I’ve been doing these top 5 lists for a little while now, and you know, they really don’t get enough credit. They are a lot harder to put together than people think. Just like any other type of post, you’ll get a wide range of quality out there, with some lists being barely a few words per item and whatever the first pic on Google images is. But a good, well thought out top 5 is just as difficult, in some ways more challenging (you have to come up with 5!) as any other article.
Armed with this fresh appreciation for the format, I’ve been reading a lot of them lately and it got me thinking…why do we choose a particular category over another? Can we gleam some hidden meaning behind our favorite blogger’s top 5 anime male nipples (full credit: Remy suggested that post as a joke and my life will not be complete until I’ve either read or written it).
So today, let’s take a look at what your top 5/10 list says about you. As usual I have no clue what I’m talking about, but this should go without saying by now.
5) you list hyper specific anime elements
I.e. Top 5 characters who can’t use chopsticks and are afraid of squirrels.
You’ve seen a lot of anime. A LOT! You may have seen almost all of the anime! You don’t always remember the shows you’ve sat through, after a while they all start to blend together, but just through sheer quantity, you’ve managed to build up an impressive library of random facts in your mind.
Because you’re an indiscriminate watcher, your top 5 lists feature a blend of anime styles and genres. Obscure titles are mentioned alongside the most popular mainstream series with little distinction. You are not one of those to judge a book by its cover and will give most shows a chance before writing them off. You would be a fantastic anime ambassador if you had the time….but you’ve got shows to watch!
Or you’re o.c.d. and have a weird fetish…
4) you list obscure moments in a specific anime
I.e. Top 5 times nayanko sensei turned down alcohol offered by a human before nightfall. (Never happened, will never happen)
You are a FAN. You have seen this show numerous times and plan on rewatching it again. You suspect it may have been created just for you! Sure you’ve seen other shows, you may have even enjoyed some of them, but this is your ride or die anime.
You have feelings for this show, strong ones! Not just for the characters but make no mistake, you love them as well. Every girl is best to bestest and the boys go from 11 to 36/10. The show is smart but not pretentious. Funny, touching, exciting, relaxing, beautiful, classic and fresh and possibly good for your health. Of course you want to share every inch of it with us…
Or you’re capitalizing on whatever the popular show of the week is.
3) you list characters by trait or appearances
I.e. Top 5 anime boys who rock pig tails (guess who just found her next Top 5 post!!!)
You understand and appreciate that anime is a visual medium and fully intend to celebrate that. You also know that a story is only as good as its hero (or villain), this is why you focus on those animated boys and girls who brought you the most…joy…
Even a lackluster show can occasionally offer up a fantastic character and you are there to make sure everyone knows about it. Or at least to generously share some eye candy with your beloved readers. You sir are a hero! I salute you and think we should be friends! Also you owe me a new keyboard. Apparently it can only take so much drool…
Or you want an excuse to post a bunch of clickbaity pics. Still a hero...
4) you list mundane anime features
I.e. top 5 anime foods, soft drinks, restaurants ect..
You are a dreamer, a true and pure visionary. You are attempting to blend your two worlds together by pulling the ordinary out of the extraordinary and focusing on what links us to universes unknown. You identify strongly with the shows you watch and enjoy seeing or doing things in real life that remind you of your favorite series. You call cosplay: “clothes”.
Maybe you’re a fan of Isekais or maybe you’re over them. What’s the point of watching them when you are living them! In any case ,you know how to see the magic that is all around you. And kindly share a bit of it with us!
Or you write your posts around lunch time.
1) you write essays in list form
I.e. Top 5 ethical dilemmas in anime
You have too many thoughts bursting through your head and you find that a rigid list structure helps to keep you organized and on track. By forcing your ideas into order you give a progression to your thesis that you wouldn’t be able to pull off otherwise.
You’ve also noticed that you can get away with more when switching the format. People tend to view lists more lightly. Controversial opinions are greeted with polite comments or playful rebuttals rather the spiteful outrage. After all, who’s going to get mad at a top 5 list? That’s just silly.
Or you’re me and most things escape you including the concept of lists.
This one was *meta*. (That’s what meta means, right?) I’ve been kicking this idea around for a while. It took me some time to actually figure out list categories and how to go about them. I think I at least got one right. I definitely write about food when it’s lunch time and I’m hungry. Did I miss a common top list? And what does that list say about the author?
Oh, please, please, please do the nipple list post! Then we’ll all be able to armchair analyze the hell outta you! 🤣🤣
I won’t lie, I want to…
Ah, your delightful twisted mind turning even top 5 lists on their head to look at them from another angle. And all so true.
😂
Hmm… YOU tend yo write essays in list form occasionally… GUILTY!!
As for product placements being talked about? Well that says a lot about the publisher be it Manga or Anime. Specifically you only see clearly identifiable product placements… Like McD in your example, if they are directly tied to the publisher. For instance why Komi Can’t Communicate the manga fudged most common easily identifiable company names but kept a few. Meaning those brands pay for advertising in the weekly publication KCC appeared in or buy ad space on the publishers website and media releases.
Knowing who pours money into which publishers, and who is not supporting them, says a lot about their stability as a publisher and their future. The more big companies in with a publishers the better… To a point. The more jumping ship like the publisher wad EA or Activision Blizzard… Or ADV on a bad day? Not so good.
I like all the anime Amazon spoofs. Some are hilarious
I feel like somewhere along the line I’ll drift over to #5 in my top lists 😅
That’s a good one and very seo friendly
Thank you! That’s reassuring to hear haha 😀
I am so guilty of 3 and 5. Hahaha! That was a great read.
Guilty you say 😊
It did make me think about some of my lists. Haha!
Sweet!
Thank you so much!
I’d be most likely to write (5) and (2). I’d never have even thought of (4): top 5 lists about a single show? I always assumed those lists were about variety.
Also, I’ve always thought that “top 5 worst…” is an oximoron, and the lists should be called “bottom 5…”.
Good point. We almost never see bottom lists even though a lot of them are
Wow, I would definitely click on every kind of the top five lists mentioned here! Though I’m not sure I would write such specific top five posts, I’m absolutely in the target audience!
Me too! I love hyper specific lists
But what are your top five top five lists?
Ohhh good one. I need to write that
Yup, that’s meta (self-referential)! 🙂
It is!
I haven’t published many lists on my site, though I do have some ideas to work on that. I usually save them for a rainy day, when no ideas are occurring.