Noragami Aragoto

By: Robert Murphy

Every modern image of a God or deity in today's society will most likely depict a heroic figure who is fearless or a wise and knowledgeable being of great respect. So when you look at someone like Yato, with his torn up handkerchief and track suit, the last thing you would expect to hear is that this guy is some sort of God. This however has not hindered his quest towards becoming an exceptional God who will one day be worshiped across the world for his deeds and I for one want to be one of them. 

Not too much has changed since the last time I laid eyes on my favorite lesser known deity and this certainly isn't a bad thing, but for starters it feels like the animation for Noragami was bumped up slightly from it's first season. Things appear far more brighter and crisp than in the previous season and it highlights all the different elements being brought forth for the story this time around quite well. Yato as I said is still his straight up goofy self and he along with his vessel Yukine continue to do any odd job around the city to try and increase his popularity. Thankfully though there isn't much rehashing over the source material, the first episode briefly covers what Yato and Yukine do best by answering any and all requests brought to them and eliminating spirits that happen to be plaguing humanity in the process. 

After this it's right into the new action as more about Yato's mysterious past becomes revealed. There were many questions to be had for his character in the first season such as how he was able to remain a God for so long without disappearing or what happened between him and the God of Fortune Bishamon to make her so angry towards him. These big missing pieces to Yato's past however all start to pour right into the story almost immediately. Rather than put all of the focus on the lead character, the show shifts gears and focuses on Bishamon herself as well as other cast members to push the story along to where they need to go.

This season proves to be the one that further grows all of the characters that were actually pretty shallow the first time around, it didn't mean they were bad, but I wanted to know so much more. Bishamon was barely brought up before and the main point of her interaction with Yato was to create tension for him by beating the ever loving snot out of him but we just never knew why. Now though the entire first half of Noragami Aragoto is devoted to finding out about her and her past and by extension her issues with Yato himself. There was also the effort made to delve further into the vessels or regalia of the Gods done here as well. Outside of their uses as sacred weapons of Gods there wasn't too much said for these people but viewers now gain a great deal of knowledge as to what these people experience. This is also a shining moment for Yukine who I initially didn't like due to his spoiled nature but he also has a large amount of growth as he learns more about what it means to be a regalia and later on a blessed vessel. 

The world expanding doesn't just stop at the regalia however as more about how the Gods of this world interact and live comes to light. It would seem there is a governing council for the Heavens who watch over various situations and deliver judgement where it is seen fit. Only two or three other Gods are actually introduced during this time but the one the show focuses on mainly is a fellow God of Fortune by the name of Ebisu. He like most of the Gods that are alive today are eternal with shrines and documentation of their deeds all across the world. The relationship between him and Yato develops rather interestingly though and Ebisu's nonchalant approach to reincarnation infuriates Yato to no end because even though Gods will come back to life they forget their past selves to a large degree. It is a hot button issue for Yato and besides opening up the viewers to more information on how Gods work in this world, it continues the deeper emotional side to the story.

Perhaps my only real issue this time around is with Hiyori. Her story before had such an intregal part to play in everything that was going on before but now she is more of an after thought at times. She still has plenty of hilarious moments where she tries to fight using ridiculous wrestling moves and is also a great part of the trio with Yato and Yukine, one moment in particular was extremely touching this season. But the show attempts to push her away for some dramatic tension and even tries their hand and letting her lead a normal life with her friends and potentially a boyfriend. This would be fine if she didn't spend the whole time wishing she could remember Yato though and it's ultimately a waste of time for a character who is at the front of the most of the scenes.

Despite this Noragami once again hits the nail on the head as it's second season presents a great combination of action and comedy but now a rich full story to go along with it. Most of all, all the questions from the first season are filled in rather quickly and there is simply no time wasted as it all unfolds. It's not rushed with it's points as it still has time to be light hearted and packed with great moments of monster slaying, while also leaving some stories still left to be told about where Yato comes from. It's enough to make anyone pay the 5 yen in order to see Yato become the fantastic God he is meant to be. 

Good:

- Still a great level of humor and action

- Much deeper story this time around

- Bishamon and other characters gaining more screen time

Bad:

- Hiyori feels under utilized at times but still manages to shine with Yato and Yukine

Scully Rating: 8.8 out of 10

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?

By: Robert Murphy

Given the title for Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon you would probably immediately think that the whole endeavor would amount to nothing more than up skirt shots or feature woman with ridiculously proportioned features to their anatomy. What the show actually features is something far more likable and charming while having a few moments of female ridiculousness. The story follows the exploits of Bell Cranel a young boy who moves to the big city to become a heroic adventurer like his grandfather and fight in the infamous dungeon. In order to do so though he must receive the blessing of a God or Goddess so they can bestow the powers of leveling up upon him and he can begin making a name for himself. His blessing comes from another unlikely source when he meets the Goddess Hestia and the two begin their rise to become big names in the world of Orario.

One look at Bell and you would realize that he is not exactly what you would expect when you think of an epic hero or someone who knows a thing or two about woman. And this fact is true, the first moment you meet Bell we see a reversal on the classic hero saving the damsel in distress story as he is rescued from a rampaging minotaur by a rather famous adventurer, Aiz Wallenstein. Extremely embarrassed he runs away covered in blood but extremely love struck by his first encounter with this girl and vows to become as strong as she is so he can be worthy of standing beside her as an adventurer and possibly more. This becomes the whole drive for the show in most regards but it isn't done in a hopeless and pining sort of way that would make you loath the story. Bell's aspiring notion to become as powerful as Aiz the Sword Princess grants him a skill which allows him to level up and gain high ability ratings far faster than a normal adventurer would. What made it even better was the fact that Hestia hides this skill from him and down plays his growth so Bell never loses focus which allows him to keep his ability and continue growing incredibly strong. 

The others characters were frankly just as charming as Bell was, for the most part anyway. Hestia for instance may be one of the sources of the fanservice for the show but she is not as bad as that word would make her out to be since it is the camera that sets her up with some provocative angles. Whatever the case it is instantly obvious that she cares for Bell in more of a romantic way than that of a member of her familia, her only member at the moment actually. But this means she is insanely devoted to Bell as she goes to great lengths to try and do the best for him despite her low status among the other Gods and Goddesses. She works tirelessly at many different jobs around the city to support the two of them and the gifts she bestows upon him. Her part in the story also helps to give insight into the other Gods in the show, famous names like Hermes and Loki are thrown into the mix as well as others. Why they all descended from heaven and started this age of adventuring is still a bit of a mystery that the show doesn't delve too far into.

What is also a little odd is many of the Gods seem to be interested in Bell for some unknown reason and unfortunately the thirteen episode series didn't have time to explain it. The Goddess Freya appears to have some evil in her as well as an unhealthy obsession with our young hero. How she even knows about Bell or why he interests her so much is never explained but she puts him through many different tests throughout the show. Not that I am complaining about that aspect though as the fight scenes and action are some of the most terrific moments for Bell. The animation is far better than what I would have expected as scenes and action alike are insanely crisp and smooth. These moments are never more evident than during the fights that Bell and other adventurers go through, it is much in the vein of Sword Art Online but Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon takes a different direction with it's MMORPG angle. 

Adventurers work in much the same way you would if you were playing Dungeons and Dragons or some MMORPG game where you gain experience and abilities by fighting monsters and leveling up. Thanks to the blessings of a God you can return to them after a day of fighting and they will update your status which appears on your back in a language that the Gods can read and alter, thankfully they make a nice character sheet for you when they're finished so you can see the progress for yourself. Monsters in the world increase in difficulty and frequency as you go further on into the dungeons and will drop gems when they're defeated which can be converted to gold along with items that can be made into weapons and other handy tools for an adventurer. This all made for a very interesting watch as I felt like I was watching a game session taking place as the story progressed and it had me hooked.

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? No it is not and it might actually work too if you prove to turn out like Bell. The story has it's ups and downs with plenty unanswered questions left by the time the show ends, along with a few questionable female moments, but the story thankfully doesn't make that it's main aspect. Bell is a wonderful main character who I found myself rooting for a lot of the time, he never whined about being weak and he kept getting stronger and overcame amazing odds. The other characters are just as charming and have some interesting backgrounds and depth to them once you get to that point. All in all, I am pleasantly surprised by this series and now I'm off to find my own dungeon girl to impress. 

Good:

- Bell Cranel is a great main character

- The MMORPG angle to show including leveling up, magic and other cool skils

- Supporting cast are all enjoyable and unique

Bad:

- Minor fanservice

- Some unanswered questions and issues with the story

Scully Rating: 7.0 out of 10

Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods

By: Robert Murphy

There isn't a single fan out there in the anime world who at one time or another heard the name Dragon Ball Z and for me the show has been a part of my childhood and the show that started it all for me in anime. But it has been a few years since we have seen the name come across with any big name titles but now that has all changed with Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods. Whether or not it can still charm it's viewers is something that I was more than determined to find out for myself. 

DBZ has always had an enjoyable blend of big action fights between powerful foes and the Z fighters that defend against evil but they also have tender hearted and lighter moments of fun to be had as well. Usually the big movies for DBZ have been all about the action but Battle of Gods hits more on your funny bones than action this time around. Things are light and bubbly for a good reason though as it is the birthday of a long time character for the show, Bulma. All the Z fighters and friends have turned up for this affair, even some characters that I didn't expect, Emperor Pilaf and his numskull partners turn up at a chance to try and grab the legendary dragon balls for the umpteenth time. Everyone is here for a good laugh and a good time, many having too much of a good time on some "punch" leading to some interesting antics and events. 

All this though flowed perfectly with the new threat that has come to darken Earth's door, Beerus. This Egyptian looking God of Destruction has awoken from his slumber earlier than expected due to a prophecy told to him that is suppose to take place, one where he would fight a legendary foe. After a brief recap by his right hand servant Whis on what Beerus has missed in his slumber it is revealed the legendary oppenent that he is meant to face looks like Goku but he would be in a different form on his level of godly power, a super saiyan god. This none the less makes Beerus almost immediately head for Earth in search for his hopeful foe and when Supreme Kai tells Goku of Beerus it enthralls Goku to want to fight just as much. 

Beerus and Whis as well are both great characters who fit in with the light mood of Bulma's birthday quite perfectly when they arrive. They fall in love with Earth's fine foods that Bulma's rich family is able to provide for the affair and he joins right in and even shows off some dance moves. He is not really an evil character like those of the past and even though he is a God of Destruction, you realize that he is an essential thing in keeping balance for the universe. He is a God though and at first contact with Goku he is unable to get a read on his power level but it does not stop him from trying to fight against Beerus. You immediately find out though that he is on a whole other level than Goku because even at Super Saiyan 3 Goku only lasts about thirty seconds in the fight. 

Battle of Gods also includes a fun sub plot to it where we learn just how famous Beerus really is when Vegeta first encounters him and he realizes that he briefly met Beerus before and saw his father bow in fear of him. This leads Vegeta to continually run around Bulma's party making sure Beerus stays level headed and happy so as to not destroy Earth or harm anyone at the party. He even goes so far as to perform a dance number in order to distract Beerus from the rage of having a stray bullet strike his forehead. 

Perhaps one of the best aspects to the film though is when the final fight finally happens against Beerus and Goku, once they discover how to attain the new level of super saiyan. Normally Goku would appear to save the day at the end of the movie after himself and the other Z fighters have failed to beat the big bad enemy in the movie and the brief voice over opening explains Goku's legendary knack for saving the day. But even when Goku gets the power he needs to win the fight, it isn't enough to beat Beerus and he walks away the definite victor at the end after a stellar but short fight. It's a nice debunking of the classic formula and things wrap up quite nicely with Beerus leaving parting wisdom to Goku and the two plan to fight one another again now that Goku has unlocked something within himself and hopefully can prove to be Beerus's continued foe.

In the end, I deeply enjoyed Battle of Gods. The whole movie provides for a great trip down memory lane as all the big names return for Bulma's birthday party and bring back some of the best parts of the light hearted humor the show has had throughout the years. There really isn't much in the way of action for the movie but both the little fights and big finally with Beerus were all fantastic. If anything the film definitely proves that DBZ can still be a part of the big leagues of anime long after you've grown up and moved on to other shows and I was certainly happy for it.

Good:

- A perfect light comedic addition to the DBZ movies

- Stellar fights especially the final fight with Beerus

- Beerus and Whis are great additions to the DBZ universe and Beerus has become one of my favorite characters

- The new super saiyan form isn't outrageous or ridiculous and even though I've grown tired of new SS forms this one was solid

Bad:

- The fights are short but enjoyable and don't play a main role in the movie so if you were looking for that you won't be satisfied 

Scully Rating: 8.8 out of 10 

Noragami

By: Robert Murphy

Long has it been since the days where people would devoutly pray and believe in the many Gods that governed the aspects of Japanese life but to this day shrines still stand in tribute to some of the more well known Gods of that age. For the other Gods though this isn’t the case, enter Yato, a lesser known among the Gods of Japan but none the less he is one and he hopes to one day have his name known throughout the land with thousands of followers. In pursuit of this goal Yato goes around taking on any job or request that someone may have and often times this means doing jobs that a teenager would do when he comes home from school. It’s during one of these mundane jobs that he meets a young girl named Hiyori and she will prove to not only be a strong follower of Yato but the girl who leads him on the path to being a well known and respected God.

Now when it comes to anime that I have watched recently they have missed that something, that unique balance of strong characters, comedy and story but Noragami does all this exceedingly well. When you watch the show you genuinely feel invested in everything that is going on and it just grabs you, I myself got so hooked that I watched the whole show in one sitting. Yato portrays himself as an awe inspiring God but when you look at him he comes across as your average every day guy and this definitely the thought that goes through Hiyori’s mind as she attempts to save his life. He later states how unnecessary this was in retro spec. Yato though is just an exceptional character overall, he’s has that casual demeanor to his character as he travels from job to job, doing anything that’s asked of him no matter how small. But he does this because he needs to survive, what I mean by this is in order for a God to remain in existence people need to believe that they exist, as long as there is one person out there who believes than they can go on living. This is why you see Yato all over town signing his name on bathroom stales, on the sides of buildings, he needs it if he wants to exist and one day get that shrine.

As for the rest of the Noragami’s characters there isn’t one that I don’t find myself liking no matter how small of a role they have. Characters aren’t defined by one element like you know ones the ditz or ones the fan service character; they all have their own personalities and all just work. Hiyori you would expect to be the annoying or nagging character who constantly scolds Yato but she’s not and she’s one of those strong female characters I like to see like Kagoma in Inuyasha. What great as well is they don’t spoil Hiyori in any way either, when you see her “tail” in pictures and in the show I thought they were going to make her be that sort of a character but she makes fun of it in the show and then moves on. The story moves along at a smooth pace and manages to carve out a lot in its twelve episode length and while most of the story is happy go lucky, it can get serious quick. Learning about Yato’s past was an especially well done aspect to the series and tops of the shows wide array of feelings throughout the show which mainly hits its high note with the comedy it has in store for you all.

In conclusion, I wish that the show was so much longer than the twelve episodes I had but the show had just released this past winter so hopefully we’re in store for more. I cannot express how enjoyable a show and experience I had watching Noragami and all that it has to offer, visual the show is quite stunning and it moves along with great narrative and story. All the characters were quite enjoyable as well and they don’t get placed into one group, no matter how long they were on screen or how small a role they had they were engaging the entire time.

Good:

- Excellent visuals

- The show moves along a solid pace and has a great engaging story

- Yato is such a funny character and the whole show is great for a laugh as well

- Does have its serious moments and fights that are spectacular

Bad:

- Only twelve episodes long and will make you cry out for another season

Scully Rating 9.0 out of 10 

Noragami OP

By: Robert Murphy

Hey everybody, it's a new week which means new reviews, new shows to watch and new tunes for you to listen to and I thought a great one to share would be for the opening of the anime Noragami. The urge for a new anime hit me pretty hard yesterday and I stumbled across this show in my search, I'm gonna admit that I watch the whole first season in one sitting. This opening theme to the show is sang by "Hello Sleepwalkers" and the title is "Goya wa Machiawase" and is just one in a long list of catchy songs the show has in it. The show is just great and I hope to have the review for you all either today or tomorrow but until then enjoy the beats. Murphy out.