Noragami

**Noragami** is an action, adventure, romance, comedy, romantic comedy, drama, fantasy, contemporary fantasy, urban fantasy,

   Japanese anime series.  It started with a manga series which was written by Adachitoka and published by Kodansha for the magazine Monthly Shonen Magazine.  It originally ran from December 6, 2010 to Present, and it currently has 18 volumes in total.  After that came the first season of the anime adaptation.  It was directed by Kotaro Tamura, written by Hitomi Mieno, musically composed by Taku Iwasaki, and produced by Studio Bones.  It originally aired from January 5, 2014 to March 23, 2014, and lasted for 12 normal episodes and 2 OVA episodes in total.  And finally after that came the second season of the anime series, titled Noragami Aragoto.  It was directed by Kotaro Tamura, written by Hitomi Mieno, musically composed by Taku Iwasaki, and produced by Studio Bones.  It originally aired from October 2, 2015 to December 25, 2015, and it lasted for 13 normal episodes and 2 OVA episodes in total.  This makes 25 normal episodes and 4 OVA episodes in in total, or 29 episodes in all.

## Plot

Hiyori Iki was a normal middle school student until she was hit by a bus when she wanted to protect someone from being run over. The stranger wears a sports suit and a scarf and later turns out to be God Yato. This incident makes her half a Ayakashi, a demon. When she meets Yato again and finds out that he is a god, she asks him to help her and to return to normal. But Yato has recently lost his sacred weapon (Shinki) - another supernatural being that serves a god and strengthens his power. He is also only a very little known and therefore weak god. When both are attacked by an Ayakashi, Yato chooses a boy's mind as the new Shiki and calls him Yukine. This turns out to be a good weapon, but is very unsettled and impetuous because of his early death.

Even with Yukines help Yato Hiyori can not help at first. When he turns to Tenjin, god of education, he sees his former weapon Mayu now serving him. Even Yato's girlfriend Kofuku, goddess of poverty, and her Shinki Daikoku can not help them. The conflicts between Yato and Yukine, who do not feel valued and mourn their human lives, are on the increase. Finally Yukine starts to steal - since he is already dead and all the living do not notice him, he does not care about their reactions and the damage. But every sin of Yukine is also transmitted to Yato, who is increasingly being put to rot. Nevertheless, he does not want to punish Yukine.

Then the group meets Bishamonten, the goddess of fortune in war, who has many Shinki. She wants to take revenge on Yato for a long time because he killed one of her Shinki. It comes to fight and Yato can escape only thanks to the help of Kofuku. One of Bishamon's Shinki, Kazuma, confronts Hiyori with her contact with Yato. Since he is still in Yato's guilt, he demands that Yato Yukine should give up because this only harms him. Otherwise he would kill Yukine. As Yato and Yukine have further estranged, Yukine snaps at a job in a school. When he sees all the students who live a normal everyday life, he smashes windows and doors. Sin is so heavy that Yato collapses. To save him from death, Hiyori brings both to Kofuku. Together with Mayu and Kazuma, Daikoku performs a painful cleansing ceremony on Yukine. This almost becomes a demon, but remembers Hiyori and Yatos affection and confesses his sins.

Shortly thereafter Hiyori meets Nora, a sacred weapon that serves many gods - formerly Yato. She wants him to choose her as a weapon and stay away from Hiyori. She steals Hiyori's memories of Yato and soon after, she forgets him more and more. The god Rabo uses them to challenge Yato. In the past, he fought as a god of misfortune together with him. Finally, Yato embarks on his challenge to rescue Hiyori and defeats Rabo, already consumed by Ayakashi. He wished, after being forgotten by humans, to be killed by Yato.

While Hiyori prepares for high school entrance examinations and lives her unusual life with Yato and Yukine, Yukine befriends one of the Shinki from Bishamonten, whom he happens to meet one night. About him he learns from the large family of Shinki, the Bishamonten around. Every lost spirit takes it up. But in the castle of the goddess, conflicts arise, but they are hidden from the hostess, so as not to worry her. Besides, Bishamonten forgets some of her Shinki, so she has not called Yukine's friend for a long time. The overburdening of the hostess makes use of her Shinki and personal physician Kugaha. He weakens Bishamonten by using Ayakashi, infecting one of his jealous colleagues and hiding it from the others. He also suspends mistrust between Bishamonten and her guide Kazuma.

Finally, Kugaha also learns of Yukine's friendship. He kills his friend, provoking Yukine Kazuma to follow and question Bishamonten about his friend's death. It comes to a dispute in which Kazuma is accused of having allied with Bishamonten's enemy Yato. She banishes him and Kazuma seeks refuge with Kofuku. Shortly thereafter, he is kidnapped along with Hiyori from Kugaha. Kazuma realizes that Kugaha wants to bring about a generational change in which all Shinki and the goddess die - except him - and he can then serve as the new guide to the newborn goddess. Kazuma himself is the last survivor of the past generation change. In this Yato had all Shinki Bishamontens killed except him. He had been commissioned by Kazuma to save the life of his mistress, whose Shinki first of

While Hiyori prepares for high school entrance examinations and lives her unusual life with Yato and Yukine, Yukine befriends one of the Shinki from Bishamonten, whom he happens to meet one night. About him he learns from the large family of Shinki, the Bishamonten around. Every lost spirit takes it up. But in the castle of the goddess, conflicts arise, but they are hidden from the hostess, so as not to worry her. Besides, Bishamonten forgets some of her Shinki, so she has not called Yukine's friend for a long time. The overburdening of the hostess makes use of her Shinki and personal physician Kugaha. He weakens Bishamonten by using Ayakashi, infecting one of his jealous colleagues and hiding it from the others. He also suspends mistrust between Bishamonten and her guide Kazuma.

Finally, Kugaha also learns of Yukine's friendship. He kills his friend, provoking Yukine Kazuma to follow and question Bishamonten about his friend's death. It comes to a dispute in which Kazuma is accused of having allied with Bishamonten's enemy Yato. She banishes him and Kazuma seeks refuge with Kofuku. Shortly thereafter, he is kidnapped along with Hiyori from Kugaha. Kazuma realizes that Kugaha wants to bring about a generational change in which all Shinki and the goddess die - except him - and he can then serve as the new guide to the newborn goddess. Kazuma himself is the last survivor of the past generation change. In this Yato had all Shinki Bishamontens killed except him. He had been assigned by Kazuma to save the life of his mistress, whose Shinki were first seized by mistrust and resentment and finally by Ayakashi. as a result of the events Bishamonten developed their great hatred of Yato. To save Hiyori, Yato travels with Yukine to Bishamonten's palace, where it comes to fight. Kugaha plans to have Bishamonten and her Shinki killed by Yato, but also lets some of his Ayakashi eat. But Kazuma and Hiyori can be freed by Kugaha's accomplice, who thinks better of it, and the fight between Yato and Bishamonten ends. Bishamonten protects the remaining Ayakashi and kills Kugaha.

Some time after the conflict with Bishamonten is over, Yato suddenly disappears. Yukine and Hiyori are worried, but Kofuku and Daikoku reassure her - something like that happens to Yato over and over again. In fact, he was kidnapped by Nora on behalf of his father, for whom he now executes contract killings. As happened so often, Yato surrenders to his destiny, while Hiyori first seeks him, then slowly forgets. Finally, Yato is sent to the Underworld to save the god of luck, Ebisu. He has traveled to the underworld to obtain an Izanami brush to control Ayakashi, something that Ebisu has been seeking for many generations. After all, Yato and Ebisu in the realm of the dead must fight Izanami together, who will not let them go again. Meanwhile, because of Ebisu's attempts to give and give Ayakashi's name and control, there is uproar in the Kingdom of Heaven. The gods of fortune are arrested and a death sentence is pronounced on Ebisu. When Kazuma, Yukine and Hiyori - who just remembered Yato when she happened to meet Yukine - learn about it, they free Bishamonten. Together with Kofuku and her Shinki they release Yato and Ebisu from the underworld. In the fight Yato learns that Ebisu tries to control the Ayakashi in order to harness them to the gods and humans. Yato is impressed with Ebisu's desire to make people happy, and motivates him to continue living, not relying, as he often does, on a reincarnation that continues his task. Nevertheless, Ebisu is killed soon afterwards by the Celestial Hosts who carry out the sentence. Ebisu's rebirth met Yato soon after the last wish of his predecessor. And spurred on by Ebisu, Yato finally disassociates himself from Nora and swears with Yukine, from now on, only to help people and kill no one.[2]

## Why It Rocks

1. While the final villain of Season 1, Rabo, wasn't in the manga, he was so interesitng and well written that nobody seemed to care, even manga readers, which is rare.
2. Incredible soundtrack.
3. The growing relationship between Yato and Iki Hiyori is incredibly engaging and emotional, but also humorous at times.
4. Amazing animation.
5. All of the main characters are flawed but still likeable and fun to follow.  From Yato, to Iki Hiyori, to Yukine, to Bishamonten, to Kofuku, among others.
6. Very appealing art style and character designs.
7. Bishamonten is probably the most complex character.  Season 2 focuses much more heavily around her, and she becomes incredibly interesting, likable, and complicated, and gets character development, despite being kind of the secondary antagonist of that season.
8. Great voice acting in both sub and dub.
9. Outstanding fights.  All of the Gods, from Yato to Bishamon, are fun to watch engaging in battle with each other, using their unique abilities, called Regalia, to do so.
10. Surprisingly excellent comedy.
11. Another unique and enjoyable relationship is the sort of big sister little brother relationship that Iki Hiyori and Yukine have in the series.

## Reception

Noragami was the 14th top selling manga series in Japan during the first half of 2014.[17]