So Spy X Family quickly became one of my favorite shows. It is certainly one of THE SHOWS of all time and it’s one I have rewatched several times.
I was excited for this show as I love the manga as well so like I was very excited to see a lot of polish and ambition in the anime. Every episode regardless of its subject is extremely well made and always has memorable moments. On top of this, the characters are just lovely to watch.
Season one is a 10/10 show for me it’s basically a perfect season of Anime. But perhaps instead of fangirling, I should go on to describe what even is a 10/10 show.
A perfect show for me is one that is ambitious, tries something unique, and pulls it off with a lot of polish and style. It sticks with you long after you watch it and it has a lot of rewatch value. Every time I watch an episode of Spy X Family, I notice new details, new direction choices, subtle hints, and foreshadowing that just make me appreciate the craft of anime much more. It also leaves me in a good mood after watching it. I don’t end the show feeling worse than going in.
This is where personal preferences come into play when awarding perfect scores.
So it is pretty obvious there is no such thing as an objective review at least when it comes to media. There are technical reviews and technical analyses where you look at the form of how something is crafted, some examples being identifying bugs or faults of a program, car, or animation. These tend to be pretty objective and are important to identify (you don’t want your car or web browser to stop working constantly because of a serious error in design). However, there are some aspects of a review that come down to individual opinions, like the ideas of themes behind the story. When a lot of reviews come together you can get a good idea of the quality of a product or art piece.
Basically, an objectively good show will get an average of good reviews. But it comes down to personal preference on whether that show will be a perfect show.
Imma switch topics because I feel like I’m pointing out the obvious, so I will now discuss what is a perfect show for me.
It’s actually pretty simple I have three things I look at, what does this show want to do, and would I rewatch it?
Ok so like from a conceptual idea is this something that I like? Spy X Family is a show about finding a sense of normalcy and happiness in a life that usually has neither. That’s a pretty good theme, and its premise of cold war espionage mixed with slice-of-life comedy is unique. Ok, I like the concept so that’s some points for it. Now a show like The Promise Neverland, a show with horror aspects where characters are trying to avoid death, is not really something I would be interested in.
Next, I look at the execution is this show well made? Take a show like Serial Experiments Lain, a high concept, a post-modern sci-fi show that uses abstract imagery, a likable and engaging main character, and very good art direction to communicate its ideas. It’s unique and well done in its execution so it has high marks from me. Code Geass is a good idea for a show, but like it losses its grip on the plot pretty quickly.
Lastly, what really makes it a 10/10 show for me is whether or not I would want to watch it again. Kaguya makes me happy when I watch it, and rewatches are fun because I notice new details every time I watch it. Wolf’s rain is a great show but it makes me depressed so I don’t really feel like watching it again.
Anyway, those are my general thoughts, let me know what you think.
Ani.
The Trans-Feminine Gaze 
This is a topic I think about a lot as well, since number scores are so important to most mediums, but especially anime, what with MAL and AniList being a big part of the community. The answer to what these mean will always be different for everyone and I always love hearing what other people think.
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Totally, There is obviously no such thing as an objective review but ask enough people and collect their scores and eventually, you will get some idea of the quality of a show or if you can expect to like the show. I also think finding a critic that speaks to your interest also helps you decide what to like since you can just check their recommendations.
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