I give Noragami a 7.15 and I'll tell you why.
Story: 8
The story in itself was very unique and creative. Noragami brings you into a world where Gods have their own personalities and are assisted by spirits, aka Divine Instruments, in accomplishing the wishes of those who ask for their help. The idea is pretty creative and well done.
Characters: 7
The characters were well thought out and had decent personalities. I didn't find too many characters stereotypical but I also wasn't shocked by the characters' personalities. There was really only character development of one character throughout the entire season and the rest of the cast seemed to stay the same.
Having a dark and mysterious past is definitely a good hook but I didn't really feel the intensity behind some situations that I get the feeling were supposed to make you shake from anticipation or cry. There was some good repartee between the characters but if they keep the relationships of the characters the same into season 2 it will get very boring very quickly.
Art: 7
The art was nothing special. At times, like when an ayakashi is destroyed, the animation is creative, but after the first few times, it can get repetitive. Unlike Bakemonogatari, whose animation blew my mind every episode, I really wanted to love this art, but I feel like it let me down. Not bad, but not great.
Sound: 6
The truth is I didn't notice the music in this anime. Some might say that is good, but not only did I not take notice of it, I can't recall a single scene in which it really gave me perspective on what I was watching. The voice acting, specifically of Hiyori, was quite good, which is why I'll give sound a 6.
Overall: 7.15
I'm amazed that this anime was able to combine comedy and romance into this fantasy setting and still make a coherent and entertaining story. Unfortunately, even with the original story, this anime is not very memorable and did not make me feel very strongly one way or the other, so that's why it gets a 7.15. I'm looking forward to season 2 but not expecting too much from it.
