There’s a God and this girl… wait, hear me out. Noragami follows Yato who isn’t really God in the aspects you’re thinking of. He has no shrine, and no worshippers. But he works for relatively cheap, taking on 5 Yen prayers with the help of a “Shinki” (sacred treasure) who are able to transform into weapons. Problem is, his shinki just quit which essentially leaves him defenseless. In his quest for followers and a new shinki, he comes across Iki Hiyori, a regular girl with a passion for wrestling. Mistaking Yato for a human, she leaps out to save him and their fates become intertwined.
First off, I’m so glad BONES worked on this anime. I love Studio BONES, there hasn’t really been an anime I’ve hated that they’ve worked on. They don’t rely too heavily on CGI which really brings out the beautiful visuals that really link it to the manga, which also has stunning art. Noragami is absolutely stunning in execution, from the OP sequence all the way to the ED. They really get it spot on with their facial expression during comedic moments. Even though it’s Kotaro Tamura’s first time directing, Noragami is a hit with me. Each episode was capable of holding my interest from beginning to end.
Character developments are also handled extremely well. Not only is the main cast extremely well paired with one another, their interactions are completely believable. The voice actors really pull through to represent Yato, Hiyori, and Yukine. I’m so invested in their story and even though I’ve read the manga, it’s great to see these character animated. The flow of the story is done really well despite only being twelve episodes, there’s energy and a fun atmosphere in Noragami but it allows itself to take on serious topics which it also handles beautifully. It separates its silly moments from when it needs to get serious but never does it feel like you’re watching two different series. The timing for dialogue and comedy was spot-on and I felt like each episode zoomed past me.
What a shame that this anime is only twelve episodes long. Understandable that distribution head Avex Entertainment doesn’t want to invest too much incase Noragami were to fail, but BONES has gotten this adaptation in the basket. If anything, the twelve episode restriction is what stifled it. The last episode seems hastily done in an attempt to get everything wrapped up in case there’s not season 2. But as a result, it causes some of the characters to act a little out of character. It also cuts back on all the character development that is possible for a series finale. I wish they at least made it an hour-long special or something. I feel like Yukine stood there for a greater part of the episode when he’s a major character. But gripes aside, the last episode is still worth watching and I felt like it was all over in a span of minutes.
The OP and ED songs are incredibly catchy if you haven’t heard them. Especially the opening, and it really demonstrates how great the animation is. The backgrounds are crisp, the characters are funny and likeable, yes, even all the side characters! And the facial expressions are so spot on… these characters have piercing eyes that look into my ssoooouuuullll.
Please give me a season 2. In the meantime, I’ll have to satiate my needs with the manga. But it’s great to have Studio BONES back after having a relatively quiet 2013. Regardless, I highly recommend Noragami, it carries itself very well despite a shaky finale episode which I was expecting. After all, the manga is 10 volumes and ongoing. All I can hope is for a season 2.
this review is credited from critiques4geeks.com. I’ve the same opinion as the writer. right now, I’m just scrolling the manga which have an awesome story plot.. The Bishamon Arc..:) thanks for reading.
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