10/10 : The crème de la crème of anime. A show that reached a pinnacle rarely seen, not only in anime, but in any storytelling medium in general. An anime that pushed the envelope far beyond what's expected. It found equilibrium across all fronts in a nearly flawless fashion. These shows are a part of my all time favorites. They appeal to me on a personal/conceptual level. I enjoyed these titles from beginning to end. Well executed, explored and presented. Memorable characters and story. An ambitious project that came the closest to perfecting its vision. These are the shows that leave you with a void upon completion, the bittersweet feeling you receive from experiencing something truly awe-inspiring. They're not a perfect 10/10 but my bias won't allow it a lower score. Whatever minor flaws they have become null and void from how much I adore them. If a show ever made me love like a blind fanboy, these are it. They are the closest to my definition of a masterpiece. They're the reason I remain anchored to the medium to this day. They are irreplaceable.
9/10 : Among the best the medium has to offer, top-tier status. Extremely enjoyable. Superb script. Endearing cast. Rich in content. Went far beyond expectations. They are also a part of my all time favorites. Exceeded in setting itself above the rest and left a substantial impact. Properly tackled its themes and concepts. I have minor qualms about this show and most of it was easily overlooked from everything else it did right. As far as I'm concerned, these are also masterpieces in their own right. Whether propelled to the top for its sheer amount of entertainment value or praised for its thematic resonance, they deserve to be celebrated. The void experienced from completing a great series is also present. This is a show that understands the medium it's working with and utilized audiovisuals with proper writing to achieve optimum results. They're timeless and not limited by contemporary standards.
8/10 : An exceptional show, I hold these titles in high regards. Enjoyable for a majority of it but had some moments where I didn't quite like it. The positive aspects overshadowed a majority of its problems. Utilized its themes in an effective and engaging manner. There may be a few minor discrepancies keeping it from ranking higher but despite that, it's still a solid piece of work. May not always register with a strong personal connection but still a series I look back on with fond memories. They are powerhouses. Titles people use as an example of certain things done right. Stepped above the call of duty. Might have theatrical displays but never needlessly sensationalized. Titles with integrity and earnest commitment that you can't help but respect. A series I still love flaws and all. Endearing, memorable and left a lasting impression. Sets a benchmark for others to follow.
7/10 : A good show, memorable and easily recommendable. A show with noticeable flaws but had more going for it than negative aspects. A great cast of likable characters. They may not always be the most developed but they were certainly endearing. Good visual and auditory output. An enjoyable experience that left me with satisfactory final impressions. May have been formulaic at times but still sets itself apart with proper execution and presentation. These are the shows that had a clear amount of effort displayed towards seeing its vision through. They might not have captured in its entirety but they certainly put their best foot forward while trying to. Rewatchable but a few issues hinder it from being better. But as all things go, they're still solid pieces of work, if only not as explored or rich in content as they could have been.
6/10 : A decent show. For what it's worth, it had merits that edged it ahead of similar works in its playing field. Had good moments but had an equal amount of times where it wasn't appealing. May have had promise but either poor execution or too many glaring problems kept it from being better. Understand that this score isn't a bad one, in fact, it's still relatively "good," it just means I'm not fully comfortable with assigning it a 7 for a few reasons.These tend to be titles that make for a good time-passer or popcorn flick but rarely elevates beyond that. Also, very rarely depending on the effort on the show's behalf or mood I'm in, they can lean towards a 7... emphasis on "rarely" as it doesn't happen often. My enjoyment can also be the biggest reason saving it from being a 5. With all that being said, it's still a show I can recommend to a certain extent, if only with a few disclaimers coming attached with it.
5/10 : Not necessarily a bad show but at the same time far from a good one. A mediocre, wasted potential, standard or "run of the mill" type of show. Watch at your own risk, something I can't fully recommend without a lot of precursors. For every highlight or aspect the show may have had in its favor, there's an equally detracting quality found that counteracts it. May have shown promise but squandered it. May also have had a few unique qualities but still does nothing to stand out. It can also be a case where the show excelled in a certain area but neglected a lot of the fundamentals. May have had a good premise or concept but failed to properly utilize it. Sometimes they're easily forgettable. Sometimes its only purpose is that of a time-passer. Sometimes it's a show that I feel nothing for at all. It could be a show that didn't aim that high, to begin with, which is fine. Other times, it's a show that was too ambitious for the content provided. Whatever the path that each title end up taking, they all find themselves being "middle of the road" in one way or another. Whatever the case may be, it's a show that might still warrant a watch, but one that's a hit or miss depending on the individual at hand.
4/10 : Poorly realized, bland or subpar show. Now, this is where the REAL unrecommendable anime titles begin. Suffers from more problems than highlights. Way too many noticeable flaws. It may have shown promise for something worthwhile but didn't follow through with it. At best, they're easily digestible pieces of entertainment with nothing of substance keeping it afloat. Sensationalized content that's reduced to plot twists, trite story lines, and shock value to hold the audiences' attention. Fail to even meet typical standards or to even get the fundamentals right. Doesn't properly tackle its themes. May only have a few redeeming qualities keeping it from being a complete failure. May have noticeable plot holes, one-note characters, abused literary devices and half-ass resolve. Squandered whatever idea it had with no visible attempts to make it better. These works are the bane of the anime industry. Shows that lower the bar for quality content by ways of simple confetti and masquerading.
3/10 : Deplorable. These are works with almost no redeemable quality. They're mostly trainwrecks or "bottom of the barrel" type of shows. No highlights to take away from it, outside of those ironically. Mostly one-trick-ponies with nothing else to offer. Very poorly written and poorly presented. A lot of these tend to be "schlock" level titles that serve the lowest denominator. They're throw-away titles that will easily be replaced by another in a similar vein. At best, they're easy to consume titles with nothing else to offer but dumb theatrics, and at their worst, a pile of trash that needs to be discarded upon initial viewing.
2/10 : It's shit, B-movie level, shows so bad it's almost comical. These are shows that failed in almost every category imaginable. 1-dimensional characters, stupid premise, butchered story etc. No heart or effort seemed to be placed into it. Avoid these like the plague. The only enjoyment recieved by come from turning the whole thing into a drinking game. No finesse, no integrity, nothing. Everything it does have been done 10x better somewhere else. These are the type of shows that go on to serve as punching bags for endless walls of diatribes. Shows that abandon its craft for cheap gimmicks. Shows that have reached the apex of pointlessness.
1/10 : I'm being held against my will at this point. This shit shouldn't have existed. I'd rather watch a Michael Bay film than sit through these again. This is what masochists watch to get off. Shows so bad that it's almost unfathomable to think somewhere out there, someone might actually like it. These shows manage to do everything wrong, an accomplishment within itself. Shows so bad they almost become masterpieces in their own right.
The ranks don't apply to all anime but cover most in general. (Guilty pleasures and some favorites of mine can be ranked low)
Nice review on AoT. It gets better from this point, can't say a huge step up, but follows the right path where it should be headed. So, I shall await for your 2018 review for AoT S3. Sasageyo my friend.
Hey Zeph. I have been banging my head against a wall trying to figure out how you develop a signature style that sets you apart? Also, how do you build an audience or atleast how did you do it? Is it just chance, I seriously don't know and figured why not just ask someone who seems to already know the answer
I mean, even as it is what Chariot did is still self-concious cheating, since she know that was not her magic, but not malicious. But yeah, I can't deny Chariot would be a more interesting individual if things would have been the way you described. I don't think the path they took is a bad one regardless, but you're not wrong.
About Croix though, I don't think the amount of despair we see on her part paricularly in ep 24 wouldn't have been as effective if it weren't for that detail. Seeing Chariot taking away the Shiny Rod just in front of her and then refusing her "dreams" project just after being executed successfully do reinforce quite heavily her actions. In any case, I'll probably make a thinkpiece (not a review tho) for this one to get all I think out someday.
About your top, it's quite interesing interesting that, regardless of how good you think they all are, the only Masaaki Yuasa show that made it to your top 100 is Ping Pong. Nothing wrong about it, just a side thought.
Do you have some favorite OPs from this year already?
Long time no talk bruh! Saw your AoT review, great stuff... maybe your longest review yet! I was really disappointed the series had to be 12 episodes. Not that it would've been much better, but with sheer amount of characters the producers didn't even give it a fighting chance.
I just saw your Letterboxd, nice favorites. I wanted to recommend a film to you called Persona (1966) by Ingmar Bergman. It is undoubtedly a masterpiece of cinema, you should check it out when you have the time.
That analogy of Capslock on the 2nd season review was perfect. I wish I could enjoy or have fun with those moments of pretentiousness of AoT. For me however, it's just obnoxious.
I second what Icarus_prime suggested. Highly recommend checking out Memories of Murder, and if you do find yourself checking out it, have a look at the other classic Korean films like Oldboy, I Saw the Devil, The Chaser etc.
I've been watching more movies lately because there was still some that I wanted to watch but haven't gotten around to:
La La Land:
I was thinking of giving it an 4/5 (on Letterboxd) or 8/10 (on IMDb) based on my emotional reaction but as always, I was not in the best condition to watch this movie. 50% of the time when I watch the movie, it’s not absolutely ideal for me (tired, sleepy, not fully immersed due to setting). I think the best way for me to be full immersed in a movie is when I’m at a cinema, or I watch it on big TV in living room at night; sometimes with the family. What about you?
The reason I’m thinking of giving La La Land a 9/10 instead is because I just can’t downplay my admiration of the technical quality where I actually felt the visual aesthetics is not just style, but substance.
It’s a movie about musical, "love" story, reality & dreams/aspirations, a romantic view on Hollywood. There's so much going for it.
My only problem with the movie is that I felt like despite the good performances by Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, I felt like their roles can be replaceable by other actor/actresses. Maybes it’s because it’s the situation that dictates the relationship in the movie and not other way around. Hence, I’m usually drawn to movies where it’s character-driven over story-driven. For a story-driven to draw me in, it needs to have a great atmosphere, wonder, style and La La Land has that. So the movie has enough reasons to give me it a 9/10 or 4.5/5.
This was almost similar to the situation when I watched Shawshank Redemption. Both movies I was originally thinking it was an 8/10 but very close to 9/10 because I focused liking more on "what" it’s it about more than "how" it’s about.
La La Land won me over in the end because I felt like the setting (LA Hollywood) was a metaphorically a character itself; similar feeling I got to Spider Man 2.
Wonder Woman:
I wrote a word document somewhere of what I liked and didn’t liked but I’ll just simply say it’s the DC movie that I’ve wanted and waited for outside of a Christopher Nolan movie. Only problems I had is the lack of development with all the antagonists which once again seems familiar in relation to Marvel movies because they always seem to run into this trouble when the final act comes. I might’ve got bogged by the slightly over-use of slow motion from the action scenes but it’s a better substitute by all the annoying shaky-cam bullshit in Captain America: Civil War, plus the movie doesn’t rely on this all the time. The middle part of the movie where it focuses entirely on the war stuff is kind of bogged down and lengthy in retrospective if the final payoff isn’t worth the “journey”. This doesn’t help when the final villain doesn’t get enough screen time from the twist onwards. Besides that, I pretty much love everything about the movie especially the humour where they took the good aspects of Marvel movies while still keeping it a serious drama in DC’s own way. I’ve always said that premise and concept-wise, I prefer DC movies but the execution is always lacking compared to Marvel movies which do great for the most part; but they’re formulaic and safe.
Memories of Murder:
I recently wrote a very brief review on this movie which you can find on my Letterboxd profile. It’s a mix of the David Fincher style movies like Se7en and Zodiac with another Korean thriller called The Chaser. Highly recommend a watch if you want a breath of fresh air into the style of Korean movies.
All Comments (8855) Comments
Never heard of it, i'll check it out.
there's aot, monogatari SS, and idk the last one,(it's not clickable for some reason)
About Croix though, I don't think the amount of despair we see on her part paricularly in ep 24 wouldn't have been as effective if it weren't for that detail. Seeing Chariot taking away the Shiny Rod just in front of her and then refusing her "dreams" project just after being executed successfully do reinforce quite heavily her actions. In any case, I'll probably make a thinkpiece (not a review tho) for this one to get all I think out someday.
About your top, it's quite interesing interesting that, regardless of how good you think they all are, the only Masaaki Yuasa show that made it to your top 100 is Ping Pong. Nothing wrong about it, just a side thought.
Do you have some favorite OPs from this year already?
La La Land:
I was thinking of giving it an 4/5 (on Letterboxd) or 8/10 (on IMDb) based on my emotional reaction but as always, I was not in the best condition to watch this movie. 50% of the time when I watch the movie, it’s not absolutely ideal for me (tired, sleepy, not fully immersed due to setting). I think the best way for me to be full immersed in a movie is when I’m at a cinema, or I watch it on big TV in living room at night; sometimes with the family. What about you?
The reason I’m thinking of giving La La Land a 9/10 instead is because I just can’t downplay my admiration of the technical quality where I actually felt the visual aesthetics is not just style, but substance.
It’s a movie about musical, "love" story, reality & dreams/aspirations, a romantic view on Hollywood. There's so much going for it.
My only problem with the movie is that I felt like despite the good performances by Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, I felt like their roles can be replaceable by other actor/actresses. Maybes it’s because it’s the situation that dictates the relationship in the movie and not other way around. Hence, I’m usually drawn to movies where it’s character-driven over story-driven. For a story-driven to draw me in, it needs to have a great atmosphere, wonder, style and La La Land has that. So the movie has enough reasons to give me it a 9/10 or 4.5/5.
This was almost similar to the situation when I watched Shawshank Redemption. Both movies I was originally thinking it was an 8/10 but very close to 9/10 because I focused liking more on "what" it’s it about more than "how" it’s about.
La La Land won me over in the end because I felt like the setting (LA Hollywood) was a metaphorically a character itself; similar feeling I got to Spider Man 2.
Wonder Woman:
I wrote a word document somewhere of what I liked and didn’t liked but I’ll just simply say it’s the DC movie that I’ve wanted and waited for outside of a Christopher Nolan movie. Only problems I had is the lack of development with all the antagonists which once again seems familiar in relation to Marvel movies because they always seem to run into this trouble when the final act comes. I might’ve got bogged by the slightly over-use of slow motion from the action scenes but it’s a better substitute by all the annoying shaky-cam bullshit in Captain America: Civil War, plus the movie doesn’t rely on this all the time. The middle part of the movie where it focuses entirely on the war stuff is kind of bogged down and lengthy in retrospective if the final payoff isn’t worth the “journey”. This doesn’t help when the final villain doesn’t get enough screen time from the twist onwards. Besides that, I pretty much love everything about the movie especially the humour where they took the good aspects of Marvel movies while still keeping it a serious drama in DC’s own way. I’ve always said that premise and concept-wise, I prefer DC movies but the execution is always lacking compared to Marvel movies which do great for the most part; but they’re formulaic and safe.
Memories of Murder:
I recently wrote a very brief review on this movie which you can find on my Letterboxd profile. It’s a mix of the David Fincher style movies like Se7en and Zodiac with another Korean thriller called The Chaser. Highly recommend a watch if you want a breath of fresh air into the style of Korean movies.