I figured the story would jump immediately from Kou getting shot to him waking up in a hospital bed. In fact, I’m disappointed by this outcome. For once, I wanted to know what happened next. I was eager to see how Nazuna and Mejiro would handle the situation. We get a bit of this — a teensy, tiny bit where an incensed Nazuna confronts a tearful Mejiro who is now filled with regret and remorse. Then all of a sudden, Kou stands up and acts very inhuman. But it ends there. That’s all we’re allowed to see. Instead of urgency and tension, i.e. Nazuna frantically trying to bring Kou to the hospital, voicing her inner thoughts, how she would explain this to at least Honda if not a real doctor, we get “comedy.” We get Honda entering the room and forcefully stripping Kou’s shirt off. Haha, it’s so funny when a girl does it to you! But seriously, why do we need to ruin every serious situation with a joke? Why are we afraid to confront a somber moment head on?
In fact, this happens over and over in this week’s episode. We later see Nazuna express her gratitude and elation when she finally sees Kou for the first time since he’s regained consciousness. She’s happy that both he and Mejiro are alive. She could have lost two important people tonight, but neither tragedy came to pass. She’s being earnest. She’s physically embracing Kou and perhaps even tearing up. But instead of just letting the mood sit, Kou squeezes her too hard so Nazuna does one of those comedy yelps of pain. Mood completely ruined and for what? What are we afraid of? Being too cringe? Why do we keep playing everything off as a joke? It’s seriously annoying. Kou tells her that she doesn’t have to look so sad, but what’s wrong with that? No, really, why do we need to reject our feelings? They’ve just been through a hell of a night. It’s okay to feel negative emotions once in a while. You don’t let it dominate your life (like a certain detective), but there was nothing wrong with Nazuna’s approach.
Oh, it continues. Fictional characters always get a new hairdo after they’ve undergone a major internal change. As a result, we get to see Nazuna and Kou fret over whether or not to bring up Mejiro’s new look. “Oh, we missed the initial opportunity, so it would feel weird to say anything now.” There it is again. Feeling weird isn’t going to kill you. Imagine saying something like, “Oh, we noticed, but we weren’t sure if we should say anything.” Embrace your vulnerability. Open yourself up to others and they will open up to you. Admit that you are flawed and perhaps socially inept, but you’re working on it. After much struggle, Kou eventually stammers out a compliment. He made it seem like torture. When Mejiro responds favorably, Kou internally cheers that he has achieved perfect communication. But it doesn’t have to be perfect! “OMG, you don’t get it! He’s an awkward fella and social interactions can be difficult!” Giving someone a compliment is difficult? Saying hi to a friend in the morning is difficult? I’m sorry, but we need to be honest with ourselves as much as we need to be honest with each other. These things are not difficult, and it’s okay to admit that. Confront it head on. Don’t hide behind excuses.
We move along with the aftermath as Mejiro talks about her future. It’s not just about getting back the time she’s lost. Mejiro literally had an intent to kill. She harbored and nursed that malevolent intent for a decade. She fed into it and allowed it to dominate her entire life. This isn’t something you simply shrug off. She needs to reconstruct not only her sense of right and wrong, but also who she is as a person going forward. What kind of Mejiro does she want to be for the rest of her finite, all-too-mortal life? What will become her new purpose? Will she consider atoning? Again, I wish this was something the story would confront head on. But we seem to be moving past it way too quickly and easily. So right on cue, Mejiro teases Nazuna about being an oneesan to Kou. The vampire quickly slaps Kou upside the head. Sigh. Y’know, this is a 14 year old kid. Can we not talk about stealing a 14 year old kid from his situationship with a middle-aged woman? Even if we grant that Nazuna is still mentally a child, Mejiro certainly isn’t.
The mood turns serious for a second when Kou seeks Mejiro’s expert knowledge on vampires and vampire physiology. He sounds almost desperate, and we can understand why. Has he turned or not? One way to find out is to confront this question introspectively, i.e. asking himself if he’s finally fallen in love with Nazuna. But that’s difficult to address on multiple levels. What if the answer is still no? What if he’s still failing to truly love her? He’s obviously afraid, because why else would he be so disappointed to learn that he’s still human? Basically, if he can’t sort these questions out internally, or rather, he’s too afraid to do so, then it makes sense why he would seek his answer externally. Facts and logic, my guy. If my body is vampiric, then there’s only one conclusion to draw! Mejiro responds that he’s still human for now. Maybe he did turn, but only for a moment. But again, instead of letting the mood sit, she uses this opportunity to tease their pair again by suggestively stroking Kou’s body in front of a jealous Nazuna.
I actually enjoyed the previous two Call of the Night episodes. Maybe that’s all I ever wanted from this show: a little more seriousness. But you know how it’s 4:30pm, so you can’t find it in yourself to focus? Even though there’s still half an hour left in the work day, you’ve completely checked out. You’re ready to leave so you’re already goofing off with your coworkers. That’s how it feels right now to watch Call of the Night.
Stray thoughts & observations:
- So all of Mejiro’s hate is gone just like that? Hm, even if I believe her, I can’t imagine every vampire doing so. I can’t imagine every vampire finally feeling safe.
- “Older but none the wiser.” You wanna know who that applies to? A whole lot of us, girl. Have you seen some of the “adults” out there? Oof.
- It’s Japan, so of course, Mejiro has to pretend that she’s ancient at the ripe old age of 28.
- Nazuna whines about Mejiro initially refusing to have any alcohol. She wants to have the experience of old friends knocking back a few drinks, reminiscing over shared memories and good times. But you can still do that. The alcohol content doesn’t matter. It’s the atmosphere that’s important. Nevertheless, she successfully pressures Mejiro to change her order. In case it needs to be said, please don’t do that to your friends or anyone in general. Please don’t pressure people to imbibe or do any sort of recreational drugs.
