Noragami: Yato and Ebisu's Relationship

One of the relationships that I am particularly fond of in the manga is the relationship between Yato and Ebisu. We don't have much of these two yet, but it's really so nice to see them, I feel like they could become best friends. Both of them have taught each other so many lessons that it's beautiful. The part that breaks my heart is that the two of them are envious of each other in the nicest way possible.

I can't say that their first meeting was that great, I mean, would you be happy with someone who tries to buy Yukine from Yato? I was super pissed off at Ebisu and moreover there were suspicions running around that he was the sorcerer. I wanted to kill Ebisu because in my head he was an evil God who attacked Yato and Bishamon. Ooh...I was angry. Yato had mixed feelings. Ebisu asked to borrow Yukine and in return he gave money to Yato to build a shrine and we all know that that has been Yato's dream for centuries.

The second time Yato meets Ebisu is in the underworld when he is forced to go down by his father to save the sorcerer of the masks. He didn't expect it to be Ebisu at all. He actually expected it to be his father. Yato is more than confused, but Hiiro/Nora is calm and explains everything to Yato. Yato was obviously shocked and for a while he wondered if he should even be taking care of Ebisu or not.

And then Ebisu explains to Yato everything. He explains that he wants to save the human world, not destroy it and that makes Yato realize that Ebisu never attacked Bishamon or kidnapped Hiyori in the first place. Ebisu wasn't bad at all. This makes Yato ridiculously  jealous and it makes Yato respect Evisu at the same time because Ebisu is the kind of God Yato has always wanted to be and the funny part is Yato is the God that Ebisu had always wanted to be. So then, Yato sacrifices himself for Ebisu and tells him to get out.

But then Ebisu finds out that the entrances and exits are blocked so he has no choice but to return to Izanami the Goddess of the Underworld hoping that he can at the least save Yato's life. Yato is horrified that Ebisu would even think of coming back to rescue him. He asks if that is all to Ebisu's will and when Ebisu replies negative and gives his reasons, Yato grabs him and they both ttry to escape Izanami. Yato finds himself saving Ebisu not because his father wants him to but because he wants to save Ebisu and it gives him a certain pride. The trip to the underworld, teaches both Ebisu and Yato important lessons. Lessons that they learn from each other.

Happiness does not last forever and friendships do not last forever. When Yato wakes up after being saved from the underworld the first things he does is hug Hiyori and Yukin, cry his eyes out and ask about Ebisu who he rescued successfully from the underworld at the price of his own freedom. He finds out that because of his father, the heavens made a mistake and killed Ebisu and now he has been reincarnated. The horror and guilt that Yato wakes up to is too much to bear and he can't even look Ebisu in the eye or listen to Ebisu thank him. So he goes full out and yells at Ebisu's reincarnation who simply can't remember him.

Yato takes Ebisu to the place his last incarnation wanted to go to and then there they talk and Ebisu says that his last incarnation must have been bad because the heavens killed him. Yato is so filled with guilt that he yells at Ebisu telling him that he was a very kind God. Yato then apologizes to Ebisu, saying that it was all his fault. Yukine and Hiyori who are peaking through the window suddenly feel like Yato has changed after visiting the underworld and Ebisu was the reason for that change.

When Bishamon finds out about Yato's father she asks him how he can even face Ebisu and so Yato tries to ignore Ebisu, but who can ignore that adorable kid, especially after he was almost run over by a truck. I suppose Yato has accepted by now that he can't escape from Ebisu because he feels a responsibility and guilt towards Ebisu.

Yato then explains to Ebisu, he tells everything Ebisu, about his father and everything else and as Ebisu talks and explains the ways of the world to Yato, Yato realizes that Ebisu never really will change, he will always be that kind hearted God ready to lay down his life for others that Yato met in the underworld. This scene was definitely my favourite ever Yato and Ebisu scene. It made me cry. Then Ebisu turns to Yato and tells him that if he's not mad at him, neither was his previous incarnation and then he tells Yato that "It's Okay", Yato sees the older Ebisu and I was bawling my eyes out because maybe, Ebisu is what Yato needs.

This photo was an extra the author added but it speaks volumes and I've decided that Yato and Ebisu need to become best friends because they need each other, they teach other lessons they never could have learned from anyone else. They both make each other happy and feel better and I hope that we will see more of them in the later chapters of the anime.