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Rating Methodology:
All ratings appearing on my MAL are purely subjectively. This means any rating found herein does not regard the specifics of production quality, literary devices, writing theory, or any other matter of the sort; of course I am biased and may find these aspects meaningful given a particular context. Thus, this list is biased.

Provided this list is biased, what subjective qualities am I looking for?
1. Characters. Without well-developed relatable characters that build off each other throughout the story to form a fully-believable fictional world, an anime has nothing more to offer than art and music.
2. Message. Don’t get me wrong; there’s nothing wrong with a light anime, but nothing sweetens a story like feeling the purpose of the author’s work.
3. Tone. Every anime tries to offer something different. Comparing Berserk and Bocchi the Rock is like comparing liquor and milk. They’re both great but only in their respective contexts. Thus, a good anime has a tone that supports its content.
4. Author/Series Loyalty. Coming into an anime already having liked the light novel it is based on will naturally earn it a more favorable rating than it otherwise may have. Having enjoyed the anime’s music will have a similar positive effect but to a lesser degree. The inverse can be assumed.
5. Supporting Material. Is there content to use as a phone lockscreen or music to listen to long after finishing the series? Additionally, is there more material to consume after finishing the show? (Light novels, manga, etc.)

Notice how I didn’t say anything about plot? There are a million things an author can do with his or her characters (just look at Oda). What matters, to biased me of course, is not what the author does with his or her characters but rather who those characters are and how their interactions with each other work to limn the message of the author.

Furthermore, scores are not a value divided by ten: a 4/10 is not a 40%. This means an anime scored at a six herein is not a D-level anime. With this method of scoring in mind, scores are decided by the grading criteria discussed below; in other words, anime are not judged by which anime have already been scored, but rather how they qualify themselves onto the criteria below.

As a final matter of point, I will not rate ONAs, OVAs, or any other little specials unless their importance is profound. I cannot properly assess every little episode I watch. So, for the fairness of scoring, I will not waste my time on these outliers although they may still appear on my list.

Distribution:
I suspect many shows will earn a rating of six or seven given the criteria below. In my earlier days of rating, I tried to rectify this by fitting my scores to a bell curve, but that creates an unfair nature in ratings. The issue quickly arose that certain anime were outperforming others simply because the distribution would look more equal. Regardless, over time the issue of disproportionate ratings toward either end of the scale will naturally level out even without the help of a hard and fast curve fit.

Rating Meanings:
10 (X): Exceptional. Beyond fabulous. My all time favorites. Life changing.
9 (S+): Exceptional. Beyond fabulous. One of my favorites.
8 (S): Exceptional. Looking forward to the next season.
7 (A): A satisfying use of time. Looking forward to the next season.
6 (B): Enjoyable to an extent but lacking execution.
5 (C): Generic. Bland. Uninspiring.
4 (C-): Misses the minimum mark of even generic anime.
3 (D): Leaves a lot to be desired.
2 (F): A waste of time.
1 (Z-Tier): Beyond a waste of time. My life is worse because I watched this. Quit making anime. Director should give up on his or her dreams.