The highly acclaimed supernatural action anime Noragami has amassed a devoted following since premiering in January 2014, yet despite its popularity, the show’s production company Bones has not announced plans for a third season.
Based on the manga by Adachitoka, Noragami depicts the adventures of Yato, a minor deity striving to build his reputation by helping humans for only 5 yen.
The first two seasons adapted the manga’s available material, ending in September 2015 after 25 episodes.
Fans eagerly await more as the story continues in the manga, hungry to see more of characters like Yato, his weapon partner Yukine, and isolated schoolgirl Hiyori.
Unfortunately, Bones has revealed little about the possibility of continuing the anime. Various factors may impede the production of a third season, from scheduling challenges to financial constraints.
Still, with new manga chapters coming out, many passionate viewers remain hopeful that Noragami’s fascinating world and captivating characters could one day return to the screen.
The potential clearly exists for more tales about Yato and the company that could satisfy both new and existing fans.
The Dilemma of Noragami’s Animated Future
Despite a passionate fanbase eager for more adventures of the endearing poverty god Yato, the future of the Noragami anime remains in doubt even after the recent completion of the original manga series.
Created by Adachitoka, the Noragami manga spanned 28 volumes over 8 years. The 25-episode anime adaptation by studio Bones currently covers only the first 14 volumes, leaving ample room for a third season.
However, Bones has their hands full with other popular series, while Noragami Blu-Ray sales dropped over 50% between the first and second seasons.
Moreover, even manga sales have declined by over 75% from peak volumes.
With dwindling interest and Bones occupied elsewhere, the window for continuing the anime ever narrows despite the manga finally wrapping up its storyline.
Diehard fans will surely be heartbroken if scenes like Yato’s hilarious jobs-for-5-yen antics or the moving evolution of his relationship with the regalia Yukine never receive the full anime treatment.
Unfortunately, the reality may be that Noragami has concluded its animated run, ending Yato and Hiyori’s journey unfinished on-screen.
Still, supporters cling to a faint glimmer of hope that Bones could someday revisit this creative world of Japanese deities and lost souls. For now, the god of calamity’s future, however, seems increasingly bleak.
Declining Manga Output and Anime Uncertainty
Hopes for a third season of the widely praised supernatural action anime Noragami have been dampened not only by declining sales but also by unexpected delays and hiatuses with the original manga.
Noragami stands out for its creative premise of Yato – an obscure deity striving to make a name for himself by helping humans for just 5 yen.
The manga is written and illustrated by the duo Adachitoka, who unfortunately have faced real-life hurdles recently impacting their output.
In 2017, the artists announced an abrupt two-year hiatus due to undisclosed health issues for one creator.
This stalled the manga storyline just as the anime wrapped season 2 in 2015, leaving fans bereft of new content about fan-favorite characters like Yato, Yukine, and Hiyori until 2019.
Moreover, the manga release pace dropped permanently from 3 volumes per year to only 1-2 volumes annually after the hiatus ended.
With Adachitoka needing more time between chapters, the manga only just concluded in 2022 after 12 long years.
Between waning sales and delays from the artists themselves, the window for anime studio Bones to continue adapting the series narrows each year, regardless of how much viewers enjoy Yato’s eccentric jobs-for-5-yen or the found family dynamic between the main trio.
The future unfortunately looks gloomy for ever seeing a third season, even after the manga finished its run.
Still, devoted Noragami followers cling to a thread of hope that Bones may one day reopen Yato and the company’s adventures.
For now though, with interest and manga output declining, the prospect of more Noragami anime remains as mysterious as the Far Shore itself.
What Happened In The Previous Season Of Noragami Season 3?
Noragami’s second season dove deeper into the complicated backstories of characters like Yato and Bishamon while heightening interpersonal tensions.
Audiences witnessed more of hapless schoolgirl Hiyori’s struggles balancing her human life with her loose spirit that enables out-of-body interactions with Yato.
Meanwhile, Yato persists with his quirky 5-yen odd jobs, still striving to gain recognition as a deity.
More light is shed on his checkered past with the ruthless war goddess Bishamon, who harbors intense hatred towards Yato from centuries before.
Their bitter feud escalates into destructive clashes as Bishamon’s hatred endangers innocent lives.
Ultimately the root of her lasting anger tying back to past tragedy is revealed.
After confrontations forcing both to face inner demons, Bishamon and Yato uneasily make peace – she overcoming her fury and he atoning for transgressions during his less scrupulous years.
Their truce brings the season to a close, though Hiyori’s soul remains adrift.
As characters achieve deeper self-realization about their pasts and motivations, it feels like only the beginning of more complex interrelationships to explore in this supernatural realm.
With rich backstories still untapped, fans are left hoping the anime continues so iconic personalities like Bishamon and Yato can advance toward redemption and purpose. For now, the loose narrative threads remain tantalizingly unfinished.
