Noragami is a very popular anime series that first aired in 2014 in the action and supernatural genre. Although it is the anime that made it known worldwide, Noragami is adapted from manga like many other animes. The original of the series has been written and illustrated by Adachitoka since 2010. The anime was created by the successful studio Bones, featured in animes such as Kekkai Sensen and Mob Psycho 100. The second season of the anime, which pleased the fans with the renewal right after the first season aired in 2014, was broadcast on leading local TV channels such as Tokyo MX and MBS between October 2, 2015 – December 25, 2015. Also licensed by Funimation, the anime gained viewers worldwide, but a third season was still not confirmed for a long time. So, could there be a third season of the series?
What is the plotline of the anime?
Noragami is another anime production that takes its subject from Shintoism, the national religion of Japan. The religion, which is believed to have 8 million Gods, has subsequently brought many legends. In our story inspired by the gods, the main character is Yota, a stray god. While some of the souls between the real world and the hereafter serve the Gods, some of them turn into Ayakashi and meddle in people’s affairs. Yota banishes these restless spirits by granting people’s wishes in exchange for 5 yen. The stray god Yato aims to save money and build a temple for himself and gain respect, but things don’t go as he wants. After resigning his sacred weapon (Shinki), which he used to destroy the Ayakashis, Yato, left defenseless, spends the rest of the day escaping the spirits.
Another main character, Hiyori Iki, is a cute middle school girl. Her fate changes when she and Yato, who is searching for a missing cat, cross paths. While trying to save Yato, Hiyori falls victim to an accident. It is neither a whole human nor a full Ayakashi. She begs Yato to return to her old self, even though she’s a stray god in sweatpants. We saw the next adventures of Yato and Hiyori, whose wish is granted.
Will there be a third season of Noragami?
More than seven years have passed since the anime’s second season. Unfortunately, As of May 28, 2022, Bones studio or manga publisher, Kodansha has not yet renewed the anime for a third season. To be realistic, although the elapsed time reduces the possibilities of the new season, the possibilities are still alive when we consider that the manga is still ongoing. Sometimes, despite all the time passed, we can see that animes surprise the audience with the new season. There are some main factors for an anime to have a new season, and usually, the decision to renew is made with these main factors. However, there is a different situation for Noragami. Islamic prayer words were used in the second season of the series as a song, and it received a great reaction from the Islam world. The team later apologized. For a while, it was thought that the anime was not renewed for a third season for this reason. However, a long time has passed, and the new season renewal may not see any reaction based on this issue. Let’s speculate about the third season under some key factors.
Manga status of the anime (Main source material)
As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, the original Noragami manga series is written by Adachitoka. Kodansha has published the series since December 6, 2010. It is also possible to follow the series in English thanks to Kodansha USA. The manga series has now reached a total of 26 volumes and includes 2 special “stray stories” volumes. The good news is that the manga is still ongoing, and this brand is still alive.
The first 9 volumes were adapted for the first and second seasons of Noragami. Considering that an average of 5 volumes is adapted each season, there is still enough source material for a third season. The fact that the manga continues and has sufficient source material is one of the factors that increase the possibilities of the third season, but it is not enough on its own.
Disc (BluRay & DVD) sales and the popularity
Noragami made disc sales later than planned. The expected success in disc sales did not materialize, and it sold 1821 units on average. (6 volumes in total). In general, an anime is expected to sell at least 4,000 units on average to be renewed for a new season. Disc sales have declined in recent years with the increase in online video viewing habits, but discs were quite popular considering the year Noragami went on sale. Kekkai Sensen, another product of the same studio that went on sale in the same period, managed to sell 17,254 units on average. In addition, in the same period, Osomatsu-san achieved successful sales of 66,770 units. When we consider the disc sales figures, a new season does not seem possible. Usually, if an anime’s game is announced, new season signals are strengthened, but Noragami does not have a game on any platform as well.
However, when we evaluate the popularity except for disc sales, the results are quite promising. According to Myanimelist, anime is the 22nd most popular anime of all time, which is incredible. Besides, Google search volumes prove this. The anime’s search volumes are on par with successful productions such as Boku no Hero Academia and Food Wars. On the other hand, the anime’s Twitter page is also followed by 109k people and is still up to date. When we evaluate the popularity, it would not be wrong to say that there is a large audience waiting for a new season.
When is the third season of the anime?
There is no confirmation for the third season of the Noragami anime yet. However, the result of our assessment above is not bad. While disc sales haven’t been doing well for the second season, it still has a strong fan base and popularity. On the other hand, the manga is still ongoing and can provide enough stock material for a new season. (We see the probability of a new season as 60%.) Bones studio is expected to take charge again for a possible third season. There is no Noragami among Bones studio’s 2022 plans, and there are no leaks about renewal this year. We hope we can hear something official about the series in 2022-2023. If a renewal takes place towards the end of 2022, it may be possible to see the new season of the anime late in 2023. If you don’t want to wait that long, you can read the ongoing manga series from the 10th volume, or we can recommend you Kekkai Sensen, a similar type of anime. Stay tuned!