Vampires used to be scary. Then they were sparkly. Now, thanks to Kotoyama’s Call of the Night (Yofukashi no Uta), they’re just... vibey? It’s a weird pivot. But it works. If you’ve spent any time on the neon-drenched streets of this anime’s version of Tokyo, you know the music isn't just background noise. It’s the pulse. Specifically, the hip-hop duo Creepy Nuts didn’t just provide a soundtrack; they essentially co-authored the show’s soul.
Honestly, it’s hard to find another instance where a band and a manga were this intertwined from the jump. Most of the time, a studio picks a popular J-pop track, slaps it on the intro, and calls it a day. Not here. The series literally takes its name from a Creepy Nuts song. Think about that for a second. The manga creator, Kotoyama, was listening to the track "Yofukashi no Uta" and basically built a whole world around how that song made them feel. That's a high-level creative bromance.
The Song That Started an Entire Franchise
When we talk about Call of the Night Creepy Nuts collaborations, we have to start with the 2018 track "Yofukashi no Uta." R-指定 (R-Shitei) and DJ Matsunaga—the two halves of the duo—weren't aiming to write an anime anthem back then. They were just capturing that specific, itchy feeling of being awake when the rest of the world is asleep.
It’s that freedom.
Ko Yamori, the protagonist, is a middle schooler who can’t sleep because his days are boring. He’s dissatisfied. When he meets Nazuna Nanakusa, a vampire who thrives in the dark, the lyrics of Creepy Nuts stop being just music and start being a mission statement. The song title translates to "Call of the Night," and Kotoyama loved the vibe so much they asked for permission to use it for the manga's title. It’s rare. Usually, the music follows the art, but here, the art followed the beat.
The rhythm of the song is jagged. It’s playful but a bit lonely. That’s Ko in a nutshell. He’s wandering around vending machines and deserted playgrounds, looking for something he can't name. Creepy Nuts provides the friction. DJ Matsunaga’s production uses these bright, almost circus-like synth melodies layered over heavy, grounding drums. It feels like the night: bright lights but dark corners.
Why the "Daten" Opening Theme Broke the Internet
By the time the anime adaptation was announced for the Noitamina block, fans were praying Creepy Nuts would return. They did. They gave us "Daten" (Falling).
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If you haven't seen the opening animation, you're missing out on a masterclass in kinetic energy. It’s frantic. The song starts with this brassy, infectious hook that feels like a party you weren't invited to but decided to crash anyway. R-Shitei’s rapping is technical, fast, and rhythmic, mirroring the way Ko’s heart probably beats when Nazuna jumps off a building with him in tow.
What’s interesting about "Daten" is how it handles the theme of "falling." In the context of the show, falling isn't just about gravity. It's about falling in love, falling into the "dark side" of society, and falling out of a conventional life. The lyrics don't hold your hand. They celebrate the messy descent.
A Quick Breakdown of the Creepy Nuts Sound
- R-Shitei’s Flow: He’s a legendary battle rapper. His ability to cram syllables into tight spaces without losing clarity makes the tracks feel packed with information, much like the dense urban backgrounds of the anime.
- DJ Matsunaga’s Sampling: He uses sounds that feel industrial and modern. It’s not "old school" hip-hop; it’s "night school." It sounds like a city breathing.
- The "Yofukashi" Energy: It’s a mix of hedonism and nihilism. You're staying up late because tomorrow doesn't matter, but the present moment is electric.
Loss of Identity and the Nightly Escape
There’s a deep-seated loneliness in Call of the Night Creepy Nuts tracks that mirrors the modern Japanese experience of hikikomori or social withdrawal, but with a twist. Instead of staying inside, the characters go out. They reclaim the streets.
In the song "Yofukashi no Uta," which serves as the ending theme for the anime, there’s a sense of "the night is ours." When the workday ends and the "productive" members of society go to bed, the weirdos come out. Creepy Nuts has always branded themselves as outsiders in the hip-hop world—R-Shitei doesn't look like a "tough guy" and Matsunaga is famously quirky. This makes them the perfect ambassadors for Ko and Nazuna.
Ko isn't a hero. He’s a kid who’s tired of being "normal." Nazuna isn't a monster; she’s a girl who likes beer and dirty jokes. The music bridges the gap between the supernatural and the mundane. When you hear the bass kick in during a pivotal scene, it grounds the vampire elements in something that feels like a Saturday night in Shinjuku.
Beyond the Opening: The Ending Themes and Insert Tracks
Most shows get one hit. Call of the Night got a whole discography. The use of "Loss Time" as an insert song is particularly devastating. It’s slower. It’s melancholic. It plays when the reality of the situation hits: that the night eventually ends.
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You can’t stay in the dark forever. Or can you?
The lyrics of "Loss Time" talk about the moments between the beats of life. It’s the time spent waiting for a train or staring at a ceiling. By using Creepy Nuts for these quieter moments, the director, Tomoyuki Itamura, showed that the duo has range. They aren't just for hype. They can do the "sad boy" hours just as well as the club bangers.
The ending sequence for the anime is essentially a music video. It features the characters dancing and vibing to the original 2018 track, closing the loop. It’s a tribute to the manga’s origins. It reminds the audience that without this specific sound, this specific story might never have existed in this form.
The Cultural Impact of the Collaboration
Since the anime aired, Creepy Nuts has seen a massive surge in international listeners. Before "Daten," they were huge in Japan but a bit of a niche "if you know, you know" act abroad. Now, they're synonymous with the "city pop revival" aesthetic, even though they’re firmly hip-hop.
It’s about the "Late Night" aesthetic. You’ve seen the TikTok edits. You’ve seen the lo-fi playlists. Call of the Night Creepy Nuts edits are everywhere because they tap into a universal feeling of wanting to disappear into the neon.
- Genre Blending: They proved hip-hop can work in supernatural romance just as well as orchestral scores.
- Brand Synergy: The band even appeared in the manga and the anime. Seeing their animated versions interact with the world they helped inspire is a meta-layer that fans obsessed over.
- The "Vibe" Economy: The show became a visual and auditory mood board for Gen Z. It’s not about the plot twists as much as it’s about the atmosphere.
How to Get the Full Creepy Nuts Experience
If you’re just getting into the music because of the anime, don't stop at the openings. Their album Case is a great starting point, as it features many of the tracks used in the show and expands on that "urban nocturnal" sound.
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You should also look up the live performances of "Daten." DJ Matsunaga is a DMC World DJ Championship winner. Watching him manipulate the decks live while R-Shitei rattles off verses at 200 bpm adds a whole new layer of appreciation to the anime's soundtrack. It’s not "fake" music made by a studio committee. It’s high-level craftsmanship.
The synergy between the two is a rare lightning-in-a-bottle moment. Usually, a series uses a band. Here, the series is the band. They are inseparable. If you take away the scratches and the syncopated raps, Call of the Night loses its heartbeat.
Immediate Next Steps for Fans
To truly appreciate the connection between the music and the narrative, start by listening to the Creepy Nuts discography in chronological order, starting from 2018. This allows you to hear the evolution of the "Yofukashi" sound before it was ever adapted for television.
Next, revisit the anime's fifth episode. Pay close attention to how the music shifts when the scene moves from the crowded city center to the quiet rooftops. The use of silence versus the sudden intrusion of a beat is a deliberate choice that mirrors R-Shitei’s lyrical structure.
Finally, check out the official music video for "Daten." It’s a psychedelic trip that uses many of the same visual motifs as the anime—saturated purples, neon yellows, and distorted cityscapes—proving that the creative dialogue between the animators and the musicians was a two-way street. By understanding the music, you understand Ko's journey toward the night far better than any dialogue could explain.