Dec 29, 2016
The refreshing new season of Noragami directly starts off where the prequel ended, continuing to follow the interactions and daily lives of the dynamic trio of Hiyori, Yukine, and Yato. As a new season unfolds, new characters, relationships, and secrets are introduced. Past questions and plot holes as seen in the previous season now have answers.
Yato’s infamous line of, “You, who desecrate this Land of the Rising Sun. With the advent, I [Yatogami], lay waste with the [Sekki] and expel thy vast defilement. Rend!” makes a comeback in this season still accompanied by the famous usual track of “Noratan”. However, this season’s OST lineup
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is far more captivating, emotional, and energetic. The diverse OST has songs ranging from classical, dubstep, electro house, and even rap. The songs are beautifully integrated throughout the series’ heightening moments of hype and grief. Altogether, the Noragami series is known for its OST and new catchy OP (Kyouran Hey Kids!! By THE ORAL C!GARETTES).
The new season begins to unravel with the introduction of the Bishamon arc. As seen in the prequel, Yato and Bishamon hold grudges dating back centuries, their resentment for one another remains unknown to the audience. However, this arc does a great job of slowly unraveling the history and past of the two Gods and their regalia. Flashbacks and dialogues are naturally integrated, making the story interesting yet easy to follow. Not only does this arc dissolve the bad blood between the God of War and God of Calamity, but it also strengthens the relationship between them. Through this arc, new understandings and relationships are formed between characters, furthering their trust, faith, and hope in one another.
The second arc of the season introduces a new character: Ebisu. Ebisu, the God of Fortune is comically portrayed as the generic everyday Japanese salaryman. His introduction is rather abrupt, with little to no background information known about him. At first, this made me wonder if it was worth the time getting to understand his character making it difficult to feel emotionally connected to him. However, as the story progresses, the series does a great job of revealing his troubling past and motives, but unlike the Bishamon arc, it felt rather rushed. As the arc and series were near its end, closure was done in an awkward manner making the latter half of the series lackluster in comparison to the first half. Despite this problem, the arc still managed to tackle important personal revelations made by Yato.
Although the series caters to the battle shounen audience, it does a great job avoiding common tropes that are typically seen. Unlike popular shounen heroes, Yato is a complex character shrouded in mystery, where his past is slowly being uncovered by those closest to him. Once known as the God of Calamity, Yato’s past plays an important role in his shortcomings, forcing him to fall into a state of vulnerability numerous times. Friendship remains an important recurring theme that allows Yatogami to hold onto his humanity and slowly transform into the individual he desires to become.
Noragami Aragato as a whole does a beautiful job of amplifying the character development and storytelling, furthering the emotional bonds and ties between Hiyori, Yukine, and Yato. The trio’s chemistry and friendship can be described as a puzzle with its pieces fitting together perfectly. Each individual’s weaknesses and strengths bounce and play off of each other creating balance. What one lacks, the others possess. Despite their growth, moments of vulnerability, insecurity, and instability also continue to plague Yato. These brief moments of doubt reveal how Gods, figures of authority, worshipped by followers and the common also manifest very humanlike qualities, making them realistic and relatable to the audience. They too give rise to temptation, lust, greed, and fear.
Overall, this series is highly enjoyable and worth the watch, especially if you enjoyed the prequel. However, the ending cruelly hints at more and without a third season announcement your only option is the manga.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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