The plot thickens. Things are getting complicated in the world of Noragami, and I think I detect an actually sophisticated plot with some serious moral conflict looming ahead. I also think I see one interesting character headed down a very, very dangerous road, through no fault of his own, led there by the manipulations of others who take advantage of his best intentions.

This could get even more interesting, very quickly.

I'm trying to read these things quickly enough to allow me to watch the anime pretty quickly without giving away the plot in the manga. Given how quickly the anime skips through the books, this is proving difficult. I recommend reading the whole series before starting the anime if that is a reasonable option for you; don't make the same mistake I made.

EDIT:

Having caught up on the anime enough to see how all this worked out there, too, I know that the first series put off (until series two) one of the subplots that came to a head starting in this volume. In its place, the anime's first series closed with an original story.

It was only after seeing that original subplot story, and the way it used Hiyori as a hapless ingénue, that I realized one of the best things about this manga is that it never took that overused approach of turning a primary female character into a repeatedly victimized plot device, to whom things happened, and who never really did anything herself. The non-canon story at the end of the anime's first season pulled that trite save-the-princess trick, making that subplot the worst thing about the anime, made slightly worse by the fact the subplot ran a bit like a derivative retread of story arcs from Bleach and Rurouni Kenshin. I'm glad the manga has not made these mistakes so far, and that the anime mostly adheres faithfully to the story in the manga apart from this one subplot.

The whole point of mentioning that anime subplot here, of course, is just to point out the fact that Hiyori is not just some delicate flower who constantly needs Yato to rescue her, over and over again. When she gets captured or cornered, in fact, she tends to rescue herself, and from time to time she steps up to rescue Yato, avoiding some of the most tired and annoying clichés of storytelling. ( )

This volume of Noragami was all about the relationships in Yato and Bishamon's lives. Yato is trying to steer clear of Hiyori for her sake but he still can't stay away. Bishamon is in trouble with one pf her skinki plotting against her. I didn't know Bishamon had so many shinki and that she's not as a good godparent as I thought she would be. I'm sure there is a showdown coming soon. Now that Yato knows how to help Yukine will he do it? ( )