Manga Review: Call the Name of the Night, Vol. 1

Call the Name of the Night Vol. 1

Publisher: Yen Press

Author and Artist: Tama Mitsuboshi

Translator: Amanda Haley

Letterer: Lys Blakeslee

Genre: Fantasy

Call the Name of the Night is a brand-new fantasy manga from Tama Mitsuboshi, published by Yen Press. If Witch Hat Atelier (by Kamome Shirahama) and Studio Ghibli had a love child, it would be Call the Name of the Night. As a fan of both, I was very excited to read this manga and see what it was about.

In Volume 1, we are introduced to Mira, a young girl afflicted by an illness that gives her the ability to call forth the night whenever she experiences anxiety. She is placed in the care of an empathetic doctor, Rei, who helps her remember the light to fight against the darkness and seek a cure for her ailment.

Mira enjoys her day-to-day life with the doctor whom she calls “Master”. The two spend time together after Rei gets off work each day and Mira is slowly regaining confidence in herself to push against the night. But Mira and Rei’s peaceful days are disrupted by a sudden visit from Rei’s old friend, Cartos, who has an interest in Mira’s illness.

The anxiety that Mira experiences is very realistic as it is caused by past traumatic events that Mira faced. She was shunned and bullied by everyone except her parents since people were scared of being swallowed up by the night. Mira cannot be around too many people due to the fear of being found out, and her anxiety is very relatable.

Mitsuboshi’s artwork is charming and really highlights the relationship between Mira and Rei well. The characters are full of expressions; you can see how much Mira adores her master and hopes to be like him. I especially enjoy the Star Jam chapter, where the two of them gather fallen stars to make star jam. I love the dynamic between Mira and Rei; Mira tries her hardest to be more confident in herself and not let the little things get her down, while Rei is very sweet and encouraging towards Mira. He is also very protective of her and sees her potential like a father would.

I enjoyed Mitsuboshi’s whimsical artwork and storytelling. The mangaka is able to change the pacing of the story from peaceful to a dark turn of events. With the arrival of Cartos, I can see the manga becoming darker and even a little more sinister although I am hoping that there are some joyous times for Mira as well. This first volume was a great introduction to the characters and the world, and I am already looking forward to the next volume.