Advanced Content Rating Criteria

# CONTENT RATING SYSTEM **Advanced Content Rating Criteria** is a granular classification framework designed for manga and light novels (both visual and text‑only). It evaluates works on three independent axes — **Sexual Content**, **Violence**, and **Drugs** — using a five‑tier scale from **1 (absent)** to **5 (extreme and explicit)**. The system follows a strict **peak‑level rule**: the highest rating found in any single chapter, volume, or episode determines the rating for the entire series. Special attention is given to nuanced cases such as sexual violence, self‑harm, animal cruelty, and the presence of underage characters. A dedicated analogy for prose works allows the same definitions to be applied seamlessly to text‑only narratives. **Cover art is rated separately** using the same criteria and displayed alongside the series rating. A cover may be rated lower, equal, or higher than the interior content. ## 📊 SUMMARY TABLE | Level | Sexual | Violence | Drugs | |-------|--------|----------|-------| | 1 | Safe | Harmless | Clean | | 2 | Suggestive | Skirmish | Recreational | | 3 | Erotica | Bloodshed | Habitual | | 4 | Lascivious | Maim | Intoxicated | | 5 | Pornographic | Carnage | Debauchery | --- ## Quick Reference ### Sexual Content - **Safe:** No nudity, no sexual acts, no insinuation. Brief closed‑mouth kisses and non‑sexual romantic contact allowed. - **Suggestive:** Partial nudity (underwear, swimsuits), silhouettes, suggestive camera angles. No sexual acts. - **Erotica:** Full nudity without visible genitalia. Provocative poses, groping, dry humping, tongue kissing. No penetration or simulated intercourse. - **Lascivious:** Sexual acts shown but genitals hidden (by angle, sheets, censorship). Implied penetration, simulated oral, sexual fluids. - **Pornographic:** Distinguishable genitalia, visible penetration, ejaculation, or object insertion. Any intercourse without effective censorship. ### Violence / Gore - **Harmless:** No fights, blood, threats, or death. - **Skirmish:** Mild conflict without visible blood. Slapstick, bruises, threats without contact. - **Bloodshed:** Blood visible but no dismemberment or exposed organs. Bleeding wounds, deaths with blood, psychological torture with threats. - **Maim:** Dismemberment or severe injury without exposed internal organs. Amputation, deep wounds exposing bone, physical torture, rape. - **Carnage:** Extreme gore with exposed organs or viscera. Evisceration, decapitation with detail, cannibalism, sexual violence with mutilation. ### Drugs / Alcohol / Tobacco - **Clean:** No depiction or mention of drugs, alcohol, or tobacco. - **Recreational:** Social drinking or smoking without visible intoxication. - **Habitual:** Visible drunkenness, severe hangover, chronic smoking, mild alcoholism. - **Intoxicated:** Soft drug use shown, graphic alcoholism, soft drug distribution. - **Debauchery:** Hard drug use, hard drug distribution, graphic overdose. --- **Core rules:** - The series rating is the **highest level found in any single chapter, volume, or episode**. - **Covers are rated separately** using the same criteria (e.g., Content:`Erotica / None / None | Cover: Suggestive / None / None`). - **Sexual violence:** rape or attempted rape is minimum **Lascivious** (or **Pornographic** if genitals are distinguishable) and minimum **Maim** in the Violence axis. Non-consensual drugged/unconscious has the same criteria at attempted rape. --- ## 🔞 1. SEXUAL CONTENT - **Safe:** - No depiction of nudity, sexual acts, sexual insinuation, or sexually charged situations. - Content is suitable for any age without restriction. - Romantic kissing allowed only as closed‑mouth pecks or brief kisses without prolongation or sexual intent. - **Flirting or romantic contact (hand‑holding, hugs) without nudity or explicit acts.** - **Suggestive:** - Sexual insinuation without full nudity or sexual acts. - Partial nudity (underwear, swimsuits, topless with no female nipples visible). - Full body silhouettes revealed by smoke, steam, or shadows (genitals not distinguishable). - Camera angles that emphasize curves, bulges under clothing, or marked nipples (no nudity). - Emphasis on a character's toned torso or musculature during training (if framed with mild sexual undertone or lingering focus). - Prolonged closed‑mouth kisses or light pressure kisses without tongue. - Decorative or symbolic BDSM elements with no explicit sexual context. - **Erotica:** - Explicit sexual representation **without depicting genitalia, without sexual acts (penetration, oral, rhythmic coital motion), and without simulated intercourse**. - Full nudity with emphasis on breasts, buttocks, or crotch (no genitalia visible). - Provocative poses (on all fours, legs spread without showing genitalia). - Excessive groping of breasts or buttocks (with or without clothing). - Dry humping or rubbing over clothing. - Tongue kissing (French) visible, kissing on neck or body with sexual intent. - Nudity and body contact (rubbing, touching) without shown penetration. - Light bondage, mild spanking without marks, playful power roles without intense pain. - **Lascivious:** - **Sexual acts clearly represented without distinguishable genitalia** (by camera angle, obstruction, sheets, limbs, shadows, or any technique that hides the shape of genitals). - Implied penetration (rhythmic hip movement in missionary or doggy style). - Simulated oral sex (mouth near genital area without direct contact shown). - **Excessive fluids (saliva, tears, sweat, squirt) in the context of a sexual act** (even if genitals are not visible). - Censorship that makes genitals indistinguishable – the act is evident but anatomy is not. - Kissing genitals through clothing or with censorship. - Simulated vaginal or anal sex regardless of the gender of participants. - BDSM practices during sexual acts: elaborate bondage, impacts leaving mild marks (no blood), controlled choking without visible injury. - **Pornographic:** - **Distinguishable genitalia** even if partially or through censorship that does not hide shape. - **fluids coming directly from genitals**, or **sexual acts with no evasion**. - Penis, vulva, testicles, or anus recognizably visible (even with any censorship techniques, pixelated, steamed or light sabers). - Vaginal, anal, or oral penetration shown without obstruction that hides genitals. - Ejaculation or vaginal fluids visibly coming out of the body. - Object insertion showing insertion. - Any type of intercourse without effective censorship. - BDSM involving extreme pain with blood, permanent marks, or instruments that damage genitals or anus. > **Note on non-consensual sexual violence:** > Depiction of **rape or attempted rape** (consummated or not) is classified as **minimum Lascivious** if genitals are not distinguishable, or **Pornographic** if they are. > Non‑violent coercion (drugged/unconscious) is not less severe than attempted rape with struggle. --- ## 💥 2. VIOLENCE CONTENT - **None:** No fights, aggression, blood, threats of harm, or depiction of death or physical suffering. - **Skirmish:** - Mild physical conflict with **no visible blood or minimal blood not from an open wound**. - Punches, kicks, slaps that leave no marks. - Slapstick comedy (flattened characters, stars circling, no blood). - Weapon use causing only bruises (e.g., bamboo swords, sparring without cutting skin). - Gunshots or stabbings **with no visible wound** (character falls after a shot, but no blood or hole shown). - Nosebleed from trauma with minimal blood (small trickle). - Spit of blood from internal blow (small spit, not vomiting blood). - Threats without physical contact. - Animal mistreatment without visible injury. - **Bloodshed:** - **Blood visible** but no dismemberment or exposed organs. - Cuts, stabs, or gunshots showing a bleeding wound (blood spray, bullet hole) without graphic detail. - Deaths shown with blood but no dismemberment. - Heavy nosebleed from fracture. - Vomiting blood or internal injuries expelling blood from the mouth. - Use of real weapons causing visible bleeding injuries. - Psychological torture with explicit threats of harm, no bloody physical contact. - Animal mistreatment with visible blood but no dismemberment. - **Maim:** - **Dismemberment or severe injury without exposed internal organs**. - Amputation of limbs showing bone or muscle, but no entrails. - Deep wounds exposing muscle or bone (e.g., chest slashed open but ribs still cover organs). - Gunshot through the skull (entry and exit) without brain matter visible. - Physical torture (broken bones, electric shocks, deep burns) without reaching organs. - **Any consummated rape (with or without physical force) – this includes non‑violent coercion cases.** - Attempted rape with physical struggle. - Hanging showing suffering but no exposed trachea or vertebrae. - Animal mistreatment with amputation of a limb but no exposed organs, or beating nearly to death without organ exposure. - **Carnage:** - **Extreme gore with exposed organs or viscera, or extremely graphic death**. - Evisceration, disembowelment (intestines, stomach, liver exposed). - Gunshot that explodes the head (skull fragments, brain matter visible). - Decapitation with detailed neck section (vertebrae, trachea, arteries). - Hanging with neck rupture or exposed trachea. - Murder by graphic methods (multiple stabbings with organs coming out, impalement, acid dissolving flesh showing bones). - Sexual violence with mutilation (genitals cut or torn showing internal tissue). - Cannibalism showing consumption of organs or human flesh. - Animal mistreatment with evisceration, decapitation, burning alive showing organs, or extreme torture exposing viscera. --- ## 🍺 3. DRUGS CONTENT - **Clean:** - No depiction or mention of drugs, alcohol, or tobacco. No references to consumption, sale, or effects. - Content is completely sober, abstinent, and substance‑free, suitable for any age without restriction. - Prescription medications taken as prescribed with no abuse or recreational intent allowed. - No scenes in bars, clubs, or settings where drinking or smoking is central; no paraphernalia shown. - **Recreational:** - Social or incidental consumption of alcohol or tobacco **without visible intoxication**. - A beer with friends, wine at dinner, champagne at a celebration. - **Smoking (cigarettes, vaping, pipes, etc.) shown without emphasis on the habit** – can be in the background or in close‑up, as long as it is not chronic or heavily emphasized. - Casual mention of buying alcohol or tobacco. - Mild hangover (headache, tiredness) without vomiting or fainting. - Prescription drugs taken as prescribed (no abuse) are not rated. - No illegal drugs. - **Habitual:** - Frequent or emphasized use of alcohol/tobacco, **including visible drunkenness, severe hangover, and chronic smoking/vaping**. - Visible drunkenness (slurred speech, stumbling, comic vomiting). - Severe hangover with vomiting, inability to function, or explicit shame. - **Chronic smoking or vaping** (character who smokes/vapes constantly throughout the work, with emphasis on the habit). - Alcoholism depicted without graphic medical detail (e.g., daily drinking, morning shakes, missing work). - References to soft drugs (e.g., marijuana) without showing consumption or distribution. - Sale of alcohol or tobacco shown. - Mild withdrawal symptoms (irritability, sweating) without seizures. - Abuse of prescription drugs (e.g., taking extra pills for non‑medical effect) – if the drug is not a hard drug, this is Habitual (D2) or Intoxicated (D3) depending on severity. - **Intoxicated:** - Explicit depiction of soft drug use, indirect psychedelic effects, distribution of soft drugs, or graphic alcoholism. - Consumption of soft drugs (marijuana, psychedelics like mushrooms/LSD, inhalants) shown on‑screen. - Indirect psychedelic effects (hallucinations, distorted reality) **only if clearly attributed to drug use – not from psychosis, magic, or supernatural causes.** - Alcohol abuse with severe consequences (alcohol poisoning, blackout, violence from drunkenness). - Alcoholism with graphic detail (delirium tremens, visible organ damage, withdrawal seizures). - Distribution of soft drugs (selling marijuana, small‑scale dealing, growing plants). - Preparation or purchase of hard drugs without consumption. - Moderate/severe withdrawal from hard drugs without overdose (seizures, hallucinations, extreme pain). - Non‑medical use of prescription opioids (e.g., oxycodone, codeine) taken orally without graphic detail – may be Intoxicated (D3) if not injected. - **Debauchery:** - Hard drug use, hard drug distribution, or graphic overdose. - Consumption of hard drugs (heroin, cocaine, crack, meth, fentanyl, **prescription opioids abused intravenously or nasally**) by injection, snorting, or pipe smoking. - Overdose scenes (convulsing, turning blue, dying). - Severe addiction shown graphically (track marks, abscesses, prostitution for drugs). - Distribution of hard drugs (cartels, drug lords, large‑scale trafficking, manufacturing). - Glorification of drug trade or extreme excess (drug‑fueled orgies, lavish drug lord lifestyle). - Graphic psychedelic trips directly caused by consumption (not just indirect effects). - Extreme withdrawal (psychosis, suicide attempts) shown graphically. This rating system was designed to bring clarity, consistency, and objectivity to the classification of manga, manhwa, manhua, and light novels. By relying on observable and verifiable criteria, it aims to reduce ambiguity and help publishers, platforms, librarians, and readers make informed decisions about content suitability. We hope this guide serves as a practical tool for your cataloguing, filtering, and recommendation needs. As with any living framework, your feedback is invaluable – if you encounter edge cases, gaps, or suggestions for improvement, we encourage you to document them and iterate on these foundations. *Last Update: 03/06/2026*