MilesEdgeworth's Blog

Feb 1, 2014 2:08 PM
Anime Relations: Cowboy Bebop, Fullmetal Alchemist, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Zetman, Shingeki no Kyojin, Glasslip
Since my profile's About Me section has been getting cluttered and isn't able to fit everything I'd like it to, I decided to post my rating scale here. With another rating scale rehaul completed on July 18, 2015, here is the current scale:

  • 10: A masterpiece, something truly exceptional. While nothing can be "perfect" per se, for me these are as close as it gets and are the ones that really pulled me in more than any other. I can't say I have specific criteria for a 10, but I have the utmost respect for a series that can reach this ranking as it is definitely one I would deem well constructed and one that could connect with me on an emotional level.
  • 9: Excellent, and undoubtedly a series I deem incredibly amazing. Though they may not be 10s for me, I have great appreciation for these series and am sure to talk about them at some point or another. Definitely give these a chance if you have the opportunity.
  • 8: Fantastic, must-see stories. These are exceptional series that provide great enjoyment. They might have a few minor problems but are still very enjoyable packages that have a lot to offer and have proven themselves as immersive and entertaining works.
  • 7: Solid, absolutely worth experiencing. 7/10s are actually really close to 8/10s but without that extra bit of oomph. Truth be told the difference between them is typically something minor, like certain aspects of execution or character likability, and in the end I'd say the main thing that separates 7s and 8s is how much I enjoy them and the impression they leave after completion. Regardless, I have a lot of love for these series as well and they shouldn't be easily dismissed.
  • 6: Enjoyable, this is the baseline for me genuinely liking a series. While they may not totally live up to their potential or leave the greatest impression, these are the series I can definitely say provided a positive experience and pretty much everything from here and above is something I would consider buying.
  • 5: Average, the score for middling series and/or mixed bags. I'm generally pretty easy to please, so even 5/10s are pretty enjoyable to a fair extent for me, though I would be hesitant to consider myself a fan as they either fail to distinguish themselves as notable works or make critical mistakes that hurt the overall experience. For the most part, I can't say I dislike these stories, but I also wouldn't be sure I could claim that I especially like them either.
  • 4: Mediocre, the point where I start feeling active dislike for a series. While it would be a bit much to say these series do everything wrong, there are certainly aspects of execution and/or development that rubbed me the wrong way and leave me disappointed or annoyed in the end. There are a few good points I can recognize from series of this rating and I can understand to an extent why some people might appreciate them, but ultimately they failed to deliver an experience I could appreciate and leave me wishing something was different.
  • 3: Poor, left to series that disappoint on many fronts and provide little in the long run. These are the series I have very little (if any) praise for, and while they may have exhibited some promise in the beginning, they ultimately prove to be underwhelming and fail to provide a meaningful or entertaining narrative with characters that simply don't feel like characters. There may be some brief bits of mild enjoyment, but the overall experience results as negative and unpleasant.
  • 2: Currently reserved for Mars of Destruction, which is so bad it's good. Frankly, it's something that could be considered horrible enough to deserve a 1, but the entertainment it provides me (at its expense, sadly.....or not?) keeps me from bringing it to that lowest point
  • 1: I have yet to give a series this rating, though I imagine it would be something that is not only as bad as Mars of Destruction but something that fails to even provide enjoyment, regardless of how unintentional it may be. I'd like to believe I'm generous so I hope I don't have to use this rating, but it may very well appear in the future if I find something truly so abysmal.


Of course, this is all a matter of my personal opinion and how much I value these series on an individual level. I might enjoy a series more than you, and vice versa, because that's just how it is. I'm definitely willing to have a discussion about any series I've seen, as there's much more worth to discussing story elements than arguing about arbitrary numbers. After all, my rating scale certainly doesn't apply to every user on this site, so it's probably better to just ask my thoughts on a series for more detail than to worry too much about specific ratings. Mostly because ratings tend to be really arbitrary and say very little about what I truly think of a series without context. Over time, there have been series that have gone from an 8/10 to a 6/10 despite my opinion on them actually changing very little. The rating rehauls are generally more for my own sanity and dealing with my obsessive concerns about numbers, and even though some of my ratings probably look pretty low at this point I'm actually relatively easy to please. When you consider that only 4/10s and below are series I would genuinely say I dislike, there aren't actually all too many series I have extreme negative feelings about.
Posted by MilesEdgeworth | Feb 1, 2014 2:08 PM | Add a comment
It’s time to ditch the text file.
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