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"Drama is life with the dull bits cut out." - Alfred Hitchcock

Focal aspects of anime:
- character e.g. Clannad, Monogatari, Evangelion
- narrative e.g. Baccano, Samurai Flamenco, Death Note, Mayoiga
- world e.g. Shinsekai yori, Sword Art Online, Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou
- aesthetic/mood e.g. Serial Experiments Lain, Kara no Kyoukai, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou
- theme e.g. Gurren Lagann, Ping Pong, Kill La Kill, Mawaru Penguindrum

Likes:
- Cinematography with purpose: lighting, camera angles, framing, colour palettes.
- Shows that seek to communicate in addition to entertain. Front-loaded themes.
- Coherence in themes and symbolism. Repetition to reinforce.
- The contract with the viewer: the mechanics, logic, and rules of the universe should be sufficiently clear and consistent, as should the level of suspension of disbelief requested.
- Sanderson's First Law.
- Inline world-building.
- Characterisation beyond what is required to justify behaviour.
- Characterisation through animation.
- Tight pacing. Closure. An ending entailed by the beginning in retrospect.
- Foreshadowing, Chekhov's gun, plot twists, the unreliable narrator.
- Breaking the 4th wall. Satire, metafiction, references, parodies.
- Self-awareness of flaws not used as an excuse for those flaws.
- Blending genres. Using tropes in unexpected ways.
- Bittersweet, melancholy, mono no aware.
- Lyrical dissonance. Sudden changes in mood.
- The relationship between art and life.
- Beauty in the mundane.
- Subjectivity of the individual world.
- Emotional manipulation (feels), to a reasonable degree.
- Philosophical (nonsense); episodes that make you think.
- Non-episodic shows are expected to have less filler.

Subjective rating scale.
10 - Best of the 9s, based on personal connection. If there's hesitation to award a 10, think again.
9 - Top tier, almost perfect. Amongst one's favourites.
8 - Very good and impactful throughout, sprinkled with great moments.
7 - Good, enjoyable and impactful at times, may be inconsistent.
6 - Solid, has likable or unique aspects, but lacks impact.
5 - Average, inoffensive watch, but ultimately forgettable.
4 - Below-average, watchable yet insubstantial, boring.
3 - Hard to watch, only slightly intelligent.
2 - Cringe-worthy, not as bad as Shitcom though.
1 - Pointless, Shitcom.

Scoring is done with heuristic (default=5) + insertion sort, with bias towards shows watched around the same time.
Extra point(s) can be awarded/docked for e.g. ambition, uniqueness, personal entertainment value, animation quality, art quality, character depth, voice acting, tight writing and scripting etc.
Half points are indicated in tags. Versus score, +0.5 = shows potential. -0.5 = hesitation.
Scores are provisional before the 3 ep. rule. Dropped shows could not compete with stronger shows.
Scores tend to drift down over time as impressions fade. If they don't, thats one indicator of a great show.
See the 'tags' section for concise reviews. Quotes here may only be relevant in the context of having seen the show.

Please refer any complaints to here: http://i.imgur.com/qWrvXPy.gifv