The story kicks off, when, while walking in the middle of traffic, Yato is almost hit by a bus, but is saved by a high school girl named Iki Hiyori. Her act of bravery and civil responsibility (though pointless because he wouldn't have died anyway) put her in a rather odd predicament; whenever she's knocked out, her spirit leaves her body for a period of time. And so begins Hiyori and Yato's journey of trying to return her back to normal (while also trying to make some money), along with Yato's shinki, Yukine.
The beginning part of the story reminded me a lot of the anime Yu Yu Hakusho. Both Hiyori and Yusuke (the main character of YYH) try to push someone out of the way of an incoming vehicle, only to end up out of their physical bodies, though in Yusuke's case he's dead. It's not a bad way to start a series, but it's not the most original way to begin. While the story seems promising, it ends up being a little more lackluster than it should be. It dragged on with Yukine's arc, taking up most of the episodes, while it could have just been condensed to 2 or 3 at most. The story left a lot to be desired, as in there were many questions at the end that weren't explained.
The designs of the characters in Noragami were simple and not overwhelming. The art and animation was done well, and the colors looked nice - especially with the phantoms and Yato's insanely bright blue eyes. Yato's character design was pretty cool, as in he looked like a really chill guy. Hiyori's design was average, as was Yukine's. A few of the other characters did stand out though in terms of design, while others did not. It's not the most spectacular art ever, but it was good enough. The action scenes were pretty fun to watch, especially Yato's moments. It was fluid and done well most of the time, which was also highlighted by eye catching colors. Backgrounds were average, nothing too noteworthy except for one setting at the end of the series.
The sound of Noragami was fantastic. The opening was catchy (my favorite opening of this Winter anime season), and the OST was great too. The battle music was memorable and it really enhanced the action itself. It made it more interesting to watch and was engaging. The ending was nice too. It provided a more relaxing atmosphere as compared to the fast paced opening. While the opening seemed to focus more on Yato and his struggles, the ending was Hiyori oriented and focused on her own struggles. The opening song definitely reflected Yato, while the ending reflected Hiyori. Both were interesting contrasts to each other, and they even seemed to foreshadow future events in the series.
The characters were probably the weakest aspect of the series. None of them really see much character development, except for Yukine who sees the most. Yato and Hiyori had a little bit as well, but not nearly as much as Yukine. Yukine starts off as a character most people hated, but toward the end he becomes decent, maybe even likable for some people. Most of the focus is on the main three characters, which leads to a craving of getting to know the supporting cast. Sure, quite a few of the minor characters got a decent amount screen time, but it generates even more questions about some of the other character's arcs because there's so much left unexplained. It would have been nice to learn more about some of the others, but since it's only 12 episodes, it's understandable that there's obviously not enough time to develop and flesh out the other characters.
As said before, Yukine had the most character development, but his character was still bland. Nothing much stood out about him except that he's highly emotional. Hiyori in some ways was pretty generic. There wasn't much interesting about except for her having a fascination with wrestling, but that was hardly talked about except for the first episode or two. It was mentioned, and then swept under the rug. Yato was the most interesting out of three. His personality's laid back, and his past was intriguing. He was also surprisingly caring toward others despite how fixated on money and fame he may have seemed in the beginning of the show. His character made me want to learn a lot more about him because of how amusing he is.
The enjoyment from this series was surprising. I didn't think I would enjoy the series as much as I did, even with some of the flaws it had. It did make up for its blemishes in aspects such as its above average art and astounding music. It was also entertaining to watch, even when the characters were being frustrating or even at the parts where it dragged on and became slightly boring. The enjoyment derived from it even came from the characters themselves, despite some of them being vapid. One can relate to Yato and his ambitious dreams, or maybe even Yukine and all the pain he went through. Or, perhaps even through Hiyori, where one might identify with her as being an average person for the most part, but weird events happen in one's life.
Overall, Noragami was an above average anime for the most part. It exceeded my expectations in many ways, and I think it was one of the better Winter animes that was airing. It was an interesting anime that I wouldn't mind seeing a season 2 of. It had more positives than negatives, and it presented itself very well the majority of the time. It's an anime that may not be for everybody, but it's still worth checking out, in my opinion.
