The Call of the Night's plot is terribly predictable. Nothing in the anime surprises or holds the viewer's attention. The anime's themes are likewise not fully developed. The plot meanders aimlessly, failing to establish meaningful stakes or character motivation. Although the anime addresses some intriguing concepts related to vampires and the night, these concepts are never completely developed. And yes, they never do get developed in the way they could have been even in the manga. It feels directionless and so much wasted opportunity. The plot has massive pacing issues, quickly breezing over important details like Kou's emerging vampirism while belaboring pointless fanservice and moe scenes.
Kou is the stereotypical bland male protagonist, and his personal struggle is anything but compelling. The rest of the cast is equally one-dimensional and static throughout. Conversations between Kou and Nazuna completely lack authentic chemistry. Akira as Kou's childhood friend remains an undeveloped cliche.
Major plot turns likewise fall flat. Nazuna's vampire clan are tired archetypes when introduced, with no captivating dynamics between them, Nazuna, and Kou. The revelation of Kou's inner bloodlust feels jarringly out-of-character rather than an intriguing twist.
The handling of Nazuna and Kou's relationship continues to be appalling. Their relationship lacks any real depth, and is instead characterized by corny romantic comedy antics such embarrassing wardrobe mishaps.
Compelling themes like the humanity of vampires are introduced but never properly explored. Missed opportunities for philosophical discussions and moral dilemmas. The conflicts faced by the characters lack meaningful stakes or tension. Kou is vaguely warned about vampire hunters but they barely appear. Nazuna's backstory tragedy is glossed over.
The character motivations make little sense. Why does Nazuna take interest in Kou? Why does Kou go along with her whims so easily? Their bond defies logic. For a vampire-focused anime, surprisingly little time is actually spent on vampire activities. Much of it focuses on dull high school slice-of-life.
With poorly developed characters, a meandering plot, wasted potential, and a prioritization of filler content over vampire lore, Call of the Night fails to deliver in any way as a coming-of-age vampire anime. It earns its reputation as an utter disappointment for someone who was so excited after the anime announcement, that I read the entire goddamn manga.
(Note: Maybe what fueled my disappointment was me expecting it to be like or nearly as good as bakemonogatari. The average anime fan seems to enjoy it but these were my thoughts.)
