Feel free to drop a comment if you'd like a recommendation, have a question about anime I've rated/how I rate them, or anything in general, really. I don't accept random friend requests. Have a couple meaningful chats with me first, or at the very least, write something about yourself (on your own bio or otherwise) so I can get to know you a little better.
How I Rate Anime:
Almost all of my dropped anime were entries that sat around my list for over 3 months. My enthusiasm to watch an anime and how much I look forward to each subsequent episode is a pretty good indicator for the score that I give at the end of its viewing. I try to be as optimistic as possible when rating anime, and generally round up ratings.
10 (Masterpiece): A masterpiece is the paramount of its respective genre. These works were also highly entertaining, achieved a profound emotional impact, and left me at a loss upon completion. Lastly, what I've personally deemed a "masterpiece" would generally have some sort of re-watch value (something that I'd never even consider after finishing a great game or an excellent novel).
9 (Brilliant): Cream of the crop - I'd unhesitatingly recommend these one-of-a-kind anime to anyone. 9s leave a lasting impression, with few faults and a near-perfect score on all sub-categories of review criteria. Although an "amazing" anime may not have had the emotional dynamite that a "masterpiece" would carry, most "9"s would also earn a place on the "Anime Hall of Fame" below. Oh, and this last qualification is big: all of the anime that I've rated at or above a 9 were watched in more or less a single sitting. I might have enjoyed something, but if there wasn't a sense of urgency that I felt to continue watching it, I couldn't deservingly give it a high score. That being said, anime that I really didn't enjoy have the opposite effect.
8 (Very Good): I consider a very good anime to be something that makes no wrong turns, but doesn't do anything extraordinary to capture my absolute attention. Nonetheless, I still really enjoyed watching it, and the anime itself was original and solid all-around. Although most scores I give fall at or above this category, don't let my consistently high ratings mislead you. I wouldn't even consider watching an anime if I didn't think it would at least achieve this rating. Furthermore, if a sequel is available to a certain anime, what distinguishes a "very good" anime from a slightly disappointing "good" one is my willingness to pick up its sequel. If I'm at all hesitant to continue watching an anime after a single season, then I probably didn't enjoy it that much.
7 (Good): A very standard rating; good but not without a few noteworthy faults. An anime that's labeled as a simple "good" may also have been superb production-wise, but was a bit sloppy in its execution (hare's looking at you, Guilty Crown) or just missing out in terms of personal enjoyment but still delivered some pretty fantastic qualities. In addition, there are two defining moments at which an otherwise consistently solid "8" can have its rating dropped: the climax and the ending. As a story's most noteworthy moments, an anticlimactic conflict resolution or an inconclusive/unfulfilled ending might completely shatter any praise I'd have for an anime. Similarly, a couple of bad episodes may sour my impression of a show. Nonetheless, a 7 was worth the time I spent on it. I'd recommend one of these anime to anyone looking for something that's above-average to watch, but I'd spend a bit of time to consider the viewer's tastes first.
6 (Meh): Somehow, despite an immense amount of flaws, I had to begrudgingly hope for improvement and watched until the end of these anime. Since I never pick up an anime unless I absolutely know I'll enjoy it, or if I'm in the mood to watch something in its genre, a large majority of anime that I have listed as a 6 had a fantastic hook in the first few episodes, but ultimately failed to deliver.
5 (Average): Pure mediocrity. This anime might not have been really terrible, but it certainly failed to leave any impressionable qualities. This is the threshold at which I'd most likely drop an anime. If I can't find any reason to watch it, it's definitely mediocre. While I might've sat bored through several episodes of these anime, anime that I absolutely couldn't stomach were...
4 (Bad): Anything I classified as "bad" was likely dropped immediately. This anime's negative qualities far, FAR outweighed its positive qualities, leaving nothing of the sort that I could quantify as "decent". Since I'm pretty picky about what I choose to watch, shows that are at or below this rating are personally difficult to come by, and I would give myself a slap on the wrist for ever believing that it'd be a good show before watching it. Ergo, you won't see many anime at this rating on my list.
3 (Awful): This is the reason why people can have awful misconceptions of anime and its legitimacy as an art form. If an anime has had the misfortune of stumbling into this bundle of suck, then it was probably negatively viewed by the majority of the community as well. Normally, if I found a show that I didn't enjoy and had no redeeming aspects, it'd be rated as simply "bad". However, bad shows that also attempt to become something but fail epicly are what I consider to be "awful"... Not only did I not enjoy them, but they were infuriating to watch. As far as my ratings are concerned, this is the absolute lowest score on my rating scale. Anything below this point is considered to be a "troll" anime - something that shouldn't exist or even be called "anime".
1 & 2 (Absolute dogshit): These anime are unique cases, and can generally be paraded as the worst anime in existence. Usually, these anime were recommended to me as terrible shows, and were viewed out of morbid curiosity. If an anime made me ragequit in laughter in less than one episode (cough cough Perfect Insider), it will also fall under this category.
How I Rate Short-Animations
Short animations are based on a slightly different rating scale that weighs heavily on how much they can accomplish in the little time they're given.
9 - 10: Tearjerkers... Think of the first 10 minutes of the Pixar movie "Up" - a masterfully crafted story that gives so much with so little. These shorts generally delivered a profound, emotionally impactful message.
8: Generally, a short film given 8+ is pretty stellar in terms of story-telling, and were profound enough in their message to leave a lasting impression. These are films you should definitely open up ~ 20 minutes of your time for, as they're pretty astounding pieces of work. Most OVAs of my favourite series, although they may not be inherently deep, would still be entertaining enough to fall under this category as well.
6 - 7: Shows that were rated at 6 or 7 were (in my opinion) still worth the little time I spent on them, but didn't really leave a big impact ("oh, that's kind of cool I guess"). For example, tech-demos or shorts that boast the animation skills of their creators would fall in this range. Anime "special episodes" that weren't too special would probably receive a back-handed "6" as well.
5 or less: Shorts at or below the rating of "5" were mediocre and laborious to watch. They were neither eye-candy or thought-provoking, and simply exist without providing a shred of entertainment to its viewers.
Riot's Must-Watch List (anime I've rated 9+):
1. Spirited Away
2. Death Note
3. Code Geass
4. Darker than Black
5. Steins;Gate
6. Toradora!
7. Gundam 00 (First season)
8. Clannad: After Story
9. Rebuild of Evangelion (1.11 and 2.22. The third was troll)
10. 5 Centimeters per Second
11. Monogatari Series (Bake, Nise, Neku Kuro, and Season2)
12. Mirai Nikki
13. Fate/Zero
14. Kanon (2006)
15. Welcome to the NHK!
16. Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu
17. Rec
18. Gankutsuou (The Count of Monte Cristo)
19. Break Blade 4: Sanka no Chi
20. Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou (Daily Lives of Highschool Boys)
21. Usagi Drop
22. Gundam Unicorn
23. Higashi no Eden (Eden of the East)
24. Full Metal Panic! Fumoffu
25. Cowboy Bebop
26. Tsumiki no Ie (La Maison en Petits Cubes)
27. Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
28. Furiko (Pendulum)
29. Durarara!!
30. There She Is!!
31. Baccano
32. The Tatami Galaxy (Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei)
33. Kuroko no Basket S1, S2
34. Beck
35. Berserk: Ougon Jidaihen
36. Aoi Bungaku (In particular, "No Longer Human", "Kokoro", "Run, Melos!" and "Hell Screen")
37. Sword of the Stranger (Stranger: Mukoh Hadan)
38. Korekuraide Utau (Sing in my own Way)
39. Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket
40. FLCL
41. Black Lagoon: The Second Barrage
42. Golden Boy
43. Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica
44. Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time)
45. Baby Blue (short film from Genius Party)
46. House of Five Leaves (Saraiya Goyou)
47. Garden of Words (Kotonowa no Niwa - Visually, the prettiest anime I've seen to date)
48. Detroit Metal City
49. Little Witch Academia
50. Chihayafuru
51. Kara no Kyoukai 5: Mujun Rasen
52. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (2012) (In particular, Part 2: Battle Tendency)
53. Sakamichi no Apollon ("Kids on the Slope"")
54. Ping Pong: The Animation
55. One Punch Man
56. Haikyuu!! (3 Seasons)
Riot's Must-Read Manga
1. Death Note
2. Full Metal Alchemist
3. Onani Master Kurosawa
4. Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan
5. My Heart is Beating
6. Annarasumanara
7. Deep Love - Ayu no Monogatari
8. Cat Street
9. The Breaker
10. Sundome
11. Oyasumi Punpun
12. Eden: It's an Endless World!
13. Umibe no Onnanoko (A Girl by the Sea)
14. Hikari no Machi (City of Lights)
15. Vinland Saga
16. Nijigahara Holograph
17. Yuretsuzukeru (Keep on Vibrating)
18. Arigatou
19. Bradherley's Coach
20. Shin Angyo Onshi
21. Aku no Hana
22. Yotsubato
23. not simple
24. Sakamoto desu ga?
25. A Revolutionist in the Afternoon ("Kakumeika no Gogo")
26. Pumpkin and Mayonnaise
27. A Girl by the Sea
28. Berserk
You must be really bored! Thank you for taking the time to visit, and reading this humongous wall of rabble.
I relate to that on a spiritual level. Hahaha. It must have been when I first watched AnoHana that I started really appreciating animes and mangas with coming-of-age themes/genre. The way these works bring the viewer to feel a similar experience while venturing/growing with the characters in the story, I think that's uniquely vital for every work there are (plus points to those tragic developments as you mentioned where characters from utter rubble with tragic backgrounds are slowly brought to their newly found and personal bliss). I've been meaning to read Oyasumi Punpun as well, and I sure hope I can enjoy it as much as you did! I'll be sure to let you know as well!
Oh, I see. I just tried checking their respective synopses, they do sound like they come from something similar. I'll probably read these ones first because they're a lot shorter than Oyasumi Punpun (I seriously curse my short attention span). Thank you so much for these recommendations, man! I really appreciate it!
Right? Right? In my case though, it has only been several months since; but, you've been looking for it since around 2012 so I can only imagine. Haha. Glad you eventually found mangas that share similar overall enjoyment. I only ever reached the top two recommendations written below on Onani Master Kurosawa's page though. The first one was Chikan Otoko and Aku no Hana came in close second. They don't feel remotely similar in my opinion, but was interesting enough to keep me going nonetheless.
Hey! I was actually on Velkan's account and browsing through his comment section. I read your comment saying how much you like Onani Master Kurosawa and how it made you empathize with the character. You asked that guy then if he can give you any suggestion but I guess his account has already been inactive 2 years prior to your comment. Anyway, I was meaning to ask you the same question! If by any chance, now, have you found anything that you could recommend to someone who equally enjoyed Onani Master Kurosawa?
I have to say that Onani Master Kurosawa has been my top 1 manga ever since I read it few months back. Until now, I still haven't found any work on any character that has made me feel his/her anguish due to his/her circumstances. I'm pretty sure we both agree on that. Looking forward to your response!
It's in my favourites, that should probably tell you a lot.
Full details in my review, but the short answer is that the setting allows for some goddamned brilliant monster-of-the-week material and greater freedom when it comes to stand concepts.
lol wow first of all english is my 3rd launguge so yeah my spelling will suck and secondly from all the crap you wrote back im pritty sure i hit the mark dead on with your taste and personality.. and take a step back and re-think things.. lol nice 1 loser
Hmmm... And so I watched the 1st ep just now. I understand the rave about the dialogues. It's certainly slow and a little off, esp. when it comes to Moe's part. But I also work with people like this, so it kept me interested. It's definitely not something to watch in a single sitting. I'd go mad because it's too heavy. But yes, it's not a show for everyone. And I see why Asano-sensei would be interested in taking this up.
I only wish Moe's dialogues weren't sounding so forced. Saikawa was good. An interesting eccentric character, haha.
So I guess, thanks? Because your review pushed me into wanting to watch this. Lol.
uwaaa. you got so many hate comments for your review. lol
I don't know what to think of it yet. I was browsing through HS winter 2016 recs and Subete was listed as a good show from the previous season. I hadn't picked it up. Detour to MAL reviews and boom, I see two reviews with a rating of 1. So I read read... and I see you raving about this line: "Who am I, where did I come from, and where am I going?"
Ooooooo. So I guess I will have to watch the first ep myself and see if it gets me involved.
I do sort of doubt Asano-sensei would have gone into something completely shitty. But I'll keep the doubt till I take a dig at the show myself.
I don't think it is fair to rate and review a show after only watching it for 5 minutes, either drop it and tell your friend its bad or finish it and write a review on why its bad. (because I do think you will still hate it even if you did finish the show lol)
i was browsing youtube. somehow i ended up watching a trailer of perfect insider in japanese. inio asano's name was there so i went to myanimelist to find out more.
Your Subete ga F ni Naru rant/first impression was funny, and true. Too bad you couldn't stomach all of it, it was a hilarious trainwreck.
Also, I can see Fate/Zero, Ping Pong, Senjougahara and TTGL among your favorites, nice.
All Comments (281) Comments
Oh, I see. I just tried checking their respective synopses, they do sound like they come from something similar. I'll probably read these ones first because they're a lot shorter than Oyasumi Punpun (I seriously curse my short attention span). Thank you so much for these recommendations, man! I really appreciate it!
Right? Right? In my case though, it has only been several months since; but, you've been looking for it since around 2012 so I can only imagine. Haha. Glad you eventually found mangas that share similar overall enjoyment. I only ever reached the top two recommendations written below on Onani Master Kurosawa's page though. The first one was Chikan Otoko and Aku no Hana came in close second. They don't feel remotely similar in my opinion, but was interesting enough to keep me going nonetheless.
I have to say that Onani Master Kurosawa has been my top 1 manga ever since I read it few months back. Until now, I still haven't found any work on any character that has made me feel his/her anguish due to his/her circumstances. I'm pretty sure we both agree on that. Looking forward to your response!
Full details in my review, but the short answer is that the setting allows for some goddamned brilliant monster-of-the-week material and greater freedom when it comes to stand concepts.
Well, I'm just glad I got another one added to my favorites.
Cheers.
I only wish Moe's dialogues weren't sounding so forced. Saikawa was good. An interesting eccentric character, haha.
So I guess, thanks? Because your review pushed me into wanting to watch this. Lol.
I don't know what to think of it yet. I was browsing through HS winter 2016 recs and Subete was listed as a good show from the previous season. I hadn't picked it up. Detour to MAL reviews and boom, I see two reviews with a rating of 1. So I read read... and I see you raving about this line: "Who am I, where did I come from, and where am I going?"
Which caught my attention. :O
Because it's actually a reference to Paul Gauguin's painting.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where_Do_We_Come_From%3F_What_Are_We%3F_Where_Are_We_Going%3F
Ooooooo. So I guess I will have to watch the first ep myself and see if it gets me involved.
I do sort of doubt Asano-sensei would have gone into something completely shitty. But I'll keep the doubt till I take a dig at the show myself.
your review is incredible.
I love how he/she listed all their personality traits when it's obvious he/she doesn't have a single one of them.
It's the type of egotistical shit I hate. I try to be passive though.
I'll think of this message as a way of you sticking up for me, if that's fine by you.
Also, I can see Fate/Zero, Ping Pong, Senjougahara and TTGL among your favorites, nice.