Noragami

this manga has rated PG-13 but believe me this is A TOTAL massacre manga. After starting with slow this is going to kill each and every character.

As disgusting as it is , the MC is shown OVERPOWERED power-freak who doesn't have his mind on the right place and goes massacre without a thought. he is a puppet. I mean each and every character doesn't stand a chance against the MC whether it's someone with higher power or whatever. and the gaudy character of the MC who doesn't respect a single person and call them "bitch" is unacceptable for a "god" character. It all makes me hate to the MC. Such selfish delinquent doesn't deserve to be a god and worshiped. and there is a whole lot dissatisfaction toward the story.

Noragami is ... a good anime and a good manga. One of the only manga and anime I read, liked and read, good story, plot, characters, etc. ... but, as we know, the manga and the anime are not perfect, always have defects in them ... and ... Noragami I have many, I can say ... and a question that I have in my head for a long time. .. the father of Yato (who forgot the name) he is a god or what? Nora, why the hell does she do that, right? Pure will and free spontaneous will? How the hell can humans see Yato and talk and know what's going on and still have their cell phone number? If you know, you respond seriously! OK! bye Bye

This is one of the best ongoing manga series, it has a great story that involved Gods and spirits. The story may have some funny moments but when the story becomes really serious, it will put you on edge of your seat.The main character is one of the funniest that make me laugh every time he does some wacky stuff. The art of this manga is superb for a month to month magazine, the clothing, the environment and the people are very well drawn. The fight scenes are entertaining, with some cool power up and awesome weapons that will make you super excited about the fights. So if you are looking to read something new that is really awesome i recommend this manga.

This is a... relatively spoiler-free review, although I advise having a bit of knowledge about it before reading this. Nevertheless, there will be no spoilers related to the actual plot. Warning: mention of trauma/abuse

Saying that Noragami is a comedy is so far from the truth. There is absolutely no chapter that is truly comedic by which I mean that there is something bad that happens in every. single. chapter, whether it be something small or otherwise. Although I did give it a 10 in enjoyment, I am NOT enjoying the ride for the sole reason that reading this feels like being beaten repeatedly with a baseball bat by Adachitoka - simply soul-crushing at times. Adachitoka do give some breathers from time to time with filler chapters (or half chapters since the infamous year-long hiatus).

Adachitoka manage to create many complex characters which show a great deal of character development, of character building: they don't progress per se at all times, because everyone has a setback from time to time. She manages to blend character growth with its reverse extremely well thus creating realistic characters in a matter of speaking (since in the end it is a supernatural manga). They also manage to address trauma and abuse that characters went through in a way that it doesn't define them, but in a way that has shaped their past and affected their future and judgment to an extent. I could go on and on about how they have created amazing characters but alas, I don't want to.

Story-wise, again no comments. Adachitoka use foreshadowing a lot and, after re-reading the manga, I can say it is mindblowing how many subtle hints they give to future happenings in their chapters. It can be at times predictable but in a way that won't bore you because believe me, you know that they are about to beat the crap out of you, but you will never know the force they will use - and it's usually with a far greater force than you expect. You know the "This is fine" meme? Well, it pretty much sums up the Noragami experience!

The anime simply does not do this justice since they changed/ added a lot, for example [SPOILER] Ebisu's death (still mad about that, BONES) and the whole Rabo arc which was completely unnecessary. On the bright side, it had a banger soundtrack!

I must say, I have been itching to write a Noragami review since the second season of the anime started, but ultimately I decided to go with the manga since I'm currently reading it, and I personally just think it's better.

I LOVE Noragami. I have been slightly obsessed with it ever since I first saw it. I really don't read much manga. The only time I do for the most part is if I love an anime enough that I want to continue on with the story. And I just couldn't get away from Noragami.

I've enjoyed it a lot more than I originally thought I would. At first it really doesn't seem like there's anything particularly unique about the story, but I found out soon enough that, despite a seemingly generic plot and cast of characters upon first glance, there is sooo much more. And I think what really had me above all was the characters.

Yato: Main character, and my favorite character in the show. He's a god (not a very good one) who starts out the series going around granting little wishes for five yen. He's goofy and self-absorbed, determined to have a shrine and people who look up to him like all the other gods. While he seems to be kind of a bumbling idiot at first who can't even keep a Regalia or a place to sleep at night, it's made clear as the series progresses that he has his own super screwed up set of issues and a lot of different sides to his personality when the situation calls for it. The way his character changes and develops upon his interactions with Hiyori and Yukine touches my heart.

Yukine: Yato's Regalia, who actually frustrated me a lot at first for various reasons, including being a selfish brat. I guess that's not too abnormal for a teenager, though. But perhaps even more so than Yato, he really develops later on and becomes a character very dear to me. I felt like his growth was really well done, as well as the development of his relationship with Yato.

Hiyori: The female lead and a half-phantom who wants Yato to return her to her normal human state. She is kind and selfless, often seeming to take on something of a motherly like role for Yato and Yukine. I like Hiyori, although not as much as the former two. I feel like she, above all the characters, could have had more development; however, she's still far from being the typical female protagonist who is useless and just exists to be saved or for fanservice. Just does actually have a significant purpose to the story line, and she has this interesting way of using her love of sumo wrestling to her advantage :)

I also like the supporting characters, such as Bishamon and Kazuma... Nora is really the kind of villain you love to hate. All of her scenes leave me chilled to the bone and her frustrating, complicated relationship with Yato makes me want to tear my hair out. Just... awesome stuff.

As for the art, it's nice. I have no complaints.

Anyway, Noragami's a great manga and I would recommend it to anyone who has either seen the anime or who is looking for an interesting read. Even if it doesn't grip you in the first few chapters, I implore you not to give up. It's a seriously epic story.

First of all, I have not seen the noragami anime. In fact, this might be the first manga I ever read without having seen the anime first. Despite that, the story completely swept me up, and I have been a loyal reader ever since.

Story: 10
It is very difficult to determine exactely which genre's Noragami belongs to. Yes, it has shonen characteristics, but it also has a seinen feel to it. The story is mostly devided into arcs, but they transition into each other very smoothly, and it often feels as though multpiple story-arcs are running at once. There are even some chapters that are almost stand-alone, yet are still very important to the plot. The story is has plenty of action and fights, but also drama, comedy, and mystery. Honestly, it feels as though it has only just begin, and I hope it will continue for a long time.

Art: 10
When it comes to art, Noragami is quite simply my favorite manga ever. Not much needs to be said here, just read the first chapter and you'll see exactely what I mean.

Characters: 9
When I first started reading, I felt like the characters where sort of lacking. The female protagonist wasn't all that interesting, the male protagonist was a walking shonen-cliché, and the third man was pretty annoying. I don't exactely know when this changed, but right now that third man is admireable, the female protagonist is likable and a refreshing change from standerd overpowered fanservice girls, and the hero is one of the most interesting, compelling characters I know. The secondary characters are also likable and origional, and the villains are interesting and mysterious.

Enjoyment: 10
I have re-read this manga multible times now, and it just gets better every time. It's funny, compelling, and utterly enjoyable.

Overall: 10
I think by now it should be obvious how much love this manga, I hope I managed to convince a few people to give it a try.

Truly magnificent, Noragami is a manga fit for praise. The story is smooth and unique, the art is clean, the characters are all deep and 3D, and overall I was gripped by it to the end. It's hard to come by such a gem, especially one whose story connects from the very beginning. Many authors have a wobbly beginning that smooths out a bit at the end, but this one was polished the entire way.

It was successful enough to receive an anime of currently two seasons. Like most people, I watched the anime first, and while that's not the subject of the review, the anime is excellent and I highly encourage you to watch it, if you haven't already.

However, some details in the manga are left out in the anime. It does not take away from the anime in the least, but the manga has those rich details that really make the characters pop. Also, the main character Yato undergoes a bit more of character development than in the anime. In the anime, he goes from indifference toward the heroine, Hiyori, to heartwarming friendship. In the manga, he develops from his violent nature.

All in all, a very pleasing manga. It truly deserves "Outstanding" across the board. Completely original, dark enough to be mysterious but not enough to be gross, Noragami is not a manga you would want to miss.

If you're not too particular, this manga's pretty good. I ruined any hope of my continuing to read this manga by looking into the actual gods the characters are based off of.

All in all, it's a really good, compelling manga if you overlook the blatant liberties it takes in mythological accuracy.

(Though I digress, even the actual mythology isn't even all consistent.)

-Story-

This is a rather interesting manga about gods and their dependency upon people rather than the people's dependency upon them. It's an amusing thought.

The manga has action, tragedy, hilarity, and mystery! So it offers a lot. Just, uh, don't look up the actual gods. Just don't. It ruined everything for me.

-Art-

Very good! Well done! Fight scenes look fantastic! Art style is great!

-Characters-

The characters really help draw you into the story. You really start to cheer for Yato early on the story; you really want him to succeed. And Yukine really starts to grow on you once he gets over himself. Hiyori is also really sweet. It's really nice to see these characters come together and draw strength from each other.

My favorite character is Yato. He's so silly! (And also really, really sad and complicated and heroic.)

I really love this manga. All the characters are charismatics and you feel so into the story. There is comedy, adventure, thriller, action, romance... And is very fun to read. I hope the manga continues good.

Noragami have a lot of arcs with different themes. So, you will never be boring because it's never a lot of fights nether a lot of comedy constantly.

The anime is good to, but I strongly recommend to read the manga first.

Another thing I love so much is the design feature of the manga. It's very clean and enjoyable. You can see the authors are hardworking to give us a nice story with great drawings.

I honestly loved this manga. It was enjoyable lovable characters ,and a nice story it doesn't get to dramatic. Its not some teen drama about love or a harem or anything like that Its funny in a weird way its like the more you read about the characters the more you understand them and when they do something funny or stupid you have a sense that you know them like family so when are main character is stalking his first ever believer you understand why it isn't creepy it hilarious It reminds me of Gintama for some reason like it can make you cry one second and left the next its feel like Happiness and comedy also what I love about this is it shows a different kind of love not that it doesn't show romance but like it shows family and friend love its strange you really grow to like the characters and I honestly feel happier after reading this

This is my review for Noragami. I'll be referring to the characters by what they are most commonly called in the manga. Please note that this review is structured around how I personally felt about the manga: objectively, it deserves an overall rating of 10, and subjectively, I give it a 10 as well.

Story: 9/10

The premise of Noragami sounds interesting enough, and is completely original. You wouldn't find many other manga out there that is related to Gods and Japanese mythology with some twists, now would you? The basic plot is that the minor God, Yato, is constantly trying to gain recognition in order to gain worshipers that acknowledge his existence, and ultimately, to receive at least one shrine dedicated to him. Unfortunately, he is out of options since his sole helper has left him and his is forced to do jobs for next to nothing. By a twist of fate, Lady Luck is on his side for once and he comes into contact with two people that believe in him, for the most part. They are Hiyori and Yukine, the former being a normal school girl who gets caught up in the mess and the latter being Yato's helper. Their lives, especially Hiyori's, changes forever and dramatically. Noragami tells the story of the struggles between the real world and the "other" world, and Yato's quest for recognition. From chapter to chapter, the general plot isn't too hard to follow and they are related to each other. Every chapter provides the reader with a little bit more of the adventure that these three characters go through to try and achieve their goals, although there are some chapters that are more relaxed. The elements of the story were blended beautifully, and the genre tags certainly all apply to Noragami, but the romance is more subtle and a subplot to the main story. It is there though; there is definitely romantic tension. The first chapter may not seem very appealing, but it's a given that it certainly gets better from there. Very deserving of a 9/10.

Art: 9/10

The artwork is pleasing to the eye. Both the characters and background work are done very nicely and with careful attention to detail. The author, Adachitoka actually contains of two people, with one of them working on the foreground characters and the other on the background. With their work split up like that, it makes sense that the quality of both aspects is superb. Credits to where they're due, the character designs are fantastic. Yato has the appearance of a homeless person that is trying to get by, and also has that mischievous look in his eyes. Hiyori is drawn like the normal teenager sh e is, but that pink tail of hers whenever she "wanders off" is a nice addition, and Yukine's clothes and appearance match his slightly childish attitude and behaviour. The supporting cast are also drawn uniquely so that you can instantly tell them apart from each other. The background is nothing to scoff at, either, because it isn't overly simple as some art for other manga might be. There is conscious attention to detail in the background so that it really enhances the reader's understand of what's going on. The artwork shifts slightly at times to match the situation, such as showing the reactions of the characters and their faces. There is a little bit of fanservice here and there, but most manga will have a little of it and this doesn't really detract too much as a whole. Overall, the art for Noragami stays consistent from the beginning all the wall to the current chapter. For all the positives mentioned above, this section is a 9/10.

Characters: 9/10

Noragami has a fairly strong cast in terms of diversity. Among some of the characters there is one who's a bit of a clown at times but still lovable, another that is very caring and motherlike, and one that's always causing trouble for others but doesn't mean any harm. Although the descriptions are a bit vague, see if you can identify the characters in Noragami that match. Each of the characters had their flaws and quirks, which is why it made Noragami so interesting to read. There is character development involved, such as Yukine being much more mature than he was when he first met Yato, albeit he's still a bit childish, which is to be expected. Many of the characters also become stronger mentally as the chapters go on, although they are sometimes weakened at points due to traumatic pasts, as is the case with Bishamon being an example. The story is told from a third person perspective, so there is jumping around from character to character during the interactions instead of getting a detailed outline of a specific character's thought process. Most of the characters are lovable, although there are some that are not, because they serve as villains, which is normal. For example, I doubt many people will like Yato's father that much for all that he has done to his son. A job well done here too, 9/10.

Enjoyment: 10/10

Time for some personal opinion! A little information first: I really, really, loved Noragami and was a bit sad when I learned that it seemed to be on some sort of hiatus because it has been a while since chapter 74 was released, the current chapter at the time of this writing. I really thought that many of the elements in a good manga, were present, such as an interesting plot, pleasing artwork, and lovable characters. That's why my enjoyment of the manga was so high. Personal bias here, I really loved Hiyori and think she would make a great girlfriend, with her character design, her personality, ability to act like a normal girl, and all those times she puts up with Yato's antics. There's a reason why she's my profile picture on this website, and so many more other sites on top of that. Some people might prefer the more popular girls like Asuna from Sword Art Online or Kurisu from Steins;Gate, but for me, Hiyori outranks them all. Now, with that out of the way, here's the last little bit of the review. I definitely would recommend this manga to anyone, even if they don't read or enjoy the genre tags for Noragami as much. Definitely a memorable series for me, and a sure top 3 on my all time favourites. I hope that I have sparked you, the reader, into picking up Noragami and giving it a go! The sky's the limit, go ahead and start that first chapter if you haven't already!

That's all I have to say. Thanks for reading!

I am really enjoying this manga at the moment along with the anime adaption. However the anime is not following the path of the manga. I really like the relationship between Hiyori and Yato. In the manga their relationship is getting more serious unlike the anime. I am always recommending this manga to my friends.

When first looked at, nothing really stands out with Noragami. It does really seem like your average, run of the mill popular battle Shonen manga. And that is somewhat true. But when examined further, it can be seen that Noragami is exceptional and a very nicely crafted manga that will suck you right in.

Story - 8/10

The story is somewhat average, with elements that can be found in many Shonen manga like a power-up that is executed when on the brink of death, the "main character is very very gifted and exceptional" cliche, and so on. But these elements take a back seat for Noragami's actual tale, which is the story of life and despite looking and acting very similar, just how different the life of a God and a Shinki/Human is. The world of Noragami fools you by showing you its Gods experience human emotions, have a human body and act like a human. You fall under the impression that a God and Shinki is on the two sides of the same coin, and soon after Noragami twists this idea on its head. The further the story progresses, the wider the divide between the existence of a God and a Shinki gets. It is genuinely heartbreaking what the world does to some Shinki, and how dark the story can get. Not as dark as actual Dark Fantasies or works of that nature would go, mind you, but darker than a normal Shonen would be willing to. It is also worth noting that even though this series is, in its core, a battle Shonen, most of the time you do not see fights or battles, most of the time is spent on dialogue and character interactions. When a fight is done, though, it pays off.

Art - 7/10

The art, while not spectacular, is a real treat to the eyes and can look really stunning when it wants to. It's somewhat inconsistent in the earlier parts but gets much better towards the latter part of the story.

Character - 9/10

As I mentioned in the Story section, this manga is not afraid to push very heavy weights onto its characters. The characters usually go through some hard tribulations to get where they are, and while there is usually not a drastic change in the way they act, the impact can always be somewhat felt. The main character, Yato, is very well thought out and any of his interactions is filled with smart writing. He is one of the selling points of this manga. Some side characters like Bishamonten, Kazuma and Kofuku are also among my favorites. Nora is also very well written and she is among one of my favorite antagonists ever, as towards the latter part of the story she turns from blank servant to a real character with properly understandable motivations and emotions. The story just started focusing on her so we may get some more of her, which I really hope we do.

Enjoyment - 9/10

I can't say much for this segment, as it is very subjective and I can't really explain why I enjoy it so much besides the reasons above, so I'll just let the rating speak for itself.

Overall - 8/10

Noragami is a manga that embraces its strengths and world in a very captivating way. It tells a story from multiple perspectives and as the story goes on, we start to see our main character Yato less and less often, and the side characters of the show get some much-needed attention, which makes its world feel all the more alive. I highly suggest you catch up with it, as it isn't that long at all. You can get through the entirety of the current chapters in maybe 2 or 3 sittings.

Noragami is not your usual supernatural manga. You search for a mystery? intense fight? Gods? Family? Comedy? Goofy Characters? Betrayal? Itsy-Bitsy Romance? This manga has it all.

Story : I read the manga as soon as I reached the 3rd episode of the anime and boy have I made a great decision. This story starts out with a god, namely Yato who was saved by a human girl, Hiyori, when she saw him almost got run by a truck. But, by saving him, it leads her to communicate with the "other side". It sounds plain, at first. As the story goes on, you'll see the mystery evolving, the well-paced plot and some life-lesson as well. The story would make you laugh, make you cried and definitely will make you anxious waiting for the next chapter to be updated. It's a 9/10 from me.

Art : I love the art. Adachi Tohka-sensei really poured all of the hard work in it. It was amazing and it was worth to stare at. It was a 9/10.

Character : Normally I wouldn't give a 10. But Noragami characters were exception. Because all of them-- yes, all of them, were outstanding in their own ways. Yato, a dork delivery god who doesn't have a shrine. But, that doesn't made him not helping people who need him. Yukine, one of the character that undergoes the most significant character development. At first, he looked like a selfish brat, but he's just a person who wanted to be cared for. Hiyori, a human-girl who's not your typical female protagonist. She's not what you call annoying and mary sue or such. She is willing to do anything to make Yato and Yukine happy and cared the both of them deeply like a mother would. I wouldn't rant about Kazuma, Bishamon, Kofuku, Daikoku and others because it will spoiled the story. Overall, it's a perfect score for the characters.

Enjoyment : As I said before, Noragami has it all. From mystery, battle actions, family bonding, comedy and romance and I enjoyed everything that this manga had to offer. It was a 9/10.

Overall : It was a 9/10. Every month I will wait anxiously for the next chapter to be updated and every time the new chapter came out, it was worth to wait for it.

As of now seventy chapters have come out with the next one days away. Noragami is a wild ride and it's riddled with life lessons for many a person, no matter your age.

Story- 9/10
So, Noragami's premise isn't something you'd think too impressive. A god, his shinki (a human spirit that died unnaturally and has been granted new life. Can turn into an object to the god who holds their name), and a human.
Delivery is everything though!
The first arc deals with very human problems and it's in a way that I must warn could be triggering to many with a few mentions of suicide. It mainly focuses on how being ignored or feeling alone can lead to someone go to extreme lengths to gain some attention including crime.
Afterwards there are many other forms of this but a lot of it is coated through family issues, dealing with death, child abuse (a driving theme), abandonment just off the top of my head.
The story itself is for the first arc and many side arcs set in Tokyo. Not in the main part but in what I assume to be the outskirts. The other settings it is held in are, to put it in terms easy to understand, hell and heaven (though not exactly...).
Noragami is a very finely weaved plot, you have no idea whether a small detail is a small detail or a huge plot point for later in the series and everything seems to have been laid out beforehand.


Art- 10/10
The art in Noragami is detailed but not in a way that it becomes messy and hard to look at. The backgrounds are specifically detailed and you can tell that the mangaka truly loves drawing their characters. The characters all have unique designs and even characters who look similar will have at least one detail that'll make them stand out. Some characters are flashier than others and very often that's because they're meant to stand out more. Even if you're a side or one off character the designs are very important.

Characters- 10/10
Characters in Noragami are very well rounded, even the side characters. They all fit very well and the dynamics you'll experience between each character and the way they interact with the world will feel very real. Even if you don't directly relate to all the characters there will be at least one that you do. They all have a very subtle development that happens in a way that you won't realise it's even happened until you compare the character from before an arc to after it and you could be amazed that you never noticed it before. The main trio is made up of Yato (a god), Yukine (Yato's shinki (explained above) and Hiyori (a human).
Hiyori is the person who keeps Yato and Yukine grounded and despite being antagonised by Yato at first, after sticking around out of obligation for Yukine she starts to warm up to both of them, becoming a staple in Yukine and Yato's lives who care for her as much as she cares for them. We see glimpses from her family life as to how she ended up the kind of person she is and the details are very important to her character.
Yato is an aspiring god of fortune, a delivery god at the start of the manga. He himself has went through some serious stuff that I will not get into for the sake of spoilers. He starts off with a lack of human understanding having never really having a friend or someone who treats him as an equal. He finds that person in Hiyori and after getting more acquainted with her more, he starts to open up and change, maturing a lot along the way. His personality is different at the beginning from what it develops into after being taught that he isn't useless, he can change and he can protect people.
Yukine is a very interesting character. Yukine is a shinki which, if you missed it before, is the spirit of a dead human who died of means unnatural and out of their accord. They can't remember their past life and neither should they, once named by a god they will be bound to said god and can turn into an object, often a weapon, for the god that named them. Yukine died at the young age of fourteen and as a teenager he has heightened emotions. He is the course of the whole first arc. He faces problems from being dead and unable to properly interact with people like he wants to and after getting to a very low point he goes through a rigorous, painful lesson and he changes.


Enjoyment- 9/10
I feel the need to specify the word 'enjoyment' denotes that you gain pleasure from reading the manga and it's amazing and all but some times are so heart wrenching that it's painful. Noragami knows when to use humour and how to use it. There are manga who like to interrupt moments with humour but Noragami isn't like that. Sad moments stay sad and they have a lasting affect on both you and the characters for ages, even forever, it may even shape them in who they are. Happy moments may be interrupted however and Adachitoka is ruthless with no mercy. The depressing moments never feel forced, they flow naturally, almost scarily so sometimes.


Overall- 10/10
No surprise after the above ratings. I would recommend Noragami to almost anyone and it's worth it to stick around. You don't get the boring parts, in a manga published monthly you can't afford to have boring parts and every single page is used effectively to build up hype, tension, foreshadowing, you name it.

I'm an anime to manga reader and have been following Noragami after it's first season aired in 2014.

After picking up where the first season left off, I was completely immersed in the story and they way Adachitoka were able to create an intricate world filled with rich, Japanese Shinto history and motifs. Noragami does a great job pacing its action and development, thus playing effectively into the storybeats when it moments need to be emotional or tense. I genuinely enjoyed the first few arcs for characters like Bishamon, Yukine, and Ebisu as the manga paces out their conflicts well, resulting in great payoff for their development that can be seen in later chapters.

Noragami's characterization is also commendable in the fact that characters develop progressively and do not revert or remain stagnant in their motives and personalities that many shounen plots/characters tend to fall victim to. Once a character arc ends, that very character usually comes out with a new mindset or understanding than before.

One particular trait I noticed about Noragami is that it loves to end its chapter on cliffhangers, be it the suspense before a dire battle or a revelation revealed, it always manages to leave me at the edge of my seat anticipating the next chapter. However as of late, this trait has also been detrimental to its pacing. After the Ebisu arc, the pacing has been somewhat shoddy in the way things have been tending to drag out in terms of storytelling. The cliffhangers that were once leaving me at the edge of my seat before has now started to hamper the progression of the plot. This in turn has really muddled that fast-paced suspense that was present in the manga in earlier chapters. The character development also begins to suffer because of the sputtered pacing, and it feels character motives are all over the place.

Seeing we are essentially very close to the end of the story, I'm still anticipating to see how things will end. Noragami started off very strong and as the story began to unfold, I was completely enveloped and invested in its characters— especially Yato. Though the pacing might be spotty as of late, this doesn't detract from the overall enjoyment to an extent.

Noragami has a melancholy, lonely feel to it, but that’s because the beauty of Noragami (aka “Stray God”) is in its theme of human connection. It points out the importance of connection for life, and is gorgeous in how it unfolds and gives deep readings into each of its characters. Nora is the best written female antagonist I've ever read, Hiyori is a complex character who does more than just introduce us to the world, and the main villain is excellently written in that he's not the sort you sympathize with, and even if his ideas are perhaps actually correct, his methods are inexcusable. The framing, pacing, and writing is all tight and well-done.

WARNING THIS CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS

If you first took a look at Noragami, you'd just think it's just your typical shounen manga, but it's not. Noragami is a hidden gem and I can tell you this, this manga deserves much more praise for the directions it takes with the story,characters, art and just pretty much everything.

Story:
Noragami takes place in an alternate universe where gods grant human's wishes and protects humans corrupted spirits called Ayakashi. Our story revolves around a homeless, delivery god Yato, who grants wishes for 5 yen, what Japanese people usually give at a shrine. He gets in an accident with a human girl called Hiyori which results in occasions where her soul leaves her body. Yato and Hiyori come across a wandering spirit who is picked up by Yato and made him into his Shinki, named Yukine. Then the story just revolves around the main 3 and their adventures.

Now I got to tell you it's an interesting concept but I've never seen a manga that has it’s magic rules established and followed like Noragami has. The concept of a Shinki ‘stabbing’ his master due to sin is such a brilliant idea and is used in interesting ways for conflict. This concept was a really nice way to establish how the Gods have a weak point and it allows the authors the benefit of not having their characters too powerful. It’s even more impressive that their weak points come from their means of protection, their weapons. I really appreciate that there’s a limit to the God’s powers and they haven’t tried to bend the rules that they have set up. Let’s be real, how many mangas have this much thought in their world building?

AND OH GOD THE FORESHADOWING. I mean the way they revealed who Yato’s dad was so really impressive. The Foreshadowing was so amazing that when I went back and thought about it, all his actions synced to him hiding an identity/ having ulterior motives (e.g. suddenly transferring during his senior year, kissing Hiyori)

What’s so great about it was that I don't think anyone ever saw it coming and the reveal was all the more powerful. This whole plot twist deserves a slow clap and kudos to Adachitoka!

Art:
The artwork is beautifully drawn and just amazing. Everything from the hairstyles to the eyes is just beautiful. Also I have to give credit to the artist for making this so clear and easy to follow. Have you ever paused for a moment in a manga and said “ What just happened?
Yep, many popular manga suffer from a lack of flow in it’s pages. Tokyo Ghoul, Shingeki No Kyojin and Ao no Exorcist. All of these I love dearly but I can’t count the times I had to reread the pages just because I didn’t know where to look.

Characters:
The characters are the highlight and, without a doubt the best part of Noragami. Every character doesn't actually feel useless and they all serve a purpose, which is a major problem when it comes to other manga. There is alot of characters but I will be only talking about our main characters, Hiyori, Yato and Yukine.

Our main protagonist, Yato, oh boy this will be a long one. If someone ever asks me to describe Yato, I would say, Yato is someone who's not good with words-I will go into detail why later. He's very goofy and a big dork. The majority of the comic relief mainly comes from his antics. He dreams of having a shrine with millions of worshippers. Yato has a tragic past, where he was abused by his father and killed people so he could get praise of him. Yato regrets killing people and he now wants to become someone who could make people happy.

Not to mention Yato’s own underlying self-esteem issues, which have him privately convinced that no one will ever want to stay with him because they will all discover his true self one day and be disgusted. His father has so deeply ingrained this sense of wrongness in Yato that Yato’s ability to trust others and let them in is completely shot. Kofuku clearly doesn’t mind the idea of being friends with Yato, but it’s obvious from their changing dynamics later on that Yato never really relied on her for much other than pick-me-cash prior to the events of Noragami. He doesn’t share any truths about himself with anyone—even Hiyori and Yukine—for fear of their finding out about his past and coming to hate him.

Yato is often compared to other shounen MCs in the sense that he can be very goofy, but then he also has a dark past and can turn into a badass when needed. What’s different about Yato’s character is that 99% of the ridiculous things he does/says are a direct consequence of his troubled past. Meaning it’s not so funny to laugh at him anymore. It’s not only things like fanboying over Capypas or being super possessive of Hiyori and Yukine. From very early in the series, it’s stated through Tomone’s resignation that Yato has trouble keeping Shinki around. “He’s homeless, a nobody, creepy, silly, sweaty hands… yada yada yada”. Even if he acts as if it doesn’t really bother him, it does. It bothers him so much that people leaving him is actually a thought that interrupts his fantasies.

Are we really supposed to be laughing at this?

Despite being physically and emotionally abused for hundreds of years, Yato still gained enough strength to leave Father and Hiiro behind and start building his own path by doing random delivery jobs in exchange for 1 yen. Why? Because “I want people who believe in me, not money”. Laugh all you want, but Yato has done everything it takes to stop killing people and try to change and become something else. Something that won’t mean hating himself everytime he looks into a mirror. Do we really think that he was happy with his life during his idol phase? Sure, he’s always been a bit of a dork anyway, but Yato was alone and desperate (and Kazuma was a sweetheart for supporting him no matter what he did). Even if it’s used for comedic relief.
I still cringe everytime Mayu or Tomone speaks ill of him, even if she still cares about him. The problem obviously comes from the fact that Yato is so secretive about his past and so bad at expressing his feelings that people around him can’t really understand why he acts the way he does.

I’m not saying we should feel bad for laughing at Yato’s shenanigans. They are, after all, intended for comedic relief. However, I find it very interesting how Adachitoka introduced this character as a silly good-for-nothing simpleton, only to start revealing things about his past and having him become the most inspiring character in the entire series for how much he’s endured. It would have been so easy for him to say "screw everything, the world doesn’t care about me” and stay in the dark path, but instead of that he chose to fight and change to become a better person. An actual God of Fortune. As Yato said himself, “don’t judge a person by how they look”.

Hiyori, our female protagonist. Hiyori is caring girl with a strong sense of right and wrong. When Hiyori gets in an accident where her soul occasionally slips out of her body. Hiyori doesn't rely on Yato for everything and she takes matters into her own hands. She's extremely loyal to Yato and Yukine and she cares for them deepy. Even though she wishes to become human, she has no intentions for cutting her ties with Yato.

Hiyori is basically the glue for the main three, she is the reason why Yato even found Yukine in the first place. Without her, Yato wouldn't have a shrine. She stopped Yato from killing Bishamon. Believe or not, I saw People saying that Hiyori is an annoying Mary Sue and the manga would be better without her, but she actually plays a huge role in the story and it's a shame people just overlook that.

Yukine, Yato's Shinki and Hafuri. Yukine get's alot of hate, particularly from the anime fans, because of his character in the first few chapters/episodes.
But he was not like that for no reason, he found out he was dead, with no memory of his past, he's just a teenager, who is meant to be in school with his friends. But now he can't do that anymore and he is put in a big position, which is protecting his master, Yato. Yukine's character development is amazing after his cleansing and I am really proud of him.

Enjoyment:
This manga had me hooked from the first chapter, it's so addicting, when I first read it I couldn't put it down. Noragami is definitely a must-read for anyone who wants to read a really good story.

Overall:
I like to think of Noragami being a double sided coin. While it involves Gods and mythology, it also deals with some very human concepts. Abuse, death, depression–most of it is underlying. This manga is just amazing and the only issue I have with it is mainly just a nitpick, that chapters come out every month. But I'm glad it's that way, it gives more time to Adachitoka. I'd rather wait a month for an amazing chapter than get a really bad chapter every week. Overall this is just a must read for anyone who wants a great story with great characters

I really, really do hope that the anime adaptation isn't messed up for this manga... so far, I have a bad feeling about it... anyway. A big and enthusiastic yes to Noragami. Believe me, I sure am glad that I stumbled across such a gem. It's not an overused or typical story, and it's very interesting. How so?

Story: 8
As said, this manga isn't a typical one. It's the type that keeps you wanting more and more. It presents some small feelings of mystery, and a bit of dread. Kind of like hidden dark parts to the plot. The first chapter was a disappointment to me. With how it was going, I didn't think I'd like Noragami. It was disjointed. However, once you past the first chapter, it feels different. There's a possibility that it was originally a one-shot chapter. Again, as MAL's guidelines say, for summaries, take a look at the synopsis. Continuing on.

Art: 9
The artwork is pretty amazing. It reminds me a bit of Bakuman's later chapters. Not the style, but the quality. Lines are done well, characters are expressive, eyes are drawn well, too. The hairstyles and the way they're drawn are also good. The biggest points are the lines and eyes. Unfortunately, there's fanservice in this. The character opposing our leading male character, Yato, is the sort of alluring (?) female character (I have mixed feelings about her, but moving on). According to MAL, her name's "Bishamon." According to the manga translation I've read, it's K-something; a long European name. Apparently, she has some sort of sickness, where she has to take herbal baths. I feel like this is an attempt to pull in male readers, considering how often those scenes are shown. I mean it -was- revealed that she's really sick, but I still feel that there were too many scenes with that whole shenanigan. It's not to the point where you'd drop Noragami, but it is pretty unneeded since the point was made. All in all, the art's fairly gorgeous, despite flaws. It's not perfect with its style, but still really good anyway.

Characters: 9
I really adore most of the characters. The ones I don't particularly like too much don't frustrate you, and aren't characters who seem to have no role.

Our heroine, Hiyori, isn't your typical female character. She isn't a Mary Sue. She wanders based on what she herself wants to do and takes action of her own violation, and has a sense of justice. She's kind and caring, yet when angered, Yato and Yukine are subject to her violence. Basically the typical pretty girl, but she has a strong will and is independent. She's adorable and on the shy and innocent side, but she'll take more than enough action whenever she can.

Yato is a great main character. He's very goofy, but he has the typical tragic past. Even when alone, he's still goofy; he doesn't do that thing some characters do. As in acting easygoing with others, then all angsty when alone. He's a capable fighter, but he is nowhere near overpowered. He's seen as the underdog by most of the cast, but he'll keep trying, even with his self-doubt. You see, he's struggling to get by, but he doesn't give up. A very non-typical type of character, and he isn't of typical high school age, either.

Our third leading character, Yukine, I have a lot of issues with. However, there are reasons to why he was the way he is, even if he took very unreasonable actions and had a really selfish personality. He's pretty much a child in terms of age. More correctly would be a fairly young teen. He has progressed so far, and I am proud of his improvement.

Enjoyment: 10
Past the first chapter, it was all a great ride reading this ongoing and wonderful manga. Around the first half of twelve chapters, Noragami gained a place in my heart as one of my favorite manga (that's not exactly an easy feat). I'd recommend this to any manga enthusiast who wants some originality, good art and characters.

Overall: 9
This manga is something you have to give a try to around twelve chapters. The series steadily grew in my heart. The story's not something you've seen a lot, the art's great, and so are the characters. I'm anticipating the thirteenth chapter, and I hope the anime aids it by gaining more recognition. Thank you for reading!

Story - 7/10

Gods and spirits.Minor and major gods.Noragami has an interesting theme(personal preference.I love mythology).However, the story-telling is inconsistent and weak.There's humor here and there, but the weakness of the plot irritates me a lot.

Art - 7/10

Decent.but nothing too spectacular.

Character - 5/10

This is where it bugs me.Noragami does no effort on character.Everyone's character is changed to suit the situation, especially the supporting characters.There is some charcater development, but nothing note-worthy.

Enjoyment - 7/10

Despite it's flaws, Noragami is a fun read.It sometimes irritates me, but it also makes me laugh and feel.

Overall - 6/10

I wouldn't call Noragami a worthwhile read, but it's not bad.The humor and setting are fun.