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Rating System
In general, I rate based on emotional resonance; are the characters compelling, is the world immersive, are the plot and themes intriguing? Music and animation elevate these factors, but they are never the main priority for me, and I don't think I'm a great objective judge of those qualities; I just know if they worked for me or not.
Numbers on their own are meaningless, so I try to leave comments on most shows I watch nowadays (C tag). Like most MAL users, my scores are often outdated since my tastes have changed drastically over time, my mood affects how I experience what I'm watching, and I watch shows in Japanese without English subs now. Usually, my scores stay the same or go down on a rewatch. I also usually give low scores to shows that are only unintentionally hilarious (ex. Garzey's Wing). 8-10s are what I would consider my favorites, and I will try to make sure at least those scores are current.
1-Disgraceful works that sully the medium in quality, execution, or theme.
2-Terrible works that I actively dislike but recognize at least some redeeming quality.
3-Awful works that are just low quality, contain something quite distasteful, or just pissed me off for some reason.
4-Bad works that are usually frustrating or boring to watch or read.
5-Baseline/Average works. For me, three kinds of works are contained under this score. First are works I just thought "meh" and dropped. Second are shows which I probably overall enjoyed but didn't think they were particularly good. Third are works which I have extremely mixed feelings about. I love some aspects but hate others equally, so a number rating is difficult (M tag).
6-Good works that I enjoyed watching but did not find all that compelling or had serious flaws that held them back.
7-Great works that I really enjoyed watching but did not find personally meaningful or had significant flaws. For example, many comedies fall in this category when I find them hilarious but not much more.
8-Shows that captivated me and left me thinking about them intently afterward. But, usually, they have some minor factors which kept me from fully immersing or left me slightly annoyed.
9-Amazing shows that have had a profound impact on me and stick with me afterward. But, usually, they have a notable flaw, or they just did not reach me as much as a ten.
10-Shows that touched me in a personal way and either immersed me completely in the world or gave me a priceless emotional experience through their characters or story.
Reviews
My thoughts on reviews have probably changed a little bit, and I'm not too proud of the ones I've written so far, but here are my thoughts from early 2020:
Everyone has their opinions, and reviews are a great way to express them. There is no objectively correct view of any work of art. Reviews are valuable because they broaden my horizons and give me insight into someone else's thought process, not because they reinforce my opinion. My favorite reviews are those that explain why someone loved something I didn’t; I have way more respect for someone who defends an unpopular anime they love than someone who only sticks to what they can "objectively" make the case for. When I write a review, my goal is to express my thoughts concisely and clearly. I hope people reading my reviews either get an idea of whether they should pick up that show or see a new perspective if they've already watched it. Typically I review items with either no reviews or when all the other reviews are quite different from my own opinion.
The main thing I hate to see in a review is something along the lines of: “I don’t understand how anyone could like this show.” I think anyone saying this hasn't tried to understand why or doesn't care to. If you find yourself thinking this, please read some other reviews, ask people who like it why they did, or cool off and remember that we're all humans and can be fallible. We’re all anime fans here, so we shouldn’t be spending our time beating each other down.
Anime/Manga List Tags
x# : Exact number of times watched
Re: Rewatched at least once
J : Watched in Japanese w/o subs (Jx# - number of times watched this way)
R: Written a review for
C: Additional Comments on
Dub: English dub is better/watched it this way
M: Mixed Feelings
Extended Favorites List
(Outdated)
Series
1. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
2. Gintama (Episodes 1-252)
3. NHK ni Youkoso!
4. Hunter x Hunter
5. Psycho Pass
6. Oregairu (Season 1)
7. Lucky Star
8. Hyouka
9. Steins;Gate
10. Toradora
Movies
1. Nausicaa
2. Koe no Katachi
3. Perfect Blue
4. Suzumiya Haruhi no Shoushitsu
5. Macross: Do You Remember Love?
6. Princess Mononoke
7. Spirited Away
8. Madoka Magica Movie 3
9. Tokyo Godfathers
10. Castle in the Sky
Sorry for the late reply><
Thank you for leaving a comment! Since I’m not a native speaker, I read this manga in Chinese translation which is on a Chinese translated manga website called “Manhuaren (漫畫人)”.
If you are looking for a English translated version then I’m afraid to tell you that I could not find the complete chapters of this manga.
However I still recommend you to read this manga! It is very insightful on ideas like the meaning of life and the legitimacy of dictatorship.
Anno has directed quite a few great anime. Evangelion/End of Eva is up there, but Gunbuster is also good. Karekano might be my favorite of all, but even Re: Cutey Honey is really good!
Thanks man! I'm very happy to have that test over and done with. Now I can just focus on my work and in the meantime have a little more free time. Hyouge is a very unusual case. It's not a bad anime by any means but watching it with those fansubs is a rough experience and I'm honestly not sure why it gets recommended so frequently.
How much is lost in translation depends on many factors including the skill of the translator and what's being translated. Since so much of the humor is pun based, Bakemonogatari never got an American localization despite being immensely popular and very financially successful in Japan. Pun's have to be REALLY bad for me to pick up on them, since my Japanese language skills are basically non-existent. Occasionally puns can be funny like in Dragon Maid when Lucoa mishears Father's Day as Titty Day. More often they're groan worthy like when the turtle demon in Go Nagai World says "Even a turtle can fall from heaven!".
I didn't care for the Utena movie as much, but I have a friend who REALLY loves that movie and is passionate about it.
It's been a while since I've reread Solanin, but I think my thoughts are mostly the same. It's a story about looking for answers and the fact that there are no easy answers. For better or worse, if there's any difference now, it's that now I can emphasize and confirm that the searching will continue even beyond your 20's.
Everything is always changing. Sometimes you will find an answer and be happy with it a while, but that doesn't mean that you won't want or need a different answer later. That doesn't mean the original answer was wrong or that you wasted time believing in it -- just that you change over time, and sometimes you end up wanting something else.
I'm sure that this sort of answer is just as split-feeling as the manga itself, but Asano remains one of my favourite mangaka for a reason, I suppose, haha. Best of luck with your graduation and what lies beyond. :)
Hi, I think you may have some kind of mental dysfunction you aren't correcting for when you review. I know this because you rated Gintama a 10, while you rated Pengu In the City a 1. I believe you have somehow fundamentally misunderstood comedy from nearly every perspective possible. I am not making this post to make fun of you, but merely to inform you. I feel the need to do this because as most of your reviews focus on content made for children, I can only assume that your cognitive function is also at the level of a child, and I aim to guide you to a more logical and mature mindset. Now in your first review you write that "I know it's made for kids, but I'm of the belief that even kids shows can be watched and critiqued regardless of age." This statement might as well be a neon sign reading "I AM MENTALLY INEPT!" To explain why, let me begin with the absolute absurdity of your claim, content made for specific age groups cannot be objectively reviewed by individuals that are not a part of the target age group. This is tautologically true. Would you have me believe that my uncle Joe (who is 69) could seriously appreciate and enjoy Fate/stay night? I bet you feel stupid for having even suggested the possibility in your elementary level review. Now I understand and sympathize with you, as you put it "everyone has their opinions," but yours are so off-base that I felt the need to reach out to you in order to set you down the path to better taste. Please reevaluate your thinking from an epistemological perspective and grow from this. I believe in you buddy.
All Comments (7) Comments
Thank you for leaving a comment! Since I’m not a native speaker, I read this manga in Chinese translation which is on a Chinese translated manga website called “Manhuaren (漫畫人)”.
If you are looking for a English translated version then I’m afraid to tell you that I could not find the complete chapters of this manga.
However I still recommend you to read this manga! It is very insightful on ideas like the meaning of life and the legitimacy of dictatorship.
Thanks man! I'm very happy to have that test over and done with. Now I can just focus on my work and in the meantime have a little more free time. Hyouge is a very unusual case. It's not a bad anime by any means but watching it with those fansubs is a rough experience and I'm honestly not sure why it gets recommended so frequently.
I didn't care for the Utena movie as much, but I have a friend who REALLY loves that movie and is passionate about it.
Everything is always changing. Sometimes you will find an answer and be happy with it a while, but that doesn't mean that you won't want or need a different answer later. That doesn't mean the original answer was wrong or that you wasted time believing in it -- just that you change over time, and sometimes you end up wanting something else.
I'm sure that this sort of answer is just as split-feeling as the manga itself, but Asano remains one of my favourite mangaka for a reason, I suppose, haha. Best of luck with your graduation and what lies beyond. :)