Endings make or break a ranking
Anime rankings punish bad endings harder than any other medium — ask Attack on Titan or Death Note's second half. Consistency is why Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood squats in S on every list ever made, and why one-season wonders like Cowboy Bebop age better than 300-episode marathons with filler debt. Recency bias is the other thumb on the scale: this season's hit always debuts a tier higher than it will sit in two years. Rank finished shows against finished shows, or note who is still airing.