Mayonaka Punch: When Vampires Become Content Creators

Mayonaka Punch

How many streamers immediately come to mind? Whether on Twitch, YouTube, or anywhere else, something about them gives you enough reason to remember them. Perhaps they possess similar interests, have matching opinions, are your life’s idol, or anything in between. Still, you’ve developed a connection with someone who perhaps doesn’t know you besides being one of their viewers at best. Maybe you’ll meet your idol one day or may even lose interest over time, but those shared moments during the streams have undoubtedly impacted your life somewhat. Is it a good, bad, or neutral experience? What’s your take on them?

“Mayonaka Punch, also known as “Midnight Punch” or “MayoPan,” is a 12-episode TV anime series that aired from the 8th of July till the 23rd of September in Summer 2024. It was produced by Movic, AT-X, Docomo Anime Store, Kadokawa, dugout, and Heart Company and brought to life by Studio P.A. Works. Its central staff includes Saitou Shigeru, Iizuka Aya, Sotokawa Akihiro, and Tsuji Mitsuhito as producers. This original anime series features the genres of comedy and supernatural alongside the theme of vampires. Each episode has a runtime of 23 minutes and earned a rating of PG-13 for teenagers 13 years of age or older. The first and second episodes received an advance release on Kadokawa's YouTube channel on the 2nd of June 2024, while the regular broadcast began on the 8th of July 2024.

The anime series was adapted to a manga of the same name, which began publication on the 4th of March 2024 and is still ongoing. It features the primary comedy genre and targets the Seinen demographic, which is getting serialized in Young Ace. This is the work of author and artist Usui Tomomi. A Spin-Off was released in the form of a light novel titled “Mayonaka Punch: Wakeari Douga Toukousha wa Vampire!?" which was released as a single volume by author Hibi Tsuzurou and artist Kotobuki Tsukasa. It is published on the 20th of July 2024. A Side Story for the anime series was released under the title “Mayonaka Punch Short Anime” (“Mayonaka Punch YouTube Original Short Anime”). This ONA series aired five episodes from the 15th of July till the 9th of September, 2024. Done by the same studio, each episode ran for 4 minutes and earned a similar rating. This original anime captured the MayoPan members' solo projects that weren’t seen in the main story of the main anime, which aired on the official KADOKAWA Anime YouTube channel and was also released with the Blu-ray Box as a video bonus.

The story is centered around protagonist Sonoue Masaki, a girl who is a streamer on a platform known as “NewTube.” However, her career abruptly ended when the Harikiri Sisters suddenly decided to kick her out of their group, which happened during a livestream, no less! Now weighed down with a bad reputation, the girl’s chances of ever returning to popularity are slim; the only way to even have a fighting chance is to start a solo channel, but she is mercilessly plagued by never-ending comments of hate in the process. Not long afterward, our MC has a fateful encounter with Live, who just happens to be a vampire who has just woken up from her long slumber.

This being, seemingly guided by destiny, had dreamed of Masaki during her sleep and even developed a strange obsession with her. The Streamer perceives this supernatural discovery as a potential internet sensation, leading her to establish a deal: Live will assist her in achieving her goal of a million subscribers, and in return, Live will receive her blood. This development is swiftly followed by the other vampires in Live's house getting aboard the streamer’s ambitious plan, all while she and Live work tirelessly together to film video after video in an attempt to restore her career to indisputable glory!

Mayonaka Punch is a show you shouldn't judge early from promotional material or the synopsis. At its core, it is a comedy show about a group of girls making videos along with some supernatural elements, but you can feel it building up for something bigger early on. I began to sense this around Episode 4, and it ultimately unfolds into a poignant story that will leave you in tears, all while embracing its heartfelt nature. It’s not easy turning a premise like this into such a heartfelt show, but here we are. As the show progresses, the nice humor we had since the beginning begins to mesh with consistently impactful and memorable emotions. When it comes to humor, they tend to rely too much on vibes to carry each moment. As such, the jokes lacked variety and quality in the long run, but the show remained fun, with many surprises to keep me engaged. Although the dialogue between characters feels organic and authentic, not all of the intended humor is conveyed through the words. Instead, I found myself enjoying the cast’s reactions and a few side gags the most, so prepare to smile to yourself like an idiot even if you don’t laugh out loud.

The character department is decent. Every central character holds much potential from the onset, and we can see their room for growth. Sonoue Masaki, despite being the MC, would be my least favorite, but at least she doesn’t make you hate the show. Her primary purpose is to provide the audience with a clear goal to follow and root for, and it becomes clear over time that she won’t get anywhere without any personal development. As such, I did love her development from a callous and selfish girl into someone willing to admit her mistakes and errors openly; she truly felt human by the end. The main antagonist isn’t that great from a writing standpoint either, while the supporting cast of girls also comes off as pretty one-dimensional at the start. Luckily, this is set off by the fact that we can see the buildup for their development as well, each of them getting their time to become something more eventually. My favorite thing about this department is the friendship and/or romance between Live and Masaki. They both have mental conflicts and flaws to worry about, but their interactions ensure we root for them wholeheartedly, and nothing here feels forced or rushed. For example, they couldn’t even start their Content Creator journey until around Episode 4 due to many roadblocks, and all of their barricades are significant to the story and their relationship. So, by the halfway point, I was invested in most of the characters.

The art and animation department is superb, and I have few complaints. The artwork is vibrant, colorful, and stylish throughout the show, and all the character designs are fashionable, attention-grabbing, and memorable, each conveying something about the respective character and the life they’ve lived in this world thus far. If the art reminded me of anything, it was a tribute to the classic cutesy vampire trend, infused with an alchemist chibi-like style. The animation is fluid and felt inspired on multiple occasions; no effort nor budget was compromised here.

The sound and music department is also handled with love and care. The opening theme is "Gimme Gimme" by Live (Fairouz Ai), Ichiko (Yuina Itou), Fuu (Hina Youmiya), Tokage (Hitomi Ueda), and Yuki (Ai Kayano). This is honestly one banger piece accompanied by visuals of the characters’ cute dance made just for it; it successfully excited me for each episode with its dancing music. It also serves as a reminder that these near-indestructible vampires can perform hazardous and energy-consuming stunts while alternating them with cute moe dances. The ending themes are "Henshuu-ten" by Masaki (Ikumi Hasegawa), "Kimi e" by Fuu (Hina Youmiya), and "Night Diver" by Live (Fairouz Ai), Ichiko (Yuina Itou), Fuu (Hina Yomiya), and Tokage (Hitomi Ueda). Just like the opening, this piece has fantastic visuals and serves as a reminder of the downbeat moments of the show. The OSTs have a total vibe, letting you flow alongside the characters at each moment. Finally, the voice actors deliver a stellar performance within and outside the story by singing the opening and ending themes. They reflect the characters’ starting point and their development, giving life to who they become along the way.

Overall, Mayonaka Punch is a delightful show you can enjoy while going about your hectic lifestyle. While there are characters and relationships, I hope they’ll explore more in future installments; if any, the show does well enough to stand on its own. Be prepared for the story's unexpected turns and directions, and enjoy the characters’ slow and steady growth because it’s all about their development. Meanwhile, indulge in the fun moe-visuals and music to keep the fun going. Recommended, unless you have a strong aversion to moe and cutesy stuff, because this show isn’t something you need to take very seriously throughout.