Favorite Anime: Noragami

Favorite Anime: Noragami

Friday, April 24, 2015

Tokyo Ghoul vA : Teary and Sobby Parts of Episode 11



So...Tokyo Ghoul vA...Episode 11 because I'm too scared to watch the last episode yet. Anyway, in Episode 11 there were two scenes that had me bawling my eyes out and I shall share them with you. First:



When Juuzo watched Shinohara take the blow for him and he finally showed emotion and the heart-breaking scream was too much to bear. I'm so used to and fond of the carefree Juuzo who doesn't care about who dies and who lives and to see the only fatherly figure in his life save him was too much to bear.



When Kaneki wakes up in Anteiku and he sees Hide. It's clear that Hide rescued him and not just that, Hide survived coming face to face with some of the most fearsome ghouls of Aogiri Tree. But that's not what made me cry. It's fact that they've seen each other for the first time in who knows how many episodes and Hide still has been waiting for Kaneki and the best part is, he knows that Kaneki is the fearsome eyepatch ghoul but he doesn't care and he's ready to accept Kaneki for everything that he is...it just made me cry so much!! Oh, plus the fact that they didn't follow what they did in the manga. Don't Kaneki and Hide just look wonderful in their respective outfits? Excuse me while I cry again.


Carrots and Horses~

Thursday, April 23, 2015

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.


Thursday, April 16, 2015

Noragami: Yato and Bishamon's Relationship



These two started out as clearly misunderstood and idiotic. No other explanation is required. In the anime, it really annoyed me that Bishamon was portrayed in such a negative light when we saw her differently in the manga, but now we know that the next season explains Bishamon's and Yato's relationship, so we're all good. But...I've across people who still really dislike Bishamon. Why would you do that? Here are the reasons why, you shall see them in my review on their relationship.


We were introduced to their relationship in pretty much the most confusing way possible. Her first interaction with him that we see and woah, why is she trying to kill him? Although, we get it quick enough. So fine, it has been justified, she has every right to want to try and kill him because he killed her Shinki, duh. But...that still doesn't explain anything.


And then Kazuma so kindly explains to us when Yato and Yukine have gone to kill Bishamon because they think that she's kidnapped Hiyori. In the end, it was all one big misunderstanding and they should just back off and yell at Kazuma instead. Wait, why would you even do that to the poor kid. OK, so maybe Bishamon had no right to try and kill Yato? But then Yato had no right to try and kill her because Hiyori was captured by someone else in the first place!


Needless, to say, even after everything is cleared and the shinki and everyone else are getting along, it is not getting any better for these two. I mean, not much changes, aside from the facts that this time, the shinki aren't getting involved. I mean, you don't go from being enemies for a couple of centuries to besties the next, definitely not in their case.


I think we all agree that Yato went over board just to shut her up and he definitely didn't make matters any better, if anything, I think he made matters worse by making even Kazuma sort of pissed off. Ridiculous, but how else do you expect drunk people to act? But in a way, after she beats him up for this, I think she's vented out quite enough. I think it also smooths things out and well, it calms things down in it's own way.


But I really think in it's own warped way, our Yato has finally gotten even Bishamon to warm up to him. I mean, who goes down into the underworld just to save some acquaintance you tried to kill a couple of months ago? I know I wouldn't. She fights full on even though she knows that it's most likely a losing battle and she does everything she can to take Yato back with her from the underworld. Let me just say, she has guts to fight Izanami like that.


Oh! And she let's Yato stay in her house after she rescues him. But no matter how chummy everyone around them gets, they forever will be idiots who really can't stand each other's presences because their personalities clash too much!


Noragami: Yato's Different Versions


So then I realized while re-reading and re-watching 'Noragami', Yato tends to have as many behavioural changes as a Multiple Personality Disorder Patient. So here, I shall be discussing his different versions to express my different views and what not. Moving on, the first personality I'll be discussing will be the first one that we saw.

1) Yato: The Delivery God


Yes, our lovable and adorable Delivery God who is the cutest, jobless bum in the world. Who wouldn't fall for his charm? The moment I saw his eyes, I was a goner. This guy is ridiculous, has no shame, gets trampled upon for his imperfections all the time and he really does act weird but lovably. I mean who can resist this guy?

2) Yato: The Hiyori-Obsessed God


Yes, we all saw this stage, when Yato went completely Hiyori crazy when he thought Hiyori would forget him. He stalked her on foot, by phone, by air, by tree, you name it. But then recently we came across the point where he goes crazy after being separated from her and he even wears her clothes, eats her letters and thinks that Yukine is her. I know...insane, but cute.

3) Yato: Messed-Up Past and Tortured God



We didn't get to see much of this guy in the anime, but in the manga, he's friggin rampant and it makes my heart bleed and cry when I see him like this. I think the only time we saw him in the anime was during the non-existent Rabo arc and Hiyori lost her memories of him, even then it wasn't that serious. If you see a cying Yato wouldn't you want to hug him? Because I definitely wanted to. It really makes me dislike people who regard him as a complete douche and haven't see this side of him yet.

4) Yato: The God of Fortune


We haven't seen this guy much, he just recently became a god of fortune thanks to Hiyori giving him a shrine and Yukine training him and his own incessant begging to the heavens. At first, Yato was just wanting to be a recognized God and have followers but then after coming back from the underworld, he understood the meaning of being a God for others happiness.

5) Yato: The Magatsukami or The God of Calamity


Oh yes, this identity that Yato has been trying to hide for so long. For real? Yes, Yato, or should I say, Yaboku was a real fierce and bloody God of Calamity who was not afraid of killing at all. In the anime, we thought that we knew him, but we didn't in the slightest. This god has such a dark reputation, the very mention of the 'Magatsukami' brought shivers up people's spines.

6) Yato: The Insane Wacko God


Let's end this with one of Yato's positive personalities. We see this guy everywhere and pretty much all the time, although I often felt like he wasn't portrayed well enough in the anime. Well, that doesn't really matter. This guy can be really, really, really obnoxious, but he's really cute and adorable in his own way and no matter how ridiculous he can be, you will always love him in the end.

That will be all, my lovely Yatoites!


Noragami: Nora and Yato's Relationship



So now I'm finally doing a post on one of the most interesting and positively the most confusing relationship in all of Noragami. Nora and Yato's relationship. It's messed, wacky and well, sort of sweet at times as well. Recently on Mangafox I came across a thread that was full on hating Yato for what he had done to Hiiro/Nora. A lot of people got really mad at Yato while a lot of people just got really pissed off at Nora/Hiiro. Hope you don' mind if I call her Hiiro for now. Anyway, I will be expressing my views and showing you people that it is not necessary to hate either of them.


Hiiro and Yato grew up together, not that Hiiro was actually growing or anything...but anyway, Hiiro is probably a little younger than Yukine, at least that estimated guess. Hiiro and Yato grew up as friends, as siblings, as God and Shinki. Please, those of you that think Hiiro is in love with Yato, get your story straight. She is not, at least, hasn't shown any signs of it yet. Also, if she were, she would be depressed right now and that would mean that she'd be stinging their father and I doubt he'd let her slip past that. They are siblings and they care for each other in that way.


For those of you who blamed Yato for turning Hiiro into a stray. Yato was a child, he had no idea what was going on. If you've seen Ebisu in his reincarnated child form you will understand that his mindset is like of an innocent child's. So was Yato's. He didn't even know what a shinki was at first. He had no idea it was bad to have a stray. He thought it would be fine if he had Hiiro and so did his father. Then arises the question, why didn't Yato release her in the future when he finally understood? The point is, Yato is still under the power of his father even now. He only very recently got the guts to revoke Hiiro's name, plus, personally, I felt like he still has an affectionate side for Hiiro. There is one point when he tells her: "No matter what happens, why are you always smiling?"


In that case why did he so heartlessly revoke Hiiro's name if he was attached to her and she was attached to him? It was something that Yato did after a lot of thinking. We all know how painful it is for a Shinki to have his or her name revoked. It's like having someone tell you that you are of no use to them. It's a way of almost completely cutting off ties. It was horrifying for Hiiro and especially because Yato was the one that had turned her into a stray and he was almost half of her entire life. But Yato obviously felt hurt doing this. Personally, I believe Yato did this because he cared for her. She was being used by his father to hurt those around him, he was being forced to use her to hurt others, I think this was Yato's way of saying that he wasn't going to hate her any more for all that he was forced to do with her. It was a heart-breaking moment for both sides.


Why does Yato treat her like that? It's something that I've explained above. He's tied to his father through the wish he made for him and through Hiiro. He was forced to kill so many people with Hiiro, it hurts him to be around her. We need to remember that Hiiro is a Shinki as well, someone who still wants to live, who died with a pure and noble thought. Yato hates himself for making her kill so many people by his hand. That's why he treats her like that, he's a really tortured character and I wish people realize that. Hiiro probably never falters and keeps smiling because she does not wish to sting any of the Gods who have named her.



There's a point that has actually made me really suspicious about Hiiro actually. In the underworld arc, there is a point where Yato says she's strange and she's feels no emotions and she has always smiled. That point has made me wonder whether Hiiro has actually even fathomed that she is doing anything wrong. It's hard to understand, but I think Hiiro has been seriously brainwashed by Yato's father. We see here that Yato although he's hesitant about being close to Hiiro, even scared because she is so innocent and cares for him, he truly is comfortable around her and cares for her. We all know that Yato is like super-duper bad at expressing himself, so he doesn't know how to show his affection to Hiiro.


Here we see Hiiro get really concerned about Yato. She says that she is not afraid because their father will rescue them. Despite that faith and all her endless smiles, Hiiro still panics when Yato can't get out. She really does care for him as a sister would.


Last but not least, I think this is everyone's favourite Yato and Hiiro scene in the entire of the Manga. Here we actually come to understand these certain things. Yato knows Hiiro is attached to him, loves him like a brother and he pretty much cares for her like a sister, but they both have a past that they simply cannot forget. It's a rather torturous and sad past and it makes things so complicated. I know if possible, Yato would do anything to free Hiiro from their father. I hope they can solve the things between them.


Noragami: Manga vs. Anime (Spoilers)

vs.

When I first started with 'Noragami', I started with the anime first. I found reading the manga of any anime tiresome. But it was through 'Noragami' I realized how important the manga was for any anime because there is so much that you miss out in the anime that is there in the manga and then viewers feel betrayed, because all honestly, it hurts when there is more romance in the manga when in the anime there is less. But there were somethings about the characters in the manga and the characters in the anime that I found really different and it really started to annoy me. So I'll start off with comparing the characters.

1) Yato
VS.

Luckily the main character can't be switched around or changed that much. In the manga, Yato is more serious, more powerful, better looking, even funnier and even bummier. Needless to say that, while the Anime Yato is colorful and amazing, the manga Yato has a better sense of romance. Hehehehe...

2) Hiyori
VS.

Personally, I couldn't help that I believe Hiyori is prettier in the manga. That's just my personal opinion. Once again, one can't change the main character that much. I think Hiyori was fine actually. I didn't mind it that much.

3) Yukine
VS.

Once again, Main character syndrome. But let me just say that when Yukine was stinging Yato in the manga, he was the most annoying little prick on the planet, I felt like strangling him. And in the manga, he doesn't have much of a thing for Hiyori. 

4) Nora
   VS.  

I think I was the most frustrated when it came to Nora's character. In the anime we see her as the plainly evil and horrifying little girl who has a thing for Yato. Are you kidding me? Yato and Nora were raised as siblings and Yato was the one that turned her into a stray, but that's another thing. Nora isn't evil, she just does what she's told to do without question, I don't think she's fathomed that she's doing something wrong yet. She is a confusing character but I honestly don't think she's evil and she actually cares for Yato like some sort of messed up wacky sister.

5) Kofuku
VS.

Kofuku was absolutely adorable and wonderful in the manga and we all loved her to itty-bitty little pieces. But in the anime we see her as a dumb and carefree character. In the manga you actually see glimpses of Kofuku's past before she meets Daikoku and it was so sad that I actually started crying to see the little bright ball of sunshine that she is, crying and blighted.

6) Daikoku
VS.

Daikoku is all that jazz, isn't he? He's serious, he strong, he's fierce and he can see right through Yato's and Kofuku's idiocy. But personally I think I like his manga character more, he looks younger and better looking, plus you get to see the other sweet side of him and how much he truly loves Kofuku and how he really can't say no when she asks for a date, despite her disaster creating tendency.

7)Bishamon
VS.

I think I was frustrated quite a lot with the way the anime depicted Bishamon. We see her a lot as an evil character than a good character. She's beautiful, strong, majestic and all that, but she's also weak, loving and like a mother. We all thought in the manga that it really can't be that bad that she's been chasing Yato around for centuries because of the death f one regalia. But in the end, when we realize Bishamon treats all her regalias like her children and she wears armor because she's weak, we learn to love her and care for her. She even rescues Yato from the under world.

8) Kazuma
VS.

In the anime we saw more of Kazuma's serious and loyal side, but in the manga we see just how caring and sweet he actually is. We see his weak side and his **wiggle eyebrows** love for Bishamon. We also see that he's extremely devoted and sacrificial when it comes to Bishamon's well being. Like the time he threw himself in front of Bishamon to save Yato because she had no idea that Yato actually saved her.

9) Tenjin
 VS.

There was not much of a change when it came to Tenjin-sama. We all know he's that powerful, respected, smart, amazing absolutely ridiculous God. But in the manga for some reason, in the manga I felt like he was really noble and deserving of the name of the 'God of Education' and in the manga he didn't go around at any chance to degrade Yato, no! He's very nice to Yato...although they do tend to fight over who Mayu/Tomone was better suited with.

10) Mayu or Tomone
VS.

Well, Mayu wasn't regarded with that great of a light in the Anime. A lot of people were either like, why did you leave such a great God like Yato. Or they were like, good riddance, you weren't that much of a respectful Shinki either. Or they were like, get lost, Yato is Hiyori's. Plus, she was a lot more gorgeous in the manga, let's not forget the fact that she never stung Yato and she went to go and help him. She is such a strong and beautiful character in the manga, I absolutely love her!

11) Tsuyu
VS.

Well, our beloved Tsuyu didn't get that much screen time in the Anime now did she? Oh keep quiet! She's not a Regalia or Shinki like everyone thinks she is. She's a plum tree spirit that left her tree because she and Tenjin-sama fell in love with each other. There story is so utterly surreal and pink and filled with cherry blossoms it makes me giggle like a little kid!

11) Rabo
VS.

OK, this guy didn't even exist in the Manga. Unless they tried to do something really freaky with Bishamon's rouge Shinki and they turned him into a non-existent God. There is no way Nora would agree to harm Yato by Rabo's hand. Rabo excuse me, you don't even know how to use that mask properly, get out of the way!

12) Ebisu
VS.

Where was my darling Ebisu? He is such an important character! My gosh! He's the one who's name Kofuku exploits. Poor guy, it's ridiculous. He is probably the kindest and sweetest God out there and he only thinks about the good of humans. I mean, tell me that you already don't love this guy. He is also the first God that we get to see reincarnate.

13) Fujisaki or Yato's and Nora's Father
VS.

And if we forget such an important character like him, then we're all going to die because he'll friggin take over the world! This is Yato and Nora's legendary father. He lives by taking over other people's body and he has a thing for Hiyori. He killed Ebisu, killed one of Bishamon's Shinki's and he destroyed Hiyori's family hospital and nearly killed her too! He loves watching Yato get crushed under his feet and Yato has no choice but to obey him because his father is the only one that wished for him. In the OVA 2, he was supposed to be the one that carried Hiyori/Yato on his back.

In the End, in my opinion, Manga Wins!