I guess the top of my personal “I wish it would have been another way” about last chapter Noragami is this:
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Don’t get me wrong, I am happy with Yato being alive and well, and he doesn’t even need to care about being forgotten, he is a living meme now. But that’s the reason. He has become just some funny figure to remember.
But wait a minute ☝️
Remember the previous chapter?
All those frames showing Yato sacrificing himself, desperately wanting for Hiyori to live so much he forgets about his own life. That was a powerful, satisfying and impactful scene. The final bow to his character growth, the path he came from being selfish prick thinking about his own survival to the God he has always wanted to be, to help those who needs him. Even if it means the death to him.
In early chapters we have seen this comparison of Yato and Ebisu.
At this moment he has finally achieved the point where he is no more “envy”, because he has become “a god who would give away his life for the sake of those who love him”. This is the apex of his own story.
Impressive isn’t it?
Returning to the scene itself, we can’t help but notice how serene is world around them. It’s the scenery of calming snow, next are Bishamon and Kazuma, lovingly sitting next to each other and peacefully enjoying the calmness of the evening after their own “storm”. This all sets the tone of the tranquility, even detachment of the world, that is surrounding Yato and those who are with him. And then there is Yato himself, looking at heavens, at the snow, alone, almost forsaken.
That’s why the moment of a desperate attempt for saving Hiyori’s life is such a memorable moment. It’s the opposition of indifferent background to raging emotions of our group. If this was a painting, then saving Hiyori would be the central point of composition, the brightest spot on the canvas.
What a great point of the story. It is serious, it is dramatic. It is beautiful. It is impactful.
Watching Yato disappearing in the storm of emotions surrounded by unbreakable appeasement.
And now back to the point!
It seems that such a turning point for the character, for the plot as a whole, cannot be thought out more perfectly. Chapter 108 and, in general, Adachitoka's incredible work in it have exceeded all my expectations for the final chapter. Expectations of how such a serious and powerful situation can be resolved.
But now we have Chapter 109, and all the epicness of the moment described above simply gets lost in the hustle and bustle, seasoned with Noragami's typical humor (which I love, don't get me wrong!). The mood from Yato's sacrifice, which he was willing to make for the person dear to him, just dissipates.
My only emotions after seeing the resolution of this plot twist were confusion and a feeling like after watching a movie that ended abruptly in the middle. Of course it is a way to keep him alive, of course it’s good for him.
But as I said at the beginning - I wish it would have been another way. Just something that follows the mood that has been set in the previous chapter, of the darkest and saddest moment in the whole manga, something we were afraid about from the beginning of the story itself - Yato may disappear and Hiyori may die.
I feel u on this one. Adachitoka definitely missed the chance to give this the ending it deserved. I got severe whiplash from the time jump alone. But once the Near Shore started breaking out into chaos, and everyone was able to see the Far Shore for a moment, Yato could've emerged from the fog (metaphorically and literally speaking) and announced himself in some sort of act of badassery. This whole gag of him becoming a meme is a slap to the face of the legend he should actually be remembered for.
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