[If a dog walks, it will hit an animated cartoon. No.12] Who grants the wishes of the gods?　Noragami: ARAGOTO, the myth of the town of today, spun by a god and a divine instrument.

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Fans' long-awaited "Bishamon Arc" and "Hades Arc" are now in their second season!

Famous gods take on the appearance of friendly middle and high school students or turn people into weapons for battle. ...... These are settings that have been rather common in anime and comics in recent years, but "Noragami" (2013) has turned them into a story with a unique appeal.

The most impressive thing about the original comic is the beautiful drawings and characters, but the world and story are also interesting. In particular, the detailed and realistic depiction of emotions has the power to draw the viewer in.

The anime makes careful use of this original story, emphasizing its persuasiveness and dynamism as an animated television series.

Yato, a delivery god who grants people's wishes for five yen, is a nameless, lodgeless (having no shrine) deity. Hiyori Iki, a girl in the third year of junior high school, meets Yato by chance and becomes involved with him in order to be cured of her half-demon constitution, which causes her to lose her soul easily.

Yoru takes the soul of a boy who died at the age of 14, gives it the name Yukine, and makes it her own sacred artifact (shinki = divine instrument). When Yoruoto fights demons, Yukine transforms into a sharp white and silver sword and becomes a weapon.

Yukine, who has already died and has no future, laments her fate, sulks about the world, steals and lies, and almost turns into a demon. However, Yoto believes that Yukine will become his "one and only" and tells her off, and waits for her to recover. Yukine also reflected upon seeing Hiyori shed tears for her. Thus, the three of them, a god, a sacred vessel, and a half-demon (and the only believer), become important to each other.

This "pseudo-family" relationship is where the first season of the anime took its time and carefully depicted. Yato is a lonely god who has always wanted his own irreplaceable sacred object. For this reason, he endured Yukine's rough times and patiently waited for him to get back on his feet. Hiyori, on the other hand, was Yoto's first devotee. She is "the girl he cares about," but at the same time, she is "the only believer who gives him the value of being a god."

For Yukine, Yoru is a father figure who watches over her deeply, while at the same time being a master of no good. And Hiyori, although she is human, is deeply involved with them as gods and sacred objects, and worries about their well-being. She is like an older sister and a female friend who cares about them.

Hiyori, who is now involved in the existence of gods and divine instruments on the other side of the world, cares for and understands Yoru and Yukine as if they were ordinary human friends, and comes to them frequently and worries about them. To Hiyori, Yoru and Yukine are just as important as human beings. Their kindness and warmth save their hearts.

This family-like relationship of three people who need each other and want each other's warmth is the core of the story.

The story involves such well-known deities as Sugawara Michizane, the god of heaven, who is familiar to students preparing for exams; Kofuku, the god of poverty, who can be a problem if he gets involved; and Bishamonten, the goddess of war.

Noragami ARAGOTO" currently airing is the second season of the series. It is a sequel to the 12-episode first season. It depicts the long-awaited "Bishamon Arc" and "Kosen Arc" of the original work by fans.

The master-servant relationship between gods and sacred objects is a unique and interesting setting

One of the interesting aspects of "Noragami" is the system of "sacred vessels. The souls of dead people are used by the gods as their own tools, given names, and called upon. The sacred artifact is loyal to the god as its sole lord.

This relationship uniquely and convincingly defines the way God and man relate to each other.

God was originally born from human wishes and exists to fulfill human wishes. When humans no longer wish upon God, that is, when his existence is forgotten, God "disappears.

The night gods earnestly hope that they will not "disappear. In other words, for God to exist, he needs the wishes of humans. For Yoto, Hiyori is like a lifeline.

On the other hand, God does not judge right and wrong. Everything God does is considered "good. What determines good and evil is the divine artifacts, which were once living human beings. When the vessels feel guilt in their hearts, they return to the Lord in the form of damage (this is called "stabbing the Lord").

This means that God knows the standard of what people consider "good and evil" from the former-human divine artifacts. In other words, if the divine artifact has no hesitation in killing a person, the Lord God would not consider the killing of a person "evil. When the divine instrument is moved to say, "I must not do such a thing," God knows for the first time that it is considered "evil" among human beings.

And the divine instrument is never just used by God. They sometimes serve as "guideposts," receiving counsel and pointing out the path God should take. God is depicted as a truly "human" being with flaws and quirks, who is intimately involved with human beings and tries to fulfill their wishes and make them happy.

Such a god comes into the world of human beings and interacts with living people, causing disturbances and influencing them. This is a "myth of our time," akin to Greek mythology.

Yato has reached a time of change. Watch out for the end of the "Hades Arc"!

The anime adaptation of "Noragami" was created by BONDS, which specializes in depicting action scenes. BONDS excels at creating gravity-defying, heavy, and powerful action sequences that are far from reality.

The highlight of the action scene is when Yato, with Yukine transformed into a sword in his hand, slashes down a giant demon.

In the second season, Yukine has been reborn as two swords, and Yoto has become a "two-sword swordsman. Yato's action is really cool, as he cuts the demons with his dance-like movements. I am glad that the "Bishamon Arc" was made into an anime! ...... and I realize it deeply.

Another great pleasure of the second season is that we get to see the inner workings of the God family, which is different from the main team of Yoto, Yukine, and Hiyori. In addition to the Tenjin family and the Kofuku and Daikoku duo depicted in the first season, the second season begins with the full Bishamonten family, which includes many men and women of all ages. This was followed by the Ebisu family, all men in black, looking like corporate businessmen.

Both Bishamonten and Ebisu are members of the well-known "Seven Gods of Good Fortune," and are well-known major deities. However, I was surprised when I opened the door. Bishamonten, a fierce warrior god, is a beautiful woman wearing a military uniform over a bikini and straddling a lion with a whip and gun!　And Ebisu, who is known for his big, fat, generous figure, has the appearance of a dry, rational, elite businessman in this work.

The story begins in the "Kosen-hen" from the seventh episode of the second season. After having cleared up Bishamon's long-standing misunderstanding and old grudge in the "Bishamon Arc," the mystery surrounding Yato's past and secrets is about to be revealed again a little more.

From the time of his birth to the present, Yoruoto has been called "Maga-tsukami," or "God of Mischief," for he has been thinning out and killing people on the orders of his "father-sama" (the Father). Now, however, Yato is beginning to think that he would like to become a god who is useful to others, worthy of the trust of Yukine and Hiyori, who support him. It is time for a change.

Yoru is trying to escape from Hades, the land of the underworld, with Ebisu. To do so, he must escape from Izanami, the queen of Hades, and defeat the forces sent from heaven to defeat her. What will happen ...... will be the highlight of the Hades version.

At first glance, Yato appears to be a frivolous, flirtatious, and high-spirited man, but he has a heavy past and deep pockets hidden within. The gap between the two is also a major attraction of the story.

If God grants people's wishes, who in the world will hear God's longing?

The end of the Hades version will be a blotched one. We await the resolution of the commotion in which the gods have been mixed up.

Included in the limited edition DVD of the original comic is a comedy featuring all characters. If you liked the TV anime, you should not miss the limited edition DVD of the original comic!　If you like the TV anime, don't miss the original comic limited edition DVD!

（If you like the TV anime, don't miss the limited edition DVD of the original comic.)