Noragami Aragoto

TV (13 eps)
2015
Fall 2015
4.27 out of 5 from 34,968 votes
Rank #207

The struggling god Yato, his divine weapon Yukine, and his devotee Hiyori return in this series of Noragami. The history behind Bishamon's grudge against Yato is revealed, while a brewing plot within her cadre of Regalia surfaces. Yato also has a brush with the god of fortune Ebisu, and he finds himself returning to his dark, destructive past.

Source: ANN

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Reviews

g3data
8

Amongst the many sequels I've seen from 2015's offerings, the biggest and most welcome improvement I've seen would be from Noragami Aragoto. Even though I still like the 1st season, the fact remains that all we got was a basic introduction the characters before Angsty the Ghost and some boring filler antagonist took over the 2nd half. This time, Noragami brings out the big bats and swings hard, real hard.On top of doing what any good shonen ought to past the introductory phase by introducing higher stake conflicts (something I felt was sorely lacking in the 1st season) this season gives even more focus to the Gods themselves and what it takes to have that kind of status when imbued with emotions shared by the people that worship theme on top of their flawed ideologies. This, of course, means that Yukine and Hiyori feel more like they're in the periphery this time around, but I don't think this equates to either of them got the shaft at all. Whilst I’m not a big fan of seeing Hiyori play the role of damsel in distress, her presence in the 2nd half of the season as the primary reason for Yato keeping himself tethered to a life of peace (away from bad influences like Yato's Nora, who alway seems to be ready to lead Yato astray) and even to his very existence is enough for me. She feels more like an accessory to Yato than an interesting character in her own right, but she’s a fine accessory nonetheless. Despite also not being a central character in either of the arcs this season, Yukine has still come a pretty long way from the lad who only thought about his misfortunes. Anyone who found themselves at their wit's end as a result of his endless whining will be happy to find out that Yukine has permanently washed all the salt out of his boipussy. I think it’s also worth noting how characters like Yato, Bishamon and Ebisu have a lot more worth looking into because of their long, tragic histories. The Gods ought to be the ones driving the story here, and that's what this second season gets. This time, we're split between two arcs. The 1st is centered around a mobilizing threat within Bishamon's ranks, consisting of scores of regalia picked up over the years. What made this arc work is the way in which it is driven by the flaws of the characters, and forces them to come terms with those flaws. Bishamon's main flaw being her Mother Theresa-esque impulses that compel her to collect as many needy regalia like some kind of compulsive cat hoarder. She lacked the proper means to properly shower love upon the many she has taken in, yet continues to bear the physical side-effects of maintaining a link with so many fallible souls. Kugaha, the antagonist of this arc, and one of Bishamon's most trusted regalia works as some kind of master manipulator of sorts in the way he schemes to eliminate everything between him and the creation of his idealized version of his master. The idea behind his character is a very interesting one. His motives aren't selfish, as he treats his actions as if they're bitter but necessary pills for Bishamon to swallow. The arc also highlights a lot of the problems with the God/regalia system as Kuguha is always able to use loopholes as workarounds for his heinous acts. We also learn a great deal about Kazuma (a character who appeared in the 1st season yet didn't leave much of an impression) and his complicated history with Bishamon and the burden he carries as her exemplar, which makes an already good arc even better, If their's anything wrong with this arc, then it's the fact that the way it wraps up was not quite as impactful as it should have been, as the consequences for the chaos that was the climax weren't quite there. A painful lesson for the main characters of a story ought to be painful for the audience as well, and I think Noragami Aragoto let me down a little in this regard.I don't have as much to say about the following arc as it didn't quite have the emotional highs of Bishamon's story, but it remained fairly strong from beginning to end nonetheless. The 2nd half of this season focuses on a newly introduced God, Ebisu, one of the Seven Gods of fortune (the real Ebisu, not that pink-haired, disaster-bringing piece of waifu material). Bishamon's arc made it clear that no one can pass judgment a God. Ebisu's arc however, makes it clear that law only applies to those of the Near Shore, and that under the scrutiny of the heavens, a God must tread carefully. Historically speaking, Ebisu is a God that is prone to making bold moves (as is proven by the fact that he has a reputation of being killed and reincarnated for more regularly than his fellow deities). As a result, his current incarnation is not afraid to break the ironclad laws even Gods must abide by with his fascination with the idea of controlling phantoms. Initially framed as an antagonist, through his interactions with Yato, we get a much better picture of what Ebisu is aiming for and the type of God he really is. Speaking of Yato, he also gets some much-needed development with this storyline, as in the previous arc he was more of a supporting character necessary for getting the plot moving. Here we get a much fuller picture of not only the God he once was, but the God he wants to become. In doing so, Norgami's already likable lead character make his leap into being truly loveable. With the story lines presented this season, I say that the combination of Bones and Adachitoka (the original mangaka) lead to the creation of something that soundly nails all of the requirements expected of a worthwhile sequel. Compounding all of the emotional devastation, is Taku Iwasaki's return as the composer. Once again his distinctive South Asian influences are instantly identifiable, and the fantastic composition and music selection are always welcome additions to any scene at hand. Not only that but the opening theme, Kyouran Hey Kids! is cool as hell. Whilst obviously not without its share of blemishes (a couple of questionable decisions script-wise on top of what I described with Bishamon's arc and the fact the art quality dips somewhat in later episodes), there are still a lot of reasons to look forward to another season. I just hope it won't take so long to announce this time!

delolmo
10

I got to say that this sequel is much better than the first season, and that is saying a lot because I really enjoyed the first one! This is a spoiler-free review. Story The story surrounds Yato, a calamity God in his attempt to become a more recognized God and avoid his own death should he be forgotten. The first season was helpful in introducing the audience to the world of Gods, their divine instruments called regalias, and the spirit world. This season added more depth to the characters by exploring more of their pasts while being challenged by new evils. The plot is very good, you see a lot of humor, action, and some tender moments as well. It all connects well at the end while leaving room for development in the future. In truth, the plot is so great because the characters are simply put amazing! The pacing was adequate as not to either bore the audience of left us confused. There are of course some loose ends that need to be addressed hopefully in a new season (crossing fingers) or by reading the manga. Animation The animation was really neat, I really like the newer anime because it's generally really well drawn. I think the animation style used for Noragami is a bit different than most but refreshing nonetheless. Sound The sound was amazing, much better than the first season. I absolutely loved the opening theme and ending on this season. The voices of the characters in Japanese were great. I say this because at times, the women then to have annoying voices but this was not the case at all! Characters  The best feature of this anime is without a doubt the characters. There are quite a bit of characters in this anime that make regular appearances aside from the main ones and I think this just goes to say that the story is well balanced. The other Gods are very fun and their regalias are very unique too. I would not say any of the characters fall within a specific stereotype because I think their personalities are very original. The main characters tend to stay dynamic so we see a lot of change and growth. Overall All in all, I highly recommend this anime, I give it a 10 out of 10 without a doubt. This anime may be best enjoyed by those who like action, Japanese mythology, and a bit of comedy. The soundtrack is amazing and the animation is a bit unique. I think everyone should give it a try.

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