How do you analyze an anime?

I have like 4 categories:

Plot, Character Development, Logic(e.g. Plot Holes), Overall Impression(Vibe, Exitement, Addiction)

That being said, I think you can only rate anime properly if u have watched a lot of them in the same genre to draw comparisons. For example you might think SAO is actually good if its in the first 10 anime you've ever seen.

Bro chill, it's just anime. Don't be a nerd and just enjoy it

i dont

Intuition and Confirmation Bias.

You don't need to analyze an anime like a It's a 6-page business essay, just watch it and see if you like it or not.

I would focus on what aspects of a series or movie are appealing to you. Different people will have different opinions, and groups of people have different things that are more or less appealing to them generally (which is why writers make use of genres and tropes). If your goal is to more quickly find more shows that are up your alley, then I'd take a look at what you've liked most about some of your favorite shows. To take a popular example, I enjoy Cowboy Bebop because it has an incredible jazzy soundtrack, has a tight focus on a small cast of characters with very tight dialogue, and each episode sets up and completes a full story in a unique setting in a way that grows the entire world they've created. Other people will gravitate towards it because it's set in space, because there's a mob story at its heart, or because they really love protagonists like Spike. You can argue all of these things are 'good', but knowing what appeals to you lets you pick up on themes, settings, or writing styles that you enjoy and see if other series' premises might be interesting to you. For example, I really enjoy Mushi-Shi since it focuses on a singular character with deliberately little dialogue, has a very fitting atmospheric soundtrack, and tells an entire story and expands the world a little with each episode. People who like Cowboy Bebop because they like how cool Spike is, or because it centers on a mob story, or is set in space may not be nearly as interested in such a divergent series, but may instead have more fun with 91 Days (a mob revenge story), a Gundam series (set in space), or Lupin III (if they're really into Spike). The same strategy can help you weed out stuff you probably won't like. I get frustrated by series that have really bland or cardboard protagonists and Tolkien-style fantasy or video-game settings, so I steer clear of basically every Isekai series. That's not to say that they are good or bad, but I just know I'll be bored to tears by most of them.

The tags section under stats in your profile could be a good starting point for some of these, but they won't be able to pull out subtle details like musical styles, overall tone of the script, or animation style. This is also a much more helpful lens to evaluate series with if you're looking to recommend to friends. If you know what they're more or less interested in, you can share something that speaks to both of your interests. Lastly, thinking about series like this lets you sidestep pointless arguments about whether a show is 'objectively' good or bad and have more interesting discussions about what themes or parts of the series were well-executed or seemed to be lacking.

i compare the inital plot thats promised to me in the summary, the actual plot, characters and their roles and if it made me wanna watch more . i am really picky so a lot of animes that are worshipped by people such as hyouka did not pass my vibe check bc it continuously made me more and more angry

I just look at the genre of the anime and after having finished it I judge if it was worth watching for the genre with which the anime presented itself to be.

For example, you watch a comedy expecting to laugh. If it didn't make you laugh then it must have been a bad comedy for you.

If you watch a romance you expect good romantic relationship progression and development of the characters.

If you watch a battle shonen you expect to see sensational fights etc.

If you watch a drama you expect the anime to present you real life problems with which you can relate or symphatize and in general feel emotions.

when it comes to analyzing stuff i just look into what it means to me personally. how the director was able to create a story that resonated with me and whatnot.

First, I second most of what @DaBouche said, so if you're to read only one comment in this thread, read theirs.

Now with my contributions. I think it's important to first think about why do you analyse anime (and art in general). Do you wanna understand why you like your favourites to help find other shows like them? Or maybe you wanna be able to understand what makes every element in a story work or not work, to help you create your own? Perhaps you want to relate what you watch to your area of study/work? Or sometimes you just can't help yourself and your mind automatically starts "overthinking" everything you watch? All these options aren't mutually exclusive and there are other possibilities I didn't mention. How you answer this question should help direct how you wanna analyse anime.

Now to why I personally do it. I constantly analyse everything I watch cuz my mind just does that automatically, however my analysis always comes after my initial emotional reaction and is informed by that reaction. I analyse art to help me like it even more, so if I am emotionally impacted by something, I won't start thinking about how it's illogical or how many plot holes it has, and rob myself of the experience. Instead I start to think about why and how it created the emotional response in me, usually this leads to me liking it even more.
Another important aspect to my kind of optimistic analysis is that, in a given work, I give a lot more weight to the stuff I like than the stuff I don't. For instance, if an anime has forgettable characters and an irrelevant plot, but the philosophical themes it explores are really interesting, I might still come out of it really liking it. What I prioritise and what I'm willing to forgive all depends on my expectations for the series.

Another important thing to understand is that no amount of technical analysis will make a work "objectively" good or bad. Any analysis is personal in nature.

i don't analyze just enjoy it man

I normally judge by asking myself what they tried to do in any sense of action that they deploy. Why did they show me such conversation? What is the point of showing this scenery? What is the point of changing the style? Those questions arise while watching and then if I can articulate an answer or they give a proper answer then it would be considered right, if they cant or if the answers are boring, or if the questions are dumb then it is wrong. The more interesting the questions and the answers the better. A way to explain it would be like this:

• If an anime has interesting (Be it purposeful or innovative) questions and developments with correct to great executions then it is good. Normally you want something to surprise you, so if the questions are bland or the developments are shallow then it is not good, even if it could be entertaining because you are attracted to the topic.
• If an anime has barely no questions but captivating or engaging answers it is also good, not everything have to be deep in order to answer to entertainment, or not everything have to be the next big classic. If the answers are not good then it is not good, of course, when an anime that propose a shallow concept doesnt execute itself right then it will obviously be bad.

I judge the technicals too, but I don't value too much the concept of hyperrealism, I prefer to see new styles and an exploration of art in more abstract extensions. If the art doesnt get in the way of the intent of the author then it is also fine, the same with music, which can elevate something to the second power if correctly done.

Now, I don't value when the purpose of the anime is superficial at best, pandering, or it failed itself by not being able to incorporate the topics that it intended to do. That is ugly. The most problematic issue would be for me dishonesty, if the anime doesnt strive to be honest with its own feelings and realities, using artifacts to keep pumping content instead of flowing naturally, then it is also a failed project. If an anime is honest then it can deliver better punches, because they use such honesty to manifest humanity

I mean the whole point is enjoying the anime? Nobody is a critic here

Pure enjoyment or it made me feel a certain way(usually sad). I don't spend a lot of time trying to figure out why cause in the end it doesn't matter.

I look specifically at the characters, as well as scenes and connections that stand out to be as particularly good or bad. My analyses tend to be comparisons to similar characters/scenes in other shows, and how one of the shows did it better.

Do I actually write it out? Of course not. But I always think about the shows a given show reminds me of, now that I've watched enough that everything reminds me of something.

Whether it's for here or YouTube, I don't have any specific checklist, pattern, or criteria for evaluating an anime. I find that if I watch something, the things it does that I find go well or don't go well come naturally, along with how they relate to how I see the anime in its "bigger picture." If I don't think something is worth talking about, I don't really mention it, or if I do mention it after all, it's in passing. Each show demands a particular emphasis on certain things more-so than others, but how it does that depends on you, the viewer.

As for the "technical" versus "entertainment" part, I lean more towards entertainment. Regardless of the panache one might perceive a show to have, a show is meant to be enjoyed. Whether that's through comedic hijinks or abstract mental landscapes, that depends on the show.

For example, when I made my video for Hyouka (linked here), even though I talk about the the sound, aesthetics, and plot, the main thing I emphasize is the show's calm, tranquil tone, and that I found it pleasurable. I also chose this one specifically because it was so hard to talk about why I liked it, which I mention towards the end.

I'm sorry if I didn't necessarily answer your question XD

you dont analyze anime you just enjoy them dont be a nerd

I've drawn a flowchart of the formula I use for analyzing shows, it may look complicated at first glance but it's actually pretty simple once you get used to it

Who uses patterns and techniques for watching shows lmfao. If it's entertaining I'll keep watching

Why bother analyzing,JUST CONSUME PRODUCT AND THEN GET EXCITED FOR NEXT PRODUCTS

I don't really analyze, just consume. If I think an anime is shit then it's shit. If think an anime is good then I'll say it's good.

My criteria for rating anime is pretty standard. I just focus on my enjoyment of the story and the characters. I never understood people who separate their enjoyment from "technical" parts. Everyone has different values and experiences when it comes to critiquing shows. So everyone is going to have different reasonings for why they like or dislike a show compared to others.

when did my english teacher make an anilist account

I simply just rate something on how much I enjoy it. Though if I enjoy something that has glaring problems I will usually reduce the score a bit to accommodate.

I first check intended audience and intended mood. Generally the title poster/pic gives a good idea of that. For example, simple and bright art generally is laid back, while detailed art is heavier/deeper/serious. Character outfits, age, facial expressions, setting... it's a glimpse into what the show is about, if it's properly made.

I then check the genre, synopsis, and development staff to ensure the show fits any interests I have.

If I feel a need to triple-check, I'd check for trailers, promo material, sneak-peeks, and maybe even tap into the source material.

From there, I just judge by my current likes and dislikes (listed mine on my bio). For example, if it's too mundane without much progress towards filling in plot holes and other questions I have, I'd lose interest and I end up ranking it lower. If it's full of stuff I neither like nor dislike, I would just treat it with indifference, but I can still rate based on whether I feel it was time well/regretfully spent (novel creative stuff vs same old generic stuff).

I'd compare the show to others I've watched, and try to "rank" it better or worse overall to figure out where it subjectively slots into place. I consciously rank them to fit a curve.

I try to comment on shows to give me an idea of what I was thinking when I rated them.