Yato

A former god of calamity without a shrine, usually working for 5 yen per job, but not accepting all wishes.

Yato is a former god of calamity and a stray god without a shrine, down on his luck and struggling to gain followers. He usually accepts wishes for a fee of 5 yen, but he does not take any wish (for instance, he refuses to kill people) and sometimes charges differently or works for free. He helps a high school girl named Hiyori Iki fix her soul after a bus accident causes it to slip loose from her body. Alongside his Shinki (a weapon forged from a deceased human's soul) named Yukine, the trio navigate the worlds of gods, spirits, and the afterlife, struggling with friendship, identity, and their pasts.

Narrative Structure and Mythological Worldbuilding

The story of Noragami: Stray God is set in a world with two parallel realms: the Near Shore, where regular humans and creatures reside, and the Far Shore, where phantoms (demonic beasts) and human souls linger. Hiyori Iki's condition allows her to perceive both worlds after a bus accident causes her soul to frequently slip out of her body. This setting provides the stage for Yato's adventures, which involve confronting phantoms and other supernatural entities. Critics have praised the series for its plot, worldbuilding, and characters.

Publication History and Global Reach

Created by the manga artist duo Adachitoka, Noragami was serialized in Kodansha's Monthly Shōnen Magazine from December 2010 to January 2024, with chapters collected into 27 tankōbon volumes. By February 2024, the manga had over 8 million copies in circulation. It was licensed for English release in North America by Kodansha USA in 2014, with all 27 volumes released from September 2, 2014, to December 10, 2024. A nine-volume omnibus edition was also released from September 13, 2022, to August 19, 2025. The series was nominated for the 38th Kodansha Manga Award in the shōnen category in 2014.

Anime Adaptation and Multimedia Expansion

A 12-episode anime television series adaptation produced by Bones was broadcast from January to March 2014. A 13-episode second season, titled Noragami Aragoto, was broadcast from October to December 2015. Both series are licensed in English by Crunchyroll. The anime was directed by Kotaro Tamura with character designs from Toshihiro Kawamoto. Additional original animation DVDs (OADs) were bundled with limited edition manga volumes. The music for the series was composed by Taku Iwasaki. A mobile game, Noragami: Kami to Enishi, was released for Android on October 29, 2015, and for iOS on November 14, 2015.