Every anime fan has a list. But most rating systems are broken.

Most people rate on a linear 1-10 scale — which ignores context. A 7/10 shonen filler arc and a 7/10 psychological thriller are completely different experiences.

I rate on 4 axes instead:

Story — Does the plot go somewhere meaningful?

Characters — Would you care if they died?

Atmosphere — Soundtrack, visuals, pacing — does it feel like a world?

Rewatchability — Would you sit through the opening again?

Vinland Saga S1: 9/10/7/9. Demon Slayer: 6/9/10/8. Both great — for completely different reasons.

This system stops the "best anime" argument and starts real conversations about what kind of experience a show actually is.

We just opened Anime Syndicate for fans who want to talk about this stuff at a deeper level. Drop in.

Every anime fan has a list. But most rating systems are broken.

Here's the problem: most people rate anime on a linear 1-10 scale, which completely ignores context. A 7/10 shonen filler arc and a 7/10 psychological thriller are not the same thing.

I rate on 4 axes instead:

Story — Does the plot go somewhere meaningful, or does it stall?

Characters — Would you care if they died?

Atmosphere — Soundtrack, visuals, pacing — does it feel like a world?

Rewatchability — Would you sit through the opening again?

Something like Vinland Saga S1 scores 9/10/7/9. Demon Slayer scores 6/9/10/8. Both are great — but for completely different reasons.

This system has helped me stop arguing about "best anime" and start having actual conversations about what kind of experience a show is.

If you're an anime fan who wants to actually talk about this stuff — we just opened Anime Syndicate. Drop in.