Call the Name of the Night is a sweet story following a young child with a mysterious curse and her magical mentor through their daily lives. Even when an old acquaintance shows up to cause trouble for the pair, they quickly resolve the issues and return to the comfort of their little home. Full of cozy cottages and local flowers, the art style reminds me of classic nineties style manga in the best kind of nostalgic way. This slice of life story will be a great summer read for anyone looking for a little spark of found family love.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was something different, and i liked that. The art style was beautiful and it really felt like i was there with the characters. That being said, the structure of the story itself was a bit confusing, and i spent most of my time reading trying to figure out what has happening. I will say though that the story did start making sense, as the chapter went on. I hope that the other books in this series go into more detail on the story, as it’s an interesting, and I’m interested to see where it goes.

*ARC provided by NetGalley in return for an honest review*

CW/TW: Panic Attacks

I had heard so much hype from publishers over this manga that I thought “it must be good.” And they were right! It truly was an enjoyable experience! This manga does a wonderful job at tackling the concept of depression through the main character’s illness that causes darkness to seep out. It even showcases social anxiety and panic attacks. I honestly think this would be a great manga for young readers struggling with depression and trying to comprehend how to manage it.

Mira, a young girl, suffers from a mysterious illness that makes everything around her turn to night when she suffers negative emotions. She's been living with her master, who is working on healing and helping her. One day, one of her master's old classmates shows up and puts Mira through a test, much to her and her master's dismay. Where did the illness come from, and will she ever be able to control her own fears? This one was good. It had an amazing magical element to it that reminded me of Howl's Moving Castle. There were cute little shadow creatures, they collected stars and turned them into jam, and showed portals of flowers. It was also heartbreaking to see Mira experiencing her fears, anxiety, and her worries. I thought it was a great allusion to her mental illness causing darkness around her. The artwork was beautiful as well. I'm definitely curious enough with this book to look into the next one!

The artwork for this manga was absolutely gorgeous, and together with its story it felt like a fairy tale. It gave me a similar feeling to Witch Hat Atelier, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who was a fan of it, or for anyone with younger children who want to read manga, but want something without mature content. I also appreciated how the protagonist faced herself and her true thoughts and fears by the end of the volume. The little shadows play was also adorable and heartwarming.

Though for me personally, I'd wish for something just a bit more plot-wise, it's still a very good story if you want something lighter and fluffy.

This book was super cute. The world building was interesting, and I’m looking forward to learning about these characters and how Mira’s illness works and can be controlled. She was adorable, and I really liked her relationship with the doctor. I will be continuing this series.

Thanks to Netgalley for a change!

The story wasn't much. Even though I liked it, there wasn't (to my feeling) much depth. I did like the style and the Master was very cute. The main character was very child like (because she's a child) not much depth there either and I didn't feel like she was doing any growth throughout the story. Maybe there is more to it in the next volumes (if there are any) or maybe both the characters and the story will grow. We will see.

A warm and sweet slice-of-fantasy-life manga about anxiety.

Looking forward to how this series will turn out!

Thank you Netgalley and Yen Press for sending me this arc.

I had a lot of fun reading this manga. The drawings are breathtaking, they are so beautiful that the drawings alone are a reason to read this manga.
The story felt very youthful and especially the dialogue made it feel more directed to a younger audience. This made the story easy to follow but lacked depth and felt very simplified.
It's stunning to look at, but the characters and story felt hollow and did not stay with me.

I do think younger people will enjoy this more, well I do prefer more substance to the story.

Call the Name of the Night is about a young girl named Mira, who suffers from an “illness” which causes her world to be drowned in “night” whenever she is feeling anxious or depressed. Mira lives with a magical teacher who protects her and is looking for a way to combat her affliction.

The story’s plot I would liken to Witch Hat Atelier and The Girl from the Other Side. Although its plot is presented in a way, that I feel differentiates itself enough to not feel derivative. It’s a genuinely sweet read, and I felt instantly connected to our main character. The night and day imagery feels like a thinly veiled metaphor for depression. While it’s not particularly subtle, it is effective. I feel like many people would relate to how Mira feels, especially when she fears being a burden to people and being rejected by them.

As the plot moves forward it seems that Mira will haven’t to learn to harness the darkness and lightness within herself. I personally interpreted this aspect of the story as learning to cope with all aspects of ourselves. That even in our darkest hours, there is still light within all of us. In fact, stars shine the brightest under the cover of night. I enjoyed the imagery, even if it’s a little uncomplicated. I found it endearing nonetheless.

The art in this series is beautiful. It reminds me of some old-school art. Some of the character expressions reminded me of Yu Yu Hakusho, however with a softer shoujo feel to it. The art style also reminded me a bit of Snow White with the Red Hair. I know such a weird combination, but it really works. I think the art was lovely, and I liked spending a bit of time admiring each of the panels.

I received a copy of this story through Netgalley in exchange for a review. However, I am absolutely going to buy my own copy and start adding this series to my collection. The aesthetic is right up my alley.

Thanks to NetGalley & Yen Press for allowing me to read "Call the Name of the Night" in advance in exchange for a fair and honest review!

This is the first volume of the series, so it was mainly an introduction to the protagonists and at least one antagonist. Mira is a young girl of about 10 years old, who clearly suffers from some level of trauma and has an illness that causes her to turn the matter around her into darkness ("the night") when she is anxious. Rei is her "master", and he appears to be the doctor that she's staying with to help her get over her anxiety/illness/trauma. And we also meet Cartos, a former schoolmate of Rei's who seems to have an abundance of curiosity in the medical field but also lacks greatly in empathy, so he has no qualms about putting Mira in a potentially difficult situation in order to cause her illness to flare up.

I love the artwork of this manga, and by and large the story is quite wholesome, particularly with Mira & Rei's relationship. It definitely has the potential to get darker, and it made me want to read more and find out.

Thank you so much for letting me read this manga. This was very cute definitely possible for middle grade readers.

Call the Name of the Night, is a remarkably gentle tale of caring for a traumatized child. The sense of subtle melancholy is balanced by the touches of whimsical magic that do not overwhelm the storytelling. Mira, the little girl at the center of the story, possesses an innocent nature, but exabits anxiety, bordering on trauma. We learn this stems from her inability to control a mysterious darkness manifested by her changing moods and her subsequent ostracization by her community. At first the androgenous nature of her caretaker, Rei, is off-putting, but as the interactions between the characters going about their day-to-day tasks of living unfold, the less the gender or orientation of this single guardian matters. Master Rei’s asymmetrical long hair, earrings, pinafore apron, and high heeled boots, do not affect his ability to be a kind, patient, and loving parent to this troubled little girl. The chapters where the characters make star jam and put on a miniature stage play with shadow sprites while adorable do not feel superfluous.

Conflict is introduced in the form of a meddling interloper, Cartos. While the somewhat ostentation rouge does not overtly intend physical harm towards Mira, his nonconsensual testing of her condition by deliberately and unceremoniously dropping her into an overtly stressful situation exacerbates her anxiety. While not overtly malicious, this selfishly driven neglect is clearly harmful, setting back Mira’s rehabilitation.

Author Illustrator Tama Mitsuboshi has presented a well written story told entirely through concise dialog suitable for most younger children. Although the illustration style is reminiscent of Rumiko Takahashi and other Shojo artists prominent of the 1980s and 90s, it is presented with slightly lighter line work and much loving attention to wardrobe. While the art being in the traditional black and white is not detrimental, the absence of color is regrettable; as the cover would indicate Tara’s ability to make color illustrations sing.

Overall, the story is appropriate for most children, although some of the nuances may go over the heads of the youngest readers. The inclusion of characters recovering from unfortunate life circumstances under the wing of non-nuclear support structure provides valuable representation. As pleasant to look at as it is easy to read, this volume would make an excellent introduction to manga, or valuable inclusion into a growing collection.

Mira is such a cute and sweet little girl to read about. I can relate to her being so young and having anxiety about the world around her. Her condition is extremely fascinating and makes me want to see how Mitsuboshi continues the story with the next volumes in the series. The only thing that I wish we had more of was the development of the Rei and Mira. We get to see a little bit of their relationship in this book, but I felt like I wanted to know more about them as individuals in this first section than we get. Granted this is something I presume will be delved into more in the future with the series, but I just want a little bit more from their characters so that I can attach to them a little better.

3.5/5 stars.

Cute start to the story. Characters definitely intriguing, setting up the mystery to keep going. I really enjoyed the fantastical elements to the world. It just didn't have a ton of plot for a volume one to keep me fully interested.

I typically try and give manga at least 3 volume though so I'll definitely recommend this and continue to see how the story develops.

Wow I really loved this! I went in not knowing anything about this volume, and I was really pleased with what I read! The artstyle is gorgeous, and I love our protagonist. Seeing her struggle with her emotions and feelings of anxiety really tugged at my heartstrings. I wish I could read the next volume already!

I absolutely loved it. Loved Mira and Rei. Such a great story too. I couldn't put it down. I definitely can't wait for the next volume.

This was really cute and had a little bit of a Studio Ghibli feel to it I think. Mira's self-loathing and anxiety are well portrayed as well.

This has some Witch Hat Atelier vibes. The drawings are very nice. There are magicians and a young girl struggling with her powers.
As for the plot itself, I was a little confused in the beginning, and not overly interested. I think this needs more to it for me to be interested. It's only at the surface level in this.

Summary:

How many stories begin deep in the forest? Yet that is precisely where Mira's story begins. She's been living with her physician, Rei, who is desperately searching for a way to calm her...affliction. Said affliction just so happens to be her ability to call forth darkness whenever she's upset or distressed. As a little girl, you can imagine how often that happens – and how distressing it is.

Unfortunately, Mira has an incident involving darkness when Rei isn't around. Worse, one of his friends witnesses it and takes a sudden interest in her abilities. All of which will kick off a chain of events.

Review:

Okay, let me address the obvious first: Call the Name of the Night Vol. 1 has fantastic artwork. And I do mean fantastic. It's worth reading for that alone, and I do mean that. I especially love the color of the cover. Not ashamed to admit that.

It took me a while to feel any connection to Mira's story. Yet once I became invested, worrying about everything that would happen was easy. Mira's struggles, which pushed to an unrealistic extent (calling darkness), do feel very human and thus relatable. It was well done.

Overall, I was blown away by how sweet and cozy Call the Name of the Night felt. It may have been a new story to me, yet something about it felt like coming home. That's how cozy it is.

Highlights:
Fantasy
Cozy Manga