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There might be some drawbacks to this, but perhaps removing the rating system from the reviews might force people to read the reviews before voting them helpful and unhelpful? I think many users don't even try to read before downvoting a review that doesn't share their opinion.

No, if anything I think there should be more ratings. Like anime planet has, score for animation, story, etc.

How would you even know people rate reviews down by only looking at the score?

Why do you think there should be more ratings? Also, MAL already has these scores for reviews.

Numbers are an excuse to shorten discussion for everyone. Many people, instead of asking for one's detailed opinion just go and look for one's rating on their list, and most probably often use them as a basis for their votes.
Albeit not representative, I've met people admitting doing so, and unless to you as well "helpful" means "sharing one's opinion", it does explain why consistent reviewers get lesser ratios with critical reviews on popular anime and why top reviews of anime that aren't utter rubbish are always 8+ reviews.

Reviews force people to use a definite rating system (to wit, 7 as average): if you use a different rating system, you get less votes, a review with an overall score of 6 or of 8 yet with the exact same content will be less popular. I don't consider that an issue, but this shows how the current userbase relies a lot on numbers and not much on words.

Of course, my idea wouldn't fix the problem completely, no, the issue I described would still apply. But perhaps to a lesser extent. It might make people read more and possibly get convinced, thus helping critical reviews to get more "helpful" votes, if few.

Now, there are some disadvantages. For instance, you wouldn't be able to know what reviews are positive/average/negative, as I, myself, often look for at least two of these three kinds when I look for informations on an anime. That's to be considered.

I guess it could force some people to read it. But for me, I would just go over the reviews for some anime that I have watched by skimming it, and if the review does not seem to evaluate the anime holistically, then I will mark it unhelpful. If there is a balance in that review, then I would go back over it in more detail.

I get your point op, but I'm for practicality, and this sounds less convenient.
If people don't read reviews, their loss I guess, I don't think it's a good idea to "force" them.
Most of the times, I read only the lowest rated review that shows up for a particular anime, and even then, I find it helpful because it makes me want to watch the anime to confirm what the guy said. If I had to read two reviews instead of one every time, on the long run, mendoksai.

I suggest that we make it optional to put a rating on it. We shouldn't force people to quantify quality.

I think it's kind of pointless, really. I mean it's good if you want to try and make the reviews more objective; but reviews, generally speaking, tend to be biased in some way. Don't be overly concerned with your helpful to unhelpful ratio. Just write accurate reviews to the best of your ability. Above else remember this is just the internet!