Noragami is far more rooted in comedy than I had anticipated when beginning the series. I oftentimes anticipate the 'feel' of a show through its key visual, and more often than not I am wrong in my initial assumptions. Noragami isn't as serious as I would have liked, but the comedy doesn't necessarily fall flat nor dampen my experience too much. It works for the most part, but comedy usually isn't what keeps me coming back to a show. I found most episodes to follow the same relative formula of a comedic first half and a more serious second half interspersed with goofy moments. With such a focus on comedy and considering the series begins with little more than mere hints at something more than an average show - namely the introduction of Phantoms - I was certainly wary. The first three episodes of the first season of Noragami lack intrigue. What is provided was enough to keep me going and the setting created is a few steps away from generic, but it was another series where I struggled to become interested.
My most serious concern, however, is Yukine. Part of me feels like this is because the voice actor played Shuu, an equally unlikable character from Guilty Crown. Yukine is a character that lacks depth, an average teenager with issues of angst. While he does see some change near the end of the first season, it does not feel as though he truly understands the weight of his actions and their consequences. It could be argued that this was intentional - that this is how an average teenager may respond in such a situation - but I can't get over how bland of a character he truly is. This becomes an issue in more serious scenes, as the true identity of Yukine is unknown, leading to each of his actions, especially those which are good intentioned, seeming somewhat out of character.
There are enough elements working against the series that the anime must constantly work to keep me pleased. Fortunately, it does a good job of outweighing the negatives. Yato is a great character who actually has a personality. In stark contrast to Yukine, Yato is likable and is among the few characters whose comedy works on me. Kofuku, the God of Poverty, was another character who I enjoyed quite a bit. Each Phantom also has a really interesting design; although most Phantoms take on the shape of an animal or mythical creature, I really like the use of eyeballs and colors to depict something other-worldly. The eyeballs which occasionally appear on dark backgrounds remind me a lot of similar scenes in Aku no Hana. The sounds these Phantoms make are also very reminiscent of the ending theme to Aku no Hana, which I thought was actually pretty interesting, given both deal with themes of angst and pressure. Above all else, though, I am a huge fan of the soundtrack for Noragami. The music alone is able to carry the show in my opinion, as each track is simply delightful (save the ED, however, which I am not much a fan of).
Noragami's first season was solid. What it provided was certainly cool and a step in the right direction, but I'm not sure that it is entirely memorable. Unfortunately, the series is dragged down by various elements. Yato seems to have carried the series on his shoulders alone, being the character which provides the greatest humor, depth, and emotion. I do feel that it is worth watching, but do not anticipate brilliance nor absolute cohesion.
