| Now this confuses me more. MAL said that you need to wrote why you like/dislike it, without including spoilers, then what if the 'likable' or 'dislikable' part was a part from a spoiler? And the other thing is that it's also stated that it should be wrote 'objectively'. Saying why I like/dislike a show can never stack with 'objectivity'. So what do you think guys? You can wrote a specific method too here. |
YouJun 6, 2016 7:57 AM
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| Not by writing wrote, that's for sure. |
| Do the opposite of what the majority of MAL "reviewers" do. |
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| There is no one single right way. Plus it depends heavily on the show As far as the spoiler question goes, if it's only a very light spoiler you can probably include it. If it's something major however then you never should. An exception could be if you write a separate section at the end of the review where you discuss spoiler-sensitive matters if you deem it necessary, but in that case you have to make it absolutely clear beforehand that spoilers are present below so that people don't accidentally read it if they don't want to. Something along the lines of *WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW* and then make like fifteen line breaks before the next paragraph or similar. You can also write a short warning at the top of the review but then it'll be harder to know exactly where in the review that the spoilers are present so I personally prefer the first option Some other key points include: - Proper grammar and use of English - Don't get sidetracked - Put some effort into it. You can't write a good review in 200 words (unless it's like a short BD special or something maybe) - Don't just split it up into six sections with a paragraph for each (I.E: story, characters, art, sound, enjoyment, overall. This isn't an absolute rule as it's still possible to make a good review even with that but most of the time it ends up looking somewhat unprofessional and lazily structured that way - Have some sense of humour. It should be at least somewhat fun to read - Try not to recap too much of what is happening in the show. It's also more important to explain why you thought something than what you thought - Don't be too biased. To clarify, a review will always be biased because humans aren't robots, but what I mean is don't write shit like "OMG BEST ANIMU EVER 10/10" or "DIS IS THE WORST SHOW EVER MADE 0/10" and sound like you're drunk or something Just off the top of my head |
HaXXspettenJun 6, 2016 3:40 AM
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| Don't waste time on subjects that are unrelated to the review, like how much praise a show gets or how popular it is |
| you need to learn when to use write, wrote, written So as MAL has stated, If your text has to include spoilers, give a spoiler warning ahead or at the start of your text. Also try to avoid them as much as possible, meaning that if possible then you should use roundabout ways to tell why you like or dislike something :) |
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| Do exactly what the majority of MAL reviewers do. |
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| - 1 Poem - A quote or two - A funny essay - Some minor SHOUTS! -- Traditional review stuff.... |
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| Being an "objective" reviewer is impossible. An "objective" review would merely be a description of the anime's premise, and we already know how much that's frowned upon. The best way to do it is to be biased but impartial - by this I mean, have a strong opinion and justify it well, but also be open to the other side of the argument, and don't rant in caps lock like I've seen a lot of "reviewers" do. So, just don't rant in general, don't talk about superficial aspects like the state of the industry, other people's reviews, how that hot girl at school totally ignored you today at cafeteria etc. Also, don't do categoric reviews (like: story, visuals, sound, enjoyment, characters). It comes off as lazy and implies that all of the categories hold equal weight in every anime, which is demonstrably false. |
HaXXspetten said: It's also more important to explain why you thought something than what you thought This whole post is very good and wanted to draw extra attention to this line. On the objectivity front, you don't, imo anyway, have to be especially objective but should justify your feelings where possible] Also I personally think averaging across the preset categories (character, enjoyment, plot, visual, sound) to calculate overall score is a very poor way to do it. A light comedy will likely ,(not always,) be best assessed if weighted towards characters and enjoyment. If I had used this system, my 10 rated animes would be ranked 7.6, 9 and 8.2. |
StarlitSentryJun 6, 2016 5:50 AM
| With writing objectively they mean not to write stuff like "OMG THIS IS THE BEST EVUR" or something along that line. You obviously have to give your own opinion. What they mean is analyzing your opinion so that you can tell why you did or didn't like it in a way that other people can understand. In other words, tell the people why you did not like that characters' development and what you exactly liked about the story. Also, if you need spoilers to get your point across then you should use them. Just warn readers about their presence. I've seen spoilers in professional reviews from a magazine so I'm pretty sure you can include them. Just don't include any blatant ones and only put in the minor spoilers if you have no other option. If the spoiler is too big you just write you cannot mention it because it's such a big deal. |
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| I have a much better idea, instead of asking people for their opinion, just go and write one how ever the fuck you want. Even if its shit and/or cancer there's bound to be someone that agrees with you. Be yourself. Just no grammar errors. |
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| Well written reviews are boring Be unique |
| By doing it just like I do Just follow your heart, young padawan~ |
 This glorious signature image was created by @Mayumi! I am the Arbiter of Absolute Truth, and here is my wisdom: "Anime was always influenced by the West. This is not news. Shoujo is the superior genre primarily aimed at young people. Harem/isekai are lazy genres that refuse any meaningful innovation. There is no 'Golden Age.' There will always be top-shelf anime. You should be watching Carole & Tuesday." |
The right way to wrote anime review? Using spellcheck. ....................... |
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| Step 1. Don't follow MAL review format because it's shit Step 2. Point out strengths and weaknesses of the show whilst providing evidence Step 3. Put your personal baggage and experience into the review. Step 4. profit |
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| - Provide the reader with a well informed introduction to the shows themes. - Go over the objectives first; ie art and animation, OST, production quality etc.. - Voice your opinion on how well the show implements its themes or how well it presents them. Go over the pros and the cons.. - Sum it up & give your final verdict. - Using correct tenses of verbs.. |
| Objectivity is bullshit. Value isn't an object you can measure using the scientific method, but logic should still apply. Anyway, it's best to avoid spoilers as possible. If you have to mention an event that happens, be as vague as you can. Talk less about what's happening, and more about the meaning of the event. |
| WEAPONS - My blog, for reviews of music, anime, books, and other things |
| Lmao grammar nazis everywhere XD besides, pointing bad sides can backfires too, some people can perceive it more like a rant. Anyways ty for those who actually saud their useful feeds |
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You said: Im pretty sure nobody wanted to come out as a grammar nazi, it's just that a review full of grammatical errors gives off a less serious vibe, and will more likely be overlooked.Lmao grammar nazis everywhere XD besides, pointing bad sides can backfires too, some people can perceive it more like a rant. Anyways ty for those who actually saud their useful feeds |
♦ Anime List ♦ Manga List ♦ Friend Request ♦ Message Me ♦ DeviantArt ♦ |
| Yeah, like and dislike can't be objective. What is objective is visuals, music, situations, dialogues, camera angles, use of symbolism, themes, if any, and how the author used it, characters personalities, interactions, etc. That means everything the show presents that isn't your own interpretation, for the most part. Based on that, you give points for execution. Try and be fair, reasonable and unbiased. It also helps that you've watched a lot of anime. I lack experience to give proper reviews and criticism, yet I do my best for ratings, but if you wanna review, you have to know what is average, and compare from there. This comparison method is necessary in the 1-10 scale imo, since you need an average to put anime below and above that 5/10 Finally, don't be restricted by formallity. Go wild, but be sure to draw the point across in a clear manner while you're at it. Clarity is valuable. |
 It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; What is essential is invisible to the eye.But does the heart have the right perspective? |
| Why are you reviewing an anime in the first place? What meaning does that score indicate? Those are important. I think trying to declare an anime as great or terrible on an objective scale is a bit pretentious, so my reviews tend to be more practical. What things would others enjoy about this anime? What might they be turned away by? A final verdict should have a qualitative element. As for spoilers, you might need to write less of a review and more of an analysis. |
 Click the banner for anime lists, discussions, reviews, and let's plays! |
TheBrainintheJar said: Objectivity is bullshit. Value isn't an object you can measure using the scientific method, but logic should still apply. Isn't stuff like production quality and animation objective? |
Gesu- said: Well, you never even try to understand that KlK has objectively got one of the shittiest art ever >.>TheBrainintheJar said: Objectivity is bullshit. Value isn't an object you can measure using the scientific method, but logic should still apply. Isn't stuff like production quality and animation objective? |
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Z-Dante said: Well, you never even try to understand that KlK has objectively got one of the shittiest art ever >.> So how does it feel to be objectively wrong? Reign the Conqueror and Lucky Star have the worst artwork in anime. Get it right. |
This glorious signature image was created by @Mayumi! I am the Arbiter of Absolute Truth, and here is my wisdom: "Anime was always influenced by the West. This is not news. Shoujo is the superior genre primarily aimed at young people. Harem/isekai are lazy genres that refuse any meaningful innovation. There is no 'Golden Age.' There will always be top-shelf anime. You should be watching Carole & Tuesday." |
| I wonder how people read and like that long reviews? I didn't read a full review even for my favor shows .. |
| It needs to be autistic as fuck like this one. I don't really know how to write reviews. This review seems pretty unique and helpful and I bet the review was more entertaining than the actual anime. MAL says you shouldn't try to convince the readers to watch it or not but should give them the materials to decide that for themselves. I did write one real review and it is done in the style that MAL suggests, but I feel like it's as informative as it needs to be and also doesn't feel stiff. It's for an anime not too many people know about so naturally not too many people have seen my review. |
zombie_pegasusJun 6, 2016 11:11 AM
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| You should write a review with your heart not with your mind. |
| Signature removed. Please follow the signature rules, as defined in the Site & Forum Guidelines. |
Metalixx said: You should write a review with your heart not with your mind. That's not entirely helpful, though. Otherwise, my review of Fate/Zero would've just comprised of: AAAHAHJSFJSFWKLQML :QSMKLSCWOPQJNQKQMKALKMADJNQ IT'S SO GOOD AAAMMGMGMMMGM I CAN'T HANDLE IT UODVJNWDOPJNQWDOPMKQWDOMKDOKMWQPJNFPIFNPKOMQWDKOMQWMK And I don't think the site content supervisors over at HubPages would appreciate 1500 words of that. |
This glorious signature image was created by @Mayumi! I am the Arbiter of Absolute Truth, and here is my wisdom: "Anime was always influenced by the West. This is not news. Shoujo is the superior genre primarily aimed at young people. Harem/isekai are lazy genres that refuse any meaningful innovation. There is no 'Golden Age.' There will always be top-shelf anime. You should be watching Carole & Tuesday." |
Zelkiiro said: Except that I'm objectively right and you're just derailing the topic. Z-Dante said: Well, you never even try to understand that KlK has objectively got one of the shittiest art ever >.> So how does it feel to be objectively wrong? Reign the Conqueror and Lucky Star have the worst artwork in anime. Get it right. Never even heard about any Reign the conquer, never watched lucky star. But Kill la Kill looks like it was drawn by a fucking 4 years old. How do people even watch this shit with that art? |
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Kaito-Fan said: I wonder how people read and like that long reviews? I didn't read a full review even for my favor shows .. lol, I'm guilty of doing very long reviews but I usually like to remind people to skip to my "what to expect and personal enjoyment" for those who don't have the time/energy to read an very long in-depth review. Funny because when I read other people's long reviews, I only read parts of it (either the most crucial or the parts I personally want to see) |
| Why yu gettin' cheeky? (͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) |
Z-Dante said: But Kill la Kill looks like it was drawn by a fucking 4 years old. How do people even watch this shit with that art? Again...wrong. Kill la Kill is a fuckin' great-looking show. Just because it's not super-shiny and super-glossy doesn't mean it's anywhere even close to being bad. Hell, I was tempted to put together a Kill la Kill forum set using this as my avatar: But I'm terrible at Photoshop and MSPaint won't shrink it without super-pixellating it, so I didn't. But I wanted to, because Kill la Kill's art style is badass. |
This glorious signature image was created by @Mayumi! I am the Arbiter of Absolute Truth, and here is my wisdom: "Anime was always influenced by the West. This is not news. Shoujo is the superior genre primarily aimed at young people. Harem/isekai are lazy genres that refuse any meaningful innovation. There is no 'Golden Age.' There will always be top-shelf anime. You should be watching Carole & Tuesday." |
Z-Dante said: Zelkiiro said: Except that I'm objectively right and you're just derailing the topic. So how does it feel to be objectively wrong? Reign the Conqueror and Lucky Star have the worst artwork in anime. Get it right. Never even heard about any Reign the conquer, never watched lucky star. But Kill la Kill looks like it was drawn by a fucking 4 years old. How do people even watch this shit with that art? I remember when I use to drool over the Kill la Kill art because I thought it was so distinctive and different really. Now that I look at it, it really isn't all that xD Though I wouldn't say it looks drawn by a four years old but I can't lie, it's just so simple I swear. Welp, they did make improvements when making Kiznaiver, the art isn't so bad in that show but not absolute amazing. |
| Why yu gettin' cheeky? (͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) |
kamisama751 said: You do your job, I do mine! @Z-Dante Man, Rewrite hasn't even aired yet and you already got that in your sig. I think I already know which show will be my next seasonal victim. xD There can't be a good show without any haters. Bonus points if the hater is masochist >:D |
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| I think HaXX covered pretty much all I wanted to say, especially the last part about not being too biased. |
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Zelkiiro said: Metalixx said: You should write a review with your heart not with your mind. That's not entirely helpful, though. Otherwise, my review of Fate/Zero would've just comprised of: AAAHAHJSFJSFWKLQML :QSMKLSCWOPQJNQKQMKALKMADJNQ IT'S SO GOOD AAAMMGMGMMMGM I CAN'T HANDLE IT UODVJNWDOPJNQWDOPMKQWDOMKDOKMWQPJNFPIFNPKOMQWDKOMQWMK And I don't think the site content supervisors over at HubPages would appreciate 1500 words of that. Haha. Just write what you feel about it. Dont try doing something you dont feel for the anime. Btw that is stupid if you literally do that. It is just a bit of help. The rest is up to you to follow the rules. Fllow the rules and write a review of how much you like it or not. Zelkiiro said: Z-Dante said: But Kill la Kill looks like it was drawn by a fucking 4 years old. How do people even watch this shit with that art? Again...wrong. Kill la Kill is a fuckin' great-looking show. Just because it's not super-shiny and super-glossy doesn't mean it's anywhere even close to being bad. Hell, I was tempted to put together a Kill la Kill forum set using this as my avatar: But I'm terrible at Photoshop and MSPaint won't shrink it without super-pixellating it, so I didn't. But I wanted to, because Kill la Kill's art style is badass. And I do agree with you. Kill la Kill was just too awesome. Not anyone can understand its brilliance. |
| Signature removed. Please follow the signature rules, as defined in the Site & Forum Guidelines. |
Mkim said: Just try not to sound like a fuck and you good yeah pretty much listen to this guy everyone |
You said: what if the 'likable' or 'dislikable' part was a part from a spoiler? That's a huge problem. My 'best' review was of Gakkougurashi and that anime was literally impossible to discuss without spoiling things. My advice is to avoid it as best you can, but if it's impossible then just separate your review into spoiler-free and spoiler-filled components. You said: Saying why I like/dislike a show can never stack with 'objectivity'. Don't talk about objectivity if you don't understand it. |
| Now you're wondering if there's white text in any of my other posts. Over there, I'm everywhere. I know that. |
| First and foremost is to refrain from restating the damn synopsis. For Christ's sake, we have it right on the front page, so quit the useless babbling and just start reviewing. |
Gesu- said: TheBrainintheJar said: Objectivity is bullshit. Value isn't an object you can measure using the scientific method, but logic should still apply. Isn't stuff like production quality and animation objective? Kind of, but they don't prove quality of the anime. High production values are meaningless compared to character development, writing, story, theme exploration. |
| WEAPONS - My blog, for reviews of music, anime, books, and other things |
| The review length doesn't necessarily have to be long but it has to get the point across to the audience. Being biased in a review is also not recommended, as long as you keep the love and hate aside when explaining each of the categories (story, animation, etc) and rating them fairly then you should be fine. |
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| simply, make me actually want to read it and not for lolz, and actually make me decide to watch or not to watch it... |
 "If taking responsibility for a mistake that cannot be undone means death, it's not that hard to die. At least, not as hard as to live on." |
Kuma said: simply, make me actually want to read it and not for lolz, and actually make me decide to watch or not to watch it... ...That's not 'simple'. I went to goddamn college to pursue a career in writing (it didn't happen as I'd planned, of course), and even I'm not that confident in my writing abilities. |
This glorious signature image was created by @Mayumi! I am the Arbiter of Absolute Truth, and here is my wisdom: "Anime was always influenced by the West. This is not news. Shoujo is the superior genre primarily aimed at young people. Harem/isekai are lazy genres that refuse any meaningful innovation. There is no 'Golden Age.' There will always be top-shelf anime. You should be watching Carole & Tuesday." |
Zelkiiro said: you know what, i don't really oftenly read reviews, but as long as you can make yuor review on the point, communicative, and not look like some keyboard warriors rant, i will read it... that's why i usually prefer to the last episode discussion rather than actual review... they are oftenly more closed being actual helpful review than the review it self, lOl... i already imune to spoiler anyways...Kuma said: simply, make me actually want to read it and not for lolz, and actually make me decide to watch or not to watch it... ...That's not 'simple'. I went to goddamn college to pursue a career in writing (it didn't happen as I'd planned, of course), and even I'm not that confident in my writing abilities. |
"If taking responsibility for a mistake that cannot be undone means death, it's not that hard to die. At least, not as hard as to live on." |
kamisama751 said: You said: Now this confuses me more. MAL said that you need to wrote why you like/dislike it, without including spoilers, then what if the 'likable' or 'dislikable' part was a part from a spoiler? And the other thing is that it's also stated that it should be wrote 'objectively'. Saying why I like/dislike a show can never stack with 'objectivity'. So what do you think guys? You can wrote a specific method too here. Write what you like/dislike in an objective manner. "I don't like this character he is a bad one" is... wrong. "This character is bad because he is bland" follwed by explaination if neccessary is right. Then followed by general writing skill like vocabulary, grammar and so on should be enough for a "non-professional" review. I don't care about spoilers so just put "WARNING: POTENTIAL SPOILER" at the beginning of all of your reviews. :D @Z-Dante Man, Rewrite hasn't even aired yet and you already got that in your sig. I think I already know which show will be my next seasonal victim. xD Exactly By explaining WHY you have a certain opinion your review becomes helpful even to people who do not share your taste. And yeah, some things like character-tropes can easily be proven. I can't even recall a tenth of all the standard tsundere-chars I've seen so far. |
It's okay to smirk |
lasterrending said: A couple of ideas: 1. Your target audience is people who have not seen the show. Reviews that assume I've already seen it can be confusing. If you want to discuss aspects of the show with people who've watched it, use the forums instead. I'll admit I sometimes forget this one. For instance, I might mention a character by name without giving any background to that character. 2. Your review will be biased. Just accept that and get on with it. There's no need to try to be totally objective in your review. It's okay to analyze why you liked certain parts of a show and disliked others, but in the end, it's still just your opinion. Don't try to hide it. And if you feel that your own personal preferences may do the show a disservice, add a disclaimer. Go ahead and admit you don't like action as you trash on an action anime. 3. Despite the above, try to judge the show on how well it accomplishes what it's trying to do. If you don't like action, when you review an action show try to determine how well it represents the genre. Do you hate it because it never really convinces you to root for the good guys? That's a valid criticism. Do you hate it because there are too many fight scenes? Probably not a valid criticism. Or if you're reviewing a Slice of Life comedy, go ahead and complain that the jokes aren't funny. But don't complain that the plot never really goes anywhere. 4. One of the most important elements to mention is tone. In most cases this should be obvious, but sometimes it's not. For instance, action anime can range from dark and violent to upbeat and even humorous, and everything in between. Sport anime can range from tense and competitive to light and cheerful. Viewers looking for something exciting might be turned off by something lighter, while those who like lighthearted anime might dislike a show that gets bogged down in competitiveness. A brief mention of the overall tone can help properly shape expectations. 5. It's good to mention elements that might turn off certain viewers. Gore, fanservice, crude jokes, yuri/yaoi, for instance. If shows have these, please mention them, with a brief explanation of how prevalent they are. I avoid hyper-gory shows, but I don't mind seeing fighters coughing up a little blood in the middle of battle. On the other hand, I like a lot of fanservice, but other viewers might want to avoid shows that overdo it. 6. Reviewing by category is fine but not necessary. I personally like reviews that are split up between story, characters, etc. On the other hand, don't feel obligated to follow that formula. Some shows just don't lend themselves well to that. And if you don't like that kind of layout, feel free to write your review however you want. 7. Reviews are to help people decide whether to watch a show, and to shape their expectations. Some shows are just plain bad. Some shows are just plain good. Some shows will never appeal to certain viewers. But some shows are pretty good if you go into them with the right expectations. I will never enjoy something dark and violent, so I want to know up front if that's the kind of show it is. On the other hand, if a show sounds like it's going to have an engaging plot yet it turns out to be a completely episodic slice of life, I might dislike it even if I normally like that kind of show. Proper expectations can help people enjoy shows more, and a review is a chance to help set those expectations. I never get the idea of reviews as consumer's advice. These reviews are boring and I can't read them. They don't provide any insight or analysis. It's mostly just whether the anime is good or not. Why limit the audience? |
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