An important question for the anime Noragami fans . To answer why Noragami didn't return for the third season, we have to first go back in time and do a more in-depth study of the work.

Despite its success, a third season has still not been confirmed after more than eight years. Let's explore what “Noragami” encompassed in its first two seasons and the likelihood that this series will continue someday.

For starters, the beloved supernatural anime “Noragami” had its first twelve-episode season released in 2014, immediately followed by a thirteen-episode second season in 2015, produced by Bones studios .

“Noragami” follows high school student Hiyori Iki , who nearly dies while trying to save a stranger from an oncoming bus. The accident turns her into a sort of half-ghost, where her soul occasionally escapes her physical body and her spiritual form has a tail that acts as a life preserver. Trapped between the living and the dead, she discovers the Near Frontier, home to the living, and the Far Frontier, inhabited by spirits and demons. Scared and confused by her paranormal state, Hiyori receives a visit from the boy she tried to save, who reveals himself to be Yato , a God of Calamity and Depression who can cure her condition.

Yato is considered an obscure god, long forgotten by humans. He aspires to become a famous and widely worshiped god, with numerous shrines and abundant riches. However, humans do not want to associate themselves with a dark and sinister god known for single-handedly destroying entire armies.

Yato's reputation and troublesome behavior earn him many enemies, especially Bishamon, who blames him for annihilating all of his Regalia long ago. When Yato needs a new Regalia, he makes a pact with the soul of a troubled but talented young man named Yukine.

Together, Yato, Hiyori and Yukine form the main trio of “Noragami” and work together to achieve common goals by supporting each other. When Yato becomes frustrated about not having a shrine, Hiyori builds him a miniature one, and he cries with happiness. Shortly afterwards, Yato is exploited and blackmailed by his former Nora and his tainted Regalia, which forces him to abandon Hiyori and Yukine for an extended period.

The two seasons of “Noragami” were well received and gained a legion of fans passionate about their supernatural adventures and romantic elements. The recently concluded original manga goes far beyond the content currently covered by the anime, offering Bones studios a large amount of material to adapt.

Why did the Noragami anime never return?

However, the original material faced unexpected delays due to health complications for one of its two authors. Additionally, the manga has been suspended several times, with the longest period being a two-year break between 2017 and 2019, until its conclusion in January 2024.

Unfortunately, there was a drop in sales, going from four volumes a year to just one . Therefore, “Noragami” also experienced a major 60% drop in physical disc sales for the second season compared to the first . This underperformance may have convinced the Bones studio that the series would not be as profitable as expected.

Finally, despite the anime's popularity continuing to grow through streaming services, the third season of “Noragami” is still out of reach. While anything is possible in the anime world and the series may get its long-awaited continuation in the future, Noragami fans will have to settle for the original manga if they want more of the story in the near future.

Furthermore, comment below if the work deserves to return for a third season.