(L) Noragami

[Shadow5YA]

Originally Posted by shiningninja

Has recent chapters revealed any information on Yato's past? I'm wondering what made him stop using Hiiro and become distant from his father.

Recent arc

Spoiler:

I was also wondering why in the recent arc Yato decided to use Hiiro instead of Yukine, if he was so against using her again.

Spoiler:

Because he accepted more of his father's jobs to kill people and didn't want Yukine involved.

Also when he was trapped in underworld, it didn't look like he had much of a choice.

But I'm pretty sure Yato released Hiiro after Hiyori rescued him, didn't he?

[ghost013]

So after watching the anime, I decided to read the manga to see what happens. The first thing that struck me was the art, which looked so familiar. When I go check to see who the artist is, lo and behold it's the same artist from Alive, one of the first manga I ever read (still hate the ending though). That freaked me out for a bit because I thought he died at the end of the serialization. Turns out, the authro was the one who died. I never realized that the author and artist were different people, so that was a nice surprise.

Interestingly, I can now definitely see some influences from Alive in Noragami. For example, they both have 3 main characters, a boy, girl and a kid. Ironically, I immediately thought of Alive when I saw in the opening that there would three main characters. Nice to see that somethings from Alive were transferred to Noragami. Will look forward to more chapters.

[shiningninja]

Originally Posted by Shadow5YA

Spoiler:

Because he accepted more of his father's jobs to kill people and didn't want Yukine involved.

Also when he was trapped in underworld, it didn't look like he had much of a choice.

But I'm pretty sure Yato released Hiiro after Hiyori rescued him, didn't he?

Spoiler:

Ah, gotcha. Yeh, looked like he did release her in chapter 38(?), better late than never. But with the re-introduction of the dad whose targeting hiyori, thats gonna be a bigger problem.

[Shadow5YA]

At least it'll bring Hiyori into a more active role instead of just being an observer and cheerleader for Yato and Yukine.

[shiningninja]

I feel that Hiyori had a good dose of spotlight in previous chapters. She saved Yato/Yukine at least 4 times now?

I just really hope that she won't play the damsel in distress role again with Yato saving her again so soon. It seems fairly obvious to the antagonists that Hiyori is important to Yato - her getting captured in the future is inevitable

it would be awesome if she got upgraded combat powers somehow

[Shadow5YA]

Eh... her recent rescue didn't look like one at all. All Hiyori did was pretty much shout into a hole, then Yato suddenly appeared

I'm not denying that's she's important, but I wish she could do something more... physical?
That Jungle Savate of hers is going to waste

[Shadow5YA]

Come to think of it, has Yato actually ever saved Hiyori?

There was... chapter 3 when he told her about her tail, but isn't that the only time he ever helped her out?

[shiningninja]

Originally Posted by Shadow5YA

Come to think of it, has Yato actually ever saved Hiyori?

There was... chapter 3 when he told her about her tail, but isn't that the only time he ever helped her out?

I seem to have difficulty remembering this as well, aha.
Maybe once or twice in the earlier chapters, when she was about to get eaten by monsters-of-the day?

He tries to distract and lead the spider demons away >> she gets kidnapped
He tries to get her back >> she frees herself

He does get credit for picking up her body and putting it somewhere safe

btw, chapter 39 is out. the trio looks like one big family now

[Excorsism]

Originally Posted by Shadow5YA

Eh... her recent rescue didn't look like one at all. All Hiyori did was pretty much shout into a hole, then Yato suddenly appeared

I'm not denying that's she's important, but I wish she could do something more... physical?
That Jungle Savate of hers is going to waste

Just saying shouting in the hole is undermining her actual role in saving him.

First, in order to escape from the underworld (Yomi), you need a human specifically, not a Shinki and not a god. Second, you also need to call out the real name of the person you want to pull out from the underworld. Hiyori was the only human present and also was the only one to realize what his actual name was. If it wasn't for Hiyori proactively doing random odd jobs for money to travel to look for him, Yato would've been stuck there until his father picked up him.

[BW95]

Originally Posted by Excorsism

Courtesy of an anon on 4chan.

Spoiler for Chapter 39:

Yup, looks like it was the same person after all. I can imagine him using Hiyori against Yato pretty soon and that's probably not going to go well with Yato.

That's his dad?

Also, who's that guy behind Yato in the flashback in the anime?

[Shadow5YA]

Originally Posted by Excorsism

Just saying shouting in the hole is undermining her actual role in saving him.

First, in order to escape from the underworld (Yomi), you need a human specifically, not a Shinki and not a god. Second, you also need to call out the real name of the person you want to pull out from the underworld. Hiyori was the only human present and also was the only one to realize what his actual name was. If it wasn't for Hiyori proactively doing random odd jobs for money to travel to look for him, Yato would've been stuck there until his father picked up him.

I know, but the way Adachi Touka drew it was somewhat underwhelming. Couldn't he have had shown Hiyori reaching her arm out towards him, or if not, showing a figurative equivalent in that light Yato saw?

[Excorsism]

Originally Posted by BW95

That's his dad?

Also, who's that guy behind Yato in the flashback in the anime?

Not really sure myself. It might just be another God of War or something.

A summary of chapter 39.

Spoiler for Chapter 39 Summary:

The chapter starts off with Yato at Kofuku's placing exclaiming he's going to change. He starts off with showing off his new jersey that he bought, much to the dismay of Daikoku. He also shows off "his" new smartphone which was what he snatched from Kazama as well (the wallpaper in the phone is Bishamonten wearing a shirt with "bitch" on it, . Kazama drops by to get all his stuff back including his phone. He also promises to get Yato a smart phone as well.

Hiyori talks to Yato and asks him if he has anything to say to Yukine. Flashback of the events of the previous chapter where he releases Hiiro (Nora, Mizuchi). However, he dodges the question by asking Yukine what he thinks happiness is. This pisses off Yukine (as he and Hiyori witnessed the release in person) and he smashes a big sake bottle on Yato and proceeds to murder him with half broken bottle, .

The scene shifts to a discussion regarding the whereabouts of the brush that the previous Ebisu went to Yomi to obtain (the brush that allows you to summon demons (ayakashi) with strokes and stuff). It apparently either got lost or got destroyed (it was probably picked up by the father (they call him Toto-sama, ie. Yato and Hiiro's (Nora, Mizuchi) father). They learn this name thanks to Kazama who uses a technique to interrogate Kugaha (?). So what it comes down to is that the previous Ebisu was used by Yato's father (indirectly) to retrieve the brush from the underworld (Yomi).

We shift back to Yato watching Hiyori run around in high school. Although Yato disappears before Hiyori notices him, she more or less realizes he was there. Again, she drops her body and goes to look for him. Hiyori runs along and finds them but overhears Yato asking Yukine what he should do to make people happy. Yato tells Yukine he wants to be an existence that brings happiness to people. Yukine thinks he's joking but Yato tells him he's serious and tells Yukine to show him the "right" way.

Yukine points towards a park and Yato tells him to change into his weapon. They then proceed to cut down an ayakashi. Yukine tells him that all he really needed to do was get rid of the gloom and disaster causing ayakashi. Yato is a little dubious since it wasn't all that different from before. Yukine tells him that it helps since people won't be so tempted to commit crimes of the sort. Yato believes Yukine without any issue.

Hiyori shows up and with Yukine and her present, Yato tells them both that he released Nora. He also tells them about how when he was younger, he would kill people. He says that the name Yaboku was given to him by his father to the surprise of Yukine and Hiyori. He explains that his father was a "human" who would die and come back to life in different forms and shapes and he says that he doesn't know what he looks like now. Because Yato wanted praise from his father, he continued taking up his requests regardless of what he had to do. But now, Yato was tired of doing all of that.

Yato asks Hiyori and Yukine if they think any less of him to which Hiyori says that was the reason why released Nora in the first place. Yukine and Hiyori then proceed to make fun of his lines at the time he released Hiiro (Nora, Mizuchi) to the embarassment of Yato, . It turns out Yato was shaking quite a bit when he released Hiiro (Nora, Mizura).

Hiyori tells Yato that she believes that he'll be able to become whatever he wants to be because he chose Yukine over her. Cue the Yato blush and great Hiyori smile.

When they go back to their mini-shrine, Yato tells Yukine that he was still killing people awhile back. He tells him that his father had used Ebisu and got him killed in which he wouldn't be able to forgive his father. Despite all the killing he had done, Yato asks Yukine if was still willing to be his Shinki. Yukine affirms and tells Yato that he won't let him kill anyone anymore.

Shift the final scene to Yato's father who was the student who took Hiyori's first kiss and Hiiro (Nora, Mizuchi).

I'll fix it up later, kind of in a hurry.

[BW95]

Originally Posted by Excorsism

Not really sure myself. It might just be another God of War or something.

A summary of chapter 39.

Spoiler for Chapter 39 Summary:

The chapter starts off with Yato at Kofuku's placing exclaiming he's going to change. He starts off with showing off his new jersey that he bought, much to the dismay of Daikoku. He also shows off "his" new smartphone which was what he snatched from Kazama as well (the wallpaper in the phone is Bishamonten wearing a shirt with "bitch" on it, . Kazama drops by to get all his stuff back including his phone. He also promises to get Yato a smart phone as well.

Hiyori talks to Yato and asks him if he has anything to say to Yukine. Flashback of the events of the previous chapter where he releases Hiiro (Nora, Mizuchi). However, he dodges the question by asking Yukine what he thinks happiness is. This pisses off Yukine (as he and Hiyori witnessed the release in person) and he smashes a big sake bottle on Yato and proceeds to murder him with half broken bottle, .

The scene shifts to a discussion regarding the whereabouts of the brush that the previous Ebisu went to Yomi to obtain (the brush that allows you to summon demons (ayakashi) with strokes and stuff). It apparently either got lost or got destroyed (it was probably picked up by the father (they call him Toto-sama, ie. Yato and Hiiro's (Nora, Mizuchi) father). They learn this name thanks to Kazama who uses a technique to interrogate Kugaha (?). So what it comes down to is that the previous Ebisu was used by Yato's father (indirectly) to retrieve the brush from the underworld (Yomi).

We shift back to Yato watching Hiyori run around in high school. Although Yato disappears before Hiyori notices him, she more or less realizes he was there. Again, she drops her body and goes to look for him. Hiyori runs along and finds them but overhears Yato asking Yukine what he should do to make people happy. Yato tells Yukine he wants to be an existence that brings happiness to people. Yukine thinks he's joking but Yato tells him he's serious and tells Yukine to show him the "right" way.

Yukine points towards a park and Yato tells him to change into his weapon. They then proceed to cut down an ayakashi. Yukine tells him that all he really needed to do was get rid of the gloom and disaster causing ayakashi. Yato is a little dubious since it wasn't all that different from before. Yukine tells him that it helps since people won't be so tempted to commit crimes of the sort. Yato believes Yukine without any issue.

Hiyori shows up and with Yukine and her present, Yato tells them both that he released Nora. He also tells them about how when he was younger, he would kill people. He says that the name Yaboku was given to him by his father to the surprise of Yukine and Hiyori. He explains that his father was a "human" who would die and come back to life in different forms and shapes and he says that he doesn't know what he looks like now. Because Yato wanted praise from his father, he continued taking up his requests regardless of what he had to do. But now, Yato was tired of doing all of that.

Yato asks Hiyori and Yukine if they think any less of him to which Hiyori says that was the reason why released Nora in the first place. Yukine and Hiyori then proceed to make fun of his lines at the time he released Hiiro (Nora, Mizuchi) to the embarassment of Yato, . It turns out Yato was shaking quite a bit when he released Hiiro (Nora, Mizura).

Hiyori tells Yato that she believes that he'll be able to become whatever he wants to be because he chose Yukine over her. Cue the Yato blush and great Hiyori smile.

When they go back to their mini-shrine, Yato tells Yukine that he was still killing people awhile back. He tells him that his father had used Ebisu and got him killed in which he wouldn't be able to forgive his father. Despite all the killing he had done, Yato asks Yukine if was still willing to be his Shinki. Yukine affirms and tells Yato that he won't let him kill anyone anymore.

Shift the final scene to Yato's father who was the student who took Hiyori's first kiss and Hiiro (Nora, Mizuchi).

I'll fix it up later, kind of in a hurry.

Wow. Thanks!

[shiningninja]

Awesome, thank you for the summary! the enjoyment factor just went up 10x hehe.

I'm really liking Hiyori's role in this manga. Without her, Yato would have been continuing to be controlled by his father and do things he hates. Meeting her allowed him to meet Yukine, and thus develop extremely close relations each other - such a level of trust was probably just a pipe dream for the past him. For once, he's finally happy being himself.

Great character dynamics, kudos to the author.

[BW95]

Oh. It looks like that guy behind Yato's an anime original. Well, this sucks.

[davey129]

Originally Posted by BW95

Oh. It looks like that guy behind Yato's an anime original. Well, this sucks.

Yep, they brought in an original Character, looks like Noragami is gunna have a anime original ending. *sigh* Please dont screw this up bones.

[shiningninja]

That character was designed and given a backstory by the author herself. That makes me feel like they had a say in what happens at the end of the anime. At least we know that it'll be an anime-original ending that would have some sort of conclusion.

[davey129]

Still though, generally anime original endings have never been that good. And they pretty much destroy the possibility of a second season.

[BW95]

Originally Posted by shiningninja

That character was designed and given a backstory by the author herself. That makes me feel like they had a say in what happens at the end of the anime. At least we know that it'll be an anime-original ending that would have some sort of conclusion.

For all we know, the author was strong-armed into making a shorter ending. In any case, Vaisravana's going to self-destruct isn't she? Stupid woman can't bring herself to let go and now everyone's getting hurt.

[Shadow5YA]

I still don't understand how Nora hasn't stung Yato after all this time.