If you were to describe Yato, what words would you use? Lazy? Easy-going? Self-centered? What about…patient? Patience, in fact, is one of Yato’s most defining characteristics in the Noragami anime. It’s best demonstrated in how Yato faithfully waits for Yukine, trusting in him to make the right decision and remaining steadfast even as he lays… Read More Holy Week: Patient Yato, Patient Yahweh
The world of Noragami reflects the pantheon of kami in Japanese religion. There’s an unraveling uniqueness to Yato, but from the beginning, Noragami also emphasizes the truth of Shintoism, that he is just one of many gods. And without a shrine, Yato is a minor one at that. The presence of many kami in Shinto… Read More Holy Week: Noragami and a Saving Grace
As a Christian, I’ve found that one of the hardest things to explain to non-Christians is about the seriousness of sin. Without comprehending this, the gospel story makes little sense and thus there’s little to compel one to be open to the religion. One of the roadblocks in trying to help others understand the gravity… Read More Holy Week: Yukine and Matters of the Heart
Wow, has the Spring 2014 anime season started off with a bang. I have already picked up 10 new shows that I plan to watch through to completion, in addition to the two I was already watching from last season (Nisekoi and Tonari no Seki-kun), and I have not been disappointed. While a number of… Read More Anime Today: One Week Sinners
One thing that struck me immediately about Noragami is that there were so many connections that could made in the series to Christianity. Joseph of Medieval Otaku (who’s now on Twitter, by the way), thought the same: The most surprising thing about Noragami is how many of its themes one can tie into Christianity despite… Read More Holy Week: The Book of Hiyori
I mentioned yesterday that at first, even our (generally) level-headed heroine in Noragami, Hiyori Iki, treats Yato with little respect. Further, she looks to him to fulfill her own needs. This is no surprise, of course, as she’s in a very unusual and confusing situation, and Yato has agreed to take her case, even taking… Read More Holy Week: Noragami and Treating God as a Genie, Part 2
Near the end of the Noragami series, an anime-only antagonist is introduced. Like Yato, Rabo is a god of calamity, and the series does it’s best to make him seem a match for our laid-back (but occasionally awesome) hero. Apparently, Rabo has returned after centuries of absence, but in just a short time, he has… Read More Holy Week: Noragami and Treating God as a Genie, Part 1
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