Available on Netflix, the first season of Noragami is about a minor god named Yato who runs around doing small jobs for people. He bumps into a girl named Hiyori when she gets hit by a bus. She survives, but now has the ability to turn into a partial phantom and interact with the spirit world. She becomes best friends with Yato and his weapon Sekki. Phantoms pop up now and then to cause trouble, along with other gods and really creepy people whose plots I won't mention for spoiler purposes.
What I loved about the anime was, well, everything really. There wasn't any fan service shoved in your face or full on dependent girls failing at life miserably without their potential boyfriend. Though Hiyori would often go to Yato for help, it was more or less because she couldn't kill the evil Phantoms plaguing the city rather than she is a useless waste of flesh like a lot of anime females I stumble across. In fact, she could probably kick some serious ass if she only had a Phantom slaying sword too.
Art and music were also a plus. There are a lot of glowing effects, especially during battles and with the characters' eyes. I love glow-y eyes!
The mood never dragged you down into full out depression. As my friend once said about finishing wolf's Rain, "Don't you just want to commit suicide right now?" Yah. That was intense, but very suck-ish. I couldn't watch anime for a while, and I just felt very, very depressed for the longest time. Noragami was not that bad. But it wasn't a silly, stupid, goofy show either. I typically dislike those. I did my fair share of laughing and tear-shedding throughout. It was a good balance that would let you sink and sink, but then bring you back up so you could breathe again.
Of all the different characters in the show, it's hard for me to say if any one of them was my favorite. I think Yukine was one of my tops. He barely squeaks by the rest of them for position of being my favorite. He had a lot of intense, emotional moments in the show. In fact, he pretty much drives it all by himself. It was very distressing to watch him going through episode after episode struggling with such immense loneliness and hatred, and everyone wants him dead. And all he wants is to just be a normal person, which he can't be. It's very sad. *hugs Yukine*.
I would give this show a perfect 10 out of 10, but since there has yet to be any wind of a second season in the works, I will point out this sad, sad flaw that often comes to short animes: unresolved plots.
A lot of stuff was slowly introduced to the show and a lot was left unanswered in the end. Though we were able to glimpse a bit of Yato's past, it would be nice to know some of the other characters' histories or some of their stories. How did Yato and Bishamon meet? Why did he kill a Regalia? Why did Kazuma owe him a debt? How did Yukine die? Why won't Yato tell him how he died since he obviously knows? What is up with Nora? And quite a few more questions of that nature.
It's a very rich universe and the anime did everything right for a first season, but unless they plan on making a second, they fell rather short. The characters need more developing, the side characters need more screen time, the bad guys need to get badder, etc.
On the other hand, they have not done everything that is in the manga and so they have a ton more material to work with. They can easily make a second season (some of the manga fans say they can make a possible third). Also, the makers have not said there won't be a second, so it might just be some wait before the next season emerges. Kind of like this painfully long wait for HOTD season 2...
Currently I'm trying to get through Shugo Chara Doki! and Durarara. There are some other anime that I started some time ago and need to finish (Magi, Moribito, etc) but the above two are the ones I'm really going to work on finishing. Mania tells me to watch Tokyo Ghoul and Zankyou no Terror, but I have a lot on my lsit to get through and those two aren't quite finished yet D:
Another anime I finished recently was Berserk. I watched it all the way through just to watch the movies only to be SO FRAKKIN disappointed by that god awful ending, AND only to find out that the movies ARE the show, just done in a much better art style with a completely finished and wrapped up plot.
WHY NO ONE TELL ME THIS BEFORE?????!!!!!! >.<
But I want to end this review on a happy note and not stain it with bad words. So I leave you with a cookie that looks like Yukine's spirit and my final rating of Noragami at 9.9 Yukine spirit cookies out of 10!
Peace out minions!
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