Forum - View topicMemorandum: Age Rating
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areaseven
Encyclopedia Editor
 Posts: 1486 Location: Makati, Philippines |
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By default, only Encyclopedia Staff members can enter age ratings for anime and manga titles. However, you can help by either suggesting an age rating or reporting one that's incorrect. Simply submit an Error Report and, if possible, explain why the title should be given the specific rating.
Keep in mind that the age rating labels on the back of the video cover may not be 100% accurate. Many titles have been rated either lower or higher than their actual content. Examples of Titles Rated Too Low 1. Cowboy Bebop (13-Up) - Many episodes contain too much violence and blood for its rating. One episode even has spoiler[a suggestive homosexual sex scene]. 2. Grave of the Fireflies (3-Up) - This was never intended to be a children's anime film, as it contains many scenes of death. 3. Bubblegum Crisis (13+) - Way too low, especially with its bloody content and very strong language. 4. Gravion (13+) - Too much T&A should give it a least a 15+ rating instead of what ADV suggests. 5. Magic Knight Rayearth (Y+) - The violence level is beyond that age rating. Examples of Titles Rated Too High 1. Sailor Moon (15+) - Yes, there are some suggestive themes to the series, but not enough for such a rating. Should be around 12+. The best way to determine a title's proper rating is by viewing it yourself. |
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jfrog
 Posts: 925 Location: Seattle |
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I think that the age ratings in the Encyclopdia are somewhat suspect, since they're based purely on the presence of 'objectional content' - is Millennium Actress really for older children? That one's always bothered me.
And Grave of the Fireflies certainly seems like it could be for children, since it was originally double billed with Totoro and I remember reading somewhere (many months ago, don't have a link) that it was the one of those two movies that Japanese parents wanted their kids to see more, since it was historical and therefore 'educational' |
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abunai
Old Regular
 Posts: 5463 Location: 露命 |
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Hmm. On the face of it, it's not that bad, in terms of "objectionable material" - but the storyline is waaay over the heads of anybody but a mature audience. Many of the dramatic moments would confuse children, at best.
Fiddlesticks - I somehow doubt that this story is true, but even if it were, it would be a misjudgement (similar to Western parents who take their kids to see Fantasia because it's a Disney film and therefore must be "for kids"). In my opinion, Grave of the Fireflies is too much for most adults, let alone children. It fully merits a Mature rating. I can tell you that I have placed it among the films that my own three boys aren't allowed to watch, yet. Maybe when they're in their teens, I'll relent. - abunai |
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jfrog
Posts: 925 Location: Seattle |
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I read it on the Internet, so that story could very well be wrong.
And I guess I've never really had the strong emotional reaction to Grave of the Fireflies that everyone else seems to. It's one hell of a film, but for me it's more on the 'pretty sad' level of a Hoshi no Koe, not the 'my God this is the most depressing thing I've ever seen' level of an Irreversible. Maybe if I had children I'd understand. |
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Haiseikoh 1973
 Posts: 1590 Location: Waiting for the Japanese 1000 Gunieas. |
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Not to mention spoiler[Faye running into a guy with female Breasts.]
Not to mention spoiler[3 Instances of Nudity (Priss putting on her hardsuit in Episode 2, Nene taking a shower in Episode 8 (Scoop Chase), and Sylvie changing in Episode 5 (Moonlight Rambler), Mackie's obvious Pervertness (In Epsiode 2 where he catches Sylia undressign from Behind), and a Vampirism Sex Scence in Episode 5 (Moonlight Rambler).] |
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areaseven
Encyclopedia Editor
Posts: 1486 Location: Makati, Philippines |
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Those scenes alone don't really merit a more mature rating. That's why I never mentioned them. |
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor
 Posts: 9902 Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC |
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Question: should the "Age Rating" be simply informational to let people know what the producers (NOT creators / screenwriters / directors), licensors, and/or third-party reviewers (e.g. MPAA) think who the 'suitable' audience is, or the more subjective opinion form us? Furthermore, Age Ratings varies in different countries -- thanks to lazy and ignorant third-party reviewers at GIO, we have had Mononoke Hime as 'G' in Taiwan.
So is NaruTaru manga. Shhhh.
Very likely to be the case. According to Nausicaa.net,
Sadly, most people still think that Animated = Childish.
Same here. Explained over and over. See also: abunai's post.
That's what in my mind as well. 
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jfrog
Posts: 925 Location: Seattle |
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Also, sometimes different sources have conflicts with each other. For example...Mind Game has sex, violence, and nudity...yet it got a General Audiences rating in Japan because it's such a joyful movie. What then? Do you go with the age rating the director was fully expecting to get, and what it would get strictly based on the content, or what the Japanese film rating board gave it? I'd go with the latter, personally. |
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areaseven
Encyclopedia Editor
Posts: 1486 Location: Makati, Philippines |
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I am well aware that age ratings vary in different countries, but since Anime News Network is based in North America and majority of ANN's visitors are from North America, the age ratings should conform to the standards of the aforementioned continent. Besides, there are a lot of American parents out there who use the ANN Encyclopedia as a parental guide.
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Glory Questor
 Posts: 456 |
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It seems that ADV Films began using the TV ratings system just last month. The new ones I've seen in the stores seem to be right on the money (Gantz rated TV-MA(DSL), for example), but are there any of those to watch out for?
(Also, I just saw a copy of the "3-Up"-labeled Grave of the Fireflies in a local Circuit City over the weekend -- too easy for some poor parent to pick up and show to their children.  )
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areaseven
Encyclopedia Editor
Posts: 1486 Location: Makati, Philippines |
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As far as ADV using the TV ratings, they seem to be accurate at the moment: Cromartie High School (TV-14) Divergence Eve (TV-14) E's Otherwise (TV-14) Gantz (TV-MA) Gravion Zwei (TV-MA)
Apparently, that's not the only CPM title given a rather low age rating: Harmagedon - Genma Taisen (3-Up) Patlabor: The TV Series (3-Up) |
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areaseven
Encyclopedia Editor
Posts: 1486 Location: Makati, Philippines |
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Time for a Judgment Call:
I haven't seen Princess Tutu, but I noticed that ADV posted a TV-14 rating on it. Is the rating spot-on with the show's content or too high? |
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Tempest
 I Run this place.ANN Publisher  Posts: 10455 Location: Do not message me for support. |
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I don't think the age ratings aren't really about intended audience, but rather, much like MPAA ratings, designed to warn you about who shouldn't be watching the series. We'd have to ask Dan to be sure... -t |
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Dan42
Chief Encyclopedist
 Posts: 3791 Location: Montreal |
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Why do you want to ask me? I only *made* the damn thing. God only knows how it's supposed to work...
just kidding. 
The age rating is indeed intended as a "objectionable content" marker rather than "intended audience". We have: All Ages (Nothing objectionable) Older Children (May contain mild bad language, bloodless violence) Teenagers (May contain bloody violence, bad language, nudity) Mature (May contain sex, drugs, and extreme graphic violence) Adults only! (Contains explicit sexual content) The way it worked originally was that reviewers would choose one of the 5 ratings based on which "worst" element was present in the anime. e.g. bad language (Teenager) wins over bloodless violence (Older children). Of course, this has the problem that if the anime contains bloody violence but no nudity, the age rating still says "Teenagers (May contain bloody violence, bad language, nudity)", so eventually I'd like to implement something more like ESRB, with age rating + content descriptors. |
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king_micah
 Posts: 994 Location: OSU |
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Too high. 12 Maybe, at most. It's less than sailor moon by a good bit. |
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