Anime Review #5: Noragami

Noragami

adapted from Noragami by Adachi, Toka

Yato is a minor deity who lacks even a single shrine. In order to build his own shrine and gain recognition as a god, he scrawls his cell number on the wall of a downtown bathroom telling people he will help them in exchange for a 5-yen offering, becoming a self-styled "delivery god." Hiyori, the daughter of a respectable family, is almost killed in a traffic accident, but is rescued by Yato. This causes her to become a "hanyou," a person who can exit her body in soul form. She chases Yato down, and they begin to work together to help Yato be recognized. Yato also finds a boy named Yukine who becomes a Regalia, a "sacred treasure" that can be used by a god as a weapon to fight. The three of them battle phantoms who bring harm to humans as Yato's dark hidden history is gradually revealed.

Japanese: ノラガミ
Episodes: 12
Status: Finished Airing
Airing Date: January 5, 2014 to March 23, 2014
Producers: Bones, Avex Entertainment, FUNimation EntertainmentL, Kodansha, Ai Addiction
Genres: Action, Adventure, Shounen, Supernatural




The Review

Story: 5/5

• Noragami is about a minor god who is easily forgotten, a weird girl who values friendship, and a young boy who undergoes many changes and learning lessons on the way.
• The plot is somewhat similar to Dreamworks' Rise of the Guardians. They are both about this lad who's easily forgotten because nobody believes in them.
• This story consists of several beautiful plot lines, and all of them add up together to create this wonderful creation. Noragami's plot really screams elegance.
• The last episodes (10-12) were fillers, though. They were not in the manga, but still. You wouldn't even realize that those episodes were fillers because the events in there really mashed up well with the main plot.

Characters: 4/5

• Character change is really present in this story.
• Hiyori Iki. She's a weird girl who has a fetish for boxing and wrestling. I don't really know what to say about her, except for the fact that she's pure-hearted. The way that she risked her life just to save Yato from being hit by a truck was just so heartwarming. Take note, that was their first-ever meeting. This might not go with the summary's Hiyori, the daughter of a respectable family, is almost killed in a traffic accident, but is rescued by Yato. The point is, Hiyori pushed Yato so that he wouldn't get hit by the incoming truck. This causes Hiyori to lose consciousness, therefore, her soul left her body. Because Yato is a god, he sort of helped Hiyori's soul go back to her body, but this caused an abnormality in Hiyori's body where her soul leaves her body without any warning.
• Yato. He's a minor deity who looks like a teenager wearing a jersey along with a weird-looking bib. He has piercing blue eyes, and this characteristic makes him distinct. He doesn't have a shrine for himself, so he goes around, vandalizing walls and basically everything. He writes down his number and he would accept any job for an offering of 5 yen. I won't say any more because I might end up spoiling you. *evil laugh*
• Yukine. Yukine is Yato's shinki or Regalia. A Sacred Treasure that serves as a weapon for the gods. Yato captured him because he sensed Yukine's potential. Yukine is an unusual Regalia, because he's too powerful, considering that he is only a low-level. His character portrayed teen angst and rebellion on his first appearances, but later on, he portrayed that strong boy who is willing do to anything for the sake of his master, and for those around him.

Art: 4/5

• Noragami's art is actually very good. The animation was too. The colors used were really fitting. Take Yato's eyes for example, his cat-like eyes were colored blue, and the color mixes well with his personality.
• Here are some screencaps:

is it just me or does Yukine look very very very very hot here

Sound: 5/5

• Yay. The soundtrack was my favorite part of the anime. The intro song really caught my attention! It's really very catchy and the tune will stay in your mind for a long time. The same can be said for the ending song. The ending song starts with a sad tune, and it gradually becomes happy. These parts (the songs) are the ones that you wouldn't wanna miss.
• "Goya no Machiawase" by Hello Sleepwalkers
• "Heart Realize" by Tia

Overall: 4/5

•  This fine piece of art deserves a rating of 4/5. I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I did. :)

Recommendation(s):

• Kyoukai no Kanata: both animes have the phantom thingies, and both are feels-y.

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