rev 2004.02.24

Rating System Caveats

Ratings are solely based on visual content, relying on the reviewer's answers to 4 specific questions:

This system is far from perfect, but at least it'll be more objective than the loose categories of "soft yaoi" and "hard yaoi".

#1: We neither speak nor read Japanese yet (study is commencing). We assume many doujinshi readers are in the same boat. Therefore, unless a reviewer provides it, no description will be given of a title's written content other than to note how many pages of the title are dedicated to the novella or story.

#2: Because of #1, it's sometimes almost impossible to determine if acts are consensual ... something that made even more difficult by an aesthetic that tends to use what looks like a grimace of pain to express passion/intense pleasure. On the other hand, in doujins where the sex can be interpreted as non-consensual, the content has other, less ambiguous indicators.

#3: The titles cannot rated for violence (for a number of reasons). The burden will fall on individual reviewers to note if there are scenes of battery or torture.

#4 The intention of this site will be to provide information, not recommendations. Unfortunately, since we'll be relying on data we won't be able to verify, errors inevitably will occur. We'll edit incorrect information as quickly as we find out about it, but keep in mind that you are wholly responsible for any transactions you decide to engage in as a result of the information posted here.

For younger and more sensitive readers: Please note that
the ratings descriptions become more explicit as the numbers go up.

Ratings Summary

 

Intensity = 1, GREEN

Friendship or comedy. Many comic titles will have this rating, as well as those that are advertised as "non-yaoi non-hentai" (for the most part).

Activities: Nothing that could be construed as romantic or sexual -- in other words, no pecks on the cheek, no hand-holding, no chin-tilting, no hearts, no backgrounds with feathers or hearts ... Characters are generally teenage and young adult humans (well, OK, maybe androids and aliens too) of close to the same age.

Nudity: no nudity of any kind (even SD).

Note that this is based solely on the PICTURES, and therefore thinking = doing: if a character is fantasizing about kissing someone, the title can't be a "1" ...

How strong could it get? It shouldn't include anything that even the most conservative parent could object to. Consider this material on the same level as the show.
 

Intensity = 2, YELLOW

Romance and light sexual content (including shonen ai). Some sellers will call this "soft yaoi".

Activities: Kiss, hug, hold hands. Hands and lips above clothing, anywhere on body except the crotch. "First and second base"

Nudity: No "sexual" nudity. No clothes removed or unzipped (exception: coats, hats, shoes.). Partial non-sexual nudity (Shirtlessness*) - such as swimming or ancient Egypt.

How strong could it get? Mournful glances and angst up to and including passionate kissing and embracing. Let's call it, "sexual activity with a non-genital focus"?
 

Intensity = 3, RED

Getting into passion here. Some sellers call this plain "yaoi".

NOTE: Since some NCS (non-consensual sex, i.e., rape) titles could fall under this rating based on picture content alone, please note such in the review.

Activities: Hands and lips over or under clothing, anywhere (includes hands in pants/underwear).

Nudity: Waist up and/or bare legs in clearly sexual situations. Because seme usually remain fully clothed, and uke can have varying degrees of undress here's where a description is useful.

How strong could it get? Anything that suggests intercourse: clothed goosing, frottage, dry-humping, bondage, implied masturbation, oral sex, or intercourse (consensual or not) as long as genitals are not shown and nudity is limited to upper body. )
 

Intensity = 4, PURPLE

All activities and full nudity as long as no genitals are shown (impossible, you say? Keep reading!) Titles with this rating will most likely depict intercourse in progress, explicit masturbation, oral sex, mutual/manual stimulation.

NOTE: There is an artistic convention in doujinshi of partially obscuring or "smudging" the genitals (or in some cases apparently drawing then erasing them.) Genitals that are clearly "present" but masked by clothing, body parts, sheets, text balloons, circus tents, or other graphic elements will not count as "visible."

To Reviewers: Here's where it's difficult to give clear review guidelines, so if there's a penis and you're rating something a 4 instead of a 5, give some explanation. One other possible criteria could be number: if there's 1 or 2 in a 40 page book, give it a 4 and mention that. If on the other hand, there's a smudgy penis on every page, please note that in the review and let's call that a 5, OK?

To Readers: Conversely, if you're looking to buy a title rated level 4, be aware that the dividing line between 4 and 5 isn't crystal clear.

How strong could it get? Aside from what's mentioned above? Pretty much the full range of sexual activity, including fisting or rimming (again, as long as genitals are not fully/clearly drawn.). Here is a place where a detailed review of the specific activity that earned the rating could be useful.
 

Intensity = 5, BLUE

It's all out there. If genitals are explicitly and "realistically" drawn and visible during sexual play*, it's blue. This is, we guess, like the "penetration rule".

Just to be clear: the exact same shot - a passionate kiss on the lips that would get a SetoxYami title a YELLOW rating will get a SetoxMokuba or anyone with "Cute little Yuugi" title a BLUE rating.***

  *We're not quite sure what to do about shower / skinny dipping scenes - any suggestions?
 **Our site, our rules.
**Yes, the issue of Yuugi Mutuu is going to be the tough one; fortunately everyone else is clear-cut. We may need a Squick'n'Skeeve panel. Or we may develop an eye roundness-to-height formula.