Noragami
Noragami: Stray God

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I really, really do hope that the anime adaptation isn't messed up for this manga... so far, I have a bad feeling about it... anyway. A big and enthusiastic yes to Noragami. Believe me, I sure am glad that I stumbled across such a gem. It's not an overused or typical story, and it's very interesting. How so?

Story: 8
As said, this manga isn't a typical one. It's the type that keeps you wanting more and more. It presents some small feelings of mystery, and a bit of dread. Kind of like hidden dark parts to the plot. The first chapter was a disappointment to me. ... With how it was going, I didn't think I'd like Noragami. It was disjointed. However, once you past the first chapter, it feels different. There's a possibility that it was originally a one-shot chapter. Again, as MAL's guidelines say, for summaries, take a look at the synopsis. Continuing on.

Art: 9
The artwork is pretty amazing. It reminds me a bit of Bakuman's later chapters. Not the style, but the quality. Lines are done well, characters are expressive, eyes are drawn well, too. The hairstyles and the way they're drawn are also good. The biggest points are the lines and eyes. Unfortunately, there's fanservice in this. The character opposing our leading male character, Yato, is the sort of alluring (?) female character (I have mixed feelings about her, but moving on). According to MAL, her name's "Bishamon." According to the manga translation I've read, it's K-something; a long European name. Apparently, she has some sort of sickness, where she has to take herbal baths. I feel like this is an attempt to pull in male readers, considering how often those scenes are shown. I mean it -was- revealed that she's really sick, but I still feel that there were too many scenes with that whole shenanigan. It's not to the point where you'd drop Noragami, but it is pretty unneeded since the point was made. All in all, the art's fairly gorgeous, despite flaws. It's not perfect with its style, but still really good anyway.

Characters: 9
I really adore most of the characters. The ones I don't particularly like too much don't frustrate you, and aren't characters who seem to have no role.

Our heroine, Hiyori, isn't your typical female character. She isn't a Mary Sue. She wanders based on what she herself wants to do and takes action of her own violation, and has a sense of justice. She's kind and caring, yet when angered, Yato and Yukine are subject to her violence. Basically the typical pretty girl, but she has a strong will and is independent. She's adorable and on the shy and innocent side, but she'll take more than enough action whenever she can.

Yato is a great main character. He's very goofy, but he has the typical tragic past. Even when alone, he's still goofy; he doesn't do that thing some characters do. As in acting easygoing with others, then all angsty when alone. He's a capable fighter, but he is nowhere near overpowered. He's seen as the underdog by most of the cast, but he'll keep trying, even with his self-doubt. You see, he's struggling to get by, but he doesn't give up. A very non-typical type of character, and he isn't of typical high school age, either.

Our third leading character, Yukine, I have a lot of issues with. However, there are reasons to why he was the way he is, even if he took very unreasonable actions and had a really selfish personality. He's pretty much a child in terms of age. More correctly would be a fairly young teen. He has progressed so far, and I am proud of his improvement.

Enjoyment: 10
Past the first chapter, it was all a great ride reading this ongoing and wonderful manga. Around the first half of twelve chapters, Noragami gained a place in my heart as one of my favorite manga (that's not exactly an easy feat). I'd recommend this to any manga enthusiast who wants some originality, good art and characters.

Overall: 9
This manga is something you have to give a try to around twelve chapters. The series steadily grew in my heart. The story's not something you've seen a lot, the art's great, and so are the characters. I'm anticipating the thirteenth chapter, and I hope the anime aids it by gaining more recognition. Thank you for reading!

After watching the anime version of Noragami, i couldn't sit still. I absolutely needed to know more of the story! And as a result, it has led me to read the manga, and i can tell you right now, it has become one of my favorite mangas.

Out of all the Supernatural/God/Phantom genres i have read, Noragami has surprised me. Not because it had a original storyline, but the depth of the plot, and the overall lesson it teaches you at the end of each arc.The plot balances the amount of action, comedy and romance (yes there's romance) well and most importantly, flashbacks don't last an ... entire chapter! Overall, each chapter gave me the urge to want more and after each arc gave me shivers of excitement. The plot is very well paced and the genre of Supernatural suits me. So if you are looking for a Supernatural/Shonen anime with a bit a Romance, then Noragami is worth a shot.

One of the biggest reasons why I love Noragami is because it reminds me of myself. It reminds me of the human experiences every human has faced. For example, some of us want recognition. Some of us want friends and not be lonely. Some of us thirst for adventure. And that my friends, is Noragami's characters in a nutshell.

Our lead character, Yato, isn't our natural goofball. He's funny, but can get serious sometimes and has a strong commitment to helping others. Despite a bad reputation and constantly betrayed, he see's the good in people and appreciates what he has. "Even if things are painful and tough, people should appreciate what it means to be alive at all."-Yato.

Our our second character Yukine, died an early death. He has no friends. he wanted to be loved and cared for. He is selfish. Despite saying mean things, he still has a caring heart. He eventually learns the importance of friends and how they can shape the way you feel and think. "It must be nice...having friends" -Yukine.

Our third character Hiyori is a typical person in the search for adventure. Like Yato, she loves everyone dearly and has a strong commitment to support her friends, even if it is dangerous. Despite the risks, she is a strong person and I admire her greatly. She also sees the good in every person and always tries to make new friends. "I will never forget you!" -Hiyori.

Overall, i believe the characters in Noragami were very special. It really related to experiences that I experienced myself. And having experienced these experiences, it was easy for me to relate to these characters and how they feel.

Now, for the Art, i can say one thing and one word only. Outstanding. The art is very good, and obviously, a lot of time put into it. The way the characters are drawn are eye-pleasing but nothing special.

Enjoyment? Really, is that even a question at this point? Of COURSE I've enjoyed this manga. I was hooked after Chapter 1 and continued on reading and I didn't stop until i was finished with the most recent chapter. Having a manga that was filled with my favorite genre (Supernatual/ Comedy/ Shounen) was one of the reasons why I loved reading this manga. However, having a manga that really relates to you was another. Overall, I really enjoyed this manga and if you liked the review, go check it out now! You wont regret it.

If I had to say anything about Noragami it's that by far the best manga I've ever read.

Story (10)
Noragami's plot is fantastic. Personally I picked up this manga because of its unique plotline and it did not disappoint. Yato a minor god seeks to build a shrine and to become a famous god with a lot of followers. I do not want to go too into detail but I guarantee that the pacing of this manga will not disappoint; VERY GOOD pacing.

Art (9)
I enjoy the art style that the mangakan has. Very well drawned and very neat definitely something that won't hurt your eyes.

Character (10)
Each ... and every character in this series I have fallen in love with ESPECIALLY Yato if noragami does anything better than most manga's I've read thats character development. Almost EVERY single character in the manga grows with each chapter. Each character is interesting and so far noragami has yet to show a single character that was just dull.

Enjoyment (10)
Overall Noragami will keep you entertained, it might make you cry, it'll make you laugh, and it'll keep you wanting MORE. Please give Noragami a try because I've never loved a manga like this one.

I'll say it straight - a good manga is very hard to come by these days, especially one which will keep you turning the pages without stopping. Good quality manga is now rare (with a few exceptions of course, I won't deny that) and those with good solid plots, balanced comedy and angst and good art are even rarer.

Noragami is one that pulls off all of these brilliantly, in my opinion. It's truly a gem.

Here are my thoughts on it.

I won't lie, I didn't start off with the manga. In fact I didn't even KNOW about the manga. I watched the anime first, because well... ... Yato caught my attention (he does, doesn't he? xD) and so it started. I ended up really liking the anime and after quite a bit of extensive research, came to know that the anime and manga differed in some respects. I'm not someone who will normally settle for an anime adaptation that's different from a manga, so I delved into the manga instead.

Boy, was I in for a joyride.

I won't say much here, but the things I came to love about the manga are these:

1. First of all, the art is clean and neat on the eyes. No exaggerated, over the top details - you see too much of that in shoujo manga these days, however Noragami is shounen - and it's very well presented.

2. The story is fresh, unique and one of a kind. I don't know about the originality since god-and-human interaction isn't a relatively 'new' concept in manga - but with the way Noragami is designed, plotted and drawn, you will definitely feel so. What i really love about this part is the mixing of modern day life elements with traditional shinto culture. It will make you laugh and fall in love with it, guaranteed. You want an example? A god is born from people's wishes, and their status is elevated with the amount of belief, trust and remembrance people put into them. A popular god has a home in the heavens. And a plot in the heavens is allocated to a god by the Office & Administration Department of Heaven. Sound awesome? It is.

3. The comedy. Oh god, the comedy. The days when you could actually laugh out loud while reading a manga are far and few in my opinion (again, there are exceptions) and well executed comedy in a storyline such as the one Noragami has needs some good effort. Well, I'll tell you that Noragami is FUNNY. The comedy is executed fantastically. It is FUNNY AS HELL so if you need some laughs, do read it. Adachitoka will not disappoint you.

4. The emotions. I have read a number of manga and somehow - maybe it's just me - but not a lot have managed to pull emotions out of me. Noragami certainly has. At the outset there is the emotion of loneliness. Yato's sadness will definitely touch your heart - does anybody like loneliness? Being forgotten by people someday is a pain we can all relate to. Though the manga is a shounen fantasy, the emotions Noragami draws out are universal. I feel them and you will too.

5. The romance. Hey hey hey, I said it was a shounen manga, so what's this doing here? Romance? Well, it's subtle, but it's there. Romance isn't the main focal point of the manga however, and I appreciate the romance - light as it is. However the thought of romance will also make you incredibly sad. You'll understand why as you flip the pages.

I'm not very good with reviews so I'll end it here. All in all Noragami is a delight to read, I laughed and I cried, and I think I'll continue to laugh and cry. I can't wait for chapter 60 to come out because this manga is one I'm sticking with. Noragami is worth everything.

Haven't read it yet? Go read it!

Well, this is the end of one of my favorite mangas... what should I say?
If you give it a chance you may got yourself into a story about:
- A charismatic, funny and eloquent "calamity" god in sweatpants who gave his best to be remembered by people and protect what he loved the most.
- An energetic, empathic and perceptive girl whose life completely changed the day she "saved" a sweatpants guy.
- A youthful, kinda rebel but good boy spirit whose personal development was stunning.
These three main characters bond made me laugh, worry, and almost cry through the story. I'm thankful to experience it and ... invite you to experience it too.

In general, I consider this great manga will fulfill elements like:
- Memorable characters. Most of the characters, not only the main, were awesome. The way their past stories are revealed to understand why they are the way they are help me to connect with them. I'm aware that not for all the characters their actions are justificable but at the end the deity and human mix of elements made the story work with this flexibility and change of morals and variety of personalities.
- Interesting story. If you like supernatural elements and/or japanese folklore I think you may enjoy this story. Especially this story propose that deities can "adopt" spirits in order to gave them a second chance. For sure, this "second chance" will depend on the deity because them theirselves have their own concepts of good and evil. Though the story we accompany the deities to discover "human concepts" and also realize the fickleness of humanity as well as they reconsider their own actions and way of thinking.
- Amazing art. The art in each panel is enjoyable, the way the personality of each character is designed and expressed is great. Also, facial and body expressions are cool. Especially when they gave us battle panels and detailed equipment associated to the shinkis.

For sure I would recommend people to gave it a chance. ;)

Noragami is officially over, so it's time to leave my review.

I consider that Noragami is a manga with a story that captivates you from the beginning, the protagonists are very attractive and interesting characters, the way the story is told is also quite good, you will hardly get lost while reading. Overall, if you're new to manga, Noragami is a great place to start.

On the other hand, the art in Noragami is gorgeous, it has incredible character and background design, the lines are fabulous, and you can really appreciate each panel.

Honestly, Noragami is a manga that you can read several times and still get excited ... as if it were the first time.

Noragami is amazing and I recommend it to anyone, you definitely won't regret it.

ending was ass.

Started this in middle school and now I'm in college and I loved this series until the last maybe five or four chapters.
It really felt like lost potential. Noragami was sooo much fun, art was beautiful, and the story was so different. Problems were complex and made you wonder how everything was going to get solved. Now I'm thinking the author themselves didn't know how to solve them. Characters were all interesting, full of personality, and lovable. But character development dissipated into the air like gas with the brainless solution to all the problems they were facing at the end and ... japan really needs to ban the [minor spoiler--------!!!] amnesia/forgetting everything trope. It's a cheap cop out. I see people trying to justify the ending and yeah, maybe it wasn't horrible, but I had high expectations because the story was that good.

Now if you don't care about how stories end, this series is for you.

Noragami is certainly great and I, most definitely recommend this series. However, that being said, the series does have flaws. So what did Noragami do right? What did it do wrong?

Story- 7/10
Noragami certainly has a interesting premise, and a fresh take on Shintoism in general. And the Noragami story can be split into (in my opinion), three distinct sections. Lets look at each section separately.
(1st part) 10/10
The story starts out with our main character, Yato, who is a carefree, playful, god who, contradictory to his great power, lacks maturity. Comedic at times with a simple storyline, it is quite enjoyable. It creates a ... strong base and rules that are expanded upon for the rest of the series.
(2nd part) 9/10
Then, the story starts diving into deeper, more complex issues while retaining some comedy. Using the strong base it created, it further expands into the Noragami Shintoism universe, and is also quite enjoyable like the first part. Furthermore the author creates bigger goals that can be pursued throughout the series (like a main antagonist and romance -///-).
(3rd part) 5/10
The final few volumes were certainly a disappointing compared to the rest of the series. The story progresses too fast as too much is forced into the story. The storyline starts to become a mess, as it becomes hard to understand until it falls into chaos. Many questions are left unanswered, and the rules set in the first part are (sometimes) ignored for cheap plot. It tries to become everything and it loses the "Noragami" feeling it had in the first two parts. Even the characters lose the special magic they had.

Art- 9/10
Beautiful and satisfying. Clean crisp lines and well crafted panels with interesting angles and shading. The fight scenes and character designs are crafted very well. One of my favorite art styles, and it looks especially gorgeous in physical volumes. That being said, like the story, it starts to slack in the final part of the manga. The angles and panels look rushed, lack depth, and doesn't have the same care it had at the start of the series. I believe this is partially due to the manga publisher, as it is evident they overworked and pushed the mangaka, forcing them to cut quality for speed and quantity. Otherwise it was great. Personally, I really enjoyed the unique angles and the flow the manga had, which paired well with the well crafted character design.

Characters- 10/10
The characters are the strongest suit in this series. Each character has depth like no other series. I also enjoyed that some character's personality ties back to their shinto root which I greatly appreciated. The depth for characters are created over the whole extent of the manga, being built upon by the story. I have never felt so much hatred towards characters I loved and vise versa. I really really loved each and every character, but- (I think you know where this is going)... The characters were lacking in the end. The characters didn't have time to mature, and the readers also didn't have time the understand the motives. The characters just didn't seem like themselves by the end.

For these reasons stated above I give Noragami a 9/10. Would certainly recommend, its always pretty easy reading the first few chapters to see whether you enjoy it or not. But yea- Thank you Noragami, it was a great journey, and I hope you (the reader) embarks on the same Noragami journey that I started years ago.

P.S.
The anime for Noragami isn't true to the Manga and its kinda ass... would certainly recommend the manga over the anime. Bye!

STORY: 8
Yato is a minor god who hopes to one day have thousands of followers and a shrine dedicated to him. As of now, he pass by doing odd jobs like searching for lost cats and fixing leaking pipes. Aiding these gods of that universe are “Shinki”; spirits that were once living humans that now become weapon/tools for the gods. Yato’s shinki has recently quit. Now, he must work with his newest shinki; Yukine, who isn’t quite happy with severing a low-end god.
As you can tell from this summary, the story is quite original. The first time I read its synonym, it instantly pipe ... my interest.
ART: 7
The art is nothing unique, nor is it horrible. It’s decent.
CHARACTER: 8
Yato, Yukine, and Iki are the main characters. You may find these characters to be loveable with their odd quirks and personality. Yukine may be hard to digest in the beginning, but he gets I heard as the story progress with him. This is how character development are supposed to be anyways.
I found Iki to be the main reason I like this manga as she ties the story together. An incident that resulted in her gaining the ability to perform OBE (out-of-body experience) has force her to turn to the minor god Yato for aid. Until Yato can solve her problem, she stuck with him and Yukine, and mix in several of their adventures.
ENJOYMENT: 7
Story is quiet enjoyable with a good combination of actions and humour.
OVERALL: 7.5
I haven’t regret starting this series, and found the story passing to be good. The English translation of this manga is still in the early stages. The first chapter doesn’t instantly grab you but give it a few chapters. You may like it.

Noragami is probably the most well rounded, most inspired manga that I've ever read.

Story/Overall Enjoyment:

Without being overbearing, over dramatic, pretentious, or pseudo-intellectual (like so, so many manga/anime) it masterfully weaves a tragic story through comedy and well-fought optimism.

Even at its most grim, Noragami is a tale of resilience, perseverance and friendship in the face of death, afterlife, and the "somewhere in between." It's a story of the endless struggle for serenity and happiness, even against all odds, even when suicide seems like the only viable course of action.

For those of you who tend to stick to comedy- read Noragami.
For those of ... you who tend to stick to the grim and bleak- read Noragami.
For those of you who like to read- read Noragami, and be amazed that its able to straddle all genres fluidly, and with a grace that is typically reserved for universally beloved literary works.

This is a a manga that supersedes genre lines, expectations, and biases by leaps and bounds of the imagination, and one that can be enjoyed by all, through laughter, tears, and deep understanding of the human condition that we call "life".

Artwork:

The cover art work alone is brilliantly vibrant and beautifully coloured, mirroring the spirit and drive of the team of women who write, plan and illustrate this wonderful work under the pseudonym "Adachitoka."

The artwork inside is generally dream-like, well detailed, and always reflective of the feelings of each arc, respectively.

Unlike some "action" manga, the panels are never blurry and "out of focus", even in the more fast-paced action sequences- so you can always tell what's going on in any scene. I've noticed this particular issue in many manga lately, Aldnoah Zero being a main culprit, where the artist seemed to not understand how to clearly illustrate an action sequence, rendering it almost meaningless. Noragami never cuts corners.

During comedy scenes, Noragami switches styles a lot, similarly to how FLCL haphazardly switched to chibi, or sketched illustrations, but Noragami does this to a much more muted degree.

Noragami is not your usual supernatural manga. You search for a mystery? intense fight? Gods? Family? Comedy? Goofy Characters? Betrayal? Itsy-Bitsy Romance? This manga has it all.

Story : I read the manga as soon as I reached the 3rd episode of the anime and boy have I made a great decision. This story starts out with a god, namely Yato who was saved by a human girl, Hiyori, when she saw him almost got run by a truck. But, by saving him, it leads her to communicate with the "other side". It sounds plain, at first. As the story goes on, you'll see the ... mystery evolving, the well-paced plot and some life-lesson as well. The story would make you laugh, make you cried and definitely will make you anxious waiting for the next chapter to be updated. It's a 9/10 from me.

Art : I love the art. Adachi Tohka-sensei really poured all of the hard work in it. It was amazing and it was worth to stare at. It was a 9/10.

Character : Normally I wouldn't give a 10. But Noragami characters were exception. Because all of them-- yes, all of them, were outstanding in their own ways. Yato, a dork delivery god who doesn't have a shrine. But, that doesn't made him not helping people who need him. Yukine, one of the character that undergoes the most significant character development. At first, he looked like a selfish brat, but he's just a person who wanted to be cared for. Hiyori, a human-girl who's not your typical female protagonist. She's not what you call annoying and mary sue or such. She is willing to do anything to make Yato and Yukine happy and cared the both of them deeply like a mother would. I wouldn't rant about Kazuma, Bishamon, Kofuku, Daikoku and others because it will spoiled the story. Overall, it's a perfect score for the characters.

Enjoyment : As I said before, Noragami has it all. From mystery, battle actions, family bonding, comedy and romance and I enjoyed everything that this manga had to offer. It was a 9/10.

Overall : It was a 9/10. Every month I will wait anxiously for the next chapter to be updated and every time the new chapter came out, it was worth to wait for it.

I am really enjoying this manga at the moment along with the anime adaption. However the anime is not following the path of the manga. I really like the relationship between Hiyori and Yato. In the manga their relationship is getting more serious unlike the anime. I am always recommending this manga to my friends.

Noragami is just an outstanding manga. After finishing the anime I was certainly craving more and with no season 3 in sight, I decided to give the manga a read about a week ago, and now I'm up to date. The plot gets progressively more intense, and the revelations do not disappoint. The characters and the character development is phenomenal and every chapter leaves me on the edge of my seat.

What started off as a seemingly fairly average series with an interesting concept has turned into one of my all time favourite series. The plot of the manga has become so much deeper and intense ... and the whole series has gone in a direction I would never have imagined but absolutely love. It's not predictable like many shonen series, in fact I'm currently at quite a loss as to how the series will conclude but I am absolutely itching to find out.

Minor Spoilers: I never thought Noragami was a particularly dark series, it was quite comedic at the beginning, but it has slowly become progressively darker and I love it. With the exact circumstances of Yukine's death revealed and the current Yukine situation in general, I have been left on the verge of tears just reading through the chapters, and at this point, I feel I can only grab a 5 yen coin and pray to the Gods that things resolve happily - though at this point, I truly don't see how things can ever be the same again.

To conclude, Noragami has a lot to offer beyond what the anime might suggest. It is far more than just an action, shonen, comedy, but a dark, sometimes tragic series that will leave you laughing, crying and sitting on the edge of your seat. I wholeheartedly recommend this manga.

Noragami has a melancholy, lonely feel to it, but that’s because the beauty of Noragami (aka “Stray God”) is in its theme of human connection. It points out the importance of connection for life, and is gorgeous in how it unfolds and gives deep readings into each of its characters. Nora is the best written female antagonist I've ever read, Hiyori is a complex character who does more than just introduce us to the world, and the main villain is excellently written in that he's not the sort you sympathize with, and even if his ideas are perhaps actually correct, his methods are inexcusable. ... The framing, pacing, and writing is all tight and well-done.

As of now seventy chapters have come out with the next one days away. Noragami is a wild ride and it's riddled with life lessons for many a person, no matter your age.

Story- 9/10
So, Noragami's premise isn't something you'd think too impressive. A god, his shinki (a human spirit that died unnaturally and has been granted new life. Can turn into an object to the god who holds their name), and a human.
Delivery is everything though!
The first arc deals with very human problems and it's in a way that I must warn could be triggering to many with a few mentions of ... suicide. It mainly focuses on how being ignored or feeling alone can lead to someone go to extreme lengths to gain some attention including crime.
Afterwards there are many other forms of this but a lot of it is coated through family issues, dealing with death, child abuse (a driving theme), abandonment just off the top of my head.
The story itself is for the first arc and many side arcs set in Tokyo. Not in the main part but in what I assume to be the outskirts. The other settings it is held in are, to put it in terms easy to understand, hell and heaven (though not exactly...).
Noragami is a very finely weaved plot, you have no idea whether a small detail is a small detail or a huge plot point for later in the series and everything seems to have been laid out beforehand.


Art- 10/10
The art in Noragami is detailed but not in a way that it becomes messy and hard to look at. The backgrounds are specifically detailed and you can tell that the mangaka truly loves drawing their characters. The characters all have unique designs and even characters who look similar will have at least one detail that'll make them stand out. Some characters are flashier than others and very often that's because they're meant to stand out more. Even if you're a side or one off character the designs are very important.

Characters- 10/10
Characters in Noragami are very well rounded, even the side characters. They all fit very well and the dynamics you'll experience between each character and the way they interact with the world will feel very real. Even if you don't directly relate to all the characters there will be at least one that you do. They all have a very subtle development that happens in a way that you won't realise it's even happened until you compare the character from before an arc to after it and you could be amazed that you never noticed it before. The main trio is made up of Yato (a god), Yukine (Yato's shinki (explained above) and Hiyori (a human).
Hiyori is the person who keeps Yato and Yukine grounded and despite being antagonised by Yato at first, after sticking around out of obligation for Yukine she starts to warm up to both of them, becoming a staple in Yukine and Yato's lives who care for her as much as she cares for them. We see glimpses from her family life as to how she ended up the kind of person she is and the details are very important to her character.
Yato is an aspiring god of fortune, a delivery god at the start of the manga. He himself has went through some serious stuff that I will not get into for the sake of spoilers. He starts off with a lack of human understanding having never really having a friend or someone who treats him as an equal. He finds that person in Hiyori and after getting more acquainted with her more, he starts to open up and change, maturing a lot along the way. His personality is different at the beginning from what it develops into after being taught that he isn't useless, he can change and he can protect people.
Yukine is a very interesting character. Yukine is a shinki which, if you missed it before, is the spirit of a dead human who died of means unnatural and out of their accord. They can't remember their past life and neither should they, once named by a god they will be bound to said god and can turn into an object, often a weapon, for the god that named them. Yukine died at the young age of fourteen and as a teenager he has heightened emotions. He is the course of the whole first arc. He faces problems from being dead and unable to properly interact with people like he wants to and after getting to a very low point he goes through a rigorous, painful lesson and he changes.


Enjoyment- 9/10
I feel the need to specify the word 'enjoyment' denotes that you gain pleasure from reading the manga and it's amazing and all but some times are so heart wrenching that it's painful. Noragami knows when to use humour and how to use it. There are manga who like to interrupt moments with humour but Noragami isn't like that. Sad moments stay sad and they have a lasting affect on both you and the characters for ages, even forever, it may even shape them in who they are. Happy moments may be interrupted however and Adachitoka is ruthless with no mercy. The depressing moments never feel forced, they flow naturally, almost scarily so sometimes.


Overall- 10/10
No surprise after the above ratings. I would recommend Noragami to almost anyone and it's worth it to stick around. You don't get the boring parts, in a manga published monthly you can't afford to have boring parts and every single page is used effectively to build up hype, tension, foreshadowing, you name it.

I'm an anime to manga reader and have been following Noragami after it's first season aired in 2014.

After picking up where the first season left off, I was completely immersed in the story and they way Adachitoka were able to create an intricate world filled with rich, Japanese Shinto history and motifs. Noragami does a great job pacing its action and development, thus playing effectively into the storybeats when it moments need to be emotional or tense. I genuinely enjoyed the first few arcs for characters like Bishamon, Yukine, and Ebisu as the manga paces out their conflicts well, resulting in great payoff for ... their development that can be seen in later chapters.

Noragami's characterization is also commendable in the fact that characters develop progressively and do not revert or remain stagnant in their motives and personalities that many shounen plots/characters tend to fall victim to. Once a character arc ends, that very character usually comes out with a new mindset or understanding than before.

One particular trait I noticed about Noragami is that it loves to end its chapter on cliffhangers, be it the suspense before a dire battle or a revelation revealed, it always manages to leave me at the edge of my seat anticipating the next chapter. However as of late, this trait has also been detrimental to its pacing. After the Ebisu arc, the pacing has been somewhat shoddy in the way things have been tending to drag out in terms of storytelling. The cliffhangers that were once leaving me at the edge of my seat before has now started to hamper the progression of the plot. This in turn has really muddled that fast-paced suspense that was present in the manga in earlier chapters. The character development also begins to suffer because of the sputtered pacing, and it feels character motives are all over the place.

Seeing we are essentially very close to the end of the story, I'm still anticipating to see how things will end. Noragami started off very strong and as the story began to unfold, I was completely enveloped and invested in its characters— especially Yato. Though the pacing might be spotty as of late, this doesn't detract from the overall enjoyment to an extent.

I watched the anime and couldn't get the story out of my head, so I decided to check out the manga, and I have to say that I wasn't disappointed.

Noragami has a very well-thought out plot. It's shrouded in mystery, it keeps on your toes and at the same time gives you enough to get by. I really like the comedy parts, and I love how they actually are a big part of the manga.

But if there's anything I liked a lot, it's the characters. The thing that decides whether a manga is good or not for me is its characters. If I get attached ... to them, that's it, I'm done for. I particularly liked Hiyori in this. You usually get Mary Sues as MCs in most mangas/animes, but the mangaka here really excelled in making Hiyori an innocent, cute and extremely "good" person, without making her annoying and too perfect.

I also loved Yato, Vaisravana and Kazuma. I have some mixed feelings about Yukine.

Anyway, this is definitely a great manga that I would recommend to just about anyone.

As of writing this review 70 chapters of Noragami have come out.
Although a month between new chapters is a long time which
allows intense feelings to cool down, I find myself falling in love
with this manga all over again with each new chapter.
I cannot stress enough how highly I recommend it.

First of all, to get it out of the way, the art is beautiful and clean, and the
panel composition is quite fluent.
The characters are distinct, charming and really likable.
The manga really knows how to be funny when it wants to be, and how to
pull at your heart strings when it aims to play with your ... feelings.

Because I have, as of right now, read all of the 70 chapters that have come out
I feel the need to address new readers with a small comment to encourage them
to stick with this manga.
When you first start reading Noragami, you kinda feel like it lacks world-building,
that it doesn't really explain much of what is going on outside the little world
set up for our main characters. But I believe it was the authors intention to first focus
more on the characters and their relationships and make you fall in love with
them. With each new arc the world of Noragami gets exponentially larger.
Now, at 70 chapters I see how well thought out the story has been from the
very beginning. It shocks you with revelations and it's depth.

I love the the way this manga questions the meaning of divine gods being
just and them trying to understand and handle human emotions. I also love
the way it's really cheerful and has hints of romance but also deals with some
hard emotions in a really mature and realistic way.
It doesn't cut corners with it's story telling or the characters relations.

I believe the author's strongest suit in this manga is the ability to examine and question
really complex emotions, situations and relationships. While this manga is really
light-hearted on the surface, it deals with some really dark themes like abuse,
manipulation and loss. It portrays good people doing bad things, but also their struggles
to get back on the right path. As life itself is quite unfair the author is not yielding
on it's characters drawing the short straw.

I wholeheartedly recommend Noragami because it is silly enough to make you
laugh but also that much serious and deep to leave you overwhelmed with so many
complex emotions.

This is my review for Noragami. I'll be referring to the characters by what they are most commonly called in the manga. Please note that this review is structured around how I personally felt about the manga: objectively, it deserves an overall rating of 10, and subjectively, I give it a 10 as well.

Story: 9/10

The premise of Noragami sounds interesting enough, and is completely original. You wouldn't find many other manga out there that is related to Gods and Japanese mythology with some twists, now would you? The basic plot is that the minor God, Yato, is constantly trying to gain recognition in order to ... gain worshipers that acknowledge his existence, and ultimately, to receive at least one shrine dedicated to him. Unfortunately, he is out of options since his sole helper has left him and his is forced to do jobs for next to nothing. By a twist of fate, Lady Luck is on his side for once and he comes into contact with two people that believe in him, for the most part. They are Hiyori and Yukine, the former being a normal school girl who gets caught up in the mess and the latter being Yato's helper. Their lives, especially Hiyori's, changes forever and dramatically. Noragami tells the story of the struggles between the real world and the "other" world, and Yato's quest for recognition. From chapter to chapter, the general plot isn't too hard to follow and they are related to each other. Every chapter provides the reader with a little bit more of the adventure that these three characters go through to try and achieve their goals, although there are some chapters that are more relaxed. The elements of the story were blended beautifully, and the genre tags certainly all apply to Noragami, but the romance is more subtle and a subplot to the main story. It is there though; there is definitely romantic tension. The first chapter may not seem very appealing, but it's a given that it certainly gets better from there. Very deserving of a 9/10.

Art: 9/10

The artwork is pleasing to the eye. Both the characters and background work are done very nicely and with careful attention to detail. The author, Adachitoka actually contains of two people, with one of them working on the foreground characters and the other on the background. With their work split up like that, it makes sense that the quality of both aspects is superb. Credits to where they're due, the character designs are fantastic. Yato has the appearance of a homeless person that is trying to get by, and also has that mischievous look in his eyes. Hiyori is drawn like the normal teenager sh e is, but that pink tail of hers whenever she "wanders off" is a nice addition, and Yukine's clothes and appearance match his slightly childish attitude and behaviour. The supporting cast are also drawn uniquely so that you can instantly tell them apart from each other. The background is nothing to scoff at, either, because it isn't overly simple as some art for other manga might be. There is conscious attention to detail in the background so that it really enhances the reader's understand of what's going on. The artwork shifts slightly at times to match the situation, such as showing the reactions of the characters and their faces. There is a little bit of fanservice here and there, but most manga will have a little of it and this doesn't really detract too much as a whole. Overall, the art for Noragami stays consistent from the beginning all the wall to the current chapter. For all the positives mentioned above, this section is a 9/10.

Characters: 9/10

Noragami has a fairly strong cast in terms of diversity. Among some of the characters there is one who's a bit of a clown at times but still lovable, another that is very caring and motherlike, and one that's always causing trouble for others but doesn't mean any harm. Although the descriptions are a bit vague, see if you can identify the characters in Noragami that match. Each of the characters had their flaws and quirks, which is why it made Noragami so interesting to read. There is character development involved, such as Yukine being much more mature than he was when he first met Yato, albeit he's still a bit childish, which is to be expected. Many of the characters also become stronger mentally as the chapters go on, although they are sometimes weakened at points due to traumatic pasts, as is the case with Bishamon being an example. The story is told from a third person perspective, so there is jumping around from character to character during the interactions instead of getting a detailed outline of a specific character's thought process. Most of the characters are lovable, although there are some that are not, because they serve as villains, which is normal. For example, I doubt many people will like Yato's father that much for all that he has done to his son. A job well done here too, 9/10.

Enjoyment: 10/10

Time for some personal opinion! A little information first: I really, really, loved Noragami and was a bit sad when I learned that it seemed to be on some sort of hiatus because it has been a while since chapter 74 was released, the current chapter at the time of this writing. I really thought that many of the elements in a good manga, were present, such as an interesting plot, pleasing artwork, and lovable characters. That's why my enjoyment of the manga was so high. Personal bias here, I really loved Hiyori and think she would make a great girlfriend, with her character design, her personality, ability to act like a normal girl, and all those times she puts up with Yato's antics. There's a reason why she's my profile picture on this website, and so many more other sites on top of that. Some people might prefer the more popular girls like Asuna from Sword Art Online or Kurisu from Steins;Gate, but for me, Hiyori outranks them all. Now, with that out of the way, here's the last little bit of the review. I definitely would recommend this manga to anyone, even if they don't read or enjoy the genre tags for Noragami as much. Definitely a memorable series for me, and a sure top 3 on my all time favourites. I hope that I have sparked you, the reader, into picking up Noragami and giving it a go! The sky's the limit, go ahead and start that first chapter if you haven't already!

That's all I have to say. Thanks for reading!

The first time I watched Noragami was in 2016, and I was so glad that I found this gem. Animes normally take few episodes to get hooked or to at least it's worth watching, this one took half an episode, and it's not just "worth watching", it's a masterpiece. I rewatched both seasons again around 2018 but didn't continue the manga thinking the 3rd season might come soon. But sadly it didn't.
So a week back, I started reading the manga from the start. And let me tell you this is one of the best stories I've ever read. Action, Storyline, Characters everything are topnotch. ... I just hope that the anime will follow the manga entirely and not be rushed in any manner.