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 examples 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 it 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, consistently entertaining 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. So basically think The McDonalds of anime; quick to consume but offers nothing of substance. 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)
What are you up to these days? Haven't talked in a while. Wanted to know if there were any shows you were looking forward to this year or anything new you've gotten into.
@VampiricScollion Lain isn't subtle in terms of its visuals, no, but it still manages to be subtle in its conveyance of the plot and themes; there's a reason people are still arguing about the show to this day, and it's not simply because the show is trippy. I'd argue Haibane Renmei is even more subtle in that respect.
I admit I found the comp-sci infodump off-putting at first but all of that information ended up being necessary to get a better grasp of the story, Eiri's motivations, and so on.
@Dendritik I concur that Lain and Haibane were about connecting the dots, but the amount of subtlety is very lackluster, especially in Lain. During some episodes, they give us a bunch of jargon about computer scientists and while I didn't mind it, it felt a lot like infodumping.
@VampiricScollion Lain is *exactly* the show it's meant to be. The beauty of Lain and Haibane is that they present you with fascinating worlds but refuse to spoonfeed them to you. You have to piece certain things together on your own, which is a far more rewarding experience for series like Lain and Haibane; they can be interpreted in so many ways, which might seem daunting, but it's because they're so damn chock-full of meaning.
@Pathanimran Idk, I watched Lain and it's not really the show it's meant to be. A lot of things are left unanswered with little to no reason as to why they happened. Haibane Renmei, while arguable as a 6, is better off as a 7 in my book. Texhnolyze, while also not my favorite, is the better of the two.
"Do you even have fun in your life? How do you find the time to make long ass reviews in this site? It's pathetic...I'd like to defeat you in Chess so that I can humiliate you and your horrible taste in anime. Yeah, every anime in your "favorites" sucks major ass! " - Me, Aug 6 2017, 11:57 AM
Everybody spam my comment please so that he'll come back!
Do you even have fun in your life? How do you find the time to make long ass reviews in this site? It's pathetic...I'd like to defeat you in Chess so that I can humiliate you and your horrible taste in anime. Yeah, every anime in your "favorites" sucks major ass!
Do you even have fun in your life? How do you find the time to make long ass reviews in this site? It's pathetic...I'd like to defeat you in Chess so that I can humiliate you and your horrible taste in anime. Yeah, every anime in your "favorites" sucks major ass!
My dude, I have no idea if you are just taking some time away from this stuff because you want to to other stuff/have shit to do etc. or if you are actually going through something. But if it is the later... Well just want to make sure your ok, not that there is likely very much I could do if you weren't...
I just want to say I love your reviews.
A lot of them are huge contrasts of the more popular said reviews and it is really interesting to see something different. People Have been complaining that your reviews are too long and unnecessary but I beg to differ! I enjoy looking into your mind because in the end, I always
Please write more reviews on more animes!
There are many kinds of reviews and reviewers out there. Some reviewers use a structure of describing the show meaninglessly and then talking about the pos and neg, some have their writing all over the place. Others use a quick set up before diving in. ZephSilver is definitely one of them. He writes reviews in a style.
But what if you don't like styled reviews? Then this is not the reviewer for you. His reviews are laced with jokes and constructive criticism.
His taste is mediocre at best and he should watch more anime before giving his opinion in my opinion, but that is irrelevant to the review. Like his taste ex dee.
Over all I think his reviews might be helpful if you know how to skeem through them. If you actually sit through reading all of them you might be wasting a bit of time on needless reiteration and jokes that sometimes are hilarious but usually miss the mark. 6/10
"Do you even have fun in your life? How do you find the time to make long ass reviews in this site? It's pathetic...I'd like to defeat you in Chess so that I can humiliate you and your horrible taste in anime. Yeah, every anime in your "favorites" sucks major ass!" - Garry Kasparov, 2017
All Comments (8944) Comments
I admit I found the comp-sci infodump off-putting at first but all of that information ended up being necessary to get a better grasp of the story, Eiri's motivations, and so on.
Also plz come back Zeph we miss you
Everybody spam my comment please so that he'll come back!
A lot of them are huge contrasts of the more popular said reviews and it is really interesting to see something different. People Have been complaining that your reviews are too long and unnecessary but I beg to differ! I enjoy looking into your mind because in the end, I always
Please write more reviews on more animes!
But what if you don't like styled reviews? Then this is not the reviewer for you. His reviews are laced with jokes and constructive criticism.
His taste is mediocre at best and he should watch more anime before giving his opinion in my opinion, but that is irrelevant to the review. Like his taste ex dee.
Over all I think his reviews might be helpful if you know how to skeem through them. If you actually sit through reading all of them you might be wasting a bit of time on needless reiteration and jokes that sometimes are hilarious but usually miss the mark. 6/10