| 1) Characters 2) Story 3) Animation 4) Voice Acting (Good characters can be worse with bad VAs) 5) Sound Direction/High quality OSTs |
| Blanks. |
| In my opinion what makes an Anime great isn't something trivial such as whether the story is good or if the company did the source material justice or not. For me what makes an anime great is something quite simple. In the end it all comes down to if I found the anime enjoyable to watch. whether that be an action packed anime that had me on the edge of my seat for every fight scene or whether it's a mystery anime filled with clever twists and turns at every corner. As for extra things that are good but not necessary for me to like the anime are probably the art style, for which my favorite studio is most definitely Kyoto Animation, and good character designs and personality. |
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| Anime with action segments and fight scenes: Badass protagonists. Harem anime: Good female characters that would make great waifu material and protagonist who ain't dense like Ichika Orimura or too shy to make move on girl like most of harem protagonists. Slice of Life anime: Theme that involves things which can teach you life lessons and show you how it's can be like. For example,Usagi Drop teaches how taking care of kids can be like,K-On teaches how it's like to be a musician and how school life can be like,Non Non Biyori teaches about life in countryside and how life in countryside can be enjoyable. Romance anime: Strength of couple's feelings,bonds,devotion,loyalty and affection,not how romance is 'written' or 'cheesy' or 'forced' and stupid stuff like that. Music anime: Addicting,outstanding music with characters containing amazing features like Idolmaster and Love Live. |
| There is no bad waifu,only bad anime. |
Thanjh said: Things that must be in a great anime: Strong Story Good Characters Good Character and Plot development Good Character interactions Things I see as bonuses that aren’t required but good to have at least one of: Good animation and/or art style Good plot twists Good world-building Good power-system if there’s abilities in the show Underlying message i know some probably don't like when i say this but.... could this be any more... clich'e/expected? lol i mean... you pretty much just said what probably 90% of AD is going to say for me? waifu/fanservice/fetish series |
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Thanjh said: EcchiGodMamster said: Kind of a useless reply besides the last line but thanks I guess. It's expected cos it's for anime in general. There's other criteria for other genres (e.g slice of life, comedy, romance etc.)i know some probably don't like when i say this but.... could this be any more... clich'e/expected? lol i mean... you pretty much just said what probably 90% of AD is going to say for me? waifu/fanservice/fetish series well not only that but... putting "good" in-front of a bunch of stuff is pretty vague... wtf is "good" to you? lol |
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| Probably story/writing and if it has the ability to surprise me, all too often I've figured out the entire plot before I'm even into it. Also the direction, like how the underlying story and characters are presented to the audience. Any director can make a flashy action if he has the right animation team but it takes a great director to make a story that can speak to the viewer. Style over substance |
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Thanjh said: EcchiGodMamster said: So far you sound like the kind of MAL user I like the least so I'll just be ignoring you after this reply. I wasn't trying to explain what a good version of all the points meant. The point of the thread was to see what people like in anything they consider great. I wanted to see other people's opinions and if they want to say what makes a "good" version of one of points then they're free to do so.well not only that but... putting "good" in-front of a bunch of stuff is pretty vague... wtf is "good" to you? lol i already pre-warned you when i said i know some probably don't like when i say this but.... but w/e, but if you I'm that then you can do w/e LMAO |
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| has an emotional impact that makes you think of the series long after you've finished it |
| "Great" is a high amount of enjoyment with a low amount of flaws. |
| "The name's Gambit. Remember it." -Gambit "X-Men '97"  |
| For me, for a work to be "great", it has to be move me. It has to inspire strong emotions, such as making me feel great sympathy for the characters or great awe at the events, or it has to inspire intriguing thoughts, such as causing me to think about difficult questions. There are no specific requirements that the work have any kind of story structure, or character development/interactions, worldbuilding, use or avoidance of tropes/clichés or (dis)similarity to other stories, art style, animation, music, or other such criteria. These things may help (or even detract), depending on how they are used -- they do not automatically imbue a story with greatness, which is a holistic view of the work rather than a part-by-part examination. Sometimes, a seemingly incomplete story can be "great", because of the emotions or thoughts it conjures. And some stories I regard as favorites may have unrealistic but particularly and meaningfully iconic characters, in settings far removed from real life. But no matter how far from reality their specifics are, if the events that they portray can be seen in strong parallels to real life, they may have a very strong impact. Based on these emotional/intellectual criteria, this means that comedies have a harder time than dramas achieving "greatness" in my opinion. |
GlennMagusHarveyAug 16, 2019 7:11 PM
| Avatar character is Gabriel from Gabriel DropOut. |
| I want to see it either do something different, or to do something generic but do it goddamn well. Give me some kind of epic score, amazing animation, and some memorable characters. At the end of the day, doesn't matter if it's normally a genre I like or not, do those three well and I'm gonna enjoy the shit out of it |
 いってらっしゃい |
| Characters and themes are the most important elements |
   I'll keep wishing for a world where you can be happy. |
| I've always considered characters crucial, but I swear more and more I'm starting to consider them the absolute lynchpin upon which everything rests, because oftentimes a show has an incredible concept for a plot, but in this oh-so interesting tale the MC feels like a passive observer to their own show and little more than a bland and blank weak cypher for the audience. I've noticed this more and more and it's hurting my ability to enjoy some shows to the fullest. Like, I still may find the concept thrilling, which is why I started watching in the first place, but I feel like I can get just as much enjoyment reading a book or any sterile text on what it covers because the lack of strong characterization results in a total failure to engage emotionally in the work. This has made me knock some shows that could have been 10s to 9s or 8s, shows that could have been 9s to 8s or 7s, and so on. There is a ton more that is important, such as the show forging some kind of distinct identity for itself and creating a show universe that doesn't feel like too much of a carbon copy or blend of other anime in look and feel from setting and character and sound design, but out of anything, not having another impotent and passive MC (like the prototypical quiet beta student or "salaryman" type) who's little more than an observer to their own story seems key. Also, on characters, I have a strong preference for shows with a tight-knit cast of 2-4 main main characters and no more, rather than an ensemble cast. It makes it feel so much more intimate, like you're actually invited along on a journey with people you know or want to know rather than people watching a crowd at a train station. Bonus if it actually has something novel and interesting to say about the world we live in that is a critique of conventional assumptions/thinking about any given topic. There's a lot of ingredients to an epic story, but remove the character anchor and I'd rather just consume whatever it's trying to say in a documentary or non-fiction book. |
WatchTillTandavaAug 16, 2019 7:51 PM
| good boobs and good tiddies, also cute trap |
| [EDIT: I misread title as "What makes anime great" rather than "What makes an anime...", so below is a post with me talking about why anime is great in general.] I was a big western movie buff before I got in to anime. What really made me fall in love with anime was a combination of two major factors which overlap somewhat and several smaller factors: 1. While not a lack of pretention, a massively reduced level of it. Anime feels like a much more free-thinking medium that isn't shackled by restrictive western sensibilities. People who read the forum regularly and know me might think I'm just referring to the sexual content, but it's really so much more than that. In western media, something like Evangelion would never get made. It is on the one hand a cartoon about giant sci-fi robots manned by high school teenagers fighting invading aliens, and on the other hand it likes to slow down with lengthy, moody, introspective, deep character work, exploring themes of depression and loneliness. Western sensibilites are simply too judgmental and cynical and have this annoying concept of "childishness" which is applied to anything that strays too far from pre-established norms of storytelling. 2. Content tailored for otaku. I use the word otaku rather than nerds because it better describes the group I'm talking about. Nerd has come to be very mainstream and normie in the west. But even in Japan, an otaku is someone very much outside of society, plus all the other traits such as introversion, social awkwardness, single, very "hobby-focused"... also generally male, though... well, that's complicated topic but I think suffice to say content with cute sexy girls in isn't necessarily unwatchable for girls. In fact, girls not just in Japan but across the world love anime for it's cute sexy girls too though obviously not in quite the same way as guys. I think it's similar to how some guys like big muscley manly main characters because they admire that ideal of masculinity, and some girls admire cute feminine anime girls for the same sort of idealised depiction. Either way, it's refreshing compared to western media which tends to think anything that appeals to the straight male sex drive is evil and sinful and "not real art". Anime on the other hand has no such biases and loads of creatively rich and deep content is made where the cute sexy girls are there too, like an asthetic. 3. Lastly, lots of little things. I love the sound of Japanese as a language. I love the general Japanese philosophy towards life. I love the anime art style with the beautiful big eyes (the window to the soul!). |
YossaRedMageAug 16, 2019 8:24 PM
| “In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule.” -Friedrich Nietzsche Aggregate scoring is bad for the anime fandom |
| A number of factors, but I tend to judge an anime how I judge any form of entertainment that I watch, including western TV shows and movies. A unique and intriguing story with an interesting world and lore that develops as it progresses. Some great characters with developed backstories and motivations which make them morally grey. It results in them making questionable but understandable decisions. Righteous or pure characters, or ones that are evil for the sake of being evil are dull and uninteresting. No Mary Sue's or Gary Stu's. Great Visuals and an OST certainly help build emotion and tension for the scenes that require it. VA's are also important in helping to convey emotion. |
| A lot of things are important to an anime but mostly I'd say: -Character Development -Story You just can't depend on animation in the end, character development and story are the two most important aspects of an anime and they are what makes an anime truly great and worth watching in the end |
EthylliAug 16, 2019 10:39 PM
| no description boi |
silent_knight98 said: KIMG said: Jesus Christ! The first show was in my PTW list. Thanks for telling this. I removed it immediately XD. And i dont like mecha genre that much, so its no loss ✌️>Like the r@pe scene in Kakumeiki Valvrave  Meh, probably for the best, but not because of the rape scene. It’s just a mediocre mecha anime that doesn’t do anything groundbreaking. It’s seriously one of those anime I forgot I even watched until I see discussions like these and think “oh yeah, I guess that anime was famous for one really controversial thing and absolutely nothing else. I seriously can’t remember anything else that happened in that anime and I know for a fact that I watched both seasons.” |
Toucanbird said: I dont know why i put it in my list in the first place. Not really a fan of this genre tbh. And the ones which i actually enjoyed didnt even lay that much emphasis on mechas (Code Geass, Evangelion etc.)Meh, probably for the best, but not because of the rape scene. It’s just a mediocre mecha anime that doesn’t do anything groundbreaking. It’s seriously one of those anime I forgot I even watched until I see discussions like these and think “oh yeah, I guess that anime was famous for one really controversial thing and absolutely nothing else. I seriously can’t remember anything else that happened in that anime and I know for a fact that I watched both seasons.” |
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| A more relatable antagonist and I think Dante is the best, most original antagonist that FMA ever had. Dante is so complex, you can't even describe her in like one sentence. She even has better theme music than Brotherhood's forgettable villain. That evil biatch is one of the reasons why the 2003 FMA was a semi-original or semi-derivative series, part adaptation-part original. Whatever it was, it was better and greater than filler like most of the episodes of Naruto or most long-running anime, which are indeed trash. Critics once expected the 2003 series to have a bunch of basic shounen plot thrown in the mix. Even the FMA video games each had more relatable villains than Father. I give FMA: Brotherhood a 7.9/10 for having a boring, forgettable, derivative, shallow and unrelatable central villain. A generic "I'm going to rule the world" type villain you guys see in a plethora of anime. When Dante had a deeper goddess complex. What makes an anime great is having very original writing or characters and not a bunch of tiresome, derivative kid-friendly crap shoved into plot. |
Kurt_IrvingAug 17, 2019 5:52 AM
| Story and writing and originality. I dont want to watch 2 episoden then be able to more oe less predict the whole plot rest of the show..... And if it's an adaption, give me a conclusion of the story. Hate to watch something without a ending (like most are). |
| The characters, if the characters aren't compelling or likeable then even the greatest story would never save an anime. Also big fucking anime tiddies |
| 한 번만 살지만 제대로 하면 한 번이면 충분해요 |
| Tight writing is the most important element--your narrative ain't shit if the characters, setting, and story aren't interesting or appealing in some way. After that, making sure the visual and aural presentation are a.) solid in their own right, and b.) match the narrative being told are absolutely essential. And finally, some spice to make this title unique among its peers. ...But of course, this is all common-sense stuff. I know it, you know it, everyone knows it. |
 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." |
Ethylli said: A lot of things are important to an anime but mostly I'd say: -Character Development -Story You just can't depend on animation in the end, character development and story are the two most important aspects of an anime and they are what makes an anime truly great and worth watching in the end Basically my thoughts on what makes anime great. Story comes first, animation comes second. |
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| Mainly Story, Characters, and Animations... I sometimes consider the Opening/Ending used aswell but sometimes good Opening/Ending doesn't guarantee the Anime as a whole lately. |
 ~ | Profile | Anime List | Manga List | ♪ | ~ |
| If it made me feel strong emotions. F.ex Gurren Lagann made me feel inspired. The story, characters all that is important too, don't get me wrong but strong emotions are important for it to be considered a really great show. |
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| How about creating something that can only uniquely exist in the anime format? Whether that means establishing a unique sci-fi or fantasy setting, having wild character designs/personalities, or creating a specific mood through the art/sound that can't easily be done other mediums. I don't watch anime to see a boring school drama, I watch anime to see giant mechs tearing each other apart. |
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| Love triangles, narratives I haven't seen before, high budgets. |
GlennMagusHarvey said: For me, for a work to be "great", it has to be move me. It has to inspire strong emotions, such as making me feel great sympathy for the characters or great awe at the events, or it has to inspire intriguing thoughts, such as causing me to think about difficult questions. There are no specific requirements that the work have any kind of story structure, or character development/interactions, worldbuilding, use or avoidance of tropes/clichés or (dis)similarity to other stories, art style, animation, music, or other such criteria. These things may help (or even detract), depending on how they are used -- they do not automatically imbue a story with greatness, which is a holistic view of the work rather than a part-by-part examination. Sometimes, a seemingly incomplete story can be "great", because of the emotions or thoughts it conjures. And some stories I regard as favorites may have unrealistic but particularly and meaningfully iconic characters, in settings far removed from real life. But no matter how far from reality their specifics are, if the events that they portray can be seen in strong parallels to real life, they may have a very strong impact. Based on these emotional/intellectual criteria, this means that comedies have a harder time than dramas achieving "greatness" in my opinion. Yes, yes, yes!!!! I wrote very similarly to this, but you explained it much better then I did. |
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