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As far as I'm concerned, Noragami is the anime of the year, and here's why everyone should watch it:

Story: Noragami follows the lives of regular high school girl Hiyori and a lesser god, Yato, as their lives intertwine in modern-day Japan. It combines just the right proportions of humor, action, reality, morality, and drama. Noragami's pacing is great -- neither too fast nor too slow and at the end of each episode, you'll feel satisfied. The climaxes in this first season (which will hopefully not be the only season) do not disappoint.

Art: The art deserves an A+. It's quirky since it combines fantasy ... elements with a normal, everyday environment, but the art really grows on you. The animations are also great, especially in the action scenes.

Sound: One of the first things I noticed about Noragami is how its music really enhances the story. The voice actors did a very good job too.

Character: Probably the most enjoyable part of Noragami was watching the characters evolve. (TINY SPOILER ALERT) The characters in Noragami are all flawed in their own ways and that's what makes the show so interesting. Seeing how the characters deal with their demons and grow up is really worthwhile.

Enjoyment: Overall, 10/10. This show has everything I look for in an anime -- humor, action, good art and animation, a good storyline, touching moments, and memorable characters. Hopefully there will be a second season.

I didn't have high expectations when I first read the description of the show. However, I got hooked on the first episode and the rest of the season didn't disappoint.

Story (10/10): Most series fall flat in the storyline for three reasons: 1) An uninteresting beginning discourages viewers from continuing the series. 2) The story line is inconsistent. 3) The story doesn't reveal enough, or it reveals too much.
Chihayafuru, however, does it right and in an unexpected way. The story begins with several flashback episodes that help viewers understand and connect with the main characters. The plot itself is expected; after all, the series is ... about competitive karuta, so it makes sense that the plot will center around the competitions. The series is consistently good, with good writing and just enough humor to lighten the mood but not too much to make the show look goofy. The most intense scenes in the series will make your heart race, and the sweet scenes will put a smile on your face.

Art (10/10): Chihayafuru's art is beautiful and elegant. In a lot of animes, the characters all seem to have a basic face structure (ahem, *Sword Art Online*), thus making them unmemorable. But Chihayafuru's characters don't fall into this category; it's obvious to those who watch that the show's artists spent time on making characters their own persons. The scenery is also very pretty, though typical of most shoujo anime/manga.

Character (20+/10): This category is where Chihayafuru really excels. It's really enjoyable to see the main cast develop and mature over the course of the series. The writers also used the supporting characters well, and I particularly found Harada Sensei to be one of the best supporting characters in the show.
If there's a fault with the characters in the show, most people would probably point a finger at the protagonist, Chihaya. At first glance she seems like a cliche--pretty, but not too smart, oblivious to love, and often single-minded. But her interactions with the others makes her likable, and she has depth. She never fails to surprise you.

Overall: This was probably one of the most underrated shows of 2012. Or possibly ever. I couldn't find it on any list of Best Animes of 2012. So this series may be one of those where you either don't understand it, or you love it. It's worth watching to find out.