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「雪のような」 (Yuki no Youna)
“Snow-like”
Noragami has taken a slower turn this second episode with the introduction of Yuki. Perhaps it’s because I read really fast or I have a tendency to skim, but I feel like this episode was a bit too repetitive of the premiere. The first half was a bit dragged out but I guess it’s necessary to establish the relationship between Yato and Hiyori. Furthermore, I think it clarifies that the story is actually about Hiyori and not Yato. When I first jumped into this manga, I thought this was about Yato’s dream of building a shrine, but the story doesn’t actually follow his POV, but rather Hiyori’s and how she overcomes her difficulties. It’s interesting to see how her average life is so affected by the fact that she falls asleep everywhere randomly. It must also be terrifying if a stranger just picked up your body…
I didn’t mention this last week, but after this episode, I feel the need to talk about the attempt at comedy in this series. I’m usually not so picky when series try to be funny or put comedic moments to lighten the mood. It’s only when it’s too overdone or just so random that it makes me question if I have no funny bone or the humor is just not right. Noragami tries to be funny and I get that it can be… but most of the time, I just think it’s off cue. The fact that Hiyori keeps falling asleep can be hilarious if her facial expressions weren’t always the same. She’s not terribly stupid or anything, but she’s kind of just ignorant to her situation and she’s not exactly doing herself any favors by tainting phantoms. So I can’t really laugh at her situation or her stupidity and I just find it wasted effort. On the other hand though, some people might find this very hilarious or a good break to the show, so perhaps it’s just me. About the only scene that made me laugh was Yato’s expression at the end.
This week we were introduced to the final trio member in our story – Yukine (Kaji Yuuki) or Yuki. He’s a young boy who assumingly passed away at an early age and he just happens to also be at the right place at the right time. He transforms into a katana yielded by Yato and he has quite the attitude problem. Talk about hitting puberty – Yuki gets no sympathy votes from me (dead or alive). The story will explain itself later on, but Yuki has a tragic story (which leads to his death) and that’s why we see Yato crying at the end of the battle scene. Yato learns more about Yuki as the two are connected and we’ll see more of their partnership dynamics later… most of them being unpleasant I assume. Yuki’s not the most likeable character in the world, but I expect that’s where all the character growth comes into play. I’m sure somewhere down the lines, Hiyori will break down any tensions between the two.
Next week looks to be the intro for our secondary characters and perhaps we’ll finally see some progress for Hiyori’s condition. This is starting to remind me a lot of Blood Lad which traps the female in a hopeless condition and the guy has to help her – then a series of stuff happens and before we know it, the season is over. I hope it doesn’t turn to that because while I feel like that worked for Blood Lad, I’m taking Noragami on a more serious note and hoping that there’s a better story than… “this happens, then this, then this…”. I’m not following the manga anymore past this point so we’ll see what surprises come up.
TL;DR – @RCCherrie: #Noragami continues with the intro of Yuki. And he is quite the ungrateful brat o_O I’m sure there’s room for improvement there.
Preview
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The moment I heard his Kaji Yuuki’s voice, I knew he was going to be a brat.
@Cherrie The Kaji Yuuki link seems to be linking Uchida Maaya instead.
I really dont like this kid either, he definitely needs an attitude adjustment.
As long as he just stay’s a brat that’s there for the comedy it’d be all great but it’s worrysome for when the show will inavitably try to make us feel sorry for him. Kaji Yuuki in those roles is just no.
But you guys gotta admit,he does a mighty fine job in making annoying characters as annoying as possible. IMO,that can be either a good thing or a bad one depending on how the anime decides to use it.
Yukine is going to get his character growth soon.
In fact that was one of the best and most memorable parts of the manga for me.
It was very touching too, so all Yuuki fans, you can look forward to it! (^o^)
But still, I think Yuuki should have voiced Yato, and Yukine should have been voiced by someone else, perhaps KENN, because his initial insolence has some similarities with Fuuto from Brothers Conflict. Or Yonaga Tsubasa perhaps. I’m so sick of Kamiya Hiroshi voicing every lead character in the world. (=w=)
But I’m sure Yuuki will do a great job of making Yukine his own character! ^^
For those who haven’t read/heard of the manga, this is a great series. No doubt about it. So watch it if you haven’t!
Fixed! Thanks =)
Since I do know tha manga is still ongoing, and as a result I doubt Hiyori’s condition has been resolved in it, I rather doubt the anime is going to resolve her condition either, unless it does an original ending. Which kind of leaves me unhappy, because like you I would say that Hiyori and her problem are the main plot hook for the series. Other stuff may happen, but everything began with her, she’s what brought all this about, the story should logically conclude with her problem being resolved.
It seems they’re going to be stuck either pissing off manga-readers by doing an anime-original ending, or leaving anime-only viewers feeling unsatisfied by not resolving what appears to be the main story.
I’m not actually a hardcore manga reader, but as someone who has read manga that eventually had anime adaptations done about them, I’m completely okay with anime original endings as long as those endings are actually done well and provide some sort of “closure” that I can be satisfied with, and not simply half-assed and appearing like they were just thrown out there just to say, “Okay, that’s it, no more, bye bye, go away now!”. Those are the kinds of anime original endings I can see many upset with and even insulted by.
But seeing people get upset solely because it’s anime original ending (much less the series itself making ANY sort of deviations from the manga)? Meh…not much different than the “purist” battles I see in Gundam between Universal Century and Alternate Universe fanboys.
If there has to be an anime original ending, and it’s done well, I just take it for its own thing and continue with the manga if I want a/the “real” ending.
Take me for example;) I HATE anime original endings, no matter how good they are (I dont remember a very good example right now…) But for me its not a question of quality, rather…for the same reason I dont read fanfiction I dont like those invented endings. the story as I see it was created in someones mind, and i want to know how this story ends there. i dont wanne know how it ends in his, her or your imagination but in the creators mind. I know, from the point of view of modern literature, that is bullsh***, and i know there are good arguments against my reasoning, but its just the way i see it, and no good argument can change my feeling of “meh, thats fake”. so no matter what – i will always hate anime original endings (as long as I know its anime original :P)
Arpeggio of Blue Steel, Chuunibyou, K-ON, Nausicaä, SaiKano, Suzumiya Haruhi season 1
You bring up a good point. Lately, I would say that I haven’t seen a lot of anime go down the “original ending” route, unless it’s not truly 100% original. Although I hate it when the anime leaves us hanging (which happened a lot last year >_>), at least that way the viewers can still continue the story, either in the manga or LN or whatever the source was. So if you ever felt like you HAD to know what happened next, just read the source (or play – if it’s a VN). I read the manga for Shingeki right after I finished watching… lol
In that stance, I much rather the anime leave us hanging. It also offers the anime a chance for a second season if it’s popular enough =) I wouldn’t say that anime-original endings are BAD, because I think there are examples of good ones, but it’s one or the other, than I rather have the former.
I agree that there is less plot movement in this episode as compared to the first, however I didn’t find it slow or boring at all. Something about the pure film-making in the two montages (of Hiyori exploring the world as a spirit, and of Hiyori looking for a spirit weapon for Yato) is riveting. The way the background music combines with the sound effects and the overall rhythm of the cutting and editing is what makes the two montages work.
Oh yes, I forgot to say that. I agree with dbm: even if this episode technically moved slower, it all felt very nice to me. It never once lost my attention. Just watching Hiyori wander was somehow captivating.
They sure know how to create an atmosphere, the fighting scene and the background music were really good:)
Already got a bad feeling when Yuki Kaji was casted for this show, and upon realizing that he’s voicing a character with “that” kind of personality, i was left unsure whether i will be able to withstand the inevitable upcoming rage or not. Aside from that, i found this episode generally entertaining. sure, it’s pretty low and laid back with nothing much actually happened. But combined with great direction, proper world-building (in “show don’t tell” type of narration, that i like very much), and the awesome BGM (seriously, who the hell handling this one? The BGM of this eps is easily the best of the season), resulting in a charming and pleasing experience, without being over-the-top or hammy like countless other shounen anime. And if there’s something that bugged me a bit, it’s the somewhat unnecessary fanservices. I know that they don’t mean to be titillating, but seriously, they could easily wrap Hiyori with a towel and don’t need to show her brassiere upon losing her consciouness.
Hmm weaker than the opener, but definitely not a bad episode. Comedy could use some work, but it’s clear that Noragami will be “serious” in its plot line so I’ll cut it some slack as more often than not these types of shows do best when they do not try to master either their seriousness or comedy. It’s the reason Blood Lad worked so well after all. Since the manga is still ongoing as a few others have said I expect they’ll cut off around a particular arc rather than go for an anime-only ending; lately shows hesitate to use them I find in case the show’s popularity is enough to warrant a second cour.
Only concern for me really is our god and girl chemistry. If that can stay fresh going on then this will not flounder. What helps is the pleasant Eden of the East vibes I get watching them interact, I miss having male MCs who have the proper genitalia and are not afraid to use it.
I actually sympathize for Yuki’s situation; he died at the age of a teenager and as the plot goes on, its going to become more saddening when they’ll reveal Yuki’s inner feelings and his circumstances. Yeah, Yuki is going to be really annoying as time goes on, but seeing how Yato hinted at Yuki’s past, we’re going to see how Yuki is going to develop and fix his character as a whole.
From those brief glimpse we saw of Yuuki past, I’m hoping they go more in depth with it. I really wanna learn about it but him and Yato make a good team even with his attitude. I really start reading the manga lol
I’m not gonna lie, this show has been a lot more enjoyable than I thought it would be. I really like it.
Nice episode. So they’re complete now: the OP shows constantly that the three of them are a team so that’s that, I guess.
Anyway I really want to know what’s up with Hiyori: did she really got hit by that car? AFAIK there was no blood. It’s more like she fainted.
You can hear the bus hit her… or a vehicle hit something anyway before it slammed on its brakes, and there were no other vehicles there at that point.
I am still liking this series because the characters are still strong and there are underlining heartwarming moments that will most likely rise later, such as Yuki’s mysterious past we saw in quick flashes, or the possibility of Hiyori’s family and friends thinking she is narcoleptic and wants her to get help. Still staying with this show.
Is yuki that bad ? Can you spoil me please….? Should I drop this righr now ?
This series is quite good until now but if one character is going to destroy everything then it’s not worth the watch.
No no no, dont let one character ruin a whole show for you, to begin with!!
He might be a let down for quite some people, but as I read in some comments above, hes going to grow together with Yato more and more by every upcoming episode (including improvement of his attitude which I am hoping for) and that his past is also worth knowing about, so I recommend you to not drop this nice show!
He grows on you =) For now, he’s just a bit of a brat… that’s where the character development comes in!
Yukine is a piece of shit and his “character development” only makes him a little bit tolerable. He is not adorable in any sense of the word, do not fall for the lies!
No spoilers (I hope), but personally, I don’t like Yuki. His “character development” helps (he’s upgraded to “tolerable” for me), but he’s still far down the list in terms of the characters I like in the series. JMO. There’s more involved with this plot line than just Yuki. It illustrates the relationship between Shinki and the gods they serve (or don’t) so I can’t say that it’s a bad plot line. It has a purpose and fulfills that purpose.
Trying hard not to give anything away so hopefully this makes some sense. Best I can put it is that I can see how opinions vary widely about Yuki and his story. You may or may not like him/it, but I would NOT make any decisions as to whether to continue watching the show based upon this single plot line. IMO, best to watch for yourself and decide on your own. Hope this helps.
All in all I am still curious how things are going to work out and what there is in store for us, like character development, continuation of the plot and on and on!
The problem I think is that so much is being skimmed over from the manga, probably to fit enough in 12 episodes. I think the reason why the jokes don’t seem as funny is because some context is missing. For instance the whole story behind the girl in the opening part of episode 1, the whole reason why Yato was looking for the cat, and there was a really funny scene in the manga where Hiyori is running in Gym class, and then suddenly her body drops to the ground freaking out her classmates, until they realize she’s “asleep”, all the while Hiyori is stuck standing there unable to do anything.
From what I see, it looks like Yukine’s parents divorced, leaving him to live with his alcoholic father. He wrote letters to his mother and sister but his father was angry stepped on them. He was also probably abused by his father, thus explaining the bandages.
Yukine may be annoying now but as a manga reader I know he will develop a strong bond with Yato in the future. I look forward to his development!
Well, then. If he was abused by his father, it’s kind of understandable that he’d be a bit of a brat. Can’t really blame him for being pissed off.
Yukine will kill all of your sympathetic feelings for him later on!
The comedy in this show is great! Yato’s WTF face at the end was just priceless. Hiyori is also a refreshing character, since she isn’t just some girl who whines and doesn’t get anything done. Yuki’s a real brat, but hopefully he’ll change for the better.
I loved Hiyori’s active attitude, and her playful side in her “astral biody”… Who would not want to run over telephone wires if you could?
The OST reminds me of something from Soul Eater (that’s not a bad thing).
Why is this giving me slight Yaio vibes?
Where on earth do you get yaoi vibes from? Wow
Wearing your kimono right over left, like what Yukine does, is ONLY ever for dead people in Japanese culture.
The right way is left over right. 🙂
but he IS dead 🙂
A lot of slamming and praising in the comments…
I can’t tell if you folk like it or not.
I for one am enjoying every bit of it and find it hilarious.
There’s obviously going to be bits and pieces that people like and dislike. I’m enjoying the show so far too… there’s just a lack of stuff to talk about so far… >_>
The relationship between Hiyori and Yato is really funny , and I look forward to seeing it develop. I also look forward to seeing what Yukine is like. He might have appeared a brat , but he was only introduced at the end of the episode , so I am sure there is more to him than what we’ve just seen.
After 2nd episode I still consider it a top tier show this season, hope they will not screw the ending of this one.
the series is in Hiyori’s POV but it not about her “overcomes her difficulties”. The first arc is more focused on Vaisravanna and Yato who have a history that caused Vaisravana to hate him, but I won’t say why because that’s spoiling a great arc. You may get the bakamontagari vibe but this series is based on a deeper plot
Why don’t Yato take a bath to solve his stink problem.
Gosh, authors, make Hiyori fund him a visit in public bath! Perfect occassion for some manservice for fangirls out there! (We men already got Hiyori…)