I tweet episodic mini reviews for fun. Please follow me!
http://twitter.com/PockyG
I'm heavily biased towards Gainax animes. Sorry about that. Other than that I try to stay as unbiased as possible in all my scores.
I do not rate dropped or on hold animes. However if it was dropped, most likely I did not like it enough to finish.
Please don't take these ratings the wrong way. I'm trying to use the entire score range and the descriptions used by MAL:
3 or below
Something I absolutely hated but still somehow finished. These are so bad it's funny.
Fail Rank
4
Major issues but still watchable. Advised to skip.
Rank D
5
Anime with some problems but still decent. Not recommended.
Rank C
6
An enjoyable anime overall. Does nothing stand out or advance the genre but good for hardcore fans. Many animes will fall in this category per season. Not recommended for casual viewers.
Rank B
7
A legitimately good anime that I highly enjoyed personally. Does almost everything right and very little wrong. Top 20-50% per season. Recommended for most viewers.
Rank B+
8
Great anime that I would recommend to any fan in a heartbeat. Does something extremely well to stand above most others. Given about three times a season. Recommended for all viewers.
Rank A
9
Absolutely amazing anime that I would highly recommend to anyone. Benchmark for all others. I consider these classics or essential viewing. Only one or two animes a year deserve this score.
Rank S
10
Nearly impossible to achieve this score. Possibly controversial anime. Reserved for the best of the best and genre defining animes. Perfect and flawless. A Masterpiece. Only given out once or twice every 4 years or so. Only the top 1% of all animes earn this rank.
Perfect Rank
If you disagree with any of my scores, let's debate about it!
Essential criteria that I look for in animes and what the scores given are based on. Included are highly rated examples in each category.
Originality - What does this anime bring that hasn't been done before? Has it influenced/changed the genre afterwards?
Evangelion is inspired by many animes before it. But it gave the mech genre far more respect, credibility and character insight. Mahou Shoujo Madoka completely redefined the magical girl genre by giving it a far darker and serious tone while still being true to the genre.
Emotional resonance - Do I care or am I invested in these characters? Does the plot tell a great story? Does a thriller build bone chilling tension? Does this comedy make me laugh till it hurts?
I cry like a baby when watching most Ghibli films.
Excellence in genre - An anime that knows what it is and does it well. I don't expect a comedy/slice of life to have heartrendingly tragic moments. Does this harem show have cute girls that I fall in love with or cheer for? I don't need or expect an anime to be completely original but it must excel at what it does.
Azumanga Daioh doesn't tell a great story but it makes me laugh harder than nearly anything I've ever seen beforehand.
Direction - Does this action anime have inspired and fluid choreography? Are the shots well or creatively done? Is the series well paced? Is the tone done correctly to hold suspension of disbelief for the genre?
KyoAni and Shaft are known for their beautiful and creative shot selections.
Packaging/Polish - Does the opening set the tone for the show correctly? Does the sound design immerse you into the world? Are the voice actors well chosen for the role? Are the character designs well designed, attractive or appropriate? Does the music enhance every scene? Is this fantasy world well realized or developed that I want to know more? All of this ties an anime together into a cohesive package.
Spirited Away combines music, world building, character designs, storytelling, and character development into a stunning narrative.
