Editorial scope
What qualifies for a verdict
Not every simulcast earns a verdict. Here's the logic behind what we pick up and what we leave to the seasonal crowd.
Selection criteria
Each season typically produces 40 to 70 simulcast titles. We watch a meaningful portion of them and write verdicts on those that have enough substance to argue about. That usually means 10 to 18 shows per season.
We don't cover promotional shorts, mobile game tie-ins, or series that exist primarily to sell merchandise from an existing franchise. We also don't write first-impression pieces after one episode — a verdict requires enough material to make a defensible case.
There's no formula for selection. We watch broadly and then ask: is there something genuinely interesting happening here, even if it's not for us? If yes, it earns coverage. If a show is technically competent and entirely unremarkable, it doesn't — there's nothing to argue.
The verdict system
Four categories, each argued
Every verdict is one of these four — and each comes with a prose argument, not just a label.
Don't wait
A show that does something the medium hasn't done, or does something familiar with unusual force. We're not generous with this — it typically means one or two per season at most.
Genuinely worth it
Good work, clearly argued. These shows may not change how you think about anime, but they'll use your time well. Most of our positive verdicts land here.
Check when finished
Shows that are mid-season messes but might resolve well, or ongoing series we're uncertain about. We'll revisit these with a final call once the season wraps.
Your time elsewhere
Not necessarily bad — just not worth your time when there are better options available. We write what specifically didn't work so you can disagree if you think we missed something.
Genre scope
What we watch and what we don't
Consistently covered
- Seasonal simulcasts on major legal platforms
- Drama, seinen, character-study work
- Action series with structural ambition
- Sports anime (serious approach required)
- Isekai — selectively, when there's an argument to make
- Experimental and short-form work from known directors
Outside our scope
- Mobile game promotional anime
- First-episode impressions pieces
- Merchandise-first franchise entries
- Content not available on legal simulcast
- OVA and home-release-only content
- Ongoing multi-year series (mid-run verdict only)
Corrections
When we get it wrong
We don't delete verdicts we later disagree with, and we don't silently edit factual errors. Corrections are appended to the original piece with a date and a brief explanation of what changed.
In 2024 we revised our reading of two series after finishing them — one was substantially better than our mid-season take, one worse. Both revisions are noted in the original pieces.
If you spot a factual error — wrong air date, wrong studio attribution, wrong character name — send it to editorial and we'll fix and credit it.