Besides the sheer euphoria of meticulously tracking every episode of every anime you have ever watched, the pinnacle of the MyAnimeList experience is giving completed shows a score. This unique experience of rating an anime out of 10 points based on a wholly subjective and nebulous personal preferences is what sets MyAnimeList apart from any other social cataloging application. But what scores are the best? Today we will go over the 10 best anime scores on MyAnimeList.

#10: 4

We start off with 4 out of 10, which is just a little less than half of 10. Mathematically, you might assume this means you didn’t like the show, and maybe lean a little towards disliking the show. Maybe you feel that that you would put it in the 40th percentile of anime you enjoy. Both of these assumptions are wrong.

See, in the world of anime, everything must be black and white. Shows must be the best, most epic thing ever, or be the worst shit ever made that makes you lose faith in humanity. There is no room for ridiculous things like nuance or middle ground. In modern times, there is no use for the rating of 4 out of 10.

#9: 8

While some may be surprised at how low 8 is on this list, I personally find it a bit overrated. Or should I say… over-eighted? Haha.

While I do agree that 8 is definitely one of the top 10 numbers less than or equal to 10, I think its role as a score is a bit unclear. When you slap an 8 on a show, you’re telling the world you have some problems with it. Otherwise, you’d just give it a 9 or a 10. But 8 is *still* a pretty high score. 8 out of 10 is still a concession that an anime is quite enjoyable and has merits that significantly outweigh its shortcomings. You’re not going to start any fights on Reddit by saying that about Bakemonogatari.

#8: 3

Don’t get me wrong, I love 3. It’s definitely better than 4 in terms of distilling a complex and subjective opinion about an anime into a mathematical constant. But 3 is in a funny place because while it expresses a negative opinion about a show, it’s hard to say how negative. How mad are you exactly? Obviously not mad enough have some backbone and slap a 2 down.

#7: 10

We all know that outside of Eromanga Sensei, the perfect anime does not exist. But for shows that come close enough, a full 10 out of 10 will do. You really can’t have an anime list without a single 10; what’s the point of being an anime fan if you don’t have a show you’re willing to come to bat for?

Unfortunately, there are many a MyAnimeList account where more than a third of the completed shows are scored a 10. Don’t even get me started on rating shows a 10 while watching them. Which begs the question: don’t all anime start at 10? I wonder what John Locke’s MAL account looks like.

#6: 5

5 might seem like a pretty low score. An anime that’s pretty dull, and not even worth the condemnation of a truly low score. But think about this: 5 is exactly half of 10. So that must mean watching Kokoro Connect twice is equal to the perfect anime.

#5: 1

Now we’re getting into arcane territory. A 1 is both a condemnation of a truly and historically terrible show as well as a badge of honor. You’ve endured horrors that others have only heard legends of. You have climbed the Everest of bad, and lived to tell about it.

I am no mathematician, but I believe 1 is one of the lowest whole numbers out there. And we all know how cool and edgy it is to hate things, so naturally it should be the go-to rating to slap on anime you truly hate, right? Wrong.

#4: 2

There is some sick and broken bone in the minds of some that derive pleasure from watching truly bad anime. As things such as The Room or Sword Art Online show us, at a certain point so many things go bad that the experience itself is entertaining.

For the truly terrible shows, that’s when 2 comes into play. A score for anime that can’t even succeed at being terrible. Sometimes, a weak expression of pity is the deepest act of cruelty.

#3: 6

According to thousands of MyAnimeList accounts and IGN, 6 is literally the lowest number that exists. Shows with a rating of 6 out of 10 are a scar upon that medium that might never be washed away. Perhaps these people have recognized that the truly worst anime to exist are not shows that are aggressively bad, but passively mediocre.

#2: 9

9 out of 10 is one of the most popular ratings on MyAnimeList, and it’s for a good reason.

Have you ever watched something that’s super popular that has near-universal praise and ended up loving it as well? You start the anime skeptical; nothing that masses like could ever excite your refined palate, but you’re pleasantly surprised to see that it is indeed a masterpiece. We are now at a crossroad. A perfect 10 is out of the question — your deep and jaded insight has found shortcomings with the work that less knowledgeable anime fans could not even begin to comprehend. Yet the show genuinely deserves praise, even from atop your ivory spire. It is here where 9, the integer reserved for nostalgic classics and Miyazaki films, truly shines.

#1: 7

Eh, I guess it was alright.

Picture selections based on kevo’s MyAnimeList

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