Anime Review - Noragami

 

Sometimes you’re just in the mood for blending fantasy with reality, for demons and Gods clashing on familiar streets and buildings, for immortal deities dealing with problems so mundane as rent, for entertaining the irrational notion that every-day school-kids and teenagers can wake up one day, to find themselves roped into an adventure playing out in an alternate dimension. It may be that you’re bored- sick of the routine each new day brings and want a fresh outlook. Maybe you’re feeling a peculiar kind of guile. Maybe you just finished watching Blue Exorcist and need something to deal with withdrawal symptoms. It could be anything, really; Noragami is the kind of show that can get you out of a funk.

Whether it’s the absurdist humour, the dead-end struggle of ‘Delivery God’ Yato, the frustrating but, unfortunately, relatable adolescent sufferings of his ‘Divine Instrument’, or the story of how they work to finally get it together (with stubborn persistence and honourable friendships, in classic anime fashion) that gets to you, this show wins you over with the comfortable ‘no-pressure’ vibe that comes with following the antics of a hero who still has to establish a name for himself, simultaneously maintaining the anticipation of rising action and slowly unravelling mystery.

The main character, fallen God ‘Yato’, is shrouded in mystery. Though the two seasons reveal some of his dubious history, the loose ends remain trailing here. The same goes for most of the main points of conflict. What each season nicely wraps up, however, are the more personal conflicts that would conventionally be considered subsidiary. Whilst heart-break and tragedy are dealt with briefly, you largely leave the series with feelings of security, shared camaraderie, and hopeful anticipation of the challenges yet to come.

The story is not over; not by a long shot. The characters still have far to go, but they’ve found a group of people that will help each other to the end. This realization can make you appreciate the similar things you have in your own life right now (or make you want start searching for them) even if the place you want to reach seems unfathomably distant.

Anime Review - Akagami no Shirayuki-hime (Snow White with the Red Hair)

 

I didn’t go into this one expecting a whole lot. To be perfectly honest I didn’t intend on continuing beyond the first season. I was soon hooked, however. Considering this show was supposed to be nothing more than a fluffy romance to watch between meals, it delivered all I asked of it, and then some.

The first indication I got that I was in for more than I’d anticipated was sometime around the third episode, when the character introductions were developing and they got me fired up to finish my homework, spend all my free time at a volunteering centre, go outside and… generally get priorities – in the heat of summer no less. And here I thought I was going to indulge in some steamy, fan-service, fairy-tail romance intensive story arcs (more on that later…)

The basic plot line follows the life of Shirayuki (‘Snow White’), a girl who stands out for her bright red hair, which often puts her on the receiving end un-wanted pursuits and misconceptions. It could’ve ended there, with the princely character (a literal prince, in this case) taking care of the rescue operation at every turn; but anime, at-least good anime, is hardly ever that simplistic. The plot soon develops into a story of her pursuit of the path she chooses for herself, relying on nothing but hard-work and compassion, and bluntly eradicating any pre-conceived notions regarding the sincerity of her endeavour.

As is the norm, the main characters cement a special bond as the episodes progress, deriving strength, peace and purpose from each other. The development of even the more peripheral characters is heart-warming and you soon get hooked.

Without giving too much away, this show is, at the heart of it, a feel-good, slice-of-life anime with moments of laughter, anxiety, action, triumph, self-discovery, slow-paced and comforting tea-drinking, and even some cringe-worthy, cheesy romance (the icing on the cake). It may not change your life, but it’ll make you feel like you can take life’s hardships (such as they may be) in your stride. Surprising as this outcome now seems to be, Akagami no Shirayuki-hime gave me a better, more open perspective on life, at a time when I really needed it. That’s something that makes a successful work of art, right?