night asshe's a vampire who is looking for a good tasty meal and some entertainment because she's bored. Due to this, both realize that they can keep each other entertained, thus beginning a tale about what happens when you decide to go off the beaten path.
As a result, much of this anime is about breaking away from standardized norms and embracing the unknown to give purpose and meaning to our lives.
Aside from that core message, this anime also investigates what it means to fall in love with someone without understanding the context of love or romance.
It plays very heavily on the themes of Love vs Infatuation vs Lust from multiple perspectives.
This philosophical divide can be observed and felt by many characters who have their own ideas of what it means to "fall in love," which is a driving force to the plot, resulting in conflict when different ideologies inevitably begin to clash.
Questionable elements which can be perceived as negatives:
That being said, the anime does have a lot of filler and fan service moments in between, which can take away from the experience for some watchers who may find it too immature or distracting, especially when it interferes with the developing plot.
Yofukashi no Uta is also incomplete and painfully short; much more could have been added to flush out the story and character motivations instead of what we have here.
Lastly, some watchers may have a hard time empathizing with a 14-year-old boy's logic and tendency to be naive to the point where you wonder if he's even using his brain.
This anime is not for you if you want an action-packed, high-stakes show; a lot of it is just characters talking about their feelings.
It's also important to note that Yofukashi no Uta is categorized as Shounen, but keep in mind it's more of a Romanic slice of life with a dash of Ecchi. So, make sure you set your expectations correctly before committing.
Conclusion:
If you can see past the show's character & story flaws, then you'll have a good time as it's also well-animated, and the music is intoxicatingly catchy.
Yofukashi no Uta may not be for everyone, but I believe the average Joe & Jane would enjoy what it offers.
8/10
thebluedash
(Completely spoiler free) Everyone has felt the feelings of being unmotivated and dissatisfied with the regular motions of life. We seek comfort in many ways gaming, watching animes, or maybe picking up a random new hobby. Ko Yamori is much like the rest of us except he takes comfort in going out at night. But much like many things in our life, it’s not something he could do forever, in the morning, he’ll eventually have to go back into the cycle of regular life, doing the same mundane task, putting on the same mundane smile. What if he could stay in the night forever? Comes in NazunaNanakusa, a full-fledged vampire. Who can turn Ko into a vampire, that is if he falls in love with her.
Call of the Night is one of the most charming shows I’ve seen in a very long time. It’s not one of your typical silly romantic comedies, even if it has many elements like that. It brings up the question of growing up and finding the meaning of why you’re even here in the first place. The anime starts off slow, but it only increases the psychological effects of the questions you’re going to be asking as you indulge in more episodes of Call of the Night. The lo-fi atmosphere creates a comfy vibe for a majority of the series, which causes the occasional tense music or total silence to really become noticeable, or even disturbing in some parts. The characters, much like the music are totally lovely, I don’t think there’s a single character here that I would call dislikable. You might not agree with their goals, and some people could be seen as selfish, childish, or a hypocrite. But somewhere deep down, I can relate to most of these characters, to the naivety of Ko, the loneliness of Nazuna, and even the "strong emotions" of a certain detective. Plus, the cast is generally fun and super charming, with the most aesthetically pleasing designs I’ve ever seen from LIDENFILMS studios.
Call of the Night is one of the most visually appealing shows this season, it does not have the best animation by any means, but the direction of the show is simply one of the best I’ve seen this whole year. The usage of color to display the environment and the way it changes to reflect the story concepts is very smart. From the bright cheerful lights that clearly inspired Ko to love the night, to the dull and gritty, harsh reality that occasionally breaks in. The tone of this story was represented perfectly in the visuals.
This show isn’t for everybody, it’s not the most action-heavy show ever, not to say it doesn’t have any at all. It’s not a show where every episode has the most content ever, it is very much a slow, steady, and chill ride, that might surprise some people towards the end of the season. And personally, I’m feeling the vibes.
[Recommendations if you like this series: Monogatari series, The Case Study of Vanitas, Toilet-bound Hanako-kun]
sogblock
If you want to feel the breeze and vibe of this so-called night then definitely check this series out! Not only the music are effortlessly fit the anime's setting atmosphere, but the aesthetic, arts, and designs are pleasing to the eyes. So, you can just relax mostly and vibe with our 14 y.o. MC Yamori Ko with our vampire friend Nanakusa along with the night. Interestingly, every episode (1-13) is formatted or called "Night 1-13" which adds more to what you originally expected just from the title: Call of the Night anime. From here on out, you can see what I'm trying to pointout, yes, the anime's strong and high-quality aspects are its music and theme! I definitely need to emphasize that vampires exist and that they will be explored character by character, each had its own lifestyle, motivation, and backstory. So don't expect "vampires=bad, human=good."
Season 1 gives you more of a character-driven and the feels of the night with the concept of blood and vampires. It is not gory, in fact, blood isn't that prevailing instrument for this anime to be considered good, the waifus are-- I mean the character themselves make it so the story doesn't need too much action but there is action trust me and they are smoothly well done. And the romance, yes the romance, definitely, our MC feels like his age, Idk about you guys but anime has this type of age in consideration when it comes to their physical appearance and maturity and Yamori Ko feels more like it, anyways you can look forward to the romance development between Yamori Ko and Nanakusa, it's gonna be lovely and you love to see it.
Don't be taken away by the others who think this anime is offensive, it's definitely one of this season's gems. If you want to know what I mean, ask the fanbase or the internet. As I mentioned before, this anime forte it's not because of the character's relations but the theme itself.
I recommend this anime for those who want to experience something new, not for the sake of promoting the "goodness of the night outside," it's because I want you to feel the message of the story, the character's motivations and reasons, and the call of the night.
ApplePieHunter
What does the night mean to you? For the average person, the night is a time of nothingness, a time where you can’t do anything because everything is shut down, a time where one experiences the “free trial of death” we call sleep. But “Call of the Night” gives us an ironic twist to this question, and how it answers it through the characters, animation, and lively scenes are what make this anime an excellent addition to the Summer 2022 season. NIGHTTIME ESCAPADES - Exploring a deep and powerful message that can be enjoyed by all. To put on a show, you first have to set thestage. By using the unique atmosphere of Japan’s city nights, “Call of the Night” provides a perfect setting for our characters to explore how their thoughts, feelings, and self-imposed restrictions change during the late hours. To Nazuna, nighttime is when people’s raw emotions and instincts are at their height, giving her a good meal and a good time. To Yamori, the night is the only time when he doesn’t have to go through the motions and put up the mask; he can think, speak, and act for himself rather than for others. To Akira, the night is when she can see the fun and relaxed side of her friends, giving her a real chance to deepen precious bonds. To the vampires, the night is the time to live the carefree lifestyle they chose for themselves. For each and every character, the quiet city streets, lifeless public buildings, and calm environment provide something abstract, yet so special, that they end up choosing sleepless nights over busy days. You don’t need to call your high school Literature teacher to begin to understand just how liberating, alive, and addicting the nighttime is to the characters.
You could write a whole essay describing the symbolism, hidden messages, and complicated relationship found between characters and their environment… But, I think it’s way more entertaining to just grab some snacks, sit down, and watch it for yourself. And even if literary analysis is not your thing, don’t worry, there is still plenty left to enjoy.
ANIMATION AND SOUND - These days it’s rare to find an artistic style designed solely to elevate the show.
I absolutely love the animation and music in this anime. The creative and colorful backgrounds give the perfect vibe of exploring your youth under the stars. Characters are drawn in ways that make them appealing, mysterious, and intriguing; the opposite of the overload of cuteness that we see in most Romance animes. Even small details, like Nazuna’s reflection missing in mirrors, are treated with special attention. LIDENFILMS knew exactly what the fuck they were doing when they adapted “Call of the Night”, and they deserve some serious respect for their dedicated effort, regardless of your opinion on the show itself.
But don’t leave out the musical geniuses, Creepy Nuts. I’m so glad the manga was inspired by them rather than a random idol J-Pop group because holy shit do they make some crazy good songs. The intro is catchy and perfectly sets the mood for each night’s wild adventures. Insert songs and OSTs elevate scenes from great to remarkable with details being seared onto your brain. But of course, the most influential song, the outro, makes you want to get up and party with no fucking care in the world.
TONIGHT’S ADVENTURE - Each episode can be summarized in one word, “fun”.
I’m not going to elaborate much on this because you just need to experience it for yourself, but “Call of the Night” really is that much fun. Each crazy adventure, wild story, or eye-opening encounter is something that kept my attention all the way. While the show’s main storyline can feel slower than most fantasies and dramas, this is more than made up by the antics Ko Yamori finds himself in individual episodes.
With that being said, “Call of the Night” puts a lot less focus on the concepts of romance or vampires, and more on the realistic struggles or flaws each person harbors. So if you’re in it solely for quick, steamy romance or dramatic, over-the-top vampires, I don’t want you to turn away discouraged. Instead, give this show a try with an open mind, and you may just find yourself counting down the hours until the sun sets. After all, once the sun goes down, all the crazy people come out to play.
Tsuna-Ryu
First off I would like to say to anyone who hasn't seen Yofukashi no Uta yet, this review is spoiler free, and I recommend watching it right now since it is the best show to come out in recent years, if you aren't convinced, read my review and judge if it is worth your time: From the very first episode, I was drawn in by the unique concept, vibrant colors, amazing characters, and breathtaking OSTs. The blend of colors makes the night look beautiful, if not even more beautiful than real nights. The night looks so good actually, that when the anime shifts to a day,you suddenly want it to be night again. As someone who loves going out at night, I found this quite appealing, wanting to be taken away by a vampire as well and falling in love with her.
The mood of the night is enhanced by amazing OSTs that make you feel really comfy and together with the vibrant colors make this show something really special. In the last few years new anime reuses the same concepts over and over, Yofukashi no Uta chose something so original, you cannot compare it to any other show because of its originality.
Everything takes a darker turn in episode 11, I won't spoil it, but the sudden twist is quite surprising and makes the MC feel like a real human you can relate to, not just another simple-brained MC that makes stupid decisions fast, but a real human that actually has his own doubts, and thinks about his decisions.
Final thoughts: I am giving this show 9/10 since it made me feel like there is still hope for something original to be born in this community that consumes the same concepts over and over. I am hoping for a second season. Thank you for reading, please give it a try.
iHateAnimeBro
Purple is the colour of royalty, as well as the primary colour of the Yofukashi no Uta series. Let's see if naming the Call of the Night a royalty series isn't exaggerated. [Story - 6] The story is basically about the adventures of the MC during the night - his experience with the night and demons. One of them is especially interested in him, and thus viewers meet Nazuna. She will be Ko's partner in crime from now on. In the first episodes, there's not much tension, action, or anything in particular. Viewers can experience beautiful city views at night and know the characters a little bitbetter. The plot is getting a little more interesting from the 7th episode, and in conclusion, the ending is pretty good. However, there are a lot of boring moments, that made me feel uninterested in the whole show. The comedy is there and is really good. Viewers got to experience a bit of action too but in rather a comical way. Romance is there, but it feels weird. I felt like the chemistry between the main characters is good, but something is off there. When it comes to exploring "the depths of the night" I think the effect is pretty decent.
[Art - 8]
Art was a flagship of the series and in many cases the main reason why one would like to watch this show. I absolutely love the visuals, when it comes to the city views, and overall environment in this anime. The color choice is also very good. The purple accents are fitting the night just right, and there's not much to complain about. My personal problem with the art in this series is a bit weird faces, and their expressions at times. I agree, the style is very original, but it's unappealing for me. Many times I was disappointed with what the Nazuna or Ko's face is looking like.
[Music - 9]
The opening and ending themes are really catchy. The music is really good throughout the whole show. I didn't spot any major issues with sound, or voiceover anywhere.
[Characters - 7]
The characters are decently written. Ko is a middle school student, that is bored with his normal, daily life, and decides to explore the city at night. Viewers are getting familiar with his past, in which Akira plays a pretty major role. That's how the show is giving the spotlight to another supporting character. Out of supporting characters, Akira has probably the most screen time. Viewers are able to know her a little bit more (maybe even more than Nazuna?) which is really good. When it comes to Nazuna, after the first episodes I really liked her character, but as the story progressed I found her behaviour a little bit controlling, and manipulative at times. Also, viewers aren't able to get to know her that well, since there's no backstory, and basically, Nazuna isn't revealing much of her life (besides being a vampire, cuddler, and gamer?)
[Enjoyment - 7]
Yofukashi no Uta is a pretty enjoyable show. The art is pleasing, colours are suited perfectly. The sound is good, not to mention a catchy opening. There are some flaws, such as a story without significant progress, throughout the few episodes, which makes it boring pretty fast. Shallow depiction of Nazuna's character, and overall her representation in the series.
Even though Call of the Night isn't a perfect show, I still recommend checking this series. I'm also eager to read manga, which appears to be better than anime itself.
Ryohei_Arisu
SO, I might write a better review in the future. But let me get this straight: "THIS ANIME'S FREAKING GOOD." It deserves your try! Especially if you like staying up at night, with cool visuals, cool openings, and a great MC who actually HAS PERSONALITY and SAYS WHAT HE'S THINKING. The visuals are stunning, with an art style that perfectly captures the atmosphere of nighttime adventures. The opening theme is so catchy that you'll find yourself humming it long after the episode ends. The main character is incredibly relatable and stands out because he genuinely expresses his thoughts and feelings. He isn't just a typical,bland protagonist, even though he seems like that; he has depth and charisma that develops along the episodes and makes you root for him.
Every episode leaves you wanting more, and the plot keeps you hooked from start to finish. The interactions between characters are dynamic and well-written, making their relationships feel real and engaging. This anime excels at building a good type of suspense and delivering satisfying payoffs here and there, making you really feel as if you're living it.
Go watch it, mtfckr. Trust me, you won't regret it.
9.5/10 - Waiting for more, GIVE ME MORE. (btw I want a romance progression so much).
toxicgreen777
Call of the Night can be summed up in one word: "A E S T H E T I C" (with a capital "A"). Very rarely do visuals and color palette play such a role in story telling like in this show. Sure, it uses red hues to convey danger like in other shows, but the way it uses copious amounts of purples, greens, and yellows to convey a sense of fun and excitement upon the night sky is really something to look at. The music is also quite notable. The beginning and ending are both done by the band CreepyNuts, in which both are absolute bangers. The OST itself adds greatly to the visuals, adding an ethereal vibe that is really hard to find elsewhere. The track "Blue Night" off the OST straight up sounds like it was supposed to be the intro for Radiohead's song "Everything In Its Right Place", yet it feels perfectly in place in the atmosphere set by this show.
As far as story telling goes, there really isn't anything too gripping. It kind of gives the feeling of just a bunch of friends goofing off at night, which is basically what happens for most of the show (at least until the last few episodes). Supporting characters kind of get rotated in and out for no reason. As far as dialog goes, it is much more about the philosophies being discussed than the actual events of the show. Philosophies such as "what actually is ordinary", "is school actually that important to attend", and "what is love vs. lust" get brought up a lot in the show. Fortunately there really isn't an elongated debate over these topics and it is conveyed through passing events instead. It's a show that cares more about making you feel something rather than demanding what you should be feeling.
Overall, I would recommend a watch through if you ever found it fun to be up at night alone because you weren't satisfied with how you spent your day (or if you just like aesthetic shows).
PS if planning to drop, at least watch the last half of episode 12. Japanese voice actor Miyuki Sawashiro gave one of the best voice acting performances of all time here, being able to sound perfectly unhinged, yet reasonable at the same time.
i-like-this
Call of the Tummy. “Call of the Night” is a vibe. A vibe that enthrals me every week with it’s low-fi soundtrack and atmospheric, purple nebula coloured streets that kept me coming back for more. It reminds me of walking about the Santa Monica and Hollywood hub worlds in “Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines”. Lonely on the surface, but so alive underneath. Our protagonist Kou is tired of school, the people around him and pretending to be someone he’s not. So he abandons the norm and strolls out into the lonely streets of the night. One night whilst trying to by beer from a vending machine hemeets Nazuna who believes that the reason he can’t sleep is because he’s dissatisfied during the day. She invites him to her apartment to help him sleep, but ends up revealing she's a vampire after snacking on his neck. Filled with uncomfortable wonder, Kou’s goal now is to turn into a vampire himself so that he can be free from the norm, but the only way he can do that is by falling in love with Nazuna.
It’s a simple premise, but it is used so effectively.
Kou’s own story of him trying to fall in love with Nazuna feels unique and refreshing. He’s 14 and doesn’t even understand himself let alone love, and his impatience in becoming a vampire manifests in interesting ways. Lust, entitlement, presumptions about women, all things that a 14 year old boy trying to fall in love for the first time doesn’t really understand or knows how to process, but having Nazuna -a supernatural being who's lived a long time- there to guide him and stop him when he pushes things to far is really valuable not only to him, but maybe even to a young viewer struggling with similar processes. A bit like how Kaguya Shinoymia guides Yuu Ishigami in his love life by straight up telling him why certain ideas he has and things he does can be seen as creepy and a turn off from a woman’s point of view.
But Kou’s naivety and blunt, immature nature is often as a helpful antidote to the night owls we meet through the story. From an over-worked office lady to old friends Kou had struggled to relate and reconnect with to a selfie obsessed café maid to even other vampires, they all have their own stories and issues which thanks to the amazing art and directing, are hyper focused and engaging. None of the scenarios feel like they were written by the equivalent of a terminally online guy complaining on r/incels why women don’t date “nice guys” either. The writing is well thought out, surprisingly deep and the overall message the show delivers through it’s narrative is a very positive one.
Back to art and directing though… fuck is this show gorgeous. LINDENFILMS can be a real hit or miss of animation studio, but when they hit, boy do they hit. From animation flourishes and lighting to cinematography to the incredible soundtrack and work from the voice actors, there are anime movies that don’t look and feel as good as this show, and that even includes some movies made by LINDENFILMS.
As you can probably tell I’m slightly obsessed with this show. Not just from an artistic perspective, but a story-telling one too. It’s one of those shows that is over the moment you start an episode because you were so engrossed that the time just flew by. I’m going to have to start reading the manga. I can’t recommend this show enough if you’re looking for a chill, supernatural vibe and also, a nice tummy to look at.
10/10 Practically Perfect.
EvilC
Have you ever wondered how life goes on even in the dead of night? According to Yofukashi no Uta, it is when vampires come out of hiding and search for potential offspring. It isn't exactly a realistic interpretation, but it damn sure is a stunning and hilarious yet eye-opening one to boot. Yofukashi no Uta, shortened to YnU from here on out, follows Kou as he learns about the beings that prowl during the night. On the way, he meets humans and vampires alike while slowly learning what it truly means to be alive. Before I go to the central part of my review, I wantto get this straight. This anime isn't about vampires; it isn't about pedophilia; it isn't about *14* year old boys; it isn't about sex, fanservice, or anything of the sort. It is about the NIGHT. The night is a time that brings out a different side of everyone. With everyone asleep, there's no one to stop you from doing what you want. There's nothing you have to do nor need to do. Only at night could you feel such an unrivaled sense of freedom and peace, along with much more profound and complex emotions that have multiple facades and slowly go down one by one. That is the true meaning of the night.
My opinions of Nazuna are as complex as her character. On one hand, she is an immortal vampire who struggles to build relationships because she spends much of her time playing video games. On the other hand, despite her lack of social skills, she feels impossibly immature for her age and is sometimes scarily manipulative of Kou. I must admit that these are my gripes against Nazuna, especially when she becomes overly sexualized, but I cannot deny her excellent chemistry with Kou. The banter between them is so genuine and casual that the execution already cracks me up.
Speaking of Kou, I love how he is represented as a character. His facade as a friendly, model student was quickly replaced by his true nature─reserved, unmotivated and difficult to sympathize with other people. It reached the point where he decided to drop out of school because he didn't have fun anymore. I know skipping middle school is a very childish move for Kou. Middle school is nothing compared to high school, much less real life. However, that childish notion is also not far-fetched, considering some children nowadays treat losing progress in a game as the end of the world. Kou's immaturity in his situation was even called out throughout the series, which is a pleasant surprise and a good move narratively.
In terms of production, LIDENFILMS' YnU undoubtedly set the standard for this season. The vibrant night in YnU, which is a clever oxymoron, is something I have personally not seen before in media. The color palette was mesmerizing, and the neon colors reminded me of the stunning Aurora Borealis lighting a pitch-black sky. It is also worth noting that the animation throughout is consistently clean and excellent. Although I should add that some scenes were basically LIDENFILMS flexing their budget, and trust me, it's fantastic.
The OSTs featured in the anime are superb, with the OP "Daten" and ED "Yofukashi no Uta" being very refreshing and an absolute bop. I also got to give kudos to the other insert songs, which helped set the "nightlife" vibe of the anime. I'm also absolutely in love with the VAs in YnU, especially Kou's (Gen Satou), whose only other role I am familiar with is Chrome from Dr. Stone. The sheer versatility in his expressions is downright impressive and adds so much more to Kou's lines, which are already hilarious to begin with.
With that said, Yofukashi no Uta is definitely not for everyone. As many people mentioned, it targets a very niche audience, so its relatively low score here on MAL is quite understandable. Even though it's niche, I highly suggest you give YnU a shot. Watching an anime that encapsulates the freedom of walking around at night so well makes me want to go out myself (I'd probably get shot in the streets, so maybe not). Who knows, this might be your next most enjoyable anime. It certainly is one of mine, despite my gripes, and I can't wait for more.
AllegoricalClown
Do you have trouble sleeping? Feeling a little lost in life, not knowing what to do? Well, can I mayhap motivate you for a nice little night stroll? No? Not safe in your area? What are you afraid of? Vampires? That’s ridiculous! Or is it ...? Well, you see, I’m a bit of a sucker for the vampire theme. Maybe a little bit more than just a bit to be quite frank. I really like it and thus often lament over the lack of good vampire themed shows. I was ready to do so once again when I started watching Yofukashi no Uta and bloody hell,were my expectations turned upside down. Quite astonishingly the pilot episode was already enough to get my blood pumped! And I promise to stop with the shitty puns now. They just came to my mind when I wrote this, and I didn’t want that spark of creativity to be in vain. No, but seriously Yofukashi no Uta sucked me right in. Okay, that was the last one. Maybe.
Classified as supernatural romance with a vampire theme, you might be forgiven for instinctively keeping your distance from Yofukashi no Uta at first, but don’t be kept by past experiences, this show is nothing like that and there are also no werewolves in this one!
Yofukashi no Uta depicts our protagonist, Yamori, suddenly finding himself alongside a vampire lady, Nanakusa, and experiencing all kinds of night-time adventures together with her. If your dirty mind steers you to a lewd picture in your imagination, like the both of them ending up in a love hotel, then you’re absolutely right because in one of the nights they do end up in a love hotel. However, think again and you may find that this particular night and your expectation(s) in general might be totally reversed. Now, don’t get me wrong. Fanservice is absolutely part of this. There is no denying that. It is all well within reason though (the show is rated PG-13) and really just a side-dish to the real flavor this show has to offer. Yofukashi no Uta tackles sophisticated and serious topics, like depression, like loneliness or even finding a general purpose in life. And to my big surprise it’s not even on just some shallow surface level. No. There is a certain richness of appreciation for mental health related struggles to be found within Yofukashi no Uta and I do value that. It is completely contrary to my anticipation just based on what I saw on the cover and read through the synopsis, and I just want to say how impressed I was by this. I don’t even want to elaborate it further and potentially take something away. If you haven’t watched it yet and decide to do so at a later date, maybe you will be surprised too?
Another major point of interest I undoubtedly think a lot of people will talk about are the visuals and the OST. Yofukashi no Uta uses colors and more specifically, contrast, to illustrate its points. During daylight the scenes are often heavily shaded. Its grey and poor in color. It invokes a certain depressing feeling. The best way I can describe it is with this: Growing up in some areas of rural Germany there used to be these old, incredibly ugly facades of concrete. Remnants of the old DDR regime which fell with the collapse of the UDSSR. People used to live in these and just by looking at it from the outside, it felt you with a certain sense of dread. With a certain sense of hollowness and sadness, it was almost melancholic despite me myself (luckily) never having to live in one of those “things”. But I digress. This nostalgic feeling is what I experience when the day-time scenes are presented. Such a strong affect simply by their portrayal with this color scheme and a distinct lack of contrast. It makes it so easy to experience Yamori’s feelings and get an understanding for his situation. In total opposition to this are the night-time scenes with their stark and rich contrasts, shiny and bright neon-colors and astonishing liveliness. Sometimes these colors are so bright, they almost blind you if you watch in a darker environment with the brightness on your screen turned up. It is beautiful, just an absolutely beauty and masterclass in using colors. The opening is very creative as well. I usually skip openings after watching them like twice or thrice, but I never skipped this one. The cast of characters is seriously good as well. Nanakusa and Yamori as our duo-maincast work incredibly well. She is a bit the star of the show but don’t let that distract you from the fact that Yamori makes for a really good protagonist. He can be a little bit blank at times, but I feel like that is not even the worst trait to have for a context such as this. He is pretty introverted whereas Nanakusa is more extroverted. This creates a really nice and natural feeling dynamic between them that works well for the entirety of the show. The other part of the cast is lovely as well. Asai especially fits the story well I feel like. The show also features some great comedy.
In truth, there is even more to marvel about, but I think you get my point already. Yofukashi no Uta is truly an incredible show. The story is so simplistic, I almost feel like it has “no right to be this good” but it is just so well executed. I think it’s a great example for a show where you can genuinely say that the plot by itself doesn’t really matter that much. It’s a little bit like a sit-com where the show lives of its characters and its setting rather than some kind of grand storyline that is ever being pursued. You just tag along for the ride and enjoy it. All I can say is Tomoyuki Itamura (Director) has outdone himself again with another masterfully directed show. You may know his work from the Monogatari series (especially Bake), Madoka Magica or Vanitas no Karte! An awful lot of vampires, now that I think about it. Maybe he has a thing for them as well ... Anyway!
I can highly recommend watching it. Thanks for reading.
