| Sure, that's a completely fine way to, perhaps, filter shows. I do it sometimes lol |
| Favourites and then Ratings. I also give the synopsis a read to see what kind of show I'm expecting |
| Probably ranking if I have to choose from those 3, but aside from that I typically just read synopsis and decide from there. I did use to go by popularity when I first got into anime though. |
| Even if some of the rankings are unjustified, every high ranking anime is at least good, so I would check the rankings and check out an anime that looks interesting. Popularity shouldn't be used when ranking an anime, but when a lot of people like it, they must be doing something good right? So I would also check there. Idk about favorites though. A lot of people tastes differ and some people may simply not be as emotional attach to an anime compared to others. Some anime heavily relies on sympathy and emotions. For example, something like Anohana, Angel Beats, or even Clannad, if you aren't attached to the characters, plot, or their struggles, it would just be another drama for you. This one really does depends on opinions and taste. Personally, I found that rankings would be best way to find good anime. Popularity, although a good measure, can be hit or miss. If you solely use popularity, you'll be watching animes like SAO or Tokyo Ghoul. Shouldn't completely ignore popularity, but keep in mind that it can be misleading. So, in short, Rankings>Popularity>>>Favorites. Even if you think an anime like FMAB, Stein's Gate, Mob Psycho, the Monogatari series, or other high ranking anime are overrated, they are, at the very least, considered still good anime by most. I don't know anyone who would say they are actually bad. In my opinion, you should just check anime out from all three of them, and read their synopsis, or descriptions, to see if they interests you. |
YoungBreezy23Oct 27, 2020 9:01 PM
| You should just check the first couple of episodes and see if it is for you or not. |
| You also need to consider the fact that they affect each other. For example, popular anime with above average score tend to have even higher score compared to less popular ones. Why ? One, because of MAL scoring algorithm. Two, because people with less number of anime in their list tend to have higher averages. I am more forgiving for lower scores of less popular anime. And vice versa, if an anime is popular but it has a low score, bigger chance for it to be bad. |
Jim_HeartOct 27, 2020 9:15 PM
"The Slave is the have-not, the oppressed one with nothing to spare. But because the Slave is in that despairing situation, having nothing, it can kill the Emperor !" |
| The best out of the three is the Ranking. But nowadays I always check genre and statistics, since i visited the ranking section about 100 times. |
| Signature removed. Please follow the signature rules, as defined in the Site & Forum Guidelines. |
| Genre and rating is all I need to make me watch it. |
| "When they're alive, you can enjoy watching them struggle. When they're dead, you can enjoy tearing out their guts. Tales are things you get to enjoy twice." |
| Popularity, favorites and ranking are meaningless. For me there are other three factors: title picture, synopsis, genre. When you are experienced enough you become able to distinguish a bad show by only reading the synopsis or looking at the title picture. |
 |
| The SYNOPSIS is the one most important thing to see if you like the story just go for it. Don't follow the crowd see what you want to see, it all depends on your personal tastes. If I had to only pick one I'd go with rating. |
 I'm level  on mal-badges. View my badges. |
| Popularity is the most important.The more the anime is popular th more we'll enjoy. |
 Scordolo's Recent Reviews To your eternity Vanitas no Karte |
| Fuck, I dislike all those options since they're mostly untrustworthy, haha. But as the question asks, if I were to pick one... I think I'd pick favorites since in the end, whether an anime was highly ranked or recently popular, what stands out is arguably the top 10 favorite lists of people to an extent. Even if they're flawed or wrong from your taste/opinion. |
| I guess ranking is the best of those options. But still I won't recommend watching shows just for that, because when I watch an anime due to its rating I usually end up disappointed. Personally, I start a show only based on the poster or a character design that catches my eye, so I won't have any expectations (thus no disappointments). |
sneed's feed and seed  formerly chuck's |
| Not necessarily the top shows in any list, but I usually see what anime are frequently talked about and praised w/o being super high on popularity or rating rankings, such as Shinsekai Yori or Dorohedoro |
| This anime shit is addictive |
| Out of those three probably favorites. I usually go by rating though. |
| The name: The first thing you read even before the synopsis. If a name is stupid I usually ignore it. Obviously combined with other factors but its a good first indicator. The genre and tags: What you're looking for to experience at the time of browsing. The promotional poster: The first visual thing the creators of the show want you and the audience to see. If it looks like low-effort garbage then the anime will probably be the same. |
 Latest reviews: Summer Pockets and Train to the the End of the World |
| Popularity is near worthless. Rankings tend to be a much more accurate (albeit still imperfect) predictor. |
| I mostly check Score, since there are a lot of amazing show that not many people have seen (no Popularity) and even less people have actually favorited it (not much Favorite points), so the comfortable solution is Scores. But keep in mind that even scores are not the real measure for what to expect, just check SAO and it’s scores, that is a pure garbage show with fanservice that has a score close to some amazing anime. |
 |
| I ALWAYS go for the synopsis first. If I don't like the pure, base concept of something? I won't enjoy it at all. Then I usually glance past the overall score (unless its downright terrible) and go for the reviews. I read a few non-spoiler reviews with both good and bad scores, just to get different opinions on the topic. It's really helped me out! |
 |
| Ranking, or rather, the score would be the safest bet. It's double-edged though, a high score could make me expect of the anime highly only to just get disappointed. I personally like reading comprehensive, spoiler-less reviews just to gauge if a series is gonna fit my mood or not, or what bad and good points I should expect of it. |
   |
| i check out the stats and genre, thats it |
| Only you know what you've seen, heard and felt, someone else's opinion is irrelevant. -Kurenai, Deca Dence |
| None. After a few years on this website I found out that none of these are an indicator of quality. |
| MEA·MENTVLA·INGENS·EST |
| Ranking) The main parameter. You won't like everything rated high, but statistically speaking it is worth checking out the top rated first. Popularity) More members implies a higher % of less experienced ones, who rate everything they see higher because they have less to compare with. So, if a show is popular but still rated low, it's a very bad sign. Favourites) It directly depends on popularity, so it doesn't help you much by itself. The Favourites/Completed ratio is much more useful (https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=1837651&show=0) Synopsis) The synopsis won't tell you anything about how well it will be executed, so I don't understand how people feel smarter because they don't care about the scores, but then they think that the synopsis matters more. Director/Author) If you liked something, there's a good chance you'll also like other works made by the same anime director or, more importantly, by the same author of the source material. |
NirinboOct 28, 2020 1:27 PM
| watch the first episode and decide for urself |
| Scores, rankings and reviews. Trailers, openings and endings too. |
| I genuinely don't really give a shit about the score. I've found shows under 7 that I've loved and shows above 8 that I've hated so it's not the best indication for me, particularly because there are certain genres on MAL that I like that are more harshly scored because the average MAL user doesn't like them. So I take scores with a pinch of salt. I look mainly at the genres, the summary and a few of the reviews. I tend to like to read one that rates it highly and one that rates it low. That usually gives you an indication about what there is to like about a show and what its potential faults are. But ultimately, it's better just to give it a watch. I tend to just try watching the first episode and then if I like it, keep going. I only add stuff to my list if I keep it for a minimum of three episodes. I can't tell you how many anime I've watched just one episode of before realising it's not for me. |
  🔥 🔥 🔥 . 阿良々木 暦, 傷 物 語 . 🔥 🔥 🔥 Build a man a fire and you'll warm him for a night but set a man on fire and you'll warm him for the rest of his life... - H E N D Y - |
| "To see if anime is worth watching, I should check it's..." first episode! |
| At first, I think you should read description (maybe see the review too?). If you'll like it you can check a few first episodes. |
 |
| I do this sometimes too but I mostly read the synopsis and see what studio it comes from |
 |
| None. To see if an anime was worth watching I would just read the description. |
| "The name's Gambit. Remember it." -Gambit "X-Men '97"  |
| I do look at the ranking, but my 3 are usually: synopsis, genres, ranking. And also whether it's something my boyfriend recommends. |
 |
| For me it's Genre -> Episodes -> Synopsis. Popularity and ratings mean nothing to me. Just because something is popular doesn't automatically mean I'll like it, and ratings have tricked me before. I watch anime that seem interesting to me and have a reasonable amount of episodes. That's pretty much it. But even then, that's only the first half of the process. All anime that manage to catch my attention end up in my "Plan To Watch" list. From there, the ones that interest me the most get moved to a list where I seperate each of them into their main categories before ranking them in order based on my interest. That's how I decide the order of which anime I'll watch next. Am I taking it too far? Probably yes. Does it work though? Yes. |
 |
| Well, amongst the 3 features you mentioned, popularity and favourites aren't objective at all since mediocre/bad anime can be super popular So I'd watch out for the ranking/rating But the most important things to check imo are the genre and the synopsis Even if an anime has a good rating, if it's about something you couldn't care less about or dislike, you may not appreciate it In general just check everything about the anime to make sure you'll like it or not Personally I mostly look after : the rating, the genre, the synopsis, my friends' ratings, the studio and the staff |
Unalina said: To help decide* Please don't say "None we all have different opinions." Just what of the 3 would you check. Here's the order I follow: 1. Check the genre and synopsis: Obviously, according to your preferences. I don't judge based on the synopsis, and all genres are fine for me, but I get an idea of what the content would be. 2. Check the Score: Usually if an anime is rated x on MAL, I assume that I might find it to be something between x-1 and x+1. 3. Read the Reviews: I go for comprehensive reviews which discuss in detail the plot, characters, art, and music. These reviews give me a good idea of what to and what not to expect. Usually I read two reviews from reviewers who've rated it above the MAL score, and two below, before making the decision. I do not pay attention to the popularity, cuz it isn't a measure of quality at all. You can check the trailer, but again, it doesn't portray much beyond the synopsis, except for glimpses of the art, OST, and voice acting. |
 |
| Popularity, score, genre, and episode count. |
| I think the main issue with this is that as a whole, the mal community has a really random and weird taste. Just go with your own personal gut feeling. |
More topics from this board
» Do you "King Crimson" anime?thewiru - 3 hours ago |
11 |
by Adnash
»»
13 minutes ago |
|
» Why is older anime seldom recommended?thewiru - 6 hours ago |
35 |
by Adnash
»»
18 minutes ago |
|
» Waifu War V5 (Anniversary-Edition!) (Round of 32) ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page )Minkalex - Sep 28 |
674 |
by Adnash
»»
23 minutes ago |
|
» How many anime episodes you have watched the most in a single day? Were you alright after watching that many episodes? ( 1 2 )Rinrinka - Feb 15 |
60 |
by AllAlone8
»»
32 minutes ago |
|
» Sub lost the war ( 1 2 )Dragevard - Today |
60 |
by DateYutaka
»»
58 minutes ago |