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Noragami first aired in 2014 and created its niche in the anime community, with a second season that aired in 2015. The anime ended on a surprising cliffhanger and fans of the series have been waiting for years in hopes for a third season exploring Yato’s backstory and a conclusion to his story.
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While we still do not have any confirmed news for the same, with the release of the 24th volume of the manga in October 2021 and the return of The Devil is a Part-Timer! after almost eight years, fans are still holding on to hope. So, while we wait and hope, here is a list of anime you should check out if you love the mythological background of Noragami.
These are some anime like Noragami with roots in mythology and folklore
1) Blue Exorcist
Starting with this list, we have Blue Exorcist, which draws influences from Christian theology. The series deals with two different worlds hosting humans and demons and follows Okumura Rin, who discovers that he is the son of Satan, the ruler of the world of demons. The story kickstarts after Rin witnesses the death of his guardian and adoptive father, prompting him to become a demon-killing exorcist to defeat Satan himself.
2) The Devil is a Part-Timer!
Similar to Noragami, The Devil Is a Part-Timer! revolves around a supernatural immortal character navigating the capitalist modern world. The protagonist of this series is Satan, who takes on a human form and goes by the name Mao Sadao. He also works as a part-time worker at a fast-food restaurant to survive in non-magical modern Tokyo.
This comedy series explores the interactions between various characters from Christian mythology as they take on human aliases and are roped into adventures spanning both human and supernatural worlds, sometimes with hilarious consequences.
3) Kamisama Kiss
If you are looking for a series featuring Japanese gods and a romance similar to that between Yato and Hiyori in Noragami, Kamisama Kiss is a must-watch. The series revolves around a homeless high-school student Nanami, who gets divinity bestowed upon her after helping out a god. The series chronicles her adventures with other gods, demons, and supernatural creatures, and her growing feelings for her kitsune familiar, Tomoe.
4) Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun
Not all myths are ancient, but they are rooted in stories and rumors. Based on the urban myth of a ghost called Hanako who haunts abandoned cubicles in girls’ washrooms in schools, Toilet-bound Hanako-kun offers an alternative twist on the legend. The story begins after the protagonist Yashiro Nene summons the ghost and ends up bonded to him.
While not similar to Noragami plot-wise, the show has a similarly ill-fated romance blossoming between Nene and Hanao, since the latter is a ghost. Blending comedy, drama, and a fair bit of action coupled with some vibrant animation, the anime makes for an entertaining watch.
5) Your Name
Shinkai Makoto’s Your Name is a must-watch if you enjoy the Shinto influence in Noragami. Your Name begins with Mitsuha, who is a shrine-maiden maintaining her family shrine with her grandmother and younger sister. While it does not directly name-drop any deities or gods from the Shinto pantheon, concepts like 'musubi' and the hour of twilight become very significant to the plot of the movie. If you enjoy supernatural drama and romance with a distinct otherworldly feel to it, this movie should definitely be on your watch list.
6) Spirited Away
It is no surprise that Ghibli movies make their way into anime lists featuring mythological and folk references. While a number of Studio Ghibli productions including Princess Mononoke, Pom Poko, and The Tale of Princess Kaguya are rife with mythical references, Spirited Away kicks it up another notch with its layered storytelling and impeccable symbolism. A coming-of-age story with multiple interpretations, the movie is full of spirits.
7) Natsume’s Book of Friends
In Noragami, Yato is a forgotten local god, who goes about fulfilling wishes and cutting down phantoms with his divine weapon. Natsume’s Book of Friends deals with the protagonist Natsume’s adventures as he releases spirits or yokai who are bound to his grandmother’s book, returning them their names and setting them free. Both series are heavily influenced by Shinto mythology and folklore, where the former features more action, balanced by some romance and drama, and the latter is purely a slice-of-life anime.
8) Dororo
Set in feudal-era Japan, the ambiance that Dororo sports fits in with the mood of Yato’s backstory in Noragami. The series leans more towards Japanese folklore than mythology. It has a touch of Buddhism which acts as a complement to the demons that seem to abound throughout the series.
The manga was first serialized in 1967, with an animated series appearing in 1969. But a better version of the series is its 2019 adaption, which featured an anime-original ending that is more conclusive than the manga.
9) Inuyasha
Inuyasha is another anime you should watch if you want the flavor of Japanese folklore combined with action sequences involving swordplay and magic. The series follows Kagome and the half-demon Inuyasha as they travel together collecting shards of a magical jewel before they fall into the clutches of the demons populating Sengoku era Japan. The series is a fantasy and romance drama, with tropes similar to Noragami, Dororo, and Kamisama Kiss.
10) Hoozuki’s Coolheadedness
The final entry to this list is a slice-of-life comedy series set in Japanese Hell or Jigoku. The series, Hoozuki’s Coolheadedness follows the aide of one of the Ten Kings of Hell, Enma, as he goes around hell supervising and solving new problems that the minions of Hell report to him. The show is based on Japanese mythology, and even references tales about Hell from Chinese, Christian, and Egyptian mythology.
Featuring some dark humor and ridiculously absurd shenanigans, this show is a good watch for anyone who enjoys folk references and liked the comedic moments in Noragami.
These shows aren’t the only anime with mythological or folk backgrounds. Other shows with similar references include Naruto, Bleach, Jujutsu Kaisen, Saint Young Men, Hotarubi no Mori e, Soul Eater, Record of Ragnarok, Mushishi, and many more.
