Review of Noragami Aragoto

I've only considered myself a hardcore anime fan for about a year now (granted I've have been watching them for almost 10 years now), so I've been mostly playing catch up on "must see" series from the last decade or so. That makes Noragami Aragoto special for me, being the first series I've ever watched as it was airing. I purchased a Funimation subscription for the first time specifically so I could watch it as it came out. I was ecstatic to find out that it would be getting a broadcast dub but, as it turned out, I enjoyed the series so much, I couldn'twait for it to finish, making Noragami Aragoto the first show I ever saw a Japanese-Dubbed episode of. It's probably needless to say, but I loved every second of this series.

Story:9/10

One of the weaker elements of the first season was it's story. Plot points were introduced and then cast away with the final battle near the series end feeling tacked on for the sake of making it to 12 episodes. Luckily, Aragoto covers two major story arcs. The first lasts 6 episodes, and fleshes out the Yato and Bishamon that was merely touched on in season 1. The second half is 7 episodes, and introduces a few new characters and reveals some surprising things. Both halves of Aragoto feature a mix of action and comedy, but fans of the first season that enjoyed the comedy aspect of it may be dissapointed to know that it takes a backseat to a more serious storyline. There is still comedy to be had, but it's few and far between by comparison to the season 1. Aragoto also covers a great deal of Yato's backstory, as well as other character's pasts, but does it in a way that meshes well with the action that is taking place.

Art:10/10

The art in Aragoto is top-notch. There is a diversity in the setpeices used throughout the series, from the elegant halls of Bishamon's Manor, to the dingy, maze-like corridors of "The Underworld". The animation is wonderful and fluid during it's more serious, action driven moments, as well as more silly during the comedic moments of the series. The character design is the most impressive thing about the art. Each character has distinctive traits, none more-so than their eyes. Each character has a set piercing eyes that are uniquely colored to match each ones personality. Yato, who's light blue eyes represent Loyalty, and Faith. Yukine's orange that signify youthfulness and recklessness. Hiyori's Purple eyes that help emphasize her involvement in the world of Gods and Regalias.

Sound:8/10

I enjoyed the voice acting of both the Japanese and English dub. The English dub felt a tad off at a few moments, but I would attribute that to Aragoto being one of Funimation's "Broadcast Dubs". It isn't bad by any means. I assume the dub will be cleaned up for the BD release, whenever that may be. The sound effects along with the OST are serviceable, without being too memorable. There are a few tracks that help add to the action taking place, but nothing that jumps out and grabs you. I would like to mention that both the intro "Kyouran Key Kids!!" by THE ORAL CIGARETTES and the ending "Nirvana" by Tia ft. Ryo from Supercell are great songs on their own and serve as excellent openings and endings.

Characters 9/10

I absolutely love the characters in Noragami Aragoto. Yato is an awesome blend of hilariously immature and deathly serious when he needed to be. I do wish in some moments he would show some more emotion towards the people that care about him, primarily Hiyori and Yukine. Yato and Yukine develop quite a bit as characters in Aragoto, most notably in the 2nd half, as the pair become more mature in their positions as God and Regalia. Yukine makes a few decisions that reflect this point. However, he makes some rash ones, especially early on, that can be attributed to the fact that he is essentially a 12 year old boy. I personally would have liked to see some more development in Hiyori as I feel she isn't much more than a way to advance the plot. She does play an important role at times, but for the most part she acts as a plot device. With that said, Hiyori plays as a good contrast to Yato and Yukine during the not-so-serious moments. I also like the supporting cast. Bishamon gets her character fleshed out through flashbacks that explain her involvement with Yato. Ebisu doesn't change much from his intro to the finale, however he plays a major part in Yato's development. Even the villians are good, as their motives can be related to.

Enjoyment: 10/10

Watching this show on a week-to-week basis was very hard to do because whenever an episode ended, all I wanted to do was watch the next one. I enjoyed it so much, I switched over to the Japanese dub, just so I could see what happened next (and also since most episode end on a cliffhanger).

I think that Noragami Aragoto is a very good follow up to the series' first season. It expands on storylines introduced in the first season while developing most of its characters in a solid and steady way. If you enjoyed the first season, you will like this one. If you haven't seen either, give them a try.