[VOICE ACTING]
Right off the bat, I like the voice actors in Noragami. This is straight bias, but I really like Yato's voice actor. The voice actor is Hiroshi Kamiya, who also plays Koyomi Araragi in the Monogatari series. His playful and unique voice has helped cement a more detailed personality of our protagonist, Yato. Yukine, one of the other two main characters, is voiced by Yuki Kaji. This man portrays emotion very well and he might be recognizable if you have watched Attack on Titan before. The voice acting in Noragami is simply great.
[ART]
Other positive components of Noragami include art and sound. The art is generally very nice to look at. Bones, the studio, does a great job at the various visual effects in fights presented and the crispness of the characters. Yukine, in particular, stands out. When he is on camera, his hair colour and design stick out and look great. Action scenes' art ranges from decent enough to very good. Some camera angles, I have noticed, turn out badly and make the viewer question the scene. Also, when the characters are seen from far away, I have seen a lack of intensity in the strikes and clashes between weapons. It's just not there. On average though, action scenes are good from the design of Sekki (Yato's Divine Instrument). The sword looks shiny and beautiful.
[SOUND]
Sound is top notch. The OP is one of the best in the year of 2014. It's catchy, upbeat, and has some intriguing visuals. The ED is also above average. What may prove to be a mixed bag is the OST. Many viewers dislike the male voice autotune that sounds like it has Indian roots (I'm not trying to be racist here, sorry to anyone that this offends). I believe the song accents the style of Noragami. At its heart, I have thought that Noragami is a light-hearted action. The soundtrack helps create the atmosphere of the streets...if that makes sense. It makes the scene feel more urban.
[STORY]
The story is pretty solid. We have a tale of an infamous god with no shrine to his name, picking up odd jobs for 5 yen coins. I have found the premise to be pretty unique. However, the pacing in the beginning of Noragami feels sluggish and boring. The first quarter has not caught on in my experience, as there is a lack of tension and Yato drags the viewer into his mundane, repetitive lifestyle that others seem to dislike. Later, in the anime, however, as the anime watcher becomes more exposed and engrossed towards the main characters, they gain charisma and the slice of life style works. This is also complemented by the tense drama with Yato's past. Since his past is so mysterious, there is an extra layer of depth into the story: mystery. Overall, this is a pretty good story with a loose grasp on many genres including: supernatural, romance, mystery, slice of life, and action.
[CHARACTERS]
Yato, the god, has ended up being the only character of notice for me during the anime. His personality is so fun and his telephone slogan is godly (GET IT?). The other two characters, Yukine and Hiyori, are pretty average. However, near the middle of Noragami, Yukine has been very annoying due to his almost immoral actions from my perspective.
[ENJOYMENT]
After around episode 5, my interest has started to steam up a little. The story has become more interesting and the characters more likable. Around episode 9, I have found Noragami to be pretty contagious. The tension and the build up for the next episode bloom a lot near the end, as there are more consequences and events unfolding from the viewer's point of view.
[OVERALL]
A solid anime that has a bizarre mix of genres that can work well together on a certain level. Watch this if you like:
-Supernatural elements, with a deep amount of lore waiting to be discovered
-Slice of life, but not entirely slice of life
-Good action/art
-Urbanish music, amazing OP to put on your playlist
