Review guideline

Some thoughts before I begin

These are guidelines on writing reviews at AniDB, not a manual on how to structure your reviews. Like with all writing, a reviewer’s style and structure varies from one person to another. The following guidelines are what I personally follow, and I believe they are fair. This guide is for potential reviewers that want to receive an in-depth opinion on writing effective reviews at AniDB. However, I am confident that if you are taking the time to read this guide, you must be interested in furthering the quality of your reviews. Hope you enjoy reading my lengthy thoughts on reviewing anime.

Introduction

Many reviewers at AniDB prefer to divide their reviews into the follow sections: Animation, Sound, Story, Character, Value, and Enjoyment. It is logical, and by no means a bad way to structure an anime review. However, this common structure does not mean that everyone should write their reviews this way. Structuring your review into sections have benefits like better orienting reader on the area you are currently commenting on. However, it also constricts your ideas and thoughts into a given section, not allowing you to blend two areas such as character and story together. If you choose to not divide your review into such sections, just remember to allow your main idea to come through.

Furthermore, it is also beneficial to reference the anime you are reviewing to other anime you have watched to draw out comparisons. Just keep in mind not to ramble incoherently because that would confuse your reader.

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Animation

The first section that you are able to rate in a review is animation. A common misconception when rating animation is comparing two different styles from two different periods. For instance, I currently use Tokyo Godfathers or Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence as a reference point for "high quality modern animation". They are clear examples of superb animation seamlessly blending 2D with 3D animation. Now the problem arises when I compare that type of animation from a decade ago (1990s). Animation, like any art, progresses indefinitely through time. Tastes change, styles change, and potential audience changes with time. In 1999, Rurouni Kenshin - Meiji Kenkaku Roumandan - Tsuiokuhen, was considered the pinnacle of animation at the time. Comparing two differing styles like Rurouni Kenshin - Meiji Kenkaku Roumandan - Tsuiokuhen with something modern like Tokyo Godfathers is unfair and too subjective. Rather than comparing one anime to another, it would be better to think about whether the anime effectively conveyed a unique style of animation.

It is not always about if the anime can produce the best special effects or computer generated graphics. Raising questions like:

"Is the animation’s style unique?"

"Does it break away or goes beyond the time period’s typical animation?"

"Can the anime be immediately recognized simply by looking at its animation?"

"What level of realism or zaniness was depicted?"

This sort of thinking can be applied to backgrounds, opening or ending sequences, character designs, and special effects. These are all good areas to comment on in the animation section.

As for numerical values for rating animation, here are some guidelines:

10 – The animation is superb, effectively conveying its own sense of style. Many times the animation goes beyond the modern trend of animation at the time. The animation is easily recognizable. Character design, background, and special effects are well done. It is apparent to see the high level of thought that goes into every detail or design.

9 – The animation is great, effectively conveying a clear sense of style. However, what keeps the animation from receiving a 10 is that maybe the animation builds upon a previous style. The style is presented well and may even give a refreshing look on an old or current style of animation. The animation maybe superb in most areas, but maybe lacking a bit in one or two areas like character designs and backgrounds.

8 – The animation is good, usually good enough for the animation to be clearly recognizable. The animation may have its own sense of style, but is lacking in many areas. For example, character designs may have received great thought, but backgrounds and special effects were average.

7 – The animation is decent and easily recognizable to most otaku. However, the problem with the animation is that it does not have a good sense of original style. It follows a previous trend or animation, and offers little in uniqueness.

6 – The animation is just fine. Its animation style has been done before and the animation does not show much in the way of improving it. This does not mean the animation is bad; there just is not anything special about the animation.

5 – The animation’s style is passable. It uses a previous style of animation, and does not make any effort improve on it.

4 – The animation’s style is almost passable, but on the borderline of being bad. It uses a previous style of animation, and instead of sticking with it, may even make the style worse. Areas such as character design and backgrounds are in adequate, and they maybe painful to watch throughout the ova/movie/series.

3 – The animation style is clearly bad. It looks like very low budget animation and reuses many frames. Character design and backgrounds received barely any thought whatsoever.

2 – The animation is very bad. Character designs and backgrounds received no thought at all, and the animation has no distinguishing traits.

1 – The animation can cause eye cancer. It is just drop down bad; there are no qualities that can receive any positive regard.

Sound

First off, the seiyuu (voiceactors). If one of the voiceactors is doing a horrible job since his/her voice doesn`t fit the character at all, now is your chance. Or if someone is doing such a good job that the voice of that person keeps the bad storyline interesting, tell it. Tell why it is a great openingsong, like when it fits the series very well, or if it doesn`t fit at all even though it`s a good openingsong.

Story

How is the story? Is the plot deep and good enough to make an interesting anime, or is there no plot at all and is it only fighting or fanservice?

Characters

Are the characters unrealistic, are they annoying or are they welldeveloped and do they change when the series progresses ?

Value

The value of a series is like saying how much rewatch value it has. Is it a series/movie which you would likely rewatch some time, or was it as uninteresting that you will never ever watch it again?

Enjoyment

This is easy. How much did you enjoy this series/movie? Tell us what you particularly liked and disliked (try not to spoil though).