High schooler Nanami Momozono has quite a few problems of late, beginning with her absentee father being in such extreme debt that they lose everything. Downtrodden and homeless, she runs into a man being harassed by a dog. After helping him, she explains her situation, and to her surprise, he offers her his home in gratitude. But when she discovers that said home is a rundown shrine, she tries to leave; however, she is caught by two shrine spirits and a fox familiar named Tomoe. They mistake her for the man Nanami rescued—the land god of the shrine, Mikage. Realizing that Mikage must have sent her there as a replacement god, Tomoe leaves abruptly, refusing to serve a human.
Rather than going back to being homeless, Nanami immerses herself in her divine duties. But if she must keep things running smoothly, she will need the help of a certain hot-headed fox. In her fumbling attempt to seek out Tomoe, she lands in trouble and ends up sealing a contract with him. Now the two must traverse the path of godhood together as god and familiar; but it will not be easy, for new threats arise in the form of a youkai who wants to devour the girl, a snake that wants to marry her, and Nanami's own unexpected feelings for her new familiar.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Stark700
Ah kamisama, why doesn't money grow on trees especially when I'm in debt? Ah kamisama, where are you when I need you the most? Ah kamisama, why can't the world be perfect? In a nutshell, Kamisama Hajimemashita (also known as Kamisama Kiss) is based on the manga of the same name written by Julietta Suzuki. She is known for several other lighthearted shoujo manga that involves supernatural elements such as Karakuri Odette. The series debuted in Fall of 2012 along with many other shuojo titles. The series tells the story of a young girl named Nanami Momozono, who is alone..abandoned, and helpless. The innocent little lamp makes aninteresting encounter with a strange man (Mikagi) and from there, her life changes forever. But wait, it doesn't stop there. She also encounters the big bad wolf (or rather familiar) Tomoe. Along with him comes the package of two other spirits (Onikiri and Kotetsu). After a contract sealed by a kiss, the two forms as peculiar relationship. This series details their relationship and what's to come from it because the world is never fair. It's not perfect.
Furthermore, this series is quite a strange one if you look on the surface. We have a normal human with no experience of the supernatural in a strange relationship with strange being with strange ears and a strange personality. Did I mention strange?
The relationship between Nanami and Tomoe is one of the most strange, amusing, and interesting part of the series. A human and a familiar relationship has trouble written all over it especially the gap of difference between the two. Nanami is a normal human girl who has normal skills in life with normal friends attending a normal school. On the other hand, Tomoe is a supernatural being with supernatural abilities and able to accomplish feats with supernatural degrees.
This is like trying to get a cobra and mongoose to be best friends...
From the beginning, Tomoe is very frustrated at Nanami's lack of progress in what she's trying to become and adjusting with her new life. He becomes increasingly annoyed at home, at school, and almost whenever he's around with Nanami, or precisely whenever he feels nothing is getting done. This example can be seen early in the series as result of Nanami's lack of progress with her new responsibilities. Yet at various times, there are sweet and tender moments where Tomoe feels empathy, care, and even jealousy for her. Wait a minute..is that a male tsundere I see in Tomoe??
Being a shoujo series adapted from a shoujo manga, expect shoujo themes and elements. That typically transits in to the romance part of Kamisama Kiss. Even from the second word of the title and the pilot episode, one can expect romance in it. It's not one of those love at first sights though or a helpless crush but rather a strange one to say the least. To add to the mix, there are other characters such as the highly popular idol at school Shinjirou Kuram. He's the narcasstic type who causes trouble and tension between the duo but at the same time can be a fun guy to get to know with. There are other characters who occasionally adds in their own spotlights to the series as well such as the snake familiar Mizuki, Nanami's friend Mei, and later on a more dramatic entry of Ryuuou.
This series is overall quite lighthearted. There is virtually no fan-service except “maybe” the beach episode in the latter half. It's more of a series where its comedy outshines its romance aspects especially the strange relationship between Nanami and Tomoe. Other characters adds in the comedy even during scenes where action is presented. So, if you're looking for some serious mindfuck, ecchi fan-service, or a dynamic story exploring serious themes, then you might be disappointed. Still though, the romance part does begin to blossom later on in the series especially after a pleasant date (maybe not entirely for Tomoe) and some tender moments.
The artwork of the series is lighthearted as well. The art seems to be a bit pale and plain at most times that reflects the nature of this shoujo series. Most of Julietta Suzuki's artwork balances between romance and comedy and that is presented in Kamisama Kiss as well. The series focuses more on the characters rather than anything else with its artwork thus it's just ordinary; nothing too special to be honest.
Soundtrack and music applies here as well of being lighthearted. There is no intense or techno music rhythm even during some of the more dramatic and action scenes. Kurama's entry is often accompanied by his own soundtrack theme that brings out the inner fan girls at school so in some ways, it can be considered a little rock on added to the mix. The OP and ED songs are also lighthearted with one half of the title “Kamisama” being echoed for the latter. Once again, it seems to just be in the background with a pleasant melody rather than anything special.
Overall, I found Kamisama Kiss to be a charming little gem but nothing too special. It doesn't shine much as the series is shoujo with lighthearted themes. It's not mainstream compared to a few of the other shoujo series in the industry today (especially this Fall Season of 2012). But what it does have is a relaxing way of presenting romance mixed with comedy especially with the strange duo of Nanami and Tomoe. It's one of those series where you can sit down, watch it, and then tell yourself “well, that was cute”. And of course, cute is another word to describe Kamisama Kiss especially with the supernatural elements mixed in. Some of the episodes does seem a bit dry with a lack of flavor but it can still be a fun watch especially if you enjoy its shoujo themes.
angelsreview
A young girl is abandoned by her father who owes money and is left to fend for herself. This sounds like it’s an excuse for the parents to not care what happens to their child while strange things are around them. It’s cliché but I can’t think of any other way they could have walked around this. The fact of the matter is that they had to get rid of the parents one way or another and they picked one of the two ways they could have done it. That or make them dead and have her an orphan but that one is used evenmore often then the person leaving their child. I only wonder where the mother is. Nanami is well… not my favorite heroine although she is actually rather strong willed. I don’t like how she is always saying pretty much anything that’s on her mind rather quick, sometimes she ends up going on these rants like one that I talk about later on. On the other hand, I love how sweet a spirit she is in that she wants to help anyone she comes in contact with. She has had a hard life so it would have been so easy to make her selfless like Honda from Fruits Basket but she isn’t. She acts selfish many times though she never does it to get on someone’s nerves (Unless it’s Tomoe).
Well, like normal romance, she is taken in by someone and falls in love with the person even if he is not of this world. It would be fine if this was a normal romance with the man being a human but in this case, we have a fox spirit who has a really bad temper at times. At first glance, I guess you could consider Tomoe a muli-personalitied demon. He will fix Nanami dinner after telling her he despises being her familiar; call her a idiot when he is trying to save her; and things similar of that nature. With all the whining he seems to do about her, you would think he would just up and quit when he got a chance, right? Well, that’s what I thought when he was free of his duties at one part but then he reinstates his position as her familiar again. That is not a real spoiler as it happens really early in the show but it’s a good example of just how split this guy is.
The opening is a bit, I don’t know. It’s just a bit confusing. It’s all images of her with a song about being a girl and just starting to be a girl? I’m confused as to what the opening was supposed to do as they don’t really do anything but show this young girl. It didn’t fit the show at all making me want to skip it every time. Other then that, the animation and everything reminds me of a lot of other shows out there with a supernatural spoof. It’s dark in a colorful atmosphere. It’s hard to explain as the darkness is just the addition of dark purples and blues but then the brightness of those colors pop. In artist terms, the supernatural part of the show is dark hues and the brighter everyday parts are more of lighter shades of pastels and such.
Now let’s talk about the voices. I love the how comical the narrator is and she helps bring a bit more life to the story. She doesn’t pop up at any old time, only when it seems like it’s supposed to be a comical part of even when some sort of hardship is happening like in the beginning. Sadly, every once in a while, she does come in at a wrong time when talking about what happen in the last show. Nanami talks way too much. She seems to want to be as good a narrator as the narrator is. When she first wakes up from her dream, she talks on and on about what she thought was a dream. This happens a lot it seems. Her voice is a bit annoying as she still seems rather stuck up, a very good contrast though to the rather gentle voice of Tomoe. Well, gentle might not be the right word for him as he is rather stuck up and rude to Nanami but he is voiced by one of my favorite voice actors J. Michael Tatum, the same voice as Sebastian from Black Butler. It’s a very calming voice and it is fun to see him sort of freak out at some parts because of Nanami’s mistakes or his own. I think that’s what sets Tomoe apart from the others that Tatum has voiced before.
I really thought it was a cute show although a bit to short. The ending was a ok ending but there is so much more that could of happened both before and after that I feel it falls a bit flat. I really did love watching it non the less.
DeathByFloss
Lighthearted, sweet with a dash of supernatural occurrences. It's the perfect recipe for a wonderful romantic comedy. The anime has a decent story, sadly shortened by the amount of episodes. However this does not spoil the story nor the character development. The anime has lovely artwork and a pleasant soundtrack (including the opening and ending theme which are gorgeous!) I find the characters appealing and engaging, also the comedy is rather light hearted and bearable in comparison to many slap-stick alternatives. I find it hard to not get into this anime considering that it combines comedy, a bit of action, supernatural and romance allin one. Best part is that it's quick to watch and more importantly has a rather satisfying ending.
My only complaint is that it probably would have been more interesting to have more episodes and extended the development in that duration considering that the characters and story hold so much potential.
BanjoTheBear
(This has been adapted from my reddit thread) When you think about it, one's home is a very precious thing. It's a safe haven. It's private. It contains the parts of one's life he or she loves the most, including family or that newly imported figure. When someone says that the atmosphere feels "homely," it's because at that moment, it is reminding him or her of that one place where he or she can truly be at peace. Sadly, some people don't have such a location. Others still are forced to change it. Within Kamisama Hajimemashita is a story depicting finding one's home with the helpand support of those held dear.
STORY
The adventure begins rather quickly. Nanami Momozono is a high school girl who is forced onto the streets after her father's gambling habits cause her to lose her home. One night, she saves a man who, as thanks, gives his "home" to her.
Kamisama Kiss (as it is also known) lays out its events in a rather episodic fashion. Much of what occurs involves Nanami overcoming difficulties based on her human status in a fully spiritual world. She has no powers, she's clumsy, and is helpful to a fault. However, her kindness almost always turns the outcome in her favor. Whether it is matchmaking the local swamp god or befriending her kidnapper, she finds it in her heart to love those around her. This trait is one that many characters from many shows obviously have. But it seems more appropriate here, given her literal god-like position.
Kamisama Kiss is a tale about the home. At the same time, it attempts to weave in the romantic relationship that develops between Nanami and Tomoe, her familiar. The romance involved is nothing powerful, but it is interesting. In a sense, it's about two people from different backgrounds (race, ethnicity, culture, etc.) coming to terms with the emotions they have. The season pits both of them on opposite sides of the spectrum. But as it unfolds, they begin inching closer and closer until at least a somewhat satisfying stopping point is reached. Its exploration isn't too deep, however. Besides Tomoe's strong animosity towards humans, the anime never truly questions or investigates such a pairing.
And therein lays the problem. The romance and home ideas seem to be constantly butting heads in terms of story-telling. That is, the show doesn't know whether it wants to focus on the romance or the "finding one's home" side. Both are done nicely, but a dissonance is created where it doesn't know what it wants to be. It tries to use the romance to facilitate the home idea. When it does, it becomes more about the relationship and less about the overall message.
What is the ultimate message? The show tries to drive home (pun intended) the idea that one's home isn't necessarily where you were born or where you're able to be productive. Indeed, it's the place where one feels most comfortable. Being able to just relax and not have to worry about the outside world. Walking through that front door to be greeted by the things you love. That's home. Honestly speaking, the concept is simple, but one rarely gives it any thought. And that's because having a home in this sense is, for the majority, second nature.
ANIMATION
Kamisama Kiss is, for the most part, rather plain.
The art style itself appears quite "soft." The colors involved are generally boring, in that the show doesn't go out of its way to make anything incredibly eye-catching. This is true for the environments and the character designs. The locations are typical: the school, the shrine, the park, etc. The designs for the characters are tame, despite the spiritual nature that enshrouds them. The exception is Nanami. She has a beauty and radiance about her that is unnatural. The combination of her large eyes, taught smile, and lengthy brown hair probably give this effect. However, considering how there are thousands of clones like her in the anime world, her presence in the show was strange to say the least.
In regards to actual animation, it varies between average and slightly below average. The show incorporates minimalist drawings and animation for good comedic effect. As the show progressed, however, the animation began to degrade. This is especially apparent near one of the ending sequences. Despite the buildup involved, what is given is never fully shown (i.e., not properly animated).
CHARACTERS
While the story may be askew, the characters of Kamisama Kiss are, for the most part, not.
Nanami is the star. Her kindness and determination know no bounds. A land god by day and a teenage girl by night, she does her best to bring happiness both to the shrine she calls home and to its inhabitants. Her determination often puts her in a bind, but she never lets it get the best of her. This is also true of her relationship with Tomoe. Her feelings are usually unrequited, but she just sees it as another obstacle to triumph. She starts the season unsure of where her life will take her next but by its conclusion, she can safely find solace both at home and in the heart. That is, for her, "home is where the heart is" is just as true as "heart is where the home is."
Perhaps the most interesting character is Tomoe. His abrasive behavior and general lack of empathy make him difficult to approach, let alone get along with. However, as the anime demonstrates, there are underlying causes for this. The show characterizes Tomoe as this rude servant. However, like the humans he hates, he is multidimensional. The audience learns of his past, of his motivations, and of his more endearing qualities. There is actual reasoning for his standoffish attitude, and it was pleasant to learn of its underlying causes.
The side cast also does their job nicely. While each have their own personality, they serve a higher purpose. And that is in developing the relationship between Nanami and Tomoe. As easy examples, Mizuki (the snake familiar) provides Nanami with historical insight. Likewise, Kurama gives Tomoe important information pertaining to dealing with society. The side characters are able to do this because they specialize in these areas. And this is true for the rest of the characters. In their own way, they are able to add at least a smidgen of growth to the ever growing connection between the two main leads.
SOUND
The OP is, surprisingly, very good. The whispering vocals, the single guitar chords, and the more prevalent Chinese guitar give off a simple mellow feeling. The middle part with the perhaps clacking castanets is also a fun little transition.
Following the footsteps of the OP, the ED is sung in a very quiet manner. Again, the single guitar chords give the piece a more mellow effect. In fact, it almost makes everything eerie or mysterious. The beginning "ah, ah, ah..." is also a very smooth lead-in for the rest of song.
The soundtrack is also well done. The atmospheric pieces really add nicely to the overall spiritual theme of the show. The piano keys, the hand drums, and especially the piece involving the "water ripple" sound (very hard to describe!) were executed nicely.
Voice acting wise, there are no standout performances to be had.
ENJOYMENT
Romance is my forte. All of the blushing, the hand holding, the kissing, the hugging, the mutual feelings, I love it all. This one has most of these traits, and utilizes them well enough. Watching Nanami fall for the familiar she found was, therefore, quite an enjoyable experience. On top of this, she's mysteriously beautiful. Seeing her differing outfits or jubilant expression were usually enough to make me swoon.
The comedy involved isn't anything grand. It does what it has to given the circumstances, usually with the minimalist animation talked about earlier. The hilarity involved also stems from the character interactions. Many of the cast rarely get along, so seeing them constantly arguing or teasing one another was usually possible to get a good laugh.
Kamisama Hajimemashita is the beginning of the couple that is Nanami and Tomoe. The stories involved, the romance, and the characters are fun to see, and I am anticipating what the continuation of god and servant will be.
SUMMARY
Story: Fine, romance and home but gets lost in itself
Animation: Fine, soft, plain, and with at best average animation
Characters: Good, Nanami and Tomoe blossom, with literal supportive side cast
Sound: Good, great OP, okay ED, good soundtrack
Enjoyment: Good, Nanami is beautiful and so is romance
Final Score: 6/10
SnazzGary
With the new season upon us, I thought I'd take the time to re-write a review I once deleted. There may be very minor spoilers, so please, be aware. Ah, Kamisama Kiss. My one and eternal anime-enemy. I didn't think much when starting it, and just thought of it as another one of those shoujo girl-meets-supernatural guy and falls in love. Well, I wasn't necessarily wrong on that aspect. However, diving into it as the episodes moved along, I noticed disturbingly nostalgic details that I've seen before. Story (60/100)—Nothing too exciting. A regular high school girl gets thrust into a world she is unfamiliar with, andhas to deal with taking the task of handling the moody male main character, having two other men ogling after her, and her feelings overall in the situation. You'd think a supernatural series about a girl unexpectedly becoming a deity would be extremely interesting.
Kamisama, is however, not that, unfortunately.
As I mentioned before, Kamisama shares traits with one of the anime world's most beloved series—InuYasha. It is not only the story that shares similarities, but the characters and settings as well. I'll try not to drag this review out too long, however, this was the main reason I couldn't enjoy KH. It was too similar. And by that, I don't mean the girl with powers falls in love with demon. I mean almost every detail was, in some way, from InuYasha. That turned me off instantly, and I dropped it after episode 6, or so. However, keeping an open mind, I picked it up, and finished it once more.
Art (90/100)—The art is beautiful, I'll admit. The animation was fluid, pretty, and flowery—typical of a shoujo. When scenes, such as in the first episode, that tried to have a more 'dark' atmosphere, failed a bit miserably. This series is just a bit too light-hearted to be taken seriously with darker moments. The character designs were a bit generic, however, they were very pretty to look at. One complain I have is that all the girls had an eternal blush—which was very annoying. Other than that, my grievances with the art is very small.
Sound (80/100)—The sound was crisp, however, I personally did not enjoy the flowery soundtrack. That is my opinion, but as all series, the soundtracks fit well with what they are assigned to. The seiyuus did an amazing job, despite some of them having very annoying voices. I personally enjoyed hearing Tachibana as Tomoe, as I was used to his high-pitched wailing that is Chiaki from Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi.
Character (50/100)— Flat, one-dimensional, and lackluster is what I have to say of these characters. Nanami is a typical shoujo protagonist. In fact, she mirrored that of InuYasha's Kagome—which is to no surprise, as I despised Kagome as well. Not only in back-story, but personality as well. I won't go too into detail on these aspects, though, to avoid making this review even longer.
Tomoe is like KH's InuYasha. In appearance, past, and personality. He is the typical shoujo male-protagonist that the girl falls for.
Overall(60/100)—Overall, I did not enjoy this series. It could have been executed so much better, had it not refused to have surgery to be removed as InuYasha's conjoined twin. The new season is doing a much better job of steering away from InuYasha, and thus far, am much more impressed with it.
ItsPHI
I'm normally not a fan of your typical comedy/romance/shoujo anime, but I must admit I really loved this one. Now, the plot may not be that original, but who cares? It's an enjoyable anime, that's more than enough to satisfy the regular viewer. Story 9/10:A quick synopsis of the anime would be a girl becomes a deity, and get's a familiar. As she starts to train to become a better deity her relationship grows with her familiar. The story is basically set up for a romance theme, and it's quite interesting. There are some cool fight scenes and very good plot lines. It's definitely nota "unique" story line, but what matters is it fits into the anime very well. The anime is hilarious at times, and also has touching/adorable moments.
Art 9/10: Aside from the main characters blushing consisting of cross-marks across her face (I can't stand that), everything else about the art is consistent and well done. The characters are appealing, and so is the scenery.
Sound 10/10: When you first press that play button, your ears will be gifted with an amazing OP, and then towards the end an amazing ED. They're both soothing to the ear and have great lyrics.
Character 9/10: There's a lot of character development as the story progresses. I first assumed no development was occurring because all the characters were in a bit of a slump, but I was relieved when I started to see more growth. Of course, each character has their own back story and they're all pretty interesting.
Enjoyment 10/10: I really liked watching this anime, and it's probably the only romance I'll ever watch. I found myself laughing out loud a lot, and I really like the main characters and their personalities. It's not just lovey-dovey things, the characters often stay true to their personalities and that's what is best.
Overall 9/10: *I'd recommend this to anyone whose looking for a quick romance anime, with a bit of action.*
quercifolia
Some spoilers... Story: [8/10] Interesting plot, a girl loses her house but is given a new house by a mysterious man and becomes the new Earth God of a shrine. Needless t say it doesn't start perfectly but things turn out alright in the end! Art: [8/10] Not much to say, the art was nice and well animated, with nice backgrounds and textures.Sound: [7/10]
The OP theme was really catchy, after a couple episodes I found myself humming along! The ED theme was not so catchy but still was pretty good.
SE, some of them were fairly generic. BGM, nothing really stood out as bad, but nothing stood out as extremely good either. It was okay.
Character: [8/10]
Decent enough cast, not extremely unique but not bland either, just right.
Tomoe, a Fox Demon, at first unwillingly bound to Nanami and very cold and unfriendly, but eventually warms up to her...
Nanami, just a regular schoolgirl whose father was neck-deep in debts. Eventually kicked out of her house, then because the Earth God of the shrine.
Mizuki, a snake familiar who originally was an enemy but soon became a friend.
Kurama, a pop-star crow demon!
Enjoyment: [8/10]
I enjoy anime with Youkai and Japanese mythology in them, so I won't deny that did boost my enjoyment levels a bit~
Overall: [8/10]
If you like romance, supernatural themes, Youkai, with a Slice of Life on the side, then this is the anime for you!
Nothing too complex, there a few sad moments but over an easy and happy anime to watch and just enjoy without having to pick everything apart to figure it out. ;)
pleochroic
This anime started strong. with a story that interested me, but after some episodic encounters lost itself. Story: This is an interesting set-up, with an average girl being thrust into the position of a god. Now, a Shinto god isn't necessarily as big a deal as that might sound like; Nanami is just responsible for the small area of the Mikage Shrine, but it's still a pretty big responsibility for somebody who doesn't feel she amounts to much. And there was much potential here for Nanami to work hard so she grows into her role and finds a new home, but I feltthe anime failed to show that. Instead of Nanami learning things, Tomoe mostly keeps her out of it, and handles everything himself, and since she isn't happy being kept in the dark, she impulsively does what she wants at the worst possible moments. Of course she is a plucky little heroine, so she pulls off some unbelievable feats at times, but it all seems quite random to me. The theme of the show seems to revolve around "home" and what that means, but it soon starts bumping into the inevitable shoujo romance, because Tomoe is a hot tsundere with a tragic past. I am not at all convinced by the romance, those two have to my mind zero chemistry and nothing much in common. Instead of Nanami getting to know the lay of the land, as it seemed in the initial episodes, we start wasting time at her school, where she sometimes goes and sometimes doesn't, with Tomoe in school drag or not, with another of her small harem and Tomoe glaring at each other... it was kind of dragging on at that point. I also don't get what all the interference by camp-gay boy and Mikage is about; they are simultaneously challenging/helping Nanami to grow I guess, but it too is random. Nothing in the story seems very well thought through.
Art (4/10): Nothing much to write home about. I especially didn't care for Nanami's design. All the boys are of course meant to be hot, and do at least have clearly distinguished designs. The animation is fairly minimal.
Sound (5/10): The more traditional Japanese BGM fit the story well. I didn't care for the OP, but the ED was interesting. Some of the voice talent didn't seem to fit its roles very well, and in general nobody stood out for me. I found the narrator annoying.
Character (4/10): Nanami started out with potential, but I found her development much too uneven. Tomoe really had the best development, though not everything made sense either -- for somebody who once couldn't bear to be touched by a human, he is awfully free with touching random women, and that is of course played for jealousy on Nanami's side; but it feels like such an artificial thing. Other character development is too abrupt to feel natural, and so Mizuki and Karuma just become harem characters instead of decent characters on their own merit.
Enjoyment (5/10): I enjoyed the first few episodes, but then that fell off. I don't care about the romance at all because Nanami is such an undeveloped personality that I don't see what Tomoe would ever see in her (other than that she is obviously related to his first true love, so maybe he sees some echo there). Yukiji was clearly meant to be a Yamato Nadeshiko, because what else could get a youkai to reject his old ways, but I don't see Nanami in the same light.
KD7BWB
Lion Tamers, Lion Tamers; gather round! We take a look at "Kamisama Hajimemashita" As some of you, who've been reading my reviews know; I have for a long time, been attempting to understand the teenage mind. After all, I was one once, ummm ... around the late 1960's. That was another time. Those were the days when a college graduate could find the United States on a colored World Globe. These days, 48% of college grads can't; actual statistic. In a very real sense, most people of that stripe today; can't find their own butt with both hands. Which explains why some can't properly analyze anime verywell.
But I digress. Let's get to some themes in "Kamisama Hajimemashita" that please and annoy; sometimes both at the same time. Other times, I have to kind of cringe, as sometimes I need to horsewhip the authors of some anime, but I'm never informed as to their actual whereabouts. Or they are not within arms' reach. This leaves me frustrated.
In any case, we need to actually look at this anime with clear eyes, and the mind of a really mean ol' man, and try to figure out exactly what the heck is going on; that has any relation to real life. Silly me, nothing in this show is real life. It's all about that 'wishful thinking' stuff. Or sometimes dumb luck. Yea, that's better.
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In any case, we dive in. Firstly, before anyone wants to yell at me for bad-mouthing this anime, there are things I like about this show.
1). The music is almost as cute as the show tries to be.
2). The artwork, while not standout, is good enough.
3). Tomoe is the only character that gets my interest; because he has actual real-life issues.
Similarities abound, between this anime and another (which is much better, and the jokes are much funnier). I compare 'Kamisama Hajimemashita' with 'xxxHolic'. xxxHolic is much better, in virtually every way; even the educational value is much higher.
1). Does not each have a godlike figure which mentors our primary character?
2). Does not both godlike characters have issues with the primary character?
3). Are there not moments in both shows, where the primary character has severe issues with the godlike character?
4). Does not both primary characters go through dimensional rifts, and visit other world/times/places?
These are just a short list, but I think you get the idea. I rarely compare anime, but these two really need to be looked at as having plot-points and character references that show clear problems with Kamisama Hajimemashita.
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Now I get to talk about some of the characters.
1). Nanami Momozona
I realize most of you like this girl. And she's a nice enough girl, even to me. But let's see. She is tossed from her home, and lands on a park bench; with no idea what she's gonna do. A land-God gives his job to her, for no explained reason, ever. Nanami has never held any job, has no idea how to carry out a normal job, let alone this new mission.
Then, arriving at the temple, containing the people that help her carry out her mission; she goofs up how it operates, alienates her temple demon (for lot's of true-life reasons), botches relations with the few followers left; and then attempts to play catch-up on all this stuff. Only to botch it all again.
If not for the few servants and temple demon, she would have destroyed the temple, and these assistants, and hanger, would have been out of a job; and forced to return to the dimension from which they came. Most of them probably much happier.
The only real problem I have with Nanami, is that she is thrown into deep water without a paddle, or even the knowledge of what to do with the paddle once handed to her. And she never really learns. While she does learn the lessons given to her, she never develops a flair to repackage these new lessons, and re-use them to solve other problems. She always faces each problem with the same wide-eyed ignorance, and has to find each solution the hard way. She always needs Tomoe to help her. Sometimes the entire issue gets handed to his competent hands.
2). Tomoe
What a great character he is! This is a guy that initially wanted nothing whatever to do with Nanami, and had given good riddens to Mikage (after Mikage got himself separated from the temple some 20 years before our story begins). When Nanami first arrives, Tomoe is quite happy managing things at the temple, and manages his underlings with efficiency and dispatch.
Nanami happens. Moves into the temple, screws up the well oil'd schedule that Tomoe has been tireless in designing. Forcing him eventually to teach her the rudiments of God-hood, tries to teach Nanami to keep schedules, that she finds impossible to keep (even schedules that deal in real-world things, which prove important). Frustrates every attempt to repair the temples' reputation with the public, which Nanami uses her lack of skills to pull the rug out of most of his attempts.
And then we wonder why Tomoe is so constantly dismayed by his new God-head of the temple. While he eventually becomes charmed by Nanami's simple charm, and quiet acceptance of troubles; the truth is, Tomoe never real becomes satisfied with her progress. Because there is so little of it. Nanami does improve, by small increments and spurts. While Tomoe finds she can dully learn a new idea, truly insightful "ah ha" moments are few and far between.
Even he knows, no matter how much he ever learns to like his Temple-God, she is mentally incompetent, and will never really fulfill the promise he so dreams of.
3). Mikage
You cowardly worm.
4). Mizuki
I realize the girls in the audience just love this guy. But let's please use some common sense. First he tries to destroy the land-God Temple, tries to replace the Land-God as a God of a Water-Temple. Failing that he then decides working for the Land-God, in his mind is just as good as replacing the God of his own Temple.
I'm sorry, but this guy is a two-faced demon that cannot be relied on in the clutch. Things got tough, and he traitor'd and joined in at Nanami's digs. Any old port in the storm.
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Now I want to talk about the more mundane production items in the story.
Firstly, I want to talk about Nanami Momozono's artwork. I like parts of this characters' personality, but the artwork has lots of problems. She is virtually the only character drawn with the 'big-eyed' look. And the artists went overboard.
In most artwork of this kind, big-eyed artwork is supplied with an enlarged head to allow for the spacial displacement of the brain. But in Nanami's case, these eye's are at least 2-inches in circumference. Now while viewers who actually like this touch might be dismayed by my attempts at 'pickiness', let's get a little bit real. In this case, they are so large, with no corresponding extra room provided, that I'm afraid that Nanami is not going have much of a frontal lobe. The eyes will intrude on it.
On the other hand, it explains her lack of concentration, poor memory for times, dates, places; lack of learning skills. She has all of these talents, but they all function in a subpar way. In other words, Nanami is cute, pleasant; and stupid as a fence post.
The best drawn character has got to be Tomoe. He is slender, powerful (both physically and mentally), a bit mean, sly, and outright clever. He gets more than 100% more attention to his graphic details, than does Nanami. And it's a good thing too; or there would have been nothing in the show to complement for artwork.
Most of the artwork is adequate, sometimes even attractive. But very little in the way of stuff that should stand out. Does this mean the story is bad because of the artwork? No. But the artwork, helped very little. Stick figures would have told the story with equal grace. Except for Tomoe. Even his expressions are done perfectly.
Sound and music needs improvement. While the music is cute and lively, even airy and pleasant; it does nothing to inform the viewer of the very strong Japanese religious references and cultural icons that should have been signal'd by it. This young lady becomes a God, a minor one, but a God nonetheless; with all the importance that should have been revolved around. The music failed to indicate anything of importance. Just some cute sentiments about love and friendship, which is true, but pales in importance to the over-arching theme inside the story.
The story. While I realize this story is made to take a tongue-in-cheek look at friendship and romance, the vast majority of the story deals with the events that back-story for the supernatural characters in the show. In other words, the authors placed all the important material in the supernatural, and made the fun, light-friendship, and love-story; the minor theme.
Is this hypocritical? No, but it strongly leads us to a cart-before-the-horse presentation of information, THAT FAILS TO TELL THE STORY. While I liked, very much, the supernatural back stories; they are in fact the secondary plot. The main story is the increasing, over much time; romance developed between Nanami and Tomoe.
All of that, the romantic elements; while cute and very romantic, are in fact , wrong headed in that they try to force something into place that would never happen in real life. Tomoe is a prisoner of the temple, and slave to his Land-God. He never could, in real life, ever find a way to resolve this. There is not a single theme in his own mind that would allow for friendship and affection. Even after the back-story proves a possible relationship in the offing; he could never settle into a romantic entanglement that imprisons him; not once but twice, by the intentional actions of Nanami.
He has a right to be viciously angry. Forced to help his God, forced to be the house-servant, forced to be polite at all times, forced to keep the temple from ruin, force to protect the very person that has made him the slave he is.
While Nanami never confronts this moral dilemma.
Both of them trapped in this non-sequitur, for all time. And young people think this is a proper and cute love-story for the ages?
I give "Kamisama Hajimemashita" a 7.
LollipopXXX
Okay so to start off this anime is my top anime, so I may be slightly biased. Story: 9/10 The story kinda started off as a main occurrence then expanded into some side stories. The manga's storyline is better of course, but the anime has an enjoyable storyline as well. You will not be lacking a lovely dose of gods or traditional clothing mixed in with some mythology. Art: 9/10 I guess the art could have been better, but overall the art was very cute and pleasing to watch. It was done in a shoujo-like style, with the females possessing large eyes and the males having smaller,sharper eyes.
Sound: 10/10
The background audio and the voice acting were both spectacular. I ecspecially enjoyed the voice acting though. I believe the voice actors match the characters personas in a wonderful way. Although please register that I'm talking about the Japanese voice actors, because in all honesty most American voice actors sound like rubbish in anime.
Character: 10/10
I love the characters. You start off with Nanami, who has just lost everything being thrown into a new world, and then there's Tomoe who is kinda tsundere-ish in characteristics. They have comedic arguments once in a while as well. The characters all have lovely personalities that grow on you at one point or another. Also I enjoyed Nanami's emotional development in the anime.
Enjoyment: 10/10
This is where I become extremely biased. I totally end entirely loved this anime because it had traditional clothing incorporated with mythology and gods. I really loved watching this anime.
Overall: 10/10
It had everything I looked for in an anime. Which is traditional clothing, mythology, and a cute romantic interest.
ichibanne
Words cannot describe how much I love this anime. First of all, I'd been plenty away from the usual shoujo, slice of life, romance that it hit me hard how much I'd missed it watching Kamisama Hajimemashita. It's simply a perfect anime to watch during free time because you can't really take it seriously and just fangirl at the otp, which I have the urge to state, but must resist. I hadn't shipped so hard in months, but in this anime, I was screaming inside (cause I'd watch at night) hoping the otp would just admit their undying love for each other. I'd be screaminglike a dying whale if I watched during the day, really. You will understand the abundance and extremity of fanservice of this anime. No more comment. Other than that, the characters are adorable, every single one. Characer development was much better than story progression imo, but character development made up for it by making you forget what the heck is even going on the story. Music is very memorable to me too. The theme songs have a bit of a sexy tone and its really cute and I love that little track that comes on for every touchy moment, which goes for every shoujo anime, but I had to say it :)You will fall in love with the main guy character. He's freakin' beautiful.... liek, how can you not ? ;^; ENJOY THE SHOW ~
gamije
I didn't have much expectation for this anime to begin with but from what I saw, it was actually decent and cute; something you would expect from anything involving a female high school student and a kitsune-type character. Throw in a few extra men just to make the love interest realize his feelings, and the formula of a good romantic comedy is complete. The story isn't complicated whatsoever. In fact, it's incredibly basic and easy to understand. Even with the few snippets of backstory that was shown, you can piece together a few things. The animation was nice and somehow suited the love interests characteras well as the main. As for character development-wise I felt like they tried way, way too hard to make Nanami a mixture between a Mary Sue (basically a character with no flaws) and your typical average shoujo klutz. Though, it is cute to see Tomoe rescue her all the time so I can't have too many complaints. I just wish she could have been a bit stronger as a character -- then again, it only has 13 episodes. Sigh, only when it's over do you realize that where you started out with no expectations, you slowly begin to expect a little something, whatever that may be.
The ending was slightly disappointing for reasons that I won't bother going into due to spoiling the ending.
All in all, I didn't feel that watching this anime was a waste of time. Give it a chance.
Bexxii_171611
I have never actually written a review but this anime made me want to review it. I was a bit apprehensive about watching this anime to begin with. I thought it would be very cliche` and boring but I was pleasantly surprised and completely wrong. If you are looking for a romance/comedy then this is one is probably a must watch. There were moments where I anticipated what was going to happen but instead I was left in tears of laughter from the comedy side of this anime. I don't really think there is any real flaw in Kami-sama Hajimemashita. The only thing that I dislikeabout it is the fact that there are only 13 episodes, however, for an anime that is short and has an ongoing manga it is tied up pretty well and doesn't leave you with that sense of disappointment you get with most animes that are short and sweet.
I know a lot of anime fans out there dislike the heroines in animes that don't play much of a role in the story line but for this particular female protagonist you will find she actually does a lot and isn't a hopeless damsel in distress :)
qichiro
I currently follow this anime's manga and to see it being brought and made into an anime was just flipping amazing. I'd say my love level for this was on Par with Skip Beat...and that's high. I love strong female leads, who aren't Mary Sue's. She's good but she isn't afraid to say she hates you. HAHA The fox man had to grow on me..I will not lie but now I am willing to allow him to hang out with Youko Kurama, InuYasha and Sesshomaru...poor Sessho..the only one without ears. Anyways, I loved the story it was very unique to me and the characters show amazing development. I doubt aseason 2 will happen due to how it ended but I sure as hell will continue reading this!
I love it! It just didn't get a 10 because for me...it's hard to get a ten.
midnight_gem
This is a review of both season 1 and 2 of Kamisama Hajimemashita, since they were pretty much the same in terms of quality. Overall Enjoyment- 8/10 Very Good - The best aspect of Kamisama Hajimemashita is definitely the two main characters and how they overcome obstacles and grow closer to each other. The other elements (plot, music, and animation) were enjoyable as well. I have rewatched this series 3 times, and is my favorite anime of all time as a shoujo lover, and is by far among the top 2 best romantic shoujos I have watched, Akatsuki No Yona being the other. The overallseries goes up to a 9/10 if you include the OVAs.
Plot overall- 8/10 Very Good - Nanami suddenly becomes a deity who learns her responsibilities to her worshipers and shrine, fend off attacks from dark beings, overcome the stigma of being a mortal deity, meanwhile managing school, and having fun with friends along the way. She gets help from others in her endeavors, but most of the help comes from her fox familiar (guardian), Tomoe, who has a mysterious and intriguing past that is explored. The main themes are overcoming obstacles with determination, fighting for the people you care about, being kind and helping others, truly and selflessly loving someone, and finding the place and people you belong with.
There are a few adventurous plot arcs of varying lengths, but the plot remains interesting or at least fun even in episodes where there is a reprieve from big obstacles. Still, I can't help but think the plot could have been developed a little better.
Romance- 8/10 Very Good - I don’t want to spoil anything, but the romance was lovely! I couldn’t get over how beautiful and sweet it was! This is technically considered a reverse harem because there are several characters who have a crush on or fall in love with Nanami at different points, but they’re all not around her in every episode and it isn’t a big part of the plot since Nanami has her sights on only one guy. Later, in the OVAs my romance rating goes up to a 10/10.
Main characters- 8/10 Very Good - Nanami is sweet, caring, and very conscious of her duties. She does not like being a burden on others, so she gets tough, brave, and clever when she faces obstacles. She can hold her own well and doesn’t always need someone to swoop in. The ratio of her saving/helping others and her being helped/saved by others is pretty equal, which is a beautiful balance, and a great lesson to learn. Tomoe is quiet and acts like he doesn’t care about much, but goes above and beyond his duties as a familiar and also cares deeply for Nanami. Overall, Tomoe’s character has a lot of depth and Nanami’s qualities are endearing.
Supporting characters- 6/10 Fair -The supporting characters were often used as comic relief and occasional aids to Nanami. Sadly, I feel ambivalent towards most of the supporting characters because quite a few of them felt… underdeveloped in my opinion even though some of them got backstories.
Art- 7/10 Good -The animation wasn’t breathtaking and was just average, so I was content. There were some character designs that were much more visually pleasing than others, but no one looked appalling. They do pay attention to little details on characters at times, such as the disinterested curves of Tomoe’s lips, which I appreciated. The chibi forms of characters during joke scenes are the best! My only gripe was that Nanami’s character design made her look a lot younger than she is.
Music & Voice Acting- 8/10 Very Good - Loved the opening/closing songs of both seasons! The songs were are upbeat, catchy, and cute which perfectly matched Nanami’s personality. The background music was okay overall. There’s a rock star character and the songs he sang were ok, but weren’t something I would care to listen to again. There was a lovely instrumental background song that paired wonderfully with romantic scenes. I thought all the voice actors cast for the characters were either appropriate or perfect overall, from Tomoe to even the minute characters who had only a few lines.
P.S. Please make sure you watch the OVAs especially the Kako Hen episodes! They are extremely important to the overall plot, explain any lingering questions or things you missed in the seasons, and wrap everything up so nicely.
LeaMichaelis
The anime is a bit similar to Fruit Baskets,but is still wonderful.This anime made em watch 13 episodes a day.After I finished it,I read 70 chapters of the manga in one day!This anime made me go cray-cray(in a good way) Good things: -Amazing Art -Cute -Good story -Funny -Lovely -Hot guys -ComedyThings to improve:
-I wish it followed the manga plot a little more,then it would be a lot more interesting.
-MORE EPISODES
SkyXD
I absolutely loved Kamisama Hajimemashita! I loved that the characters all had very different personalities instead of the usual boring main character who falls for someone cool. The story was well done and I highly recommend reading the manga, it continues much further and it's just really awesome. It has a good amount of comedy and I'm a sucker for romance so this was a perfect anime for me. I really hope they make another season of this.
TheCutieKitsune
Kamisama Hajimemashita, this anime reminds me why I was drawn to anime in the first place. The cutesy romance, beautiful boys and strong female heroines! I can't really name something I love more then romance that not only gives you the Bishōnen hero saving the pretty heroine but a heroine that is still strong and kicks ass! It lays on the cute boys like chocolate on a sundae and you don't get sick of it! The writers were tactful with how thick they laid on the boys so that it reaches a perfect consistence. You aren't left feeling like “Ugh this girl is useless” or“Ugh fan service.” they had a perfect harmony. There are times that will make you go “NO WHY!?” and later you're left saying “Nyaaaaa~”. For my shipper friends out there you could easily ship the heroine with any of the guys and no one could really complain! (I mean they will anyway but that's just shippers in general) Yaoi fangirls could easily go to town here too but there really isn't anything the could use to justify the pairings really. (That won't stop them but that's my opinion on it)
makotoplz
So, my rating when writing this review takes into account both Season 1 and 2 (I hardly remember what happens in S1, so no point in writing a separate review). S1 itself was a 6/10 for me. I had to force myself to continue, and even though I liked Tomoe and Nanami, the plot and everything else wasn't to my taste. That being said, S2 and the OVAs (which I will do an actual review on) is where it starts to get good. This is the reason why I finish all animes I start. Kamisama Kiss has been labelled underrated, and are loads of people'sfavourite romance anime, so I had to see where the hype was at. And I'm glad I continued.
Although S1 was a little slow (for me) and lowkey a bit cringe, I never failed to enjoy Tomoe's character. Nanami as a God and her development as a character (in terms of being a God only) felt so insufferably slow I almost quit multiple times. She never annoyed me as a character, it just felt like she never did her God duties or even acted like a proper one. She was constantly being saved, and I'm glad she realised that.
S2 was SO MUCH BETTER. Not only do hers and Tomoe's relationship develop, so does her independence as a God. I actually recognise her as one now.
Aside from that, the OP and EP in S1 is so catchy. I almost hate it, but love it at the same time. All the other characters introduced were fairly interesting (I have a favourite from S2, but no spoilers). The story itself was different to the usual high school romance, and I'm kinda glad. Although it took me a while to properly get into Kamisama Kiss, it was refreshing how different it was.
As a romance, Kamisama Kiss absolutely nailed the slow (and not excruciatingly slow kind) progression of the MC's relationship. Plus, they work really well alongside each other, it's super sweet. It was funny too, so even though I had to force myself to finish S1, it wasn't a total pain to do so.
Overall though, I'd give the anime a 8/10. S1 by itself was a little bit of a let down considering how so many people hype it up, but S2 and the OVAs really picked it up. I wouldn't say it's up there in my top 5 romances, but it was very satisfying. And the ending didn't leave you on a cliffhanger, so it's nicely tied up in a bow (somewhat).
