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Riotnoob's Profile

Hi! Welcome to my world of anime - a world that I've been blessed to re-enter as of the beginning of 2012. The content of my profile is currently under work, but I'd like to thank you for taking the time to check out my list and bio!

Feel free to drop a comment if you'd like a recommendation, have a question about anime I've rated/how I rate them, or anything in general, really. MyAnimeList has essentially become my new Facebook, so I update things pretty frequently. I generally don't accept random friend requests. Have a couple meaningful chats with me first, or at the very least, write something about yourself (on your own bio or otherwise) so I can get to know you a little better.

SUMMER 2012 FOLLOWINGS: Hyouka [8/10], Kokoro Connect (DROPPED... Sort of. Took half a year for me to reluctantly finish it, despite how disappointing it turned out after the first five episodes [6/10]), Sword Art Online (DROPPED - overrated garbage [4/10]), Oda Nobuna no Yabou (DROPPED - I couldn't look past its awful harem [5/10]).
FALL 2012 FOLLOWINGS: Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai - One of THE best shows of 2012 [9/10], Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun (started out great, but turned out meh... Like Kokoro Connect, this should've stopped after the first five episodes [6/10]), Robotics;Notes (On-Hold, PTW), Little Busters! (On-Hold, PTW)
WINTER 2013 FOLLOWINGS: Psycho-Pass (begrudgingly. A highly superficial, mediocre sci-fi title [5/10]), Zetsuen no Tempest (DROPPED and reviewed - it was that bad [4/10])
SPRING 2013 FOLLOWINGS: Oreimo Season 2, Gundam Unicorn 6, Shingeki no Kyojin "Attack on Titan", Suisei no Gargantia (don't fuck this up too, Urobutcher)

EDIT: There is no Aku no Hana anime.


My Biggest Anime Turn-Offs
i. Generic harem/ecchi anime. Yes, there is a limit as to how far physiologically impossible breasts can take you in anime. These shows are a plague, and an absolute insult to anime's legitimacy as an artform.
ii. Overly and unjustifiably melodramatic anime. These have me cringing in my seat and peeling at my skin in frustration. In fact, any anime that's extremely superficial in nature bothers the hell out of me.
iii. Over-the-top Yaoi (okay. I get that some subtle homoerotic undertones are just begging for fanfic material, but there's a pretty clear line that shouldn't be crossed... Yuri is included in this too, I guess.)
iv. Never-ending, repetitive shonens. I see value in the "big three" shonen titles as a sort of gateway anime, if only because they're catchy, but mediocre enough so everything that's recommended afterwards is brilliant in comparison.
v. Disappointing anime with power-house production - jaw-dropping visual quality, well-known voice actors, but zero substance. At the very least, although these anime were total failures, they went down in style!

Most Badass Anime Characters
i. Alucard (Hellsing Ultimate) - Hellsing lives by the "rule of cool", but it's entirely grounded on the sheer madness that is Alucard. Without him, the show definitely would not've worked. Hell, if maintaining a huge grin and laughing like a sociopath while you're tearing and getting torn apart by enemies isn't badass, then I don't know what is.
ii. Hei (Darker than Black) - Hei is more defined by his powers than his actual personality, but there's definitely something badass about a stoic, bullet-proof longcoat wearing "Chinese Electric Batman".
iii. The Count (The Count of Monte Cristo) - As charismatic as he is an enigma throughout most of the series. It's a shame (ENDING SPOILERS AHEAD) , but the Count absolutely dominates every scene he's in.
iv. Spike Spiegel (Cowboy Bebop) - "Whatever happens, happens". Spike's martial arts is worthy of marvel in and of itself - a form of French high-kick boxing. Eat your heart out, Jango Fett, because Spiegel's always going to be our most beloved bounty hunter.
v. Revy (Black Lagoon) - She's more or less Roanapur personified - highly sexualized, brutal, and a tour-de-force straight ouf of a John Woo film. Revy and her antithesis Rock make Black Lagoon what it is, and a very entertaining show to watch.
vi. Askeladd (Vinland Saga) - Seemingly unpredictable in his actions, but he's as calculating as he is ruthless. He's probably one of the best supporting characters I've seen in a manga, with a commanding and manipulative presence.

Favourite Quotes - Anime, Manga, and Japanese Literature
- "Me? If you want to know, I'll tell you. I couldn't care less about Mithril. I am from Jindai Tokyo Municipal High School, Class 2-4. My student number is 41. I am in charge of the garbage and the umbrellas. My name is Sousuke Sagara!" Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid
- "Because of our broken instincts, we are in pain. We continue to be in pain because our instincts have been twisted by reason. So, what are we supposed to do? Should we abandon knowledge? Throw away reason? In any event, that wouldn't be possible. For better or for worse, we ate that fruit of knowledge long, long ago." Welcome to the NHK; Satou Tatsuhiro.
- "You're gonna carry that weight." Cowboy Bebop
- "Believe in the me that believes in you!" Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann; Kamina
- "People like us aren't qualified to be involved in a dramatic incident such as a suicide. No matter how depressed you are or how much pain you're in, you have to return to your routine, daily life. Even if you don't come back, you'll just end up dying in vain. A dramatic death isn't befitting of us." Welcome to the NHK; Yamazaki Kaoru
- "The world is not beautiful. Therefore, it is." Kino's Journey
- "... Bang." Cowboy Bebop; Spike Spiegel
- "People don't fight for their principles and philosophies. They fight for the person who embodies their principles and philosophies. They don't fight for revolutions, they fight for the revolutionary." Legend of the Galactic Heroes; Dusty Attenborough
- "Give a kid a smoke, and he’ll be happy for a day. Teach him how to smoke… he’ll be happy for his whole shortened life." Great Teacher Onizuka; Eikichi Onizuka
- "El psy congroo." Steins;Gate; Okabe Rintarou
- "What is life? Why do people live? Someone asked me that, and then I beat him within an inch of his life." Durarara!!!; Shizuo Heiwajima
- "The fake is of far greater value. In its deliberate attempt to be real, its more real than the real thing.” Nisemonogatari; Kaiki Deishu
- "There was a figure of a man who fought an elementary school kid, threw her over his back with all his might, and was boasting about his victory from the bottom of his heart, despite the fact that he was in high school. Actually, that's me." Bakemonogatari; Koyomi Araragi
- "Pessimistic... Pessimistic..." She repeated to herself over and over, and then she looked up at me with a fierce glare. "I'm only sixteen," she said, "and I don't know much about the world, but I do know one thing for sure. If I'm pessimistic, then the adults in this world who are not pessimistic are a bunch of idiots." - The Wind up Bird Chronicles, May Kasahara
- "The waves of her consciousness pulsed through my fingetips and into me - a delicate resonance of longing. Probably someone should take this girl in his arms and hold her tight, I thought. Probably someone other than me. Someone qualified to give her something." - The Wind up Bird Chronicles, Toru Okada
- "Life is study." Golden Boy; Kintaro Oe
- "Don't feel sorry for yourself. Only assholes do that." Norwegian Wood, Nagasawa
- "Only the dead stay seventeen forever." Norwegian Wood, Toru Watanabe
- "By living our lives, we nurture death. True as this might be, it was only one of the truths we had to learn. No truth can cure the sorrow we feel from losing a loved one. No truth, no sincerity, no strength, no kindness can cure that sorrow. All we can do is see it through to the end and learn something from it, but what we learn will be no help in facing the next sorrow that comes to us without warning." Norwegian Wood, Toru Watanabe


How I Rate Anime:
I'd like to get involved in writing more reviews and recommendations (when I find the time), but here are the criteria by which I rate shows and movies with. Since I just got involved with reviewing, my ratings are constantly changing as I continue to be immersed in the medium.

Almost all of my dropped anime were entries that sat around on my list for more than 3 months or so. My enthusiasm to watch an anime and how much I look forward to each subsequent episode is a pretty good indicator for the score that I give at the end of its viewing. Because of this, anime that I couldn't bother finishing, no matter how good they were initially, would unfortunately receive a mediocre score. Not everything I've dropped was necessarily bad, but enjoyment is kind of paramount.

One last tidbit... A good majority of the shows I watch are stuck in between two ratings. Although I've always wanted half-ratings as an added feature to MAL, we probably won't be seeing them anytime soon. Choosing between two ratings is incredibly difficult, and requires a lot of reflection. Aspects that would want to make me round up are balanced against features of the show that I might not've enjoyed. Unless one of these heavily outweighs the other, I go by the "benefit of the doubt" rule, which involves the following:

1. The anime under scrutiny is rounded up (i.e. a 7.5 becomes an 8). As much as we hate to admit it, something as meaningless as the number we ascribe to a show has a prolonging psychological impact when we look back on it. I'll repeat it time and time again: I watch anime because I really enjoy it. I want to look back at shows I've watched with fondness, and giving anime ratings the benefit of the doubt helps do just that. Be optimistic! Don't just watch anime for the sake of doing so. Otherwise, it's just another waste of time.
2. Even if I ever run across a well-written and thorough review that might challenge how much I enjoy a show, my ratings are more or less final. The reason for this has been elaborated above. Any negative reviews should be left until after I finish an anime, and that's for critical analysis only. Furthermore, since I read a lot of reviews/analyses to pick out what I'm watching next, I refuse to read anything negative that might impact my viewing experience (no matter how good the review is).
3. The only time that my ratings might change is a) if it's within a couple days of immediately viewing an anime, or b) if I believe that I've underrated a show. Point #2 isn't entirely true for the reverse, whereas I'm always open to reading a highly critical, positive review that allows me to appreciate an anime better (for example, Bobduh's reddit post about Nisemonogatari and the nature of fanservice. I've always felt that I was missing out on Nise/Bakemonogatari's more subtle aspects, so essays like these are a Godsend. Link: http://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/18p3lt/nisemonogatari_and_the_nature_of_fanservice/)

10 (Masterpiece): Choosing whether a show is "amazing" or a true "masterpiece" is difficult, and completely personal. In order to achieve a perfect score, the work must have had a profound emotional impact that left me at a loss when completing it (aka the "void" - a bit of a cheesy hyperbole, but definitely true to an extent). If I knew someone who had the misfortune who had not yet watched one of these masterpieces, I would tirelessly preach it to them. Any masterpiece rated a perfect "10" would find itself in my "favourited" list - my personal hall of fame. Lastly, what I've personally deemed a "masterpiece" would generally have some sort of re-watch value (something that I'd never even consider after finishing a great game or an excellent novel).

[NOTE (from my blog, September 6th): I know how problematic it is to label something as "perfect", and in the case of most reviewers, a "10" would probably imply so. Nonetheless, as a lot of rating critics would say, it's pretty damn hard to find an absolutely flawless anime. That being said, what I would consider a "masterpiece" doesn't necessarily mean that the anime is objectively perfect. Contradiction aside, I weigh my ratings heavily on how much I enjoyed what I watched. Like all of you (or so I hope), I really, really like watching anime. It got me back on my feet when I was in the slumps, gave me something to look forward to after exhausting weeks of school, and introduced me to a hobby, community, and culture that makes me inexplicably happy. As much as I love reviewing and reflecting over what I watched, nitpicking and being overly cynical about things, while key to an objective and well-written review, can really detract from one's enjoyment of anime. Sure it's nice to be informed about what you watch, and sure it's nice to have a sophisticated discussion to look beyond the animation. However, as I see it, anime is something that's meant to be enjoyed.]

9 (Brilliant): Cream of the crop - I'd unhesitatingly recommend these one-of-a-kind anime to anyone. This show left me with a lasting impression, with few faults and a near-perfect score on all sub-categories of review criteria (story, characters, sound, and art). I thoroughly enjoyed watching the anime, and was totally at a loss when it ended. Although an "amazing" anime may not have had the emotional dynamite that a "masterpiece" would carry, most "9"s would also earn a place on the "Anime Hall of Fame" below. Oh, and this last qualification is big: all of the anime that I've rated at or above a 9 were watched in more or less a single sitting. I pretty much put aside anything I was doing or watching, and I couldn't wait to find out what was happening next. This was something that I developed as I watched more anime... I may've enjoyed something, but if there wasn't a sense of urgency that I felt to continue watching it, I couldn't deservingly give it a high score. That being said, anime that I really didn't enjoy have the opposite effect. I end up talking more about this later (when I'm explaining what a meh "6" anime looks like).

8 (Very Good): I consider a very good anime to be something that makes no wrong turns, but doesn't do anything extraordinary to capture my absolute attention. Nonetheless, I still really enjoyed watching it, and the anime itself was solid all-around and fairly original. Although most scores I give fall at or above this category, don't let my consistently high ratings mislead you. I wouldn't even consider watching an anime if I didn't think it would at least achieve this rating. Also, in order to score an "8", it must be a common consensus across reviews and the general community that this anime shows superior quality in all aspects, and easily recommendable to even those with high standards of entertainment. However, one thing that might separate a "very good" from an "amazing" anime is a slightly unsatisfying conclusion or a couple of lacklustre episodes. On the other hand, if a sequel is available to a certain anime, what distinguishes a "very good" anime from a slightly disappointing "good" one is my willingness to pick up its sequel. If I'm at all hesitant to continue watching an anime after a single season, then I probably didn't enjoy it that much.

7 (Good): A very standard rating; good but not without its outstanding faults. An anime that's labeled as a simple "good" may also have been superb production-wise, but was a bit sloppy in its execution (hare's looking at you, Guilty Crown aka the most tragic disappointment since the Toronto Maple Leafs) or just missing out in terms of personal enjoyment but still delivered some pretty fantastic qualities (for me, the Haruhi franchise comes to mind - fantastic narration and characterization, but just not catching on to me as it did with other devotees). In addition, there are two defining moments at which an otherwise consistently solid anime can have its rating dropped: the climax and the ending. As a story's most noteworthy moments, an anticlimactic conflict resolution or an inconclusive/unfulfilling ending might completely shatter any praise I'd have for an anime. Since I never pick up an anime unless I absolutely know I'll enjoy it, or if I'm in the mood to watch something in its genre, a large majority of anime that I have listed as a 7 had a fantastic hook in the first few episodes, but couldn't keep up its momentum afterwards. Nonetheless, a 7 was still worth the time I spent on it, and I'd recommend one of these anime to anyone looking for something that's above-average to watch, but I'd spend a bit of time to consider the viewer's tastes first.

6 (Meh): Somehow, despite the immense amount of flaws of an anime that was just "fine", I continued watching until the end. While I might not be sure what that quality that kept me clinging to the last episode was, I had to begrudgingly hope for improvement in order to be let down until the very end. Thankfully, MyAnimeList has helped me weed out any shows that might be potentially disappointing, and I wouldn't dare trying out anything below an average rating of about an 8 (or 7.7, if there were several positive reviews that shone through). One of the biggest things to identify one these "meh" anime are that they're a bit of a chore to watch through. Good anime should hold your interest through most (if not all) of the series, and you should be enjoying what you watch enough to look forward to the next episode. When you're watching a show just so you could see it to its completion (in this case, because it brought something promising at the start but continuously failed to deliver), then you should probably drop the sucker and move on. Unfortunately, the following shows in this category kind of came to mind: Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (God, I got really great reviews for the show only to be disappointed. It was fantastic at first, but it did a complete 180 to turn from a witty satire to a nonsensical mess) and Kokoro Connect (this show should've ended after 5 episodes. The melodrama took a nosedive afterwards, and its unique "twists" just failed to build on the characterization it meant to).

5 (Average): Mediocrity at its finest. This anime might not have been really terrible, but it certainly failed to leave any of the slightest impressionable qualities. While I may feel guilty about doing so, most of my childhood anime would probably fall under this category (due to the fact that I probably wouldn't consider watching an episode of it at this age), no matter how much I thought I enjoyed it in my pre-pubescent youth. This is the rating/cut-off point at which I'd most likely drop an anime. If I absolutely can't find any reason to watch it, it's definitely mediocre. Ergo, all of my "dropped" anime would probably fall at or below this category. While I might've sat bored through several episodes of these anime, but anime that I absolutely couldn't stomach through were...

4 (Bad): It's not likely that something I classified as "bad" wasn't dropped almost immediately. This anime was purely filled with negative qualities, leaving nothing of the sort that I could quantify as "decent". Since I'm normally pretty picky about what I pick up to watch, shows that are at or below this rating are (personally) difficult to come by, and I would give myself a slap on the wrist for ever believing that it'd be a good show before watching it. Ergo, you won't see many anime at this rating on my list (unless it was an OVA or a special episode, which I rate differently. Look below for more details).

3 (Awful): This is the reason why people can have awful misconceptions of anime and its legitimacy as an art form. If an anime has had the misfortune of stumbling into this bundle of suck, then it was probably negatively viewed by the majority of the MAL community as well. Normally, if I found a show that I didn't enjoy and had no redeeming aspects, it'd be rated as simply "bad". However, bad shows that also attempt to become something but fail epicly because of poor scriptwriting, or were painfully generic, are what I consider to be "awful". Not only did I not enjoy them, but they were absolutely infuriating to watch. As far as my ratings are concerned, this is the absolute lowest score on my rating scale. Anything below this point is considered to be a "troll" anime - something that shouldn't exist or even be called "anime".

2 (S@#$): While I don't think any anime can fall under this category, I dare you all to prove me wrong. Until then, any score at or below a "2" is a theoretical notion - like an isolated system in ecology or any empirical evidence in favour of Creationism.

1 (Is it even possible to get this score? [EDIT: RESERVED FOR MARS OF DESTRUCTION]): Sweet baby Raptor Jesus, Buddha, Zeus, Flying Spaghetti Monster, and whatever higher deity that may be out there... Smite this monstrosity. God help us all if I ever watch something that I can categorize as a "1", for Ragnarok might preemptively start.

Anime Shorts
Short animations are based on a bit of a different rating that weighs heavily on how much they can accomplish in the little time they're given.

9 - 10: 9s and 10s are the real tearjerkers... Think of the first 10 minutes of the Pixar movie "Up"; a masterfully crafted story that gives so much with so little. Furthermore, fantastic OVAs/special episodes of my favourite anime would (sometimes) find a spot as a "9".
Examples: There She Is!!, Steins;Gate OVA, Clannad's Kyou/Tomoyo OVAs, Tsumiki no Ie (La Maison en Petits Cubes), and Furiko (Pendulum).

8: Generally, anything given an eight or above is pretty extraordinary in terms of a short-story, and were profound enough in their message to leave a lasting impression. These are the ones you should definitely open up ~ 20 minutes of your time for, as they're pretty astounding pieces of work. Most OVAs of my favourite series, although they may not be inherently deep, would still be entertaining enough to fall under this category as well.
Examples: Toradora! OVA, Guilty Crown: Lost Xmas, Shiki Specials, Darker than Black OVA, and Danshi Koukousei Short Skits.

6 - 7: Shows that were rated at 6 or 7 were (in my opinion) still worth the little time I spent on them, but didn't really leave a big impact. These were shows that I said, "oh, that's kind of cool I guess" after watching them. Almost all tech-demos or shorts that only show off the animating skills of their creators would probably fall in this range of ratings. Additionally, anime "special episodes" that weren't too special would probably receive a back-handed "6" as well.
Examples: She and her Cat, Ani-Kuri 15, Man & Whale, Angel Beats: Stairway to Heaven, and 30th Gundam Mission.

5 or less: Shows at or below the sub-par rating of "5" were a bit laborious to watch. They were neither eye-candy or thought-provoking, and simply exist without providing a shred of entertainment to its viewers. After watching a handful of really quality shorts, you'll more or less familiarize yourself with the outstanding stories that their makers can pull off, and shows at this mediocre calibre are kind of insulting to those that have clearly spent the effort and creativity in this delicate medium.
Examples: Toradora SOS, Angel Beats Epilogue, Gundam: Mission to the Rise, and All That Gundam. If those two weren't based in the Gundam universe, I wouldn't have bothered watching 'em. Hopefully, I'll be able to stay away from these in the future. Oh, and the Nichijou specials... Those were just awful.