Things to consider when rating anime (an idea shamelessly stolen from a comment by tj_han here and extrapolated):
1. Premise, Setting, and Story Is the premise interest-capturing? Does its universe work logically?
Is this anime exciting in terms of plotting? Does it progress logically?
2. Characters and Themes Does this anime have sound, rounded characters?
Do their actions and motivations make sense? Are they emotionally realistic?
Does this anime reveal aspects of human nature or portray the human condition realistically?
3. Production Values Does this anime have beautiful designs and animation?
Is the music suitable and is the acting effective?
How well do these aesthetic qualities aid the story in creating atmosphere and tone?
4. Originality and Style Is this anime groundbreaking in some form? Does it have unique style?
Is it subversive of standard tropes or otherwise innovative in how it tells its story?
5. Audience Engagement Does this anime make me learn or think in ways I hadn't previously?
Does it make me examine aspects of subjects important to myself, my world, or my relationship with others?
6. Mass Appeal Can this anime be shown to non-anime fans and have them nodding in approval?
Does it appeal to an audience outside its niche?
7. Purpose and Fulfillment Does this anime achieve what it sets out to achieve (eg make us laugh, have erections etc)?
How ambitious was its initial aims? How successful was its achievements?
Not all these questions need be weighted evenly, but they do, collectively, articulate for me a convenient format to measure all anime series on the same scale. This avoids debating and controversy over comparing two titles of dissimilar styles or genres, and approaches something akin to identifying objective quality (though some personal bias will always be present).
The rating scale:
10 - Masterpiece: A singularly unique experience. Transcendent of age, culture, genre, and the medium itself. True and timeless. Appreciable on nearly every level. The standard against which every great work is measured.
9 - Amazing: It consistently grasps the highest forms of expression. It speaks to universal themes, and appeals to both my head and heart. Moving and inspired.
8 - Excellent: Superior concept and execution. Clearly a step above the rest, with only minor, if any, complaints. Something I wholeheartedly endorse.
7 - Good: A well done work that succeeds at it's primary goals. Its pros significantly outweigh its cons.
6 - Decent: Somewhat successful, but either unambitious or lacking polish. Watchable, but not particularly outstanding.
5 - So-So: Middling quality. Highlights and low points spread evenly. Some aspects attract fans, but won't win over new converts. Problems hold it back. Unmemorable.
4 - Bad: Fails in at least one of its basic element. Good points are uncommon and storytelling is marred by flaws, which are significant and are hard to overlook. Uninventive and stupid.
3 - Terrible: Recognizing its faults dominate its viewing. Catastrophic breakdown in many categories. Source of much derision and occasional unintentional comedy. Lacks any significant meaning or merit. Repulsive.
2 - Soul-Crushing: Not only worthless, it’s so devoid of any enjoyable moments that it sucks the life out of you. It inspires aggressive hatred and spiteful effigy. Has no redemptive value.
1 - Disgrace to Humanity: Sometimes we wonder why awful things happen. Anyone who was involved in the production or witness to this abomination are worse for it. The antithesis of all that is holy and good. A metaphorical black hole, the scum of the medium. Remembered for all the wrong reasons. Disgraceful... to everyone.
My favorite 10 anime ever:
My favorites list is not simply a list of my top rated MAL shows, but are titles of significant personal value to me, i.e. embodiments of what I love about anime. MAL ratings are different from my favorites, so see above for my MAL rating system.
Oh! You're an old-timer as well (ur birth year... well not that old, but you get my drift! Hey! You know The Beach Boys so you gotta be at least a bit older than the rest ;3)
Fancy meeting you here =3 (also, your anime-power-level is impressive :D)
I've decided to try and make my last 6 shows ones that I've been watching for years but never finished. Going with Macross, Space Adventure Cobra, FullMetal Alchemist, Yamamoto Yohko, Neo-Ranga, and Excel Saga
It's nice to see people using the full range of scores. People far too often just use the upper half, which kind of defeats the point of having a scale of ten. While I do mostly watch 5+ material as I dislike sub-par shows, I'm not afraid to rate low when I dislike something.
