James Nicoll Reviews

Noragami, Volume 2 collects issues four through seven of a series from Adachitoka. It’s the tale of a minor god’s efforts to establish himself in modern-day Japan. 

Minor god Yato is not well known, but he has profound effects on those who meet him. Yukini may be dead, but his spirit has been recruited to serve as Yato’s reluctant sidekick and magical weapon. Schoolgirl Hiyori Iki has gained a wonderous ability to astrally project! Even if she cannot control her potentially fatal condition, this is still a profound effect. Right? 

04. ​“Some Divine Will” 

Yato becomes aware that his new sidekick, Yukini, is unimpressed by the employment benefits offered. Yato offers a new benefit: the power to sponge on well-to-do Hiyori. After which the duo delve into the exciting world of divine temping. 

Students across Japan pray to the god of scholars, Tenjin. Tenijn sometimes subcontracts work to lesser gods, and Yato is very much a lesser god. Yato does not expect to like the work, but, a god’s gotta do what a god’s gotta do. Except when he finds out that his assignment involves dealing with suicides. Yato pulls out. But Hiyori is determined to step in where Yato will not and in so doing, risks being consumed by evil spirits. 

05. ​“Boundary Line” 

Yato belated explains to Yukini that the boy has powers other than the ability to turn into a sword of supernatural sharpness. Flexing his new powers, the ghost boy tries to help the shade of a girl killed in a hit-and-run. Yukini finds out the hard way that his powers have limits. 

Comments

Aw, it’s not like the author would let anything terrible happen to a little girl. Right? Although by the time we meet her, she’s already been squashed by a car.… 

06. ​“Scary”

It’s hard to believe, but Yato does have friends. The goddess Kofuko for one. She has learned a few things about Yato he would prefer kept secret … but she shares them with Hiyori. Who finds the secrets alarming. 

07. ​“Twilight”

Goddess Bishamon keeps trying to kill Yato. It’s clear that she doesn’t like him … but why? 

General Comments

The art in Noragami is skilled, clean, and eye-catching; it’s one of the main things drawing me back to the work. 

Although each section works as a story on its own, the author (well, authors; there are two people behind the pseudonym) are carefully inserting plot hooks for the stories to come. Many of them involve hints about Yato’s dark and terrible history — a history which may explain why he finds himself in reduced circumstances. Perhaps the manga will also explain, in some future issue, what his divine domain might be¹. I’m interested enough in the answers that I will probably keep reading future volumes. 

Noragami, Volume 2 is available here (Amazon) and here (Chapters-Indigo).

1. Hiyori gets a pointed lesson in the unwisdom of involving a god without first ascertaining what their domain might be. She should apply this lesson to Yato.…