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My ratings are obviously superior to everybody else's ratings here due to the fact that people who hold opinions that are not congruent with my own are unacceptable (/s). In actuality, people are entitled to their opinions and I could care less how these may differ from mine. I don't expect many (if any) to read whatever nonsense I've written here. I write this rather for myself, allowing me to keep track of my somewhat confusing method of rating shows.




-Theoretical Percent System-

The MAL system of rating things is flawed in my opinion, or rather different from how I would rate things. While logic dictates that, were you to give a show a percent based on quality, 95-100% should earn a score of ten and 85-94% a score of nine (so on so forth), my system of rating shows somehow defies logic in a seemingly counterintuitive manner of imbalanced percent ranges. Furthermore, none of these imaginary percentages really even exist per sé. I've never sat down after having completed a show and said to myself: "well, that's a solid 63.49% right there." The percent ranges merely establish a general vicinity of what potential percentages I would likely give to a show that falls into said rating.

-The Good-

Earlier I mentioned that a percentage could be given to a show based on quality, but I never really specified what dictates the level of quality there is in any particular anime. For me, the most important aspects of a show to make it good are the story and the characters. Of course there are exceptions to this, such as some shows in the slice of life genre, where rating said anime based on the quality of their stories would serve as a detriment to determining the shows rating, as storyline is not the driving focus in many of these shows, but rather characters and their interpersonal relationships (I.E. Working!!). Another exception being shows of episodic nature, where oftentimes a single cohesive story is not present, in which case the quality of each episode's individual narrative is more important (I.E. Gintama). Finally, if a show is not meant to be taken seriously, then it should only be judged based on the sheer enjoyability of its content, and not its possibly lackluster story and cast of characters (I.E. Inferno Cop). For the most part, however, an anime's story and characters are what make it entertaining to watch, which is why they are the main influence to how I rate them on my list.

Though art/animation and sound/music don't usually impact my end score of a show, they are still important to a show's quality. Oftentimes a good soundtrack or pretty art style cannot save a show from a poor rating (I.E. Sword Art Online, Ryuu no Haisha). In the cases in which art or sound direction manages to catastrophically fail, then they may somewhat influence the score I give to a show, albeit in a very small manner (I.E. Berserk 2016).

Another method of determining a show's quality is based on how it affects my emotional state. If a show can make me cry (I.E. a certain episode of Hunter x Hunter 2011) or if a show can put a big, goofy grin on my face that I didn't realize I was capable of making (I.E. the entirety of Working!!!), the show is very good. However, the opposite applies, too. If a show manages to wreck any semblance of positive emotion that I may have had going into it, or if I feel like my energy is being physically drained from me and become tired as a show progresses (I.E. Junjou Romantica), then the show is very bad.

-The Bad-

Yet quality is not only dictated by what makes a show good. Quality is also measured through a presence of the things that make a show bad. One may ask what qualifies as "bad," but it can be somewhat subjective. For example, I have a strong dislike for fanservice, though others may not. The way I see it, adding fanservice to an anime is a cowardly cash-grab that would be unnecessary if the other material within would be good enough to sell copies. Excessive amounts of fanservice will often lead me to give a show a lower rating, as it is a pathetic attempt at giving an anime some degree of superficial appeal to the masses. Some anime are very good, but the level of fanservice contained within detracts from their overall quality (I.E. Konosuba). Even fanservice within the ecchi genre, despite the shows revolving around it, can still have negative impacts on the show's quality. For example, while something like "Keijo!!!!!!!!" could not feasibly exist without fanservice, something like "No Game No Life" derives negligible benefit from its fanservice.

On this train of thought, two such genres that are atrocious in terms of pandering to their fan-bases are the shoujo- and shounen-ai genres. In my "humble" opinion, these genres should cease to exist. They are, quite frankly, almost always let downs. Before I am labeled as hateful, I have no problems whatsoever with same-sex relationships between characters. If done right, the gender of characters in a relationship is irrelevant - and that's how it should be (I.E. Yuri!!! on Ice).Thus, there is no reason for distinction between the -ai genres and the romance genre; as any good romance anime requires a logical, developed relationship between two characters, so should the -ai anime, right? Sadly, this fails to be the case. There is almost always nothing good about the -ai genres. Somewhat counterintuitively, they lack any plausible relationships whatsoever. The sole reason the -ai genres exist is to please people who shamelessly enjoy superficiality. Who cares if the entire anime is horrendous so long as there are two men on the screen (I.E. Junjou Romantica, Super Lovers)? Why should I care about a story when those two girls are acting all lovey-dovey (I.E. Sakura Trick, Netsuzou TRap)? My point is, the -ai genres are terrible. They defy the positive conventions of what makes a good romance show,

Yet another qualm that I have with certain anime is my hatred for pretension therein. I understand that this is a more personal gripe that I have, and what I deem pretentious is completely up to me. Shows like Aku no Hana fail to intrigue me with their narrative as the styles of these shows present themselves as pretentious to me. For that reason, I do not really enjoy the content of any such show. Yet I can even see the stupidity of my aversion to pretentiousness, as I still manage to enjoy shows like FLCL and Neon Genesis Evangelion, both of which which present a somewhat similar narrative to the aforementioned example given (at least in terms of "pretension"). As a testament to just how inherently flawed my system of how I deem something pretentious, during my first watch of Evangelion I finished it with a rating of 3/10. Now, after having rewatched it, it sits quite contentedly at a 8/10. For that reason, this method of rating can be taken with a grain of salt, I guess.

Finally, there is the issue of clichés and tropes. While not technically a bad thing to utilize tropes, any series could be improved with a sense of originality. The problem that plagues too many anime is a cookie-cutter cast of characters, as well as very typical set pieces and scenarios littering the storyline. Though some tropes can be handled well and spun to be somewhat original, others are simply so typical to the point of mediocrity, which should not be what any anime should contentedly contain. Also, it should be noted that some older series cannot be judged for clichés, as they may very well have been the source of them (I.E. Fist of the North Star).

-Rules of Rating-

As a general rule of thumb, an anime's rating should be averaged across all of its episodes. However, more often then not, the final episode of an anime is really a deal-breaker. If a good series concludes with a bad ending, is the series still worthy of being called good? Ideally yes, but in reality not necessarily. And for series with a huge variance in quality across its episodes (I.E. Gintama, some episodes 4/10 some episodes 9/10), I will give it the benefit of the doubt and give it a higher rating than it would likely average out to be.

As a general disclaimer, I rate everything on this website, be it an anime, claymation, art film, etc. If I've watched it, I can rate it. For that reason, I also rate shows before their completion. I find it pointless to wait until an anime ends or I've dropped it to rate it, as I feel that seeing any amount of content gives me some sort of obligation to give it a score, however different from the final product that score may be.

-Conclusion-

I could go on and write much, much more, but there is no point in doing so, as there wasn't even a point in writing what I have already written. So without further ado, this is my variation of the 10-point scale.



10: Essentially Perfect
Percent Equivalent - 98-100%
While there is no merit in falsely awarding something the label of perfection, there are certainly some anime that go above and beyond the rest of what the medium has to offer. Simply put, these shows are genre-defining, and are some of the most captivating experiences I have undergone in my years of watching anime. There are few, if any, issues I have with these anime, and even so, the overwhelming good aspects found within completely outweigh anything negative the show may have. Overall, any show given a 10/10 is essential to watch, with virtually no moments in them lacking in utter enjoyability.

9: Outstanding
Percent Equivalent - 95-98%
These shows are some of the highest of quality within the medium, but there is something, albeit small and often inexplicable, that prevents them from attaining a perfect score. Much like the anime that I rate 10/10, any series that falls into this rating is an extremely enjoyable watch, worth every moment of time spent watching it. There are a general lack of issues to be found within these shows, as they are filled to the brim with a great amount of quality. Overall, these shows are essential watches without a dull moment within.

8: Great
Percent Equivalent - 90-95%
These anime are extremely enjoyable to watch. The content found within the anime that I have rated 8/10 is exemplary, despite having a few minor flaws. Any of these anime are immensely good watches, and should be something that should appeal to pretty much anybody. Their content is largely free of any issues, and the sheer quality of that content makes them overall great series. Sitting down to watch these shows is always a very welcome experience, and doing so is never a bad use of my time.

7: Very Good
Percent Equivalent - 85-90%
These anime are very enjoyable to watch. Any anime I have given a 7/10 has left me completely content to have watched them. There are a few issues within each, but the issues are overshadowed by the general goodness that is to be found within these shows. For the most part, the series that I have given this rating are vastly enjoyable experiences - perfect to sit down and watch one episode at a time.

6: Good
Percent Equivalent - 80-85%
Shows that earn a score of 6/10 are easy to watch. While they may not be substantial to the medium, they do not contain anything unwelcome or disinteresting. I am perfectly content to spend my time watching any show that I rate a 6/10, but there are certainly some better uses for my time. There are issues in these shows, but nothing too detrimental. Overall, there is no real reason not to watch these shows, but neither is there any reason to cherish them.

5: Fine
Percent Equivalent - 70-80%
There is nothing wrong with shows that I rate a 5/10. They are pretty good, and most certainly can be better, but there is nothing wrong with them. They have their fair share of issues within, but these anime are not bad by any means. They are simply anime to watch for the sake of watching, not really for the sake of finding immense enjoyment. Overall, these shows are fine to watch, but at the same time they are fine to be skipped over for something else.

4: Mediocre
Percent Equivalent - 60-70%
Not much more can really be said about anime that I rate 4/10 other than the fact that they are simply average. They don't do much of any worth, but they aren't totally lacking in enjoyable content. These shows can have their good moments, but the fact remains that these anime are bland. Generic. Typical. They simply exist to be watched, but fail at being anything more than completely mediocre. They have some quality to them, but not too much. They have a decent amount of issues within them, but nothing extremely to their detriment. There is no reason to watch these shows, nor is there any real reason not to. They don't accomplish much, and after finishing them there is no reason to have really enjoyed their duration. Anything mediocre is the very point that divides anything with some degree of quality and that which begins to lack it.

3: Poor
Percent Equivalent - 50-60%
While it can be seen that some series were trying to do something, they can oftentimes fail. And that is what the series that I rate 3/10 are. They try to create something of value, but don't manage to make anything reasonable. There is a general lack of originality within these series, and they fail because they contain nothing intriguing. Though these series aren't exclusively bad, any series given a 3/10 lacks a lot of good. These series are filled with needless issues, but can still have some redeeming qualities to them. When it all boils down to it, these shows are the last place where there can be anything considered remotely good found within. For no reason should they be enjoyed.

2: Awful
Percent Equivalent - 25-50%
Generally, the anime that I give a 2/10 don't need to exist. In fact, there is no good reason for me to watch them, as they don't provide anything of value to me. But the fact remains that I watch these series, and end up really disliking them. While any show that fails catastrophically at creating an enjoyable experience can be perversely fun to watch in its own right, the fact remains that these shows are are bad. Really, really bad. Bad to the point in which they are completely draining to watch. Enjoyment cannot be found in these shows. They fail to contain anything good, and are plagued with many issues. Despite their complete and utter badness, they are not the worst anime to exist. But for no reason should any of these shows have been watched, even though they somehow managed to catch my eye and make their way onto my list.

1: Despicable
Percent Equivalent - 0-25%
There is a certain degree of awe to be had whilst watching these shows. After all, it is intriguing to think for a moment how anyone in the production of these complete failures did not somehow come to realize the pathetic mistake that they were assisting in the creation of. Yet they exist, and as a testament to their hideous birth, are completely devoid of any sort of quality. Simply put, anime that I rate 1/10 are disgusting and pathetic. They are the most pointless watches to ever embark on. I could go on and on about the complete and utter lack of anything good within these shows, but they do not even deserve that much. Everything that could have gone wrong with these shows did, and there is nothing within them that is even remotely okay. These shows do more than just leave you a headache and a bad taste in your mouth; you lose some degree of faith in humanity at the end of their brief tyrannical reign over your concentration.



As one can see, I have numerous shows that I have completed on my list that are what I would generally deem as bad, pointless watches (1-3/10). From this, it can be seen that I don't always drop shows that I consider to be bad. And thus, the question could be asked: what makes a show bad enough to drop it? Oddly enough, I don't really have the answer myself. Some shows are horrendous - absolutely vile piles of garbage - but I still see them through to the end. Yet with other shows could be not as bad but still find their way onto my dropped list. There isn't really any particular reason that I will drop a show. It would make sense to drop everything that is bad in order to watch exclusively interesting shows, but some part of me, strange as it may be, keeps me from doing so. It's not really an interest in seeing whether it could become better, nor is it really any specific desire to see a show through to its completion. Or, rather, I'm unsure of that fact; it very well may be the case for both scenarios. Either way, I drop things because I feel like dropping them. That's really all it boils down to.

In recency, however, I have begun to drop things a lot more frequently. In the span of a single season, I have very nearly doubled the content on my dropped list, which is honestly a good thing. Time is precious, so why should I spend it watching hours of seasonal shows that are mediocre at their very best? My plan to watch list isn't going to be shrinking unless I start making time for those shows, so might as well no longer dwell on awful series that barely keep me captivated enough to withstand 24 minutes of them.



Though my profile description is not yet fully complete, nobody (with the exception of a certain reader) will be reading this far. So I don't care. I'll update this when I finish sorting out my favorites and least favorites. But for now, let's leave it at this.

































Madlax best show. Doon best girl.