In Numbers: The Best and Worst Anime of Summer 2019

Scores, members, favorites — everything you need to know about who won and lost Summer 2019.

< Spring 2019 | The Decade >

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What makes a seasonal anime the best? Having the highest score? The highest number of watchers? Consistency? Or rising up as an underdog?

What makes a seasonal anime the worst? Having the lowest score at the end? Having the least amount of people watching? The most drops? Or perhaps taking the greatest fall?

In fact, all of these things are important. There are many kinds of criteria available on MAL that can be used to assess the winners and losers of each season, so I've gathered them all in one place for nearly every new show that debuted in Summer 2019 (32 in total) so you can see for yourself. Everyone has different opinions, but the numbers don't lie.

Data courtesy of myanimelist.net and anime-stats.net

Glossary

Weekly/final data points were taken a week after the episode aired.

Score Rank: Ranking for the highest final score out of the 32 listed shows + how it ranked after its first episode.

Pop. Rank: Ranking for the most Watching and Completed members upon conclusion + how it ranked in Watching members after its first episode.

Drop %: Percentage of users who dropped the show out of all Watching, Completed, and Dropped members. #01 = least dropped, #32 = most dropped.

Score Change: This indicates how much the score changed between premiere and finale (or last recorded score). #01 = highest positive score change, #32 highest negative score change.

10W Gain: Percentage increase of Watching members after episode 10 from episode 1.

Faves %: Percentage of users who added the show to their Favorites list out of Watching and Completed members.

Best Ep.: The episode with the highest average score from episode discussion thread polling (score out of 5) + rank among every other Best Episode scores.

Avg. Disc.: Average number of episode discussion thread replies.

1W Comp.: Percentage of Watching users who Completed the show in the week after it finished airing.

Graphs

For Watching and Dropped, the graph on the left shows the total members and the graph on the right shows the number of new members each week.

Unlike other graphs, Replies is measured on the same scale for every series.

Some Important Notes

It's not perfect.

Recap episodes and delays create hiccups in the data, which results in two weeks or more captured in one data point; this season was particularly full of them. While a week-based system could be used over an episode-based one, a similar disruption would occur in the other direction — for example, in the week that Enen no Shouboutai was delayed, the number of drops came out halved from the previous week (518 > 268) and then redoubled (268 > 624) after the next episode aired. Thus, I am sticking with an episode system to make it more consistent. Please note that this only affects Score, Watching, and Dropped.

These disruptions also caused an error in data collection for the final episodes of Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou, Bem, and Re:Stage! Dream Days♪. This affected Score, Watching, Dropped, and 1W Comp. For Score, I've used the MAL Score Progressions Club's data, which records after two days (the result is roughly the same). For member-related statistics, I've only graphed up to the previous episode.

Any show with a data hiccup, from an error or a recap/delay, has been marked with a * so that it can be taken into account.

But aside from that, please enjoy this fascinating deep-dive into how every Summer 2019 show was received! There's also a summary section at the bottom that has all the rankings in one place.

Araburu Kisetsu no Otome-domo yo.

Completed

Who doesn't love a good underdog story? Araburu Kisetsu no Otome-domo yo. started out way down at #16 in popularity with just under 20,000 Watching members, but managed to climb up eight whole ranks with a stunning 162% 10W Gain. To put that in perspective, the next highest 10W Gain was Given with 124%, which only climbed up two ranks from #21 to #19.

Despite its sexually-driven and often uncomfortable subject material (the first episode ended with someone getting explicitly caught "white-handed", for example), it surprisingly had the 5th lowest drop rate. The non-stop drama and controversial elements likely contributed to its high Avg. Disc., which ranked higher than Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka II and Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou did with only half the number of Watching members.

Spikes in Watching members tend to occur after iconic or controversial episodes that spark wider conversation, and that would seemingly be the case with episode six, which sticks out like a sore thumb on the Watching graph below, with nearly double the member gain as its neighbours. However, the show's other statistics stand in contrast to that data point — the score only went up by 0.02, it had the lowest discussion thread replies overall, and had an episode score just above average. Not much happens in the episode itself either, relatively speaking, since it's mostly just the Literature Club beginning preparations for the school festival and embarking on a field trip; it's quite the unexplainable anomaly.

Sadly, Araburu Kisetsu no Otome-domo yo. wasn't able to keep up its momentum all the way to the end: a disappointing finale for many knocked down its score and resulted in the second-lowest episode score for the series. Still, with a +0.30 Score Gain overall at rank #08, it was one of the best performers of Summer 2019.

araburu

*Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou

Completed

^Missing data for final episode. Episode 6 is two weeks due to recap episode.

As I learned from Kenja no Mago in the first edition of In Numbers last season, isekai series produce very surprising results, even when they're bashed all season. However, to say that Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou was just another isekai punching bag would be an understatement. Not only did it have a predictable genre plotline, but the production was so disastrous that it was a spectacle in and of itself. And yet, it still performed better in multiple categories compared to its (many) isekai counterparts in Summer 2019.

The premiere certainly made quite an impact, with the second-highest amount of discussion thread replies for the first episode, behind only Dr. Stone. From there, Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou still managed to bring in a top-10 finish in 10W Gain despite a 12.8% drop rate, which was the second-best for isekai last season. That being said, Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou certainly ended better than it started, going from its lowest-scored episode to its highest, even if that best episode's score was third-last overall. The massive jump in score at the end was likely due to the algorithm more than the finale itself though — when an airing show finishes, only scores from users who have completed 1/5 of the show are counted, so users who dropped it super early are taken out. However, the most surprising statistic of all is the Faves % at rank #07, which beat out even Vinland Saga, #08, by 0.2%.

Even the most panned shows have their fans, but the negativity was pretty universal. The top three reviews on Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou all gave it a 1/10, but in the end, popularity is what matters to the production committee. Due to massive viewer numbers across multiple platforms, even if many were hate-watching, a second season was immediately announced upon the first season's conclusion. I look forward to seeing how its statistics turn out when it arrives.

arifureta

*Bem

Completed

^ Missing data for final episode. Episode 4 is four weeks due to a long broadcast delay.

Yes, you read that note correctly. After just three episodes, Bem's broadcast was put on hold for nearly a month, and that completely diminished its already minimal momentum and made Bem the only show this season to have Watching member losses, which is pretty hard to achieve. Shoumetsu no Toshi at least had Fairy Gone and Gunjou no Magmell to keep it company in that regard last season. Yet despite that, Bem only fell by two in Pop. Rank and was still two from the bottom in 10W Gain, above Granbelm and Try Knights. It didn't make a triumphant return either since episode four had the third-lowest episode score of the entire series.

In fact, it managed to only just keep itself from the bottom in every single category from scores to favorites; it's just a shame we can't see how it fared in 1W Comp. to complete the set. Regardless, the main takeaway from Bem is how impactful an extended broadcast delay can have on a show's momentum, especially when it was already limited to begin with.

bem

*Cop Craft

Completed

^Episode 10 is two weeks due to recap episode.

Cop Craft managed to place itself into a disappointing but not terrible middle ground across the board with two major exceptions: its Avg. Disc. was higher than half the shows above it in Pop. Rank, but its Faves % was shockingly low at second-to-last overall, meaning it placed lower in that category than every show below it in Score Rank with the exception of Sounan Desu ka?.

Looking at the Episode Score graph, we see that Cop Craft hit some severe lows in episodes three and eight; episode three is particularly notable since it occurred right after the second highest-rated episode and marked the beginning of Cop Craft's continuous decline in Score, with the biggest drop of the whole series. Both episodes took a plummet for different reasons: the primary complaint in episode three's thread is about jarring animation, whereas episode eight's thread's main issue is about dumb fanservice.

copcraft

Dr. Stone

Ongoing

Dr. Stone's insane popularity is no secret, but the extent of it is quite significant for a non-sequel: it started off with nearly 100,000 Watching members, which is roughly 30% more than what rival Shounen Jump series Kimetsu no Yaiba started off with earlier this year, albeit with a 12% lower 10W Gain. In fact, with 3777 more initial Watching members than One Punch Man 2nd Season in Spring 2019, Dr. Stone had the highest amount of initial Watching members of any show this year... until it was beaten by Boku no Hero Academia 4th Season in Fall 2019 with 103,266. By episode 10, Dr. Stone had 22.5% (48,167) more Watching members than the next highest show, Enen no Shouboutai, which had 166,442 members. Yet despite an easy win in popularity, it still lost to Vinland Saga in Avg. Disc., with 31 fewer replies on average.

Dr. Stone has been as firm as a rock in its score compared to other shows, but it ultimately ended up with a negative score change that meant it was overtaken by the growth of Senki Zesshou Symphogear XV and Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san 2 by the end of the season, after starting out in second place. Many users don't put an anime on their Favorites list until after it's finished airing (e.g. Kimetsu no Yaiba: 952 new favorites after episode 25, 3425 new favorites after the finale), so to come in at #06 well before completion is an impressive feat. However, it still placed lower than another Ongoing show, Ensemble Stars!, which came in at rank #2.

Although Dr. Stone sports many favourable accolades, it came in at an underwhelming #12 for its Best Ep. score for episode 9. However, episode 9 was still a special moment for the series. The introduction of Gen Asagiri (the #2 most popular character in Dr. Stone) and the reinvention of the light bulb marked an important turning point in the Kingdom of Science and Senkuu's future endeavours heading into Fall 2019.

drstone

Dumbbell Nan Kilo Moteru?

Completed

With an enticing premise and animation by esteemed studio Doga Kobo, Dumbbell Nan Kilo Moteru? headed into Summer 2019 at a respectable #6 in Pop. Rank, but I don't think anyone would have predicted such high results to come out of it by the end.

It may have only just scraped through in three, but Dumbbell Nan Kilo Moteru? still managed to finish in the top 10 for nearly every category. The Score graph isn't as erratic or impressive as most other shows, but it only went down in score once in its entire run after episode ten (and by just a single point). The drop rate and episode scores were notably consistent as well, meaning there weren't any episodes that particularly stood out, for better or worse. In the end, Arnold Schwarzenegger's (cough I mean Barnold Shortsinator's) eccentric cameo came out on top with a 4.74, allowing the show to take #8 overall in episode score.

Dumbbell Nan Kilo Moteru? has what I believe is the most fascinating data anomaly in all of Summer 2019 — a second-to-last place in 1W Comp. I was so confounded by it that I even made extra checks to ensure it was correct. Of course, there is a reasonable enough justification for it: it's a chill slice-of-life show that doesn't demand you to finish it like most drama-based shows do, so a relatively lower 1W Comp. isn't illogical. However, for it to be so low among 31 other shows, despite a podium finish in both 10W Gain and Faves %, is quite remarkable.

dumbbell

Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka II

Completed

Sequels have a much lower chance of being dropped, so it's not too surprising that Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka II had the second-lowest drop rate despite its poor performance in scores. For such a beloved and well-known franchise, finishing with a Score Change near the bottom is particularly disappointing — in fact, it had a worse Score Change than the much-bemoaned Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka Gaiden: Sword Oratoria by 0.01 (7.64 > 7.04); neither of them saw a single score increase over their entire run, either.

Episodes stayed steady in score right until the end, where it went from the highest score in episode 10 to the lowest score in episode 11, which dragged down the average by 0.05 and several ranks. Episode 10 was very much the climax of the final arc and the series, so episode 11 was probably viewed unfavourably due to it dragging the show on with unnecessary fluff afterward.

Where Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka II collapsed in score, it ascended in popularity. Naturally, it started out as one of the most popular shows heading into Summer 2019, but it actually managed to overtake Vinland Saga as it moved up in Pop. Rank, with an impressive 10W Gain of 116%. Hopefully, the already-announced third season will fare better in score than this installment.

danmachi2

*Enen no Shouboutai

Ongoing

^Episode 3 is two weeks due to broadcast delay.

Before it aired and after the premiere, Enen no Shouboutai was shaping up to be one of the biggest shows of the new season, taking on both Dr. Stone and Vinland Saga. However, when it comes down to raw statistics, Enen no Shouboutai failed to come out on top of either of them in any category.

Relatively speaking, Enen no Shouboutai still did well in the major categories: it held onto its silver medal for Pop. Rank, kept itself in the top 10 for Score Rank, maintained a low drop rate, and sustained healthy growth in Watching members. But for such a high-profile show, having one of the worst Score Changes without a single positive episode and a mediocre average episode score isn't ideal. Although, as I previously mentioned, many users don't put an anime into their Favorites list until after it's finished, 0.73% (#21) is rather disappointing compared to Dr. Stone's 1.74% (#6) and Vinland Saga's 1.52% (#8) — even the disastrous Try Knights achieved a higher Faves % with 1.00% at rank #16.

Amusingly, episode six dived by 0.36 down to 3.73 from 4.09 and then jumped back up to 4.09 again. Hibana's backstory clearly did not impress viewers...

enen

Ensemble Stars!

Ongoing

If you don't keep a close eye on the lower world of seasonal shows, I wouldn't blame you for asking "Ensemble Stars!? What's that?", since it only has Pop. Rank #29 and an Avg. Dis. of just 14 at rank #30. But Ensemble Stars! is one of those shows that directly appeals to a niche audience (namely those who play the original mobile game), and a silver medal in Faves % (for an Ongoing show, no less) paired with a high drop rate demonstrates that it very much succeeded in satisfying that specific audience.

I have to admit that I'm amused by the fact that David Production had two shows in Summer 2019 starting with "En" — both have their disappointing parts, but one was clearly better than the other.

enstars

Given

Completed

Although I celebrated Araburu Kisetsu no Otome-domo yo. as a great underdog story earlier in this article, Given is just as impressive in that regard, if not moreso, depending on what your priorities are; where Araburu Kisetsu no Otome-domo yo. succeeded in popularity, Given succeeded in Score.

The upward curve of Given's score for the last few episodes is matched only by Kanata no Astra's in sheer steepness. Thanks to this final spurt, Given finished with a score of 8.20 to become the second-highest-rated shounen-ai anime of all time on MAL. Yet, despite that, it only moved up by one in Score Rank, which demonstrates the solid upper-class of last season. With an impressive top ten finish in every single category except Pop. Rank by a wide margin, it's undeniable that Given was one of the most under-watched shows of Summer 2019 — though not for a lack of trying, since it took the silver medal in 10W Gain.

Every single graph — Score, Watching, Dropped, Replies — shows the significant positive impact of episode nine, so why isn't it marked as Best Ep.? Despite an overwhelming number of 5/5s (718, to be exact, which is several hundred more than the full vote total of any other episode by itself), a substantial party of users brought it down with 1/1s, perhaps in response to the emotional kiss shared by the main male characters (see the score breakdown here). Even if it doesn't take the statistical trophy, I don't think anyone who enjoyed the show would argue against it as the best episode of the series, or even in Summer 2019 as a whole for some.

given

*Granbelm

Completed

^Watching members was recorded a little bit late for episode 12, resulting in some Completed members getting caught in it.

With just a glance, you can see what makes Granbelm such an intriguing anime from a statistical standpoint. The third-highest drop rate and the second-worst 10W Gain? It must have been a terrible show... yet, it came in at #4 for Score Change, which isn't even the full picture. Since the last score was recorded a week after Granbelm's final episode, it has climbed even further to a current score of 6.99 from 6.69; an additional 0.30 increase, which is unlike any other show.

This fascinating transformation can also be seen in the Episode Score graph, which started out with an abysmal 3.58 before bounding up to a fairly consistent string of mid-4.00's. An overall average of 4.34 put it above bigger shows like Enen no Shouboutai and Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka II. On the other hand, the intake of new viewers died remarkably quickly after just four episodes. This did, however, result in a fairly high 1W Comp. rate that made Granbelm one of only two shows to finish with fewer Watching members than it started with (the other being Try Knights for similar reasons).

What the numbers don't show is a common sentiment that can be seen in discussion threads and the top reviews on the database page that claimed Granbelm was just misunderstood and didn't get the chance it deserved. Perhaps so, but in the end, the numbers are what they are.

Isekai Cheat Magician

Completed

You know a show is really bad when it manages to come second-to-last in Score Change despite starting right near the bottom in score. Where Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou was an isekai punching bag for its production elements, Isekai Cheat Magician was there to take a beating for its thematic elements (though not without its production criticisms). To quote Isekai Cheat Magician's top review, "It had the potential to be the worst anime of the season, but unfortunately, Arifureta happened to air alongside it." I'm sure many would agree with that sentiment, but when it comes down to the statistics, Isekai Cheat Magician lost in every single category, some by an absolute mile.

Considering how panned they both were, it almost seems unfair that Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou came out way on top in Score Change (#6 vs. #30), Faves % (#7 vs. #23), and 10W Gain (#10 vs. #22). This is in spite of the fact that they were neighbours way at the bottom in Best Ep., Avg. Episode Score, and Drop %. Amusingly, Isekai Cheat Magician fell to #31 in Score Rank, which is where Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou was after its first episode.

At the very least, Isekai Cheat Magician got to experience just a small score increase after its finale, even if it pales in comparison to Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou's Superman-esque leap.

isekaicheat

Joshikousei no Mudazukai

Completed

Hey, can I say something amazing right now? — sorry, I couldn't resist starting with that since every episode of Joshikousei no Mudazukai does.

Joshikousei no Mudazukai is arguably the series that improved the most in Summer 2019, as indicated by its Score Change figure; the #1 show for Score Change, Senki Zesshou Symphogear XV, rose by only 0.10 more, albeit from an already high score of 7.80. In addition, Joshikousei no Mudazukai's score has risen by an additional 0.21 since completion, whereas Senki Zesshou Symphogear XV has remained stationary. However, that consistent growth in score wasn't matched by growth in popularity, as it stayed at Pop. Rank 23 with a mere 68% in 10W Gain. Still, it's one of only a few shows to have a near-perfect positive record in Score, especially when you compare it to the number that didn't go up a single time.

Episode 7 with a score of 4.77 at rank #7 — it really is the luckiest number. But then again, Joshikousei no Mudazukai is rank #13 in the other two categories on the bottom row...

Kanata no Astra

Completed

With less than a third of the Watching members, Kanata no Astra surpassed the likes of Enen no Shouboutai and Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka II to take the bronze medal for Avg. Disc. along with the silver medal for 1W Comp., demonstrating the significant impact of its constant twists and turns.

Although it was only #4 in discussion thread replies, episode nine came out on top by a notable margin of 0.13 over the next highest. Considering it was the episode where two of Kanata no Astra's biggest twists were dropped (which I won't spoil for you), it's not surprising that it was voted as the best episode of the series and was #2 overall for Best Ep. As seen in other entries, the last episode can be a make-or-break moment (especially for drama-focused series), but the finale stayed strong and carried Kanata no Astra to a satisfying end. After counting down for half the season, Kanata no Astra's score slowly lifted off and rocketed upwards.

Yet, despite the amount of conversation Kanata no Astra generated and its other impressive stats, it was still a fair way off from breaking 100% at just rank #15 for 10W Gain, and remained in Pop. Rank #11 for the duration of the season.

kanata

Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san 2

Completed

I have to admit that I chuckled at the consistent see-saw of Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san 2's score for most of its run at the start. Amusing as it is, a consistently high score with a spike in score in the last few episodes is pretty ideal for a series.

Many users only put one installment of a franchise into their Favorites list, which is sensible considering the limited space provided; sometimes, users put in just the first installment to represent the whole series. That being said, the second season outperforms the first season in Faves %, which concluded with 1.28%; the same goes for Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka which concluded with only 0.02% less than its more disappointing sequel. In that sense, Faves % for sequels can only be effectively compared with other sequels.

takagi2

Katsute Kami Datta Kemono-tachi e

Completed

Katsute Kami Datta Kemono-tachi e was the very first show to debut in Summer 2019, but that's as far as it went in terms of taking a #1 spot; it wasn't even close to it in any of our categories and actually came last in one of them.

In the first edition of In Numbers last season, studio MAPPA's Sarazanmai had a fascinating set of statistics that painted it as the biggest underdog of Spring 2019. It took a top ten finish in Drop %, but had the second-highest favorites rate behind only Shingeki no Kyojin Season 3 Part 2. But this season... Katsute Kami Datta Kemono-tachi e had the biggest drop in Score Rank of any show in Summer 2019, but had nothing to make up for it. To add insult to injury, the last-place finish in 1W Comp. shows how little viewers actually felt incentivised to complete it.

katsute

Kawaikereba Hentai demo Suki ni Natte Kuremasu ka?

Completed

Kawaikereba Hentai demo Suki ni Natte Kuremasu ka? is another series that took a decent middle ground, but had a particular statistic that stood out — rank #7 in 1W Comp. The show offered a more unique twist on the harem genre with deeply perverse elements and a Nisekoi-esque plotline, so perhaps it's not too surprising that its viewers felt more incentivised to complete it. Although it didn't have a low drop rate, it still managed better than other ecchi-focused shows like Tejina-senpai and Sounan Desu ka?.

As a harem show, the typical "best (and worst) girl" discourse is very much a part of Kawaikereba Hentai demo Suki ni Natte Kuremasu ka?. The sharp drop in Episode Score on an otherwise clean graph post-premiere for episode four occurred as a result of that discourse: the reveal of Mao Nanjou's fujoshi quirk, which is negatively mentioned in almost every single reply in episode four's discussion thread. Even in a show based around degenerate fetishes, fujoshis still aren't accepted.

hensuki

Kochouki: Wakaki Nobunaga

Completed

Since the final data collection, Kochouki: Wakaki Nobunaga has risen further to 6.59 at the time of writing, but the fact that it finished on the same score it started with is a first in this article series. Although the score itself isn't particularly remarkable, the neutral Score Change and rank display an important statistic: the divide between shows that finished with a positive or negative Score Change was almost an even split. This is comparatively better than the 25 shows I analysed for In Numbers: The Best and Worst of Spring 2019, which had a 40/60 split (10 positive, 15 negative).

Aside from its performance in score, Kochouki: Wakaki Nobunaga placed in the bottom five in five categories, but was only just knocked down into it for Pop. Rank by the growth of Senki Zesshou Symphogear XV, despite starting out with 35% more initial Watching members.

Lord El-Melloi II Sei no Jikenbo: Rail Zeppelin Grace Note

Completed

Fate spin-offs are all the rage these days, so this will be the first data analysis of a Fate spin-off's performance of many to come. Though, sadly, it's not the most impressive start.

As demonstrated earlier by Kanata no Astra, if you leave viewers hanging with impactful twists, they'll be more inclined to finish a series sooner. Since Lord El-Melloi II Sei no Jikenbo: Rail Zeppelin Grace Note was a murder mystery-style show, a high 1W Comp. rate would be a good indicator in that regard, but that did not turn out to be the case, as the show ended with a bottom-half finish — it managed to stay neutral multiple times, but there wasn't a single positive episode for Score either.

Where it suffered in score, it also suffered in popularity, dropping by two Pop. Ranks after being overtaken by Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san 2 (just) and Araburu Kisetsu no Otome-domo yo. (with more than double the 10W Gain). It was even beaten in 10W Gain by Katsute Kami Datta Kemono-tachi e, which had a lower Faves % and the worst 1W Comp.

Despite that, it performed surprisingly well in Episode Score, with a relatively consistent run, leading to a high average score of 4.46.

el-melloi

Machikado Mazoku

Completed

Prolific studio J.C.Staff had four TV anime airing in Summer 2019: (in order of Pop. Rank) Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka II (#3), Tsuujou Kougeki ga Zentai Kougeki de Ni-kai Kougeki no Okaasan wa Suki Desu ka? (#10), Toaru Kagaku no Accelerator (#21), and Machikado Mazoku (#24). Heading into the new season, Machikado Mazoku was certainly the most underwhelming of the bunch since J.C.Staff's other projects were two new installments in popular franchises and a popular-by-default isekai. But against all odds, Machikado Mazoku easily came out on top in overall statistics.

J.C.Staff's other shows all had significantly negative score changes (same order as before: #28, #31, #25) and lower average episode scores (#22, #29, #12), but Machikado Mazoku wasn't quite able come out on top of all of them in Drop %, Faves %, or 10W Gain. However, for a low-profile comedy show to take home the bronze medal in 1W Comp. over a popular franchise installment like Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka II, it deserves a round of applause.

When it comes to Episode Score, a key point to note is how much semi-decent consistency matters more than occasional higher-scored episodes. For example, Toaru Kagaku no Accelerator took #3 in Best Ep. with a 4.80, but came in at #12 for average episode score since many of its episodes scored below 4.50 — still commendable, but even mild inconsistency can have a significant statistical impact. Even though Machikado Mazoku was only #10 in Best Ep., it was just 0.01 away from a top five finish in average episode score, coming in behind Given.

machizoku

Maou-sama, Retry!

Completed

Maou-sama, Retry! was the first of Summer 2019's many isekai series to make its debut, but started out right down at the bottom in Pop. Rank and second-to-last in Score Rank. The first episode was easily the worst of the series in episode score, but overall, Maou-sama, Retry's average episode score was actually the highest of the bunch... though it's a shallow victory since they all placed right at the bottom (#27, #29, #30, #31). A very similar situation occurred in Faves % as well: while Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou soared away to rank #7, the rest piled together to take #23, #24, and #25. Birds of a feather rank together, it seems.

Interestingly, Maou-sama, Retry! took a very minimal loss in Watching members after episode four, but then collapsed in the following episode before rising again. Even with the extremely high amount of attention on Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou, Maou-sama, Retry was only 3% and two ranks lower in 10W Gain, far above the other two isekai series in ranks #21 and #22.

retry

Nakanohito Genome [Jikkyouchuu]

Completed

Speaking of isekai, Nakanohito Genome [Jikkyouchuu] technically was one as well, but only in premise and not in execution. Even though it had a negative Score Change of 0.02 at rank #16, it still rose by two places in Score Rank thanks to the fall of Kawaikereba Hentai demo Suki ni Natte Kuremasu ka? (-0.14) and Katsute Kami Datta Kemono-tachi e (-0.62). However, since the final data collection, the score has risen further to 6.96 at the time of writing.

It's certainly not what you'd want to see, but going by Episode Score, Nakanohito Genome [Jikkyouchuu] arguably had the most disappointing finale of Summer 2019 — a harsh 0.90 drop from the highest-rated episode to the lowest-rated episode for the finale. There's an unaired episode on the way that might clean up the ending, but it won't save Nakanohito Genome [Jikkyouchuu]'s statistics.

*Re:Stage! Dream Days♪

Completed

^Missing data for final episode. Episode 11 is two weeks due to broadcast delay.

Re:Stage! Dream Days♪ may have placed in the bottom half in Score Rank, but its rise in that category by nine ranks from start to finish was the highest of the entire season.

As mentioned above, there are two weeks' worth of data in the statistics for episode 11, which explains the doubled amount of new Dropped members... but then, in those two weeks, there was a net gain of only FIVE members for Re:Stage! Dream Days♪. Even before that, the show had a 10W Gain of just 36% at #29, the same rank as its Drop %.

dreamdays

Senki Zesshou Symphogear XV

Completed

Senki Zesshou Symphogear XV is the only Summer 2019 show to have such a steep change in score right in the middle of its run — any curves that steep almost always happen right at the beginning or the very end (see Try Knights and Kanata no Astra). It actually took the #1 spot for score in Summer 2019 away from Vinland Saga for a short period of time before stumbling at the end. Despite that, it was still 0.10 above Joshikousei no Mudazukai* in Score Change and has stayed firmly at its final score since.

Each week, I post weekly Best Episode charts for seasonal shows on the MAL Facebook page (under the hashtag #MALCharts if you'd like to check them out); rankings can change around pretty often, but Senki Zesshou Symphogear XV never dropped below #4 (in episode 5) and took #1 most weeks. Shingeki no Kyojin Season 3 Part 2 had a similar track record in Spring 2019, but not as consistently high. In fact, Shingeki no Kyojin Season 3 Part 2 also took #1 in Faves % with 3.76%, but that's been trumped by Senki Zesshou Symphogear XV's 5.52%, alongside Ensemble Stars!'s 4.63% and Dumbbell Nan Kilo Moteru?'s 4.26% at #2 and #3.

A 4.66% drop rate at rank #7 is actually surprisingly high, especially when you compare that to its other favourable stats (particularly Faves % and Episode Score) and the fact that it's a fifth season (therefore more filtered-in viewers) — it placed below Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka II and Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san 2 but placed above Starmyu 3rd Season for sequels.

symphogear

Sounan Desu ka?

Completed

One of the more interesting conclusions I discovered while writing the first edition of In Numbers last season was that users are less inclined to put a short-form anime on their Favorites list, which can be seen again in Sounan Desu ka?'s unfortunate last-place finish in Faves %, placing below other series that I'm sure many would call more deserving of #32. Tejina-senpai had a similarly low rank with 0.42% (#28), but it was a far more popular show in comparison.

Looking at its other stats, Sounan Desu ka? was far from the worst in any other category, though it only took a top-half finish in 1W Comp., which its half-episode runtime likely assisted in — there was a similar occurrence last season, where all five short anime finished in the top ten.

Aside from the first episode, Sounan Desu ka? was very consistent in Episode Score. In the end, the episode about extracting honey from a beehive took the crown with a 4.45.

sounan

Starmyu 3rd Season

Completed

New sequels naturally degrade in popularity over time as fewer people choose to continue watching a franchise. In the case of Starmyu 3rd Season, only 5,608 users have marked the previous installment as Completed since the end of Spring 2017, so the third season began and completed its journey at the bottom in Pop. Rank.

The wild changes in episode score can partially be attributed to a very low sample size (it is last in Pop. Rank, after all). Interestingly, even though the highest-rated episode has seven votes in its discussion thread (more than most episodes), it had the fewest replies of any episode with just one reply. Despite coming in at #20 in Score Change, Starmyu 3rd Season managed to retain its Score Rank to the end.

starmyu

Tejina-senpai

Completed

Much like its bumbling protagonist, Tejina-senpai wasn't quite able to pull off any statistical magic tricks, but it made impressive gains in Watching members to overtake Tsuujou Kougeki ga Zentai Kougeki de Ni-kai Kougeki no Okaasan wa Suki Desu ka? and Uchi no Ko no Tame naraba, Ore wa Moshikashitara Maou mo Taoseru kamo Shirenai. (the tied champions for Longest Anime Title in 2019) in Pop. Rank by the end of the season.

Tejina-senpai's overall score, on the other hand, remained completely flat for the majority of its run at rank #24... unlike its busty protagonist. Its episode scores got off to a rough start but managed to find their footing after a few episodes and stayed consistent until the show's conclusion. However, a 14-rank separation between Pop. Rank and Avg. Disc. is pretty severe — there just wasn't as much to discuss, it seems.

As mentioned in Sounan Desu ka?'s analysis, short anime tend to get shafted in Faves %, hence Tejina-senpai's low ranking there despite the rest of its performance.

tejina

Toaru Kagaku no Accelerator

Completed

Toaru Kagaku no Accelerator's entry for Best Ep. sets itself above most other shows this season with a bronze medal in score. However, in overall score, it saw just one score increase before gradually falling for the rest of the season.

Compared to the last entry in the Toaru Project franchise, Toaru Majutsu no Index III, Toaru Kagaku no Accelerator fared far better in overall score and Score Change, but performed significantly worse in Faves % (1.17% > 1.01%) and Drop % (3.63% > 6.50%). Like Fate, I'm sure I'll be poring over statistics for more entries to this franchise in the near future due to its popularity.

In case you're not reading this in alphabetical order, go check out Machikado Mazoku's section for a detailed comparison of every J.C.Staff anime in Summer 2019.

toaru

Try Knights

Completed

Try Knights was both painful and a point of carthasis for me. Its unorthodox late start (two weeks to a month after every other show) and finish is the reason why this article is coming out so late, but its remarkably terrible stats are so entertaining that I couldn't make the decision to just skip it. Although this is only the second edition of In Numbers, I know that there will always be that one series that fails spectacularly across the board in statistics. For Summer 2019, it was Try Knights.

It takes a very special kind of series to come in last place for more than half of the displayed metrics, not to mention coming in the bottom three for three other categories. To add insult to injury, Try Knights now holds the In Numbers record for worst Score Change (previous record was Gunjou no Magmell with -1.11), worst Drop % (previous record was Shoumetsu Toshi with 35.14%), and lowest Best Ep. score (previous record was Fairy Gone with 3.84). At the very least, Shoumetsu Toshi still comfortably hangs on to its worst 10W Gain record with an appalling 1.46%.

Yet somehow, Try Knights still managed to achieve a decent rank for Faves %, though it wouldn't surprise me if many of the favorites are purely ironic... I could go on, but the numbers really do speak for themselves in this instance. It's definitely one to beat for the honour of "worst show" in future seasons.

tryknights

Tsuujou Kougeki ga Zentai Kougeki de Ni-kai Kougeki no Okaasan wa Suki Desu ka?

Completed

For a Summer 2019 isekai series, Tsuujou Kougeki ga Zentai Kougeki de Ni-kai Kougeki no Okaasan wa Suki Desu ka? actually got off to semi-decent start with the best initial score, 0.47 above Isekai Cheat Magician. Twelve weeks later, it had the second-worst Score Change (a whole -0.30 more than Isekai Cheat Magician, which ranked directly above it) and the third-worst score of the entire season. Gunjou no Magmell was the only show last season to have a negative Score Change of more than 1.00, but Tsuujou Kougeki ga Zentai Kougeki de Ni-kai Kougeki no Okaasan wa Suki Desu ka? at least had Try Knights to keep it company in that regard.

The 10W Gain wasn't awful, but it still brought down the show's Pop. Rank by two, letting Araburu Kisetsu no Otomo-domo yo. and Tejina-senpai surpass it. Isekai Cheat Magician, which enjoyed a similar level of popularity, at least sustained a respectable number of new Watching members (664 after episode 11), whereas Tsuujou Kougeki ga Zentai Kougeki de Ni-kai Kougeki no Okaasan wa Suki Desu ka?'s Watching gains screeched to a halt right at the end with a mere 197 new members after episode 11. I was surprised to see that this was the isekai series with the highest Drop % in Summer 2019, especially considering the loud, vocal hate against Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou and Isekai Cheat Magician.

Hopefully, Fall 2019's isekai offerings will produce somewhat better results; it'll be hard to do worse than Summer 2019.

okaasan

Uchi no Ko no Tame naraba, Ore wa Moshikashitara Maou mo Taoseru kamo Shirenai.

Completed

Uchi no Ko no Tame naraba, Ore wa Moshikashitara Maou mo Taoseru kamo Shirenai. may have just been an innocently wholesome show, but that sadly didn't save studio Maho Film's first anime from a poor statistical performance.

Despite a respectable start in the top ten of Pop. Rank, it wasn't able to keep up with its neighbours and other rising stars like Araburu Kisetsu no Otomo-domo yo., Tejina-senpai, and Kanata no Astra*. The series got off to a promising start with a solid 0.08 increase in score after the second episode, featuring Latina beginning to settle in and make friends, which was voted as the best episode with a score of 4.62. Despite a relatively large drop in overall score, episode scores stayed mostly steady and achieved a decent average at rank #13.

uchimusume

*Vinland Saga

Ongoing

^First three episodes aired at the same time but have been recorded as if they aired normally. Episode 10 is two weeks due to broadcast delay.

Vinland Saga may be at the bottom of the list alphabetically, but it comes out on top where it actually counts. The only statistic in which it didn't perform well in was Score Change, but that's only because it was remarkably consistent — consistently good. If it wasn't for the degradation in score from no new episodes in three weeks at the beginning, Vinland Saga probably would've been the most consistent show this season. There's a noticeable drop in discussion thread replies for episode two between episodes one and three even though they were released at the same time, which may have been because of the multi-episode release.

Although Vinland Saga started out at #01 in score and finished there, it wasn't at the top for the whole season; it was overtaken by Senki Zesshou Symphogear XV for a few weeks before taking back its throne in the last few weeks. Although Vinland Saga's episode score average lost to Senki Zesshou Symphogear XV's by a solid 0.13, it took a clear victory in Avg. Disc. I can't say if it's a new record, since Avg. Disc. is a new metric in this edition of In Numbers, but considering that Shingeki no Kyojin Season 3 Part 2 has a current reply average of 430, it likely wouldn't be — that being said, this level of discussion is impressive, especially for a show with significantly fewer Watching members than Dr. Stone and Enen no Shouboutai.

With these statistics, I'm confident that Vinland Saga will continue to perform well in its second cour, or even reach new heights by its conclusion.

vinland

Full Ranking Lists

Medal Count

(🥇5 🥈1 🥉0) Senki Zesshou Symphogear XV
(🥇3 🥈1 🥉0) Vinland Saga
(🥇1 🥈1 🥉0) Dr. Stone
(🥇1 🥈0 🥉0) Araburu Kisetsu no Otome-domo yo.
(🥇0 🥈2 🥉1) Kanata no Astra
(🥇0 🥈1 🥉1) Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka II
(🥇0 🥈1 🥉0) Enen no Shouboutai
(🥇0 🥈1 🥉0) Ensemble Stars!
(🥇0 🥈1 🥉0) Given
(🥇0 🥈1 🥉0) Joshikousei no Mudazukai
(🥇0 🥈0 🥉3) Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san 2
(🥇0 🥈0 🥉2) Dumbbell Nan Kilo Moteru?
(🥇0 🥈0 🥉1) Machikado Mazoku
(🥇0 🥈0 🥉1) Re:Stage! Dream Days♪
(🥇0 🥈0 🥉1) Toaru Kagaku no Accelerator

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In Numbers: The Best and Worst Anime of Summer 2019

Glossary

Some Important Notes

*Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou

*Bem

*Cop Craft

*Enen no Shouboutai

*Granbelm

*Re:Stage! Dream Days♪

*Vinland Saga

Full Ranking Lists

Medal Count

Crap Count

Initial Score Rank

Final Score Rank

Initial Popularity Rank

Final Popularity Rank

Drop %

Score Change

10-Week Gain

Favorites %

Best Episode Score

Average Episode Score

Average Episode Discussion Thread Replies

First-Week Completion

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