Noragami: The Complete First Season

It's tough being a forgotten god trying to make a new shrine for yourself at the miserable rate of one 5-yen job at a time. Yato bills himself as a Delivery God, granting small wishes and banishing interloping Phantoms from the Far Shore as a side-duty. Between a dark past and less-than-stellar personality, Yato doesn't have many friends—until high-schooler Hiyori Iki tries to save him from a traffic accident and in the process becomes a half-Phantom, which opens her eyes to the world of gods and spirits. But even Hiyori and Yato's newly acquired weapon/sidekick—sullen teen Yukine—can't protect down-on-his-luck Yato from his past mistakes. Noragami is a surprisingly moral and nuanced anime series in which appearances deceive, and the small number of protagonists makes it possible for each to have an arc of growth or discovery. Noragami boasts handsome designs, fluid animation, plenty of creepy monsters, and a solid resolution in the final episode as a united crew stands ready to move forward. Presenting all 12 episodes from the 2014 first season in a dual-language Blu-ray/DVD Combo set, rated TV-14, extras include video and audio commentaries. Highly recommended. (L. Martincik)