Jun 19, 2012 11:47 PM
Why Top Ten Lists are not Useful.
Anime Relations:
Katekyou Hitman Reborn!, Natsume Yuujinchou, Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou, Natsume Yuujinchou San, Natsume Yuujinchou Shi
On sites like these, there are top ten lists of everything from manga to anime, openings to endings. However, there are too many ways to approach this type of list. It has been popular for longer than people remember, and is something everyone loves to do in their spare time.
Personally, I dislike making top ten lists mostly because I cannot judge exactly what my “favorite” shows are. Favorite is extremely subjective, and is fluidly changing when more anime is watched, or more manga is read. Other people cannot rightfully look at someone’s top ten list and decide “yes, I want to watch this series” in the right of mind. There are too many variables a person may choose when considering their favorite shows.
For one, someone can consider artwork to be more important than story or voice acting. The animation, or character design might be what people look for most. In that way, others may look for a specific type of character, a genre, or even a character design they prefer. Others still prefer shows with certain voice actors or shows that were produced by certain companies. So how can a top 10 list be accurate for anyone but yourself? I don’t think it ever could be.
If I were ever to make a top ten list, I would personally never use the phrase “Top Ten Favorites,” for it seems to be too empty. There is too much bias on a list like this. Personal opinions, feelings, even other people you watch or discuss series with may cloud judgement and end up changing what people personally feel. I know this is something that's happened to me in the past, and I'm fairly certain it can and has happened to others before.
For example, I love Katekyo Hitman Reborn, but if were ever to make a Top Ten list, I don't think I could rightfully put the show on it. It even shows up on my top five on my profile, but those are shows I enjoyed the most. I would probably add something like the Natsume Yuujinchou series, which I think is one of the most beautiful series as a whole, but not one of the top series I've enjoyed, nor is it rated a 10 for me.
Why not say “Top Ten Most Enjoyed” or “Top Ten Favorite Art” or something else like this? I don’t think a topic like that can ever be accurate for a list of anime, though. People are by nature much lazier than this and do not want to specialize their lists for the average person.
Personally, I will get around to making a “Top Ten Most Enjoyed” list every six months, to chart my progress with anime and manga.
But I can promise one thing, and that’s the fact that you will never see a generic “Top Ten Favorite” list from me.
Personally, I dislike making top ten lists mostly because I cannot judge exactly what my “favorite” shows are. Favorite is extremely subjective, and is fluidly changing when more anime is watched, or more manga is read. Other people cannot rightfully look at someone’s top ten list and decide “yes, I want to watch this series” in the right of mind. There are too many variables a person may choose when considering their favorite shows.
For one, someone can consider artwork to be more important than story or voice acting. The animation, or character design might be what people look for most. In that way, others may look for a specific type of character, a genre, or even a character design they prefer. Others still prefer shows with certain voice actors or shows that were produced by certain companies. So how can a top 10 list be accurate for anyone but yourself? I don’t think it ever could be.
If I were ever to make a top ten list, I would personally never use the phrase “Top Ten Favorites,” for it seems to be too empty. There is too much bias on a list like this. Personal opinions, feelings, even other people you watch or discuss series with may cloud judgement and end up changing what people personally feel. I know this is something that's happened to me in the past, and I'm fairly certain it can and has happened to others before.
For example, I love Katekyo Hitman Reborn, but if were ever to make a Top Ten list, I don't think I could rightfully put the show on it. It even shows up on my top five on my profile, but those are shows I enjoyed the most. I would probably add something like the Natsume Yuujinchou series, which I think is one of the most beautiful series as a whole, but not one of the top series I've enjoyed, nor is it rated a 10 for me.
Why not say “Top Ten Most Enjoyed” or “Top Ten Favorite Art” or something else like this? I don’t think a topic like that can ever be accurate for a list of anime, though. People are by nature much lazier than this and do not want to specialize their lists for the average person.
Personally, I will get around to making a “Top Ten Most Enjoyed” list every six months, to chart my progress with anime and manga.
But I can promise one thing, and that’s the fact that you will never see a generic “Top Ten Favorite” list from me.
Posted by
tapanda
| Jun 19, 2012 11:47 PM |
1 comments
 |
Unfabulous | Jun 20, 2012 1:15 AM
Interesting. Definitely going on my top 10 list of blog posts.Eh? Eh? See what I did there? But seriously, my favourites actually stay pretty stable though I agree it's pretty much pointless. For example Paprika is awesome, but how can I compare a 90 minute movie to a 26 episode series or whatever else it may be? Maybe I was just in the right mood, or frame of mind to enjoy it. It's all subjective. But it's all we have at the moment, so it'll have to do. Not that I think anyone who stumbles across my profile even cares what my top five happen to be. |