This post was written by Dark_Sage. He is Dark_Sage.



A guide for the new aniblogger.

Why write a top 10?

It’s easy.

It’s really easy.

People read them.

Pander Pander Pander

The goal of any top 10 list is not to get your opinion across, but rather the opinions of your readers. After all, they’re not reading your blog for your fucking thoughts; they just want to look into that mirror called a monitor and smile when it shows what they want to see.

So how do you tap into that? Well that’s where the top-ten list comes in. The ultimate goal here is for your list to be so non-offensive that they can’t help but tolerate you. That’s how you find aniblog success! (Just ask psgels.)

Top 10? What about Top 11?

Rookie question. Always do a Top 10. Any more than 10 and it feels like the “honor” of being included is insignificant. Any less and you stand the risk of offending the fans of the series you exclude.

Don’t think. Just do it.

Narrow it down

There are way too many anime in a season to choose from for a Top 10 list, so you’re gonna have to narrow down your choices.

Make it clear in your top 10 that you’re not going to include short anime (3-minute shows, for example), second cours, or direct sequels to recently aired shows. This means that people can’t complain that you didn’t include their most favoritest show ever because, hey, you’re just playing by the rules. Super easy to cut shit out then.

Spoiler: Aikatsu

Bakuman s3

Battle Spirits Sword Eyes

Btooom!

Busou Shinki

Cardfight Vanguard Asia Circuit

Chousoku Henkei Gyrozetter

Chuunibyou Demo Koi Ga Shitai!

Code:Breaker

Fairy Tail

Gintama

Girls und Panzer

Hayate no Gotoku 2012

Hidamari Sketch X Honeycomb

Hiiro no Kakera s2

Ixion Saga DT

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

Jormungand Perfect Order

K

Kamisama Hajimemashita

Little Busters

Lychee Light Club

Magi

Medaka Box Abnormal

Muv-Luv Alt

Naruto

One Piece

OniAi

Psycho-Pass

Robotics;Notes

Rock Lee and His Ninja Pals

Saint Seiya Omega

Sakurasou No Pet Na Kanojo

Seitokai no Ichizon S2

Shinsekai Yori

Space Brothers

Sukitte Ii Na Yo

Sword Art Online

Teekyu

To Love-ru Darkness

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun

Wooser no Sono Higurashi

Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal 2

Zetsuen no Tempest

Narrow it down even more

Now cut out anything that has fewer than 3000 people scoring it on MAL. If people aren’t watching the show, nobody will have issues with you ignoring it.

Also get rid of the ecchi-focused shows. Fans of series like that are used to being marginalized — they won’t complain if you leave out their favorite shows.

Spoiler: Aikatsu (471)

Btooom! (14397)

Busou Shinki (2100)

Chousoku Henkei Gyrozetter (381)

Chuunibyou Demo Koi Ga Shitai! (20361)

Code:Breaker (7090)

Girls und Panzer (3340)

Hayate no Gotoku 2012 (2951)

Hidamari Sketch X Honeycomb (1097)

Ixion Saga DT (3496)

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure (3919)

K (13096)

Kamisama Hajimemashita (6860)

Little Busters (7285)

Magi (9808)

OniAi (4060)

Psycho-Pass (10271)

Robotics;Notes (6887)

Sakurasou No Pet Na Kanojo (9335)

Seitokai no Ichizon S2 (1262)

Shinsekai Yori (7722)

Sukitte Ii Na Yo (10757)

To Love-ru Darkness (3565)

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun (17534)

Zetsuen no Tempest (9809)

Choosing the final 10

Top 3

I sure hope you’ve been keeping a pulse on what’s popular on 4chan, reddit, and MyAnimeList. The audience on each of these sites is pretty damn similar and your readers are likely culled from their ranks. If you avoid what each site’s hivemind has determined is good, you risk their internet wrath.

For Fall 2012, the hiveminds have determined you must like JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and Chuunibyou. If you don’t include them in your top 3, you may as well just shut down your blog now. Include an intellectual show as well, to show that you is so smarts.

Spoiler:

Btooom! (14397)

Chuunibyou Demo Koi Ga Shitai! (20361)

Code:Breaker (7090)

Girls und Panzer (3340)

Ixion Saga DT (3496)

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure (3919)

K (13096)

Kamisama Hajimemashita (6860)

Little Busters (7285)

Magi (9808)

Psycho-Pass (10271)

Robotics;Notes (6887)

Sakurasou No Pet Na Kanojo (9335)

Shinsekai Yori (7722)

Sukitte Ii Na Yo (10757)

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun (17534)

Zetsuen no Tempest (9809) Btooom! (14397)Code:Breaker (7090)Girls und Panzer (3340)Ixion Saga DT (3496)K (13096)Kamisama Hajimemashita (6860)Little Busters (7285)Magi (9808)Psycho-Pass (10271)Robotics;Notes (6887)Sakurasou No Pet Na Kanojo (9335)Sukitte Ii Na Yo (10757)Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun (17534)Zetsuen no Tempest (9809)

You should rank them as follows: the most popular show, then the most intellectual show, then the show with the worst fanbase.

I mean, just look at this. Doesn’t it seem “right”?

Spoiler: 1. Chuunibyou Demo Koi Ga Shitanai! 2. Shinsekai Yori 3. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

Numbers 4-10

Okay, the top 3 were easy. Now you have to fill out the other 7 spots. Gonna be hard, right? Wrong!

All you have to do is figure out which shows are the most enjoyed by fucknuts with no taste and even less shame. Yup, it’s time to pander to the lowest class of anime fan: the anime fan.

Spoiler:

Btooom!

Code:Breaker

Girls und Panzer

Ixion Saga DT

K

Kamisama Hajimemashita

Little Busters

Magi

Psycho-Pass

Robotics;Notes

Sakurasou No Pet Na Kanojo

Sukitte Ii Na Yo

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun

Zetsuen no Tempest



Now that you have what you want, let’s rank them by assumed popularity. 4-6 will be the shows that people would be most angry at for being ranked too low. Spots 7 through 10 go to shows whose fans would just be happy enough to see them on a list.

Spoiler: 4. Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun 5. Psycho-Pass 6. Zetsuen no Tempest 7. Robotics;Notes 8. Sakurasou No Pet Na Kanojo 9. Sukitte Ii Na Yo 10. Girls und Panzer

And there you have it! Your rankings are complete, so it’s time to put it all together. Feast your eyes on

Your Top Ten:

1. Chuunibyou Demo Koi Ga Shitanai!

2. Shinsekai Yori

3. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

4. Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun

5. Psycho-Pass

6. Zetsuen no Tempest

7. Robotics;Notes

8. Sakurasou No Pet Na Kanojo

9. Sukitte Ii Na Yo

10. Girls und Panzer

Sure, your list may have no personality or heart, but it is non-offensive. Watch the tepid responses masquerading as love flow in. And hey, even though the list may not match up with what you honestly feel the best shows were, doesn’t it just look good? You’d be forgiven for fooling yourself into thinking you came up with it yourself.