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It's been a year since I've written a review on here, (I wrote one recently on Neoseeker) but last September I took some journalism courses and felt the need to spread some knowledge to the world. My past reviews could use work but I'm a little lazy.

1. Share everything:
My anime list has a great tool when it comes to sharing everything, almost reminding you to describe: the story, characters, art/animation, music/sound/acting, etc., overall impression. What was your impression of everything? What did you like/dislike? If you like something, why did you like it and explain? Vice Vera for if you disliked something. Remember it's your opinion but try not to be bias. If you like shojo, try not to give an excellent review on every series while writing every shonen as terrible. Point out the good and bad.

2. Be informal, but dun tawk lyke dis:

Journalism, for the most part, is informal and almost talking to someone. Would you tell your friend: the melody using augmented fourths was prodigious? Or: dem muzic waz ftw. Your reader shouldn't use a dictionary. Even though it's informal remember proper spelling and grammar applies. (There probably are errors in this but it's clear enough for people to read) Numbers should be numerical since it helps people to read easier. However, the words "hundred", "thousand", etc. can be used since 20 million is easier to read than 20 000 000. You want people to read your review, not be confused by either long words or chat speak.

3. Be brief:
Some people can write for pages and have trouble keeping it short. Most people skim through long pieces of writing so keep it brief. Also, people have short attention spans. No one wants to read an essay so pick out words that are essential. For example: "Sailor moon has a duty to make sure the world is free from bad guys who want to destroy it." Can be, "Sailor moon's duty is to protect the world from villains." Short, sweet and to the point. You don't need to tell people everything.

4. Expand.
This is the opposite of number 3 since some people (like me) have trouble lengthening a piece. People have questions when reading a piece of journalism. "Should I rent or buy this show? Why is it terrible?" These are some questions people want answered. Pick a new anime and come up with questions you want to know about this piece. Use those questions and answer them in your next review. Explain the answers and your review would be more helpful.

5. Who is it for?

In the last paragraph after your final impression, who is the target audience? What's the genre and which gender and age group would like it? Most women wouldn't want to see a seinen show with abundant fan service, while men probably wouldn't want to watch Hello Kitty. Readers want to know if the anime is what they would like. This is great for writing a review on a series you didn't like because someone else may like it.

Remember, not everyone will agree with your review. When I wrote a bad review for Lucky Star a lot of people complained. Remember: your review is your opinion. It's like asking a friend: Hey, is that movie any good? They may have a different take than you.