Illyasviel
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General info:Series Name: NoragamiYear of Serialization: Winter 2014Author: Studio Bones[Deko Akao-Writer;Kotaro Tamura-Director]Artist: Manga by AdachitokaGenres: Action|Drama|Supernatural|Japanese Mythology|Current Status: Finished season 1|Season 2 set for fall 2015Moment of Reviewing: End of the first season Other Formats: Manga
Series Summary:The series is set in a world divided into "The Near Shore" which is pretty much the world as we know it and "The Far Shore" from where creatures like gods and phantoms originate.Although the creatures of both "Shores" live in the same space,"The Near Shore" beings usually cannot see gods or phantoms,however people are heavily influenced by them.The plot revolves around Yato,a god who lacks a shrine and worshipers...and the money to get the previous two.But being an ambitious person,Yato is sure that the future is bright as he does different jobs varying from killing phantoms to searching for lost pets and repairing the plumbing for the pay of 5 yen.On one of these jobs he encounters Hiyori,a final year student.After this encounter,Hiyori becomes a half phantom and is able to see the Far Shore.However her soul now often slips out of her body and she hires Yato,along with his new Shinki(a weapon the gods use in Noragami) who is a deceased boy named Yukine to fix her problem.And so the story unfolds...
Critical Review:Story|The Premise is pretty unique which is in most cases a good thing.The story is very detailed and put together skillfully.However there are some unanswered questions that trouble the fans,but with the second season coming soon,I believe we can rest easy that they will be addressed.The action is well executed and the story has good pace,with very little parts that might seem like they drag.The emotional scenes are well placed and you can feel sympathy for the characters as they struggle.The show only gets better as you learn about the characters dark pasts and see how they deal with it in the present.The atmosphere of the anime is great and the theme of Japanese tradition that is touched upon adds greatly to it.The comedy in the show is very good and some scenes really made me laugh.I didn't notice any stupid attempts at a joke which is awesome.Overall,the story is interesting and grasps your attention and I think that almost everyone who read the synopsis and thought that it is worth watching will like it.Although,if you're only looking for cool and epic fights in anime,Noragami might not be the best choice for you as the fight scenes are few and short.Characters|The main characters are really the strong side of the this anime.Each of them gets a lot of development and screen time through the series.And the relations between them and also between the main and secondary characters is very well depicted.The supporting characters are on point too and they play a role in the story,although some of them might not get enough time on the screen.The characters have loads of personality traits which I adore in anime.Yatogami is usually seen as being playful and silly,doing childish things and sneaking about.However he has his dark side in his past as he is actually the god of _______.He actually knows a lot of things and when things get serious he...well becomes very serious too.He isn't the typical main protagonist and it is really refreshing that he wasn't strictly speaking a good guy.Hiyori Iki is a character with which the producers managed to avoid most cliches and bad things.She has a lot of personality and isn't a pointless main female character like some lower tier anime have.Yukine while not being the nicest person,it is understandable as he is a teenage boy who was suddenly stripped of life.Yukine's actions cause many of the problems the protagonists face and it is interesting to watch how they deal with it.There were only a few characters introduced in this first season but they are likeable and only one of them annoyed me,which is rare to be honest.However the antagonists are for me a big downside to the show as I am an antagonist fanboy.Noragami didn't offer anyone for me to be a fanboy of.The antagonists weren't lame but they didn't really stand out,they seemed like fodder antagonists during an introduction arc to an anime,but it could be just me.I hope that this will change during the next season though.Animation|Animated by studion Bones,the animation was really good and I have no complaints about it.The fights don't drag and are fun to watch while being adequately animated.Overall no static frames and bad looking movement.There were just a few scenes in which it seemed like the animation is lacking but it doesn't affect the overall impression.The opening animation is different but good too.Sound|There is not much to say about the soundtrack,it was fair.The opening theme "Goya no Machiawase" by Hello Sleepwalkers(Lyrics and composition by Shuntarōis on point and the ending theme song "Heart Realize" by Tia(Lyrics and composition by Supercell) felt like it was very adequate.Background music fits really well into the scenes and it is very satisfying,adding to the great atmosphere of the show. Although there is nothing that really stands out like there is in some other series.The sound effects are good and well placed.The Japanese voice actors did a good job,depicting their characters.I think that Noragami has been licensed for English dubbing but I warmly recommend watching it English subbed,as always.Conclusion|Noragami is short and sweet.It is a show with an interesting setting and I recommend it to everyone.The second season is coming in the fall anime season,so in a few months and I'm looking forward to it,hopefully it will be as good as the first or maybe even better.I have difficulties rating anime so don't take my score for granted but I would rate it at 7/10.Thank you for reading! 
