Call of the Night Season 2

In such a stacked anime season like Summer 2025, it’s difficult for a lot of very high-quality anime to shine through the thick layer of some of the most hyped-up ongoing series. With this season featuring major players like DAN DA DAN, My Dress-Up Darling, and Kaiju No. 8, it’s no surprise that Call of the Night Season 2 hasn’t exactly been the talk of the town this Summer, despite a fairly popular first season – but for those of us who do watch this show, it means we get to experience and appreciate it as the underrated gem it is. Call of the Night Season 2 mark a real leap in quality from the first season, and as it stands today, is easily one of my favourite anime of the Summer 2025 season, for all sorts of reasons, and today, we’re here to talk about all of them.

Today, we’re reviewing Call of the Night Season 2. We will be discussing spoilers in this review, so be sure to watch the season for yourself before you scroll any further! Unlike the first season, Call of the Night Season 2 plays heavily with themes of mystery and suspense, so ruining the surprise would be an awful way to experience the show. However, if you’ve watched Call of the Night Season 2 for yourself, let’s finally talk all about it! Let’s get right into the review!

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Call of the Night Season 2 Review

Image by Liden Films

From the first few episodes of Call of the Night Season 2, I could tell that we were in for a treat, and a notable improvement from the first season of the show. While the first season had a top-tier aesthetic, and truly managed to capture the feeling of exploring a quiet city in the dead of night, this season really steps up the series’ game when it comes to storyline, character development, and emotional stakes. If the first season had actually been 24-episodes and this season’s events were adapted as a part of Season 1, I think that Call of the Night could have been a much more popular series. However, because the first season was fairly uneventful, Call of the Night Season 2 has found itself swallowed up by its Summer 2025 competition – and it deserves far better.

One of the many ways in which Call of the Night Season 2 improves on its predecessor is in its exploration of the series’ side characters. A large portion of Call of the Night’s supporting cast only first appeared in the first season’s final episodes, so seeing them begin to be fleshed out more here was a real pleasure. In particular, Kabura and Niko get a lot of time to shine this season, and that’s before we even begin talking about Anko’s rise to stardom in Call of the Night Season 2. I really did enjoy the first season of this show, but back then, a lot of these characters felt fairly soulless, used more as plot devices as opposed to feeling like actual people. In giving these characters more attention, the world of Call of the Night is starting to feel truly deepened, and feels far more alive than the neon backgrounds of Season 1.

However, Call of the Night Season 2 doesn’t leave behind the ever-important aesthetical factor of the first season – the vibes of the first season are a huge factor in why the show ever gained popularity in the first place. Luckily, Call of the Night Season 2 takes almost everything that worked about the first season, and improves on them, mainly by taking the beautiful neon landscapes we’re accustomed to, and throwing in a real element of danger through the heightened inclusion of Anko in the storyline. The night city of Call of the Night Season 2 feels like a genuinely dangerous place, which is exactly what Anko wanted, making her mission effective on both the characters in the show, and the viewers watching from home. Anko was present in the latter half of Season 1, but she really steps up her game this season, allowing the quality of the show to be lifted as part of her rising tide.

Image by Liden Films

With the huge focus on Anko this season, it becomes clear that Call of the Night Season 2 is no longer a story about Nazuna and Kou – in fact, Kou has a remarkably small impact in the overall sequence of events this season. This is a strange transition for sure, but I’m not complaining, considering Nazuna and Anko have a far more interesting dynamic between them than Nazuna ever did with Kou. With that being said though, does Anko’s storyline mark a spike in quality when it comes to Call of the Night Season 2, with Season 3 returning to the quality of Season 1? I fear that this might be the case, though Season 1 wasn’t a bad anime by any means, so this isn’t a huge worry. However, I don’t believe we’ll see this level of quality from the show going forward, which stings a little because this season was so strong.

It’s not all rosy for Call of the Night Season 2 though. I do feel a sort of identity crisis going on here, given the major differences in tone between the first and second season. Realistically, I would be unsure about recommending this anime to any casual viewer, given the inconsistency of the experience. Call of the Night Season 2 is such a far cry from where we were before, and though I do prefer Anko’s storyline over Kou’s, at the end of the day, this is a series about Kou, and his journey to becoming a vampire. He takes such a back seat in this season that it almost feels like a spin-off. Regardless of my own personal preferences, the main storyline fading into the background like this is a weakness I have to fairly critique.

However, though I can’t praise the mishandling of Kou’s storyline as a positive thing, the focus on Anko and Nazuna’s history in Call of the Night Season 2 introduces a very compelling element of mystery to the series, one that was never present before. Call of the Night’s first season was, to be blunt, a very simple season of anime. We explored the city, Kou and Nazuna’s relationship developed, and then Kou went home. The supporting cast of vampires were introduced at the end of the season, but they didn’t have a lot of time to do much. Call of the Night Season 2, on the other hand, feels like a genuine mystery-thriller, and I’m all for the change of pace. Hopefully Season 3 will introduce a new mystery of its own, as opposed to returning to the simplicity of Kou’s nightlife.

Image by Liden Films

Now, let’s move to the production element of Call of the Night Season 2, which is really important for this kind of show. To begin, I don’t feel like Creepy Nuts get enough credit for how much good they do for this series. The soundtrack of Call of the Night Season 2 is phenomenal, a strength retained from the first season of the anime. Creepy Nuts play a huge role in this, not only because of the incredible opening and ending sequences, both of which I think improve on their equivalents for Season 1, but also thanks to their insert songs that underscore the city exploration, giving comfort when present, and importantly, causing a sense of dread when absent. The scene where Anko bursts into the school room and the insert song cuts off at the end of Episode 5 is the perfect example of how important music, specifically Creepy Nuts’ music, is to this show.

The animation of Call of the Night Season 2 is just as strong as before, with the visuals doing a lot of heavy-lifting when it comes to the mood behind the series. Liden Films return to animate this season, and I’m very grateful we didn’t see any change in production studio during the three-year gap between seasons. Regardless of its position on the popularity polls, Call of the Night Season 2 is easily one of the most visually impressive anime of Summer 2025. The series, regardless of what’s happening in its plot or with its characters, is pleasant to watch, and that will always be a plus in my book.

I also love how Call of the Night Season 2 seems to actually explore vampirism a lot more than the first season did. This is likely down to the supporting cast having a lot more time on-screen this season, but the vampires in this show never really felt like actual vampires in Season 1. Call of the Night Season 2 ups the ante when it comes to exploring both vampire folklore, and the darker, more grisly part of leading a blood-sucking lifestyle. You begin to understand why Anko hunts them down this season, a question that pervaded Season 1, considering they didn’t appear to be hurting anybody the first time around. Call of the Night Season 2 doesn’t shy away from exploring darker themes, which I think is suitable for a more mature show like this.

Image by Liden Films

With vampirism in mind, I do want to address one of the problems I had with Call of the Night‘s first season, an element that was actually greatly improved on this season. Thankfully, Call of the Night Season 2 really tones it down when it comes to fanservice. Usually, I’m pretty against fanservice, and find it unnecessary – however, funnily enough, I was actually fine with it in Call of the Night for the most part, considering sexuality and seduction are major themes when it comes to vampire stories. However, where Call of the Night Season 1 felt somewhat invasive with its sexualisation of characters, Call of the Night Season 2 feels like a healthy mix of sensuality and plot, leading to a far more enjoyable viewing experience, however, one with an appropriate amount of edge.

Finally, let’s talk about the real star of Call of the Night Season 2 – Anko Uguisu. Anko is easily the standout of the season, and it’ll be sad to not be exploring her history and motives any further in the third season. Anko was not only a compelling threat throughout the entire season, but her clear backstory actually allowed her to thrive as a threat, but not an antagonist. Though we’ve come to love Nazuna and Kou, as well as their vampire friends, the season explains thoroughly why Anko is how she is, and it all translates really well throughout the season. I leave the discussion of her until last because without her character, a lot of my praise of this season would simply fall apart. Hopefully she sticks around throughout future seasons of the series – in my book, she’s now a main character of Call of the Night.

As a whole, Call of the Night Season 2 significantly elevates the series in terms of its storytelling, character depth, and emotional complexity when compared to its slower-paced first season. With a stronger focus on side characters like Kabura, Niko, and especially Anko, the season breathes new life into the world of Call of the Night, transforming it from a neon-drenched aesthetic piece into a more dynamic, mystery-thriller experience. Though I can’t wait to see where Kou goes next, I’ll admittedly miss this season and its focus on Anko – it was one to remember. What did you think of Call of the Night Season 2? Be sure to let us know, and thanks for reading!

See also: DAN DA DAN Season 2 Review

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Where to Watch Call of the Night Season 2?

Image by Liden Films

Call of the Night Season 2 is a HiDive exclusive, streaming only on the platform. You can also watch all of the first season on HiDive, so make sure you catch up on the series for the third season!

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