Overview:
The first season of "Noragami" was certainly fun to watch, but you couldn't help but believe that it had to think bigger with the concept. After all, in a world of god and ghosts, the possibilities are pretty much endless, right? Thankfully, Bones wasn't quite done with the series. "Noragami Aragoto" is the second season of the series which aired only in the autumn and winter of last year and I'm happy to report that, in several ways, this new season is even stronger than its predecessor.
Story & World (8.5/10):
"Noragami Aragoto" continues where the first season left off- Yato is still doing jobs for humans (then blowing the money on useless trinkets), Yukine continues to serve his Regalia and Hiyori continues to slip out of her body on occasion and become a half-Phantom. This time, however, the stakes are much higher as Hiyori and Yukine's worth to Yato starts to come into question, as he is still unable to escape from his dark, mysterious past. The story is split into two story arcs- the first revolves around Bishamon and her conflict with Yato, while the second revolves around Yato's past as well as the fortune god Ebisu.
The story is a huge improvement on the first season, as it greatly expands on the world of "Noragami", introducing many new gods as well as Takamagahara, the place where gods dwell. We also learn that gods aren't quite as above good and evil as Yato claims and that gods who commit vile acts (such as stuff involving Phantoms) are punished by a group of authoritarian gods known simply as the Heavens. The problem is that these Heavens are extremely paranoid and don't seem to be able to grasp the concept of doing the wrong things for the right reasons. However, to go into that would be a huge spoiler.
All in all, with this season, the series finally starts to take full advantage of its awesome concept and brings some plot points from the first season to a satisfying conclusion. Add in a large amount of character development, backstory and hilarious comedy and you've got yourself a highly engrossing story that, unfortunately, ends on a cliffhanger which will leave you begging for a third season.
Art & Animation (8/10):
"Noragami Aragoto" looks EXACTLY the same as the first season. From the characters to the environments to the Phantoms, everything about the visuals has stood completely still. And considering the first season of "Noragami" wasn't exactly a looker in its day, this is a problem. The rather basic character models, overuse of wacky facial expressions and occasional stiff animations look even more out of place two years down the line. That's not to say it isn't still nice to look at, with the awesome-looking Phantoms still being present. It's just that there are still all the same issues I had hoped they would have rectified.
Sound & Dialogue (9/10):
The soundtrack largely consists of tracks from the first season, but it also has more than a few new tracks, including the new opening and ending themes, just to keep things from getting stale. The voice acting is no better or worse than in the first season, and like that season I watched both the subbed and dubbed versions. I must say, though, the fact that Bryn Apprill is able to consistently match or even surpass Jason Liebrecht scene for scene, despite him being more than twice her age and been voice acting for much longer is extremely impressive. I guess you could call it natural born talent.
Characters (9/10):
"Noragami Aragoto" features a ton of returning faces. Besides the main trio, we also have the God of Poverty Kofuku and her Regalia Daikoku, as well as the God of Combat Bishamon and her exemplar (as in, most treasured Regalia) Kazuma. The first arc puts a large focus on developing the latter pair. We know from the first season that Bishamon holds a serious grudge against Yato for killing her Regalias. However, it's soon revealed that the situation is a lot more complicated than it seems and that there are secrets that Kazuma has been keeping from her all these years. The arc brings Yato and Bishamon's conflict to a satisfying conclusion and results in some great development for both her and Kazuma, as well as some serious ship tease. However, there really is no denying that Bishamon is unbelievably stupid, to the point that Kazuma pretty much does all the thinking for her.
The second arc focuses on developing Yato as he deals with his past. While in the first season, he came off as a greedy buffoon who did jobs for humans just so he could build a shrine and be worshipped by the masses, here his desire for a shrine is cast in a much more sympathetic light. He is also forced to settle matters with his childhood friend-turned-stalker, Nora. At the same time, Yukine also has to deal with serious insecurities, questioning his worth as Yato's Regalia due to him having another Regalia for much longer (Nora). He also becomes an advisor to Yato, due to being his exemplar in the same vein that Kazuma is to Bishamon.
Another focus is the ever-growing feelings between Yato and Hiyori. While there were hints there was a romance blossoming between the two in the first season, it is proven beyond doubt. Hiyori's desire to become fully human again hasn't changed, but even so she refuses to sever her ties with Yato (which would cause her to forget all the time she spent with him and Yukine) just so she can spend more time with him. At one point, Yato even says that he'll make Hiyori the happiest girl in the world. And while Hiyori doesn't do an awful lot in the way of fighting (though she certainly can if she has to), she does definitely help out Yato in other ways. Ultimately, the characters in general are brilliant, though Hiyori and Yato are easily my favourites.
Enjoyment (9/10):
While the first season was very enjoyable, it could also be a bit boring due to the lack of anything significant happening for several episodes. Not true for this new season. This time, every single episode adds something new and the story is always moving forward, though the constant cliffhangers could get rather annoying. The comedy is also arguably even funnier than in the first season, especially considering none of Yato's friends seem to have any faith in him (when Hiyori sees Yato with a pile of money, her first thought is that he robbed a bank). This is definitely something you will want to see to the end.
Overall:
The first season of "Noragami" was certainly great in its own right, but "Noragami Aragoto" is easily superior. It's far more fast-paced and takes full advantage of the series' great concept, as well as giving us some great character development and the same hilarious comedy, only better. Unfortunately, the season ends on a serious cliffhanger, so hopefully we will be getting a third season sometime in the near future. In the meantime, if you enjoyed the first season, there is absolutely no reason you shouldn't watch this one. I guarantee you will be rewarded.
Score:
8.5+8+9+9+9=43.5/50=8.7/10
Overall Series Score: 8.5/10
