Noragami

We've seen many stories about the afterlife, near-death experiences, and second chances. However, when paired with technology, it might feel more contemporary. Don't we all fantasize about a life apart from the same dull reality from time to time?

Noragami ("Stray God'') is a Japanese anime series. It all started with a manga series that Adachitoka wrote for Monthly Shonen Magazine and that Kodansha published, and the initial season of the anime adaptation followed this series. Studio Bones put it together with Taku Iwasaki's music, Hitomi Mieno's writing, and Kotaro Tamura's direction. Initially, it ran for 12 regular episodes and 2 OVA episodes from January 5th to March 23rd, 2014.

The anime program's second season, Noragami Aragoto, debuted after that. Hitomi Mieno wrote the script, Kotaro Tamura directed, Taku Iwasaki provided the music, and Studio Bones produced it. It ran for 13 regular episodes and 2 OVA episodes from October 2nd until December 25th, 2015. As such, 29 episodes in total—25 regular episodes and 4 OVA episodes—were produced.

Noragami is an anime series combining action, adventure, romance, humor, romantic comedy, drama, fantasy, modern fantasy, and urban fantasy. Each episode lasts 24 minutes. Its subject matter was mythology; it catered to the Shonen demographic, and its rating was PG-13 (teens 13 years and older).

Adachitoka was the author and illustrator of Noragami. After making its debut in the December 6th, 2010, issue of Kodansha's Monthly Shōnen Magazine, the series has subsequently been compiled into 26 tankōbon volumes that will be released between July 15th, 2011, and February 16th, 2023.

The ninth volume and a special edition featuring a drama CD were both released simultaneously. The concurrently released limited edition volumes 10 and 11 contained DVDs with anime episodes. Additional chapters of the series have been published in the companion magazine Monthly Shōnen Magazine Plus since 2011.

The initial seven chapters were collected on November 15th, 2013, under the title Noragami Shish, into a single book. Additional chapters were included in volume 20, which was made available on February 15th, 2019, as add-on material. In October 2015, the Noragami Kami to Enishi ("Noragami Gods and Fate") mobile game by Sakura Soft was made available for Android phones and tablets. On November 16th, 2015, a release for iOS was also made available.

In times of crisis, if you look carefully, you can make out a strange phone number written in red. If you dial this number, a young man will identify himself as the Yato God (Yatogami). Despite being a minor god, the "Delivery God," Yato, wants millions of people to worship him. However, he has a long way to go before achieving his goals, as a shrine needs to be dedicated to him.

He spends his day performing odd jobs for five yen each until his weapon companion abandons him. As the god's situation appeared to be deteriorating, Hiyori Iki, a middle school student, is said to have saved Yato from a vehicle collision by bearing the impact on his behalf. She miraculously survives, but the incident frees her spirit and allows it to leave her body. Hiyori begs Yato to make her normal again, and when he tells her he needs a new partner, she reluctantly agrees to help. And with Hiyori's help, Yato's situation may be looking up.

Yato, the main protagonist of Noragami, declares himself a god and is willing to grant anyone's wish as long as it helps him build his following and his collection of shrines across the country. He is a god who aspires to be a god of fortune. He was known as the god of calamity and had a dark and troubled past.

Throughout the show, we learn that Yato has a shady and troubled history. He supported himself as a god of calamity by fulfilling requests to take human lives. The fact that he was responsible for killing Shinki in the past gave him a bad reputation, even among the gods.

He had to kill his first shinki because his father had manipulated her into becoming a monster. Yato's behavior is initially shown to be naughty, crude, and unpredictable. Yato is shown to be highly careless with his money and to slack off occasionally, in addition to displaying occasional signs of childishness or gullibility.

Yato's friendships with Hiyori and Yukine aid in developing empathy and compassion. As the series progresses, he learns the value of his relationships and grows more responsible and protective of those he cares about than he was before. He shifts his priorities away from financial gain and toward assisting others.

Hiyori Iki is a secondary protagonist in the Noragami anime series. She is a 14-year-old high school student who can see spirits and astral projections. Hiyori can communicate with gods, spirits, and other supernatural beings on the “Far Shore" thanks to her ability to transcend her physical body.

Because she is half-ayakashi, Hiyori's soul can leave her body while she sleeps. This allows her to detect the presence of "Far Shore" creatures through their scent. When alone, however, her only defense against the ayakashi is her skill in close-quarters combat against something that can easily blight her body and leave her at the mercy of those around her.

After the bus accident, she had more frequent out-of-body experiences. Hiyori's untethered spirit becomes a plot point, and Yato offers assistance as she tries to mend it.

At first, Hiyori and Yato's relationship was strictly business, with Yato promising to fulfill Hiyori's wish to become fully human. Hiyori's friendships with Yato and Yukine aid her in becoming more immersed in the world of gods and spirits throughout the series. She is shown to be the antithesis of Yato, displaying kindness, compassion, and resolve.

Of the three main characters, Yukine's backstory in Noragami is revealed gradually throughout the series. Yukine's human form is that of a carefree adolescent with short, unkempt hair. Compared to Yato and Hiyori, he is noticeably shorter. At first, he is highly dissatisfied with his life as a Regalia. Still, after committing numerous sins—including some that blur the line between tsundere and selfish jerk—he eventually accepts it.

Fun fact: The gods' weapons and companion spirits are called Regalia. After death, a person's soul can be reborn as a magical weapon. Regalia are significant to gods because they are their only defense against blight or pain brought on by darkness, whether through the bad thoughts of their regalia or direct contact with phantoms. Gods are considered "naked" without their regalia, which is necessary for survival.

In the series, the relationship between a god and their regalia is important, and they must work together to defeat phantoms. These evil spirits feed on human emotions and can possess humans.

The show focuses heavily on the characters, and the plot is intriguing with its themes. Suicide, bullying, vengeance, and temptation are among the themes explored in the series. Many people consider Noragami to be just another shonen featuring battles, action, and a touch of comedy, and to many people, that's all it will be.

At its heart, Noragami is a spiritual piece. Still, many viewers have complained that not enough time was spent on the anime's central ideas, namely Yato's desire to become a widely revered deity and Hiyori's desire to restore her body. They may have missed the point.

This anime is all about the Buddhist concepts of karma and Sange. Sange is a Japanese word for scattering flowers as an offering to Buddha, as well as a metaphor for falling in battle and being liberated from the burdens of one's mistakes and harmful acts by truly apologizing and being remorseful. This is demonstrated when Bishamon learns to forgive Yato and work together to defeat their common foe.

It's a compelling and profound story in that sense. Many people won't get that; they will see gods, demons, spirits, ghosts, and a girl who does astral travel and think it's all about battles and shonen. The anime is about much deeper concepts, and Noragami falls short for most people in this area, so fans of classic Shonen anime may need to look elsewhere.

The animation is standard Bones fare, and the art style is close to the manga. Each figure is visually appealing and colorful, especially Yato's odd scarf and cat-like blue eyes. The scenery is nicely done and detailed. The quality may occasionally deteriorate, but it consistently meets expectations.

Taku Iwasaki, the mastermind behind the OSTs for the renowned Black Butler and Soul Eater, noted for their incredibly notable themes ranging from rock ballads and pop to Victorian-era themes, wrote the music for Noragami. Most of the music is upbeat and rather repetitive in its loops, but it perfectly captures the spirit and never seems out of place. It also occasionally incorporates a few traditional Japanese motifs, which never appear forced.

The centerpiece of this entire OST is the fight music, along with a few other songs that will make you think, "Oh, this played when ______ occurred, and it sounded awesome!" because they are quite simply all that good; no complaints. Hello Sleepwalkers' song "Goya no Machiawase" (Overnight Appointment) is the movie's opening theme. "Heart Realize" (Hāto Riaraizu), written by Supercell and sung by Tia, is the closing theme song.

At its heart, Noragami is a story about people who deliberately hurt themselves or others. Then, when the weight of their bad deeds becomes too much to bear, they repent earnestly. It features fantastic characters and stories with real-world relevance. The music and visuals in this anime are stunning, making it a must-see. Highly recommended!