SHORT INTRODUCTION
It’s worth noting at the very beginning that I’m not a reviewer. When it comes to rating a series, I approach it mainly on the basis of free and subjective opinion, because during watching / reading I want to have fun first and foremost. However, after finishing the title, I like to express my private opinion about it, in words or numbers. My system of rating anime and manga is really very easy, but I will write about it a bit later. While, generally speaking, I’m a simple person and I tend to enjoy the majority of series that I meet, which is why the most important aspect for me is the enjoyment, but of course there are also titles that I completely dislike and I often forcibly end them only therefore, to be able to take full advantage of the 10-point scale of the assessment that I’m currently applying and also for my private comparative statistics. I just want to get the best comparison of good and weak series for me in order to be able to judge each title in a reasonable, but above all subjective and honest way.
THE IMPORTANCE OF ENJOYMENT
As I mentioned above, the most important factor for me in the final rating is my subjective taste, emotions, positive impressions and enjoyment, that which result from watching / reading a given series. Therefore, it’s often the case that it affects my final rating of individual other aspects. So let’s remember that each of us has their own ideologies and their private taste, which is used when rating the title. Therefore, first of all, let’s respect each other, discuss, exchange opinions, insights and ratings, but don’t be offended because of different opinions / ratings, because each of us has different preferences, passions, criteria of assessment and values something else in the titles. And the main goal for all of us should be to enjoy shared or private joy of watching / reading each series.
HOW I RATE MY SERIES
As for the exact way in which how I rate my series, first of all I rating each title (anime, manga etc.) taking into account five main aspects, which are divided into several smaller ones aspects. I treat every main aspect in the same way (with the exception of the enjoyment that is most important to me) and I rate them on a 10-point scale (1-10). At the end I add grades to myself, I divide them by their number (5) and in this way my final, private and above all subjective general overall rating appears, which appears at every title I finish. It’s worth noting here that derivatives of the anime and manga series (movies, ova, ona, special, manhwa, light novel and others) I rate the same, but it also depends on what they represent and what they really are. If they are only a variation, a summary or a non-mandatory addition to the main title, I try to omit the assessment of history, but if they are an important part of the main production or a separate creation with an original story, the criteria remain the same. In addition, it’s worth noting that I’m trying to evaluate the series by comparing them on the basis of the same species they have and the type of production. This means that despite the same ratings for the titles, I will never treat them equally / the same if they have different genres, for example, I never treat horror and comedy the same way, even if I have given them the same rating. The same applies to the type of production, I never treat the same way anime tv series and movie (special episode and anime tv series etc.) as they are different productions that are governed by different laws and rules during creation. The same dependence occurs in animated additions or manga and light novels. In addition, if by some miracle I finished watching the additional episode, which is a summary of the main series, he immediately gets the overall rating 1 from me, because I really dislike this type of episodes, they are pointless and unnecessarily waste the airtime. The next issue is that if I watched / read a title and it receives a sequel in the future, I give myself the opportunity to change the rating of the first part depending on how the rest of the story looks like. If good, the score may increase, and if bad, the score may decrease. Standard and no point limits on a 10-point rating scale. Of course, this isn't a mandatory procedure, so I will only do it when I deem it appropriate. I also give myself the right to issue a potential infinity rating (∞). I have entered this for my own convenience to highlight a title that is above the 10-point rating scale I have introduced in terms of watching or reading enjoyment. Such a rating (infinity) in the aspect of enjoyment means that a any title (no matter what ratings it received from me in other aspects: story, characters, art, sound/quality polish edition) from the slot machine receives from me the final rating at the maximum level. This is a special rating. Therefore, it is reserved for only one title of one type. This means that the infinity rating (∞) may ultimately only appear with one tv series, one movie, and one comic, not more. It is simply my private / subjective distinction.
ASPECTS OF MY OVERALL RATING
The main and smaller aspects that I mentioned in the above and which decide about my final rating of it are:
🈯 • ENJOYMENT • General my subjective impressions and my emotions (mostly positive) while watching / reading. May affect the final ratings of the other main aspects listed below. This means that if the pleasure rating is lower than the other aspect listed below, then I can lower that rating (for example, art rating), but by a maximum of one point. It works the other way around, so if the pleasure rating is higher than the rating for another aspect, then I can raise that rating, but also by only one point. Additionally, in the event of a possible raising or lowering of a specific final grade, it cannot exceed the pleasure grade for this activity. I also give myself the right to give an additional rating in this aspect, which I call the infinity rating (∞), which is an off-scale rating and highlights the best title in my opinion.
🈯 • STORY • In the case of anime (tv, movie etc.) originality, idea and presentation, logicalness, climate, quality of transferring the history from the original work (for example manga) if there is one, quality of the presented world, progress of history, script (scenario), direction and conclusion / ending the story • In the case of comics (manga, manhwa, light novel etc.) originality, idea and presentation, logicalness, climate, quality of transferring the history from the original work (for example anime, anime movie) if there is one, quality of the presented world, progress of history and script (scenario) and conclusion / ending the story, it means that in both cases it is practically the same.
🈯 • CHARACTERS • In the case of anime (tv, movie etc.) diversity and originality of character traits, their development / transformation / progression, their rationality, relations between them, presentation of their emotions and acting game seiyuu • In the case of comics (manga, manhwa, light novel etc.) diversity and originality of character traits, their development / transformation / progression, their rationality, relations between them drawing presentation of their emotions.
🈯 • ART • In the case of anime (tv, movie etc.) the quality and detail of backgrounds, the smoothness of animations, character designs, general detail, visual adaptation to the production climate, original treatments, overall play of colors and color, neatness and technical quality in OP / ED • In the case of comics (manga, manhwa, light novel etc.) the quality and detail of backgrounds, character designs, general detail and appropriate placement of frames on pages, original style, print quality and quality or depth of black (in the case of volumes, which I possibly have), overall neatness, quality and level of drawing.
🈯 • SOUND • Only in the case of anime (tv, movie etc.) overall soundtracks quality matching to my taste, variety of music, adjustment to the production climate, ambient sounds and sounds for visual effects (for example, noise of the forest, rainfall, striking weapons during the fight, the entire second plan etc.), composition of the whole and quality of music in OP / ED.
🈯 • the QUALITY of POLISH EDITION • Only in the case of comics (manga, manhwa, light novel etc.) translation and possible number of errors, quality of paper and covers, occurrence of color pages and general quality of the native edition (see the above rating for art in the case of a comics) if the title came out in Poland. It's worth noting that at the very beginning this rating was part of the main aspect of Enjoyment, which rating was the so-called smaller aspect, but after some time I decided to separate the Quality of Polish Edition from the Enjoyment so that the number of main aspects was the same as in the case of anime. Generally speaking, I treat this main aspect as the second Enjoyment, because if I have a physical release of a comic and it is well done at the same time, then my reading enjoyment automatically grows. If I have read the comic (for example manga) on the Internet, this main aspect isn’t rating, and the number of aspects I divide to get the overall rating is reduced to 4.
🈯 • OVERALL • And finally my overall rating resulting from the formula: ENJOYMENT + STORY + CHARACTERS + ART + SOUND or QUALITY POLISH EDITION / number of main aspects (5) = OVERALL rating.
The overall rating is always rounded towards a closer integer, resulting in a final rating. It means that if, according to the above formula, the given title gets the overall rating for example 3.6, then I will increase it to the final rating 4, and when for example the score is 6.4, I will lower it to the final rating 6. This rule applies to any rating in a 10-point scale. The full ranges of each rating are: 1 (1.0 - 1.4), 2 (1.6 - 2.4), 3 (2.6 - 3.4), 4 (3.6 - 4.4), 5 (4.6 - 5.4), 6 (5.6 - 6.4), 7 (6.6 - 7.4), 8 (7.6 - 8.4), 9 (8.6 - 9.4), 10 (9.6 - 10.0). I use this formula for a short time, so it’s result isn’t yet visible for all completed titles. Of course, I plan to update everything over time. Finishing this point I would like to point out that over time my older ratings will be subject to verification and I will change them if necessary (rather for the worse). This is due to the fact that I get to know new productions on a regular basis, and thus the pool of completed series increases, and therefore I have a greater comparative field, which means that the title, which I once considered to be really very good, is no longer such as I thought in the past.
HOW I TREAT REALISM IN SERIES
I’m writing about this topic because I often see it on various forums and in a comments on many pages devoted to anime and manga. When it comes to how I treat the aspect of realism in series that I watch or read this matter is very simple. Namely, it doesn’t matter to me whether the series is realistic in some respect, i.e. in some respects similar to the real world. Here I’m pointing out that realism isn’t equal to logic. If the title introduces a rule, it has to stick to it. If, however, suddenly abandons the previously introduced rules, I think that there is no logic in this and then it’s automatically subject to my rating, it’s known that in this example it will be a negative rating. Returning, the title is meant to entertain me, to please me and I don’t need any realistic dose. Of course, at the same time I’m not saying that the lack of realism is better, and when the series has this aspect to some extent, I immediately abandon this work, none of these things. I just personally think that in my case it doesn’t have a complete impact on the reception and overall assessment of the entire production. In general, I mean that watching or reading often helps me, at least for a moment, to isolate myself from gray reality and ordinary boring everyday life, so I don’t need realistic threads to enjoy the series and of course it’s also nice, when sometimes the title presents events that are impossible to realize in real life. In short, I don’t focus on the aspect of realism, it can be introduced, but it doesn’t have to.
SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE OVERALL RATING 1 - 4
1️⃣ • SHIT • I hate this series because it’s a title that mentally scarred me. Error during creation resulted in the creation of such shit, therefore the mere existence of this production is pure evil. Not to mention even the nightmarish ideas that were included in it. All aspect of this series is literally a joke and it’s one of the worst creations I’ve ever had the opportunity to meet.
2️⃣ • HORRIBLE • I hated watching / reading this. It was at least a difficult experience because of practically every aspect of this series, which were horribly made. Although it may not have actively insulted me, I’m consoling myself, knowing that I will never see it again, and I will forget it soon. For this I regretfully regret the wasted time that I had to sacrifice, and the only motive to finish this title was the desire to obtain comparative statistics.
3️⃣ • VERY BAD • There was an idea to present this story, but the idea itself isn’t yet an implementation that ended unsuccessfully. As a whole, it may have a few bearable elements, but they have been overshadowed by very serious problems, banalities and errors that this title undoubtedly has. Overall, series was a waste of time.
4️⃣ • BAD • Series below the average, which was somewhat acceptable. The title had a potential and an interesting idea but also a lot of flaws that too negatively affect the experience to fully justify the recommendation. In general, this position is definitely uneven, or too weak on the average rating, and too good on very bad rating.
SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE OVERALL RATING 5 - 6
5️⃣ • AVERAGE • The title, which was supposed to be really not bad, but ultimately closer to the production of medium, or average, which many. The word "meeeh" describes the whole series very well, because I had sincere expectations towards her, but unfortunately in general I didn’t meet them. This is undoubtedly the golden mean and the starting point of each title. This work could have been much better if the creators devoted more time and money to it or had more talent and idea. Ultimately, it sinks in a sea of other similar works.
6️⃣ • FINE • Generally speaking, it’s a very pleasant title which many well-made aspects. Unfortunately, the series is also burdened with a small amount, but very significant defects and shortcomings. However, I’m sure that the majority of recipients will like this title, because it meets the standard requirements of a successful screening, unfortunately I personally didn’t like it so much, because of some unfinished things or subjective feelings. Ultimately, there is no reason for major complaints towards this series.
SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE OVERALL RATING 7 - 10
7️⃣ • GOOD • I really liked this series. Generally, this title has left a very positive experience, has more advantages than disadvantages and that is why it was worth to meet it. Despite the fact that this position doesn’t have all the aspects at a high level, and can also have clear problems, they are undoubtedly denied by the peak points and the high enjoyment.
8️⃣ • VERY GOOD • Very good, very solidly and with the idea was made the series. It doesn’t have major flaws, it has a lot of interesting treatments, but unfortunately some errors will always be found, which cause slight tripping of the title, but fortunately not so big that they could in some way hinder the general fun. It was evident that the creators worked hard during the creation, because the most important aspects oscillate at a very high level of performance, and the title itself gives a great enjoyment.
9️⃣ • GREAT • A beautiful show that stands out in almost every possible way compared to other titles. It may have some minor shortcomings, but they are immediately pushed aside and forgotten due to overall greatness, incredible enjoyment and unforgettable emotions. It’s simply a great position, all its aspects are at a very high level of performance, and the creators certainly worked hard to create this work. Evidently this is a series that is very little is missing to become a masterpiece. Personally, I think that this series must be known by everyone.
1️⃣0️⃣ • MASTERPIECE • There are things: horrible, bad, average, good, very good and great, but there are no things or work perfect. However, there are excellently well-made titles, to the point that I consider them to be a subjectively perfect work in practically every possible aspects. This is a series that I personally absolutely adore, generally presents itself brilliantly, I played with her unearthly and caused me a lot of touching and unforgettable emotions. I will remember this position forever and I will certainly come back to it often.
SUMMARY OF THE WHOLE
Thank you so much for reading the whole. I’m absolutely convinced that I could forget about something, but I think that this isn’t a problem and if I remember something, then I will update the above points. Despite the fact that I used the help of third parties when writing these points, I’m aware that I could have made language mistakes somewhere, because I have no mastered English to perfection. That’s why I’m really sorry for any mistakes and if anyone finds it, please let me know as soon as possible so that I can correct it as soon as possible. However, if someone just has any questions or remarks about how I rate my series, then for these purposes, please write to me through a private message on myanimelist. I will answer there the fastest, but eventually it can also be sent by e-mail. I think that’s probably enough, so at the very end I think I can point out once again that every rating I made is dictated mainly by my subjective taste and the enjoyment of watching / reading, so please keep this in mind. Again, thank you very much for reaching the end and I wish you all the best, wherever you are in the world!
Please remember that the most important thing is each of my rating (final, overall, main aspects, smaller aspects) is the result of my private and subjective decision, so remember this and don’t be surprised that my numerical ratings differ from yours. I’m not you, just as you are not me. We can be similar, but ultimately we are different, so our ratings also. Respect it, and then we will be happy.