Overview
Noragami OVA holds a modest but telling place within the Noragami franchise: two short episodes originally bundled with limited editions of the tenth and eleventh manga volumes. Because it was produced as a bonus for readers already invested in Adachitoka's world, it plays less like a standalone story than like a relaxed return visit with characters the audience already knows. That framing shapes everything about the experience, from the low-stakes comedy to the way familiar personalities bounce off one another without the pressure of a major arc.
What this release offers is tonal range rather than narrative weight. One episode leans on everyday anxieties, the sort of mild social comedy that gives a supernatural series its human texture, while the other gathers the cast for a seasonal outing that turns livelier once old rivalries and drink are involved. The result is a compact showcase for the series' blend of action, humor, and folklore, letting gods, spirits, and their human ties share the screen in a format that suits short sittings.
This is not the place to begin. Newcomers will get far more from the television adaptation or the manga first, since the OVA assumes affection for Yato, Hiyori, and the wider pantheon and rewards that familiarity with small character moments instead of introductions. Returning viewers, particularly those who enjoy the series at its lightest, will find it an easygoing companion piece: brief, gentle in content, and best appreciated as a supplement to the main story rather than a replacement for it.
Synopsis
Noragami OVA is a two-episode anime side story connected to Adachitoka's Noragami manga. It centers on Hiyori Iki, a high school girl whose life is tangled with the unseen world of gods and spirits, and Yato, a minor delivery god struggling for recognition. In one episode, Hiyori hopes to make a good impression on her first day of high school alongside her middle school friends. Her plans are complicated by Yato, whose divine errands and impulsive behavior threaten to pull her away from ordinary student life. The comedy comes from the clash between Hiyori's wish for a normal day and Yato's chaotic responsibilities.
The second episode shifts to a cherry blossom viewing gathering. Hiyori invites several people, including the powerful combat god Bishamon, hoping for a peaceful outing. The mood becomes tense when Yato and Bishamon, who share a difficult history as rivals, end up drinking together. Their strained relationship threatens to turn the relaxed picnic into a supernatural confrontation, while Hiyori and the others try to keep the day from falling apart.
Across both episodes, the OVA balances lighthearted school and seasonal scenes with the larger conflicts of gods, spirits, and old grudges. Yato's unpredictable nature and Hiyori's efforts to protect her everyday life drive the stories, while Bishamon's presence adds friction. The result is a compact side adventure that assumes familiarity with the series but focuses on small-scale character interactions rather than a full arc.
Trailer
Should You Watch It?
Watch it if you enjoy
- Watch if you already know Noragami through the manga or TV anime and want two light side stories with Hiyori, Yato, and Bishamon.
- Watch if you enjoy short, self-contained supernatural comedy that mixes school-day worries and seasonal gatherings with gods and spirits.
- Watch if you want a relaxed bonus OVA that adds flavor to the Noragami world without carrying a major arc forward.
It may not suit you if
- May not suit newcomers, since this OVA assumes familiarity with the Noragami cast and is not a franchise starting point.
- May not suit viewers seeking a plot-heavy continuation, as these two episodes are largely low-stakes vignettes rather than central story progression.
- May not suit those uninterested in mild supernatural rivalry or a cherry-blossom gathering where drinking and old tensions surface.
This automatic starting point balances the series length, pacing, time commitment, and available Volluble research data. Editors can override it when firsthand knowledge suggests a better entry point.
Why It Connects With Audiences
Why people love it
- The OVA gives familiar personalities room to bounce off one another in low-stakes comedy, matching its editorial framing as a relaxed return visit.
- It blends everyday student life and seasonal scenes with folklore, gods, and spirits, showing the series' tonal range in a compact format.
- Hiyori's first-day-of-high-school and hanami setups let human worries share the screen with divine errands and rivalries.
Common criticisms
- It was conceived as a bundled manga bonus, so some viewers may find its two episodes slight, optional, and light on narrative weight.
- Newcomers may feel left out because the OVA depends on already caring about the Noragami cast and their relationships.
- The self-contained vignette structure may disappoint viewers hoping for a larger arc or a direct continuation of the TV anime.
Volluble DNA
A quick profile of the title’s dominant storytelling ingredients.
Characters and Voice Actors25 characters
Yato
Main character- Japanese: Hiroshi Kamiya
Hiyori Iki
Main character- Japanese: Maaya Uchida
Yukine
Main character- Japanese: Yuuki Kaji
Bishamon
Supporting character- Japanese: Miyuki Sawashiro
Kazuma
Supporting character- Japanese: Jun Fukuyama
Kofuku Ebisu
Supporting character- Japanese: Aki Toyosaki
Tenjin
Supporting character- Japanese: Tooru Ookawa
Daikoku
Supporting character- Japanese: Daisuke Ono
Nora
Supporting character- Japanese: Rie Kugimiya
Aiha
Supporting character- Japanese: Hisako Toujou
Kinuha
Supporting character- Japanese: Kanami Satou
Kuraha
Supporting character- Japanese: Kazuhiko Inoue
Tsuguha
Supporting character- Japanese: Ari Ozawa
Aimi Tabata
Supporting character- Japanese: Yuuko Takayama
Mayu
Supporting character- Japanese: Asami Imai
Tsuyu
Supporting character- Japanese: Saori Hayami
Akiha
Supporting character- Japanese: Shinya Takahashi
Kazuha
Supporting character- Japanese: Satomi Akesaka
Karuha
Supporting character- Japanese: Satomi Akesaka
Ayu
Supporting character- Japanese: Mao Ichimichi
Nayu
Supporting character- Japanese: Himika Akaneya
Moyu
Supporting character- Japanese: Shiori Izawa
Akira Yamashita
Supporting character- Japanese: Minami Takahashi
Hiyori no Mama
Supporting character- Japanese: Miki Itou
Gakusei B
Background character- Japanese: Natsuki Hanae
Production and Staff26 credits
View all 14 additional credits
Production Background
Noragami OVA is a two-episode original animation disc release tied directly to the Noragami manga. Each episode runs about 24 minutes, and the pair was made as a bundled extra rather than as a broadcast or theatrical work. The release window places the first episode in February 2014 and the second in July 2014, completing the OVA's short run.
The production was shaped by the manga's publication schedule. The episodes were packaged with limited editions of the tenth and eleventh Noragami volumes, a common publisher strategy that delivers animation to existing readers without committing to a full television season. The source material is the Noragami manga written and illustrated by Adachitoka, the manga artist duo whose series appeared in Kodansha's Monthly Shōnen Magazine and was licensed for English release by Kodansha USA. Because the project was conceived as a premium add-on, its scale stayed deliberately small: two largely self-contained stories instead of an extended arc.
The OVA sits alongside the wider animated Noragami material that began with the television adaptation, but this disc release stands as its own entry rather than a continuation of that series. Its content leans on the franchise's established blend of comedy, urban fantasy, and mythology, following Hiyori Iki as she starts high school and later bringing characters together, including the combat god Bishamon, for a cherry blossom outing. The record does not confirm an English dub, and no streaming services are listed, so the OVA remains chiefly known as a manga-bound release for collectors of the limited volumes.
Franchise Context
Noragami OVA is a two-episode animated side entry in the Noragami franchise, released in 2014. The franchise began with Adachitoka's manga Noragami: Stray God, serialized from 2010 to 2024 and collected in 27 volumes. A 12-episode television anime adaptation followed, introducing Yato, Hiyori, and the wider world of gods and spirits to anime viewers.
This OVA is not the franchise's starting point, nor is it a remake or alternate continuity. It is supplemental anime material tied to the manga's publication, issued with limited editions of volumes 10 and 11. It sits alongside the television series as an additional animated installment for fans already familiar with the main story.
As an individual entry, Noragami OVA should be understood as a brief companion piece within a larger franchise spanning manga and television anime. Its two episodes offer self-contained side stories rather than replacing or rebooting the main narrative.
Where This Fits in Noragami
A spoiler-light guide to where this exact work fits within the broader Noragami franchise.
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Step 1
Start with the Noragami manga or its 12-episode 2014 anime television adaptation, since this OVA is a short side-story companion rather than an entry point into the franchise.
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Step 2
Slot the two episodes alongside the manga's tenth and eleventh volumes, the limited editions they were originally bundled with, or watch them once the main anime story is already underway.
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Step 3
Treat this OVA as optional viewing: its episodes are self-contained light vignettes, one following Hiyori on her first day of high school and one a cherry blossom outing that brings Yato and Bishamon together.
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Step 4
Continue with the main manga or further anime installments afterward, since this OVA adds flavor to the world without carrying the central storyline forward.
Franchise Path
- Start with the Noragami manga or 2014 TV anime; watch this OVA after manga volumes 10–11 or once the main anime is underway.
After You Finish
Continue with
- After the OVA, continue the Noragami manga or TV anime; these episodes are optional side vignettes and do not advance the central plot.
Community Verdict
Quick reader and viewer signals from the Volluble community.
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