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[Guidelines] Editing and Submitting New Titles and People

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Hessa Volunteer Staff




Guidelines for Submitting and Editing

Dramas, Show, Movies, Actors, and Crew Members





Changelog:

2023-01-04: New guidelines on the type of titles which are accepted to MDL.

2022-02-04: New guidelines under Sources and verification.

2021-10-30: Name guidelines updated.

2021-10-21: The guidelines are now dark mode friendly.

2021-10-19: Added a warning under General guidelines against using random Twitter and Youtube videos as sources + Source/explanation requirement for tags.

2021-10-13: Updated the layout of the guidelines + added a post for translations.

edited Quote
Hessa Volunteer Staff

You can only add dramas, shows, and movies from the countries listed below

  1. South Korea
  2. Japan
  3. China
  4. Taiwan
  5. Hong Kong
  6. Thailand
  7. Philippines

You may add co-productions to the database as long as one of them is from the 7 countries on MyDramaList. They must also contain at least 1 Asian Actor and the languages must not be fully English.

Not allowed on MDL

  1. Porn
  2. Stage shows (Both filmed, and/or released on DVD/in cinema)
  3. Concerts (Both filmed, and/or released on DVD/in cinema)
    * Exception: Documentaries about a concert tour(s). Concert material (performed songs) should be no more than 40% of the entire length of the movie.
    * Concert documentaries can only be added on MDL after they've been released on DVD or online, so the content can be properly verified.
  4. Concert trailers
  5. Filmed events (Mall events, fan meetings, etc.)
  6. Theatrical plays (Both filmed, and/or released on DVD/in cinema)
  7. Award shows
  8. Vlog shows
  9. Reaction videos
  10. Promo videos
  11. Videos made only for fans
  12. Behind the scenes videos
    * Exception: Behind the scene videos of movies and dramas.
  13. Self-made varieties
  14. Variety shows without an official native database entry
  15. Advertisements shorter than 5 minutes, and without a storyline

General guidelines

  1. If you make a mistake, you can cancel your submission by pressing the button "Reset" at the bottom of the submission page and it should disappear from our end. We will not be able to see, approve, or reject it.
  2. Never ever submit shows and movies from other countries that MDL doesn't have a database for under one of the databases here, such as China. For example, some people submit Singaporean movies under the Chinese database. We have to review all your submissions, so please don't waste our time.

Sources and verification

  1. Always include an explanation or the source of the info you are submitting. We need to check to make sure all info submitted is not fake. Moreover, when changing drama info (for example, the airing dates or number of episodes), please add the link to your source. If you do not, we have to look for it and we cannot always find it (especially if it is not that popular drama).
  2. We will not accept unverifiable changes that come from questionable Twitter accounts or YouTube videos. If those accounts do not link to news articles proving their claims, they can't be trusted and you shouldn't rely on them.
  3. Any submission with only a link to the episode (no timestamp) and no other explanation will be rejected.
  4. It is no longer acceptable to only write "source: Wikipedia" or "source: official site" in the additional notes box. Since you have used a website to get the information, you should add the URL in the notes field as well so we can verify the information efficiently without having to search for it, potentially for a long time.


How to add a new drama, film, or TV show

https://mydramalist.com/add/title

How to add a new actor or crew member

https://mydramalist.com/add/person

edited Quote
Hessa Volunteer Staff

 Dramas, Shows, and movies


Primary Details:

Title

For the English section of MDL:

  1. For Korean, Chinese, Filipino, Taiwanese, and Thai shows and films, stick with the official English names given by the producers (if it is the popular title). 
  2. For J-dramas: use Japanese/Romanized titles. And for J-movies: Official English titles, if there is none, use the romanized title.
  3. No special characters in titles. If it does have special characters, it is almost impossible to find it, since most started English keyboards do not have those symbols.
  4. When adding the “Native title” of a drama, only add 1 title. 
    • Example: in Chinese choose the simplified writing to add in the box, and the traditional goes in the “Also Known As” (AKA) box.
  5. There is no need to include other language titles in the AKA field, except if the Drama/TV Show/Movie is a joint work.
  6. If a certain Korean title is split into parts, only create a new page for part 2 when the gap between the end date of part 1 and start date of part 2 is no less than 15 days.
  7. Don't write "Season 1" on pages for dramas and TV shows in the main title field. Add it only in the AKA field.

For the other language translation sections:

  1.  Please refer to this: https://mydramalist.com/discussions/support/17285-guidelines-editing-and-submitting-new-dramas-movies-and-actors?pid=2006037&page=1#p2006037

Synopsis

  1. You have to always add credits to the synopsis. If you took it from somewhere (preferably the distributor or the TV channel) add (Source: website name) after the synopsis. If you have written it yourself, add (Source: MyDramaList) or  (Source: Your username at MyDramaList) after the synopsis.
  2. Please add a new empty line between the synopsis and the source. If you are adding a note about it being adapted from XXX or having multiple versions, please after a new empty line after the source.
  3. Never ever replace a synopsis written by a user on MDL with a copied synopsis from another website. It is okay to edit it using your own words if a couple of sentences are wrong or it needs improving, but never replace it.
  4. A longer and more detailed synopsis does not mean it is a better synopsis. More details only take away from the pleasant feeling of discovering when watching [even if they are not spoilers]. In addition, a long synopsis takes much more time to read and a good synopsis should convey all the important aspects of the plot in a short manner so that the reader does not have to read novels or reviews when they can read a few sentences.
    • This doesn't mean replacing synopses with a 1 sentence version. The synopsis should still explain the premise and introduce the characters.
  5. There is no need to include actors' name in the synopsis as it makes it longer, users can always check the name of the actor in the “Cast”,  and the page will keep showing up in the search instead of the actors' pages.
    • Example: Lee Yoon Sung (Lee Min Ho). The (Lee Min Ho) has to be removed.
  6. Please do not make character names in caps lock in the synopsis. Not only it is annoying to read, and it is completely unneeded.
  7. Using machine translations (such as Google translate) for synopses is not allowed. If MDL wanted machine translations, we would have added an automatic translator to MDL. Please only add translation using language you know/fluent in or copied from another website (don't forget to add the source), don't add them if you will use Google Translate. Please refer to this: https://mydramalist.com/discussions/support/17285-guidelines-editing-and-submitting-new-dramas-movies-and-actors?pid=2006037&page=1#p2006037

Content Type

  1. TV movies go into Drama Specials.
  2. Drama specials are for independent short series, not BTS episodes.

Statue

Drama/Drama Special/TV Shows:

  1. Unconfirmed: for titles that turned out to be unconfirmed or rumored titles. It doesn't mean you can add new unconfirmed or rumored titles, it an option for pages on MDL only. It means that those titles were accidentally approved by the approval staff, but they are not sure if it is entirely fake, so it is kept.
  2. Announced: for the announced titles that don't have an exact airing date.
  3. Not Yet Aired: is for titles that have air or release date but are yet to air.
  4. Airing: episodes are currently airing.
  5. Finished Airing: Aired and ended. Should be used when series/variety shows are canceled after airing. You might call it canceled while others would say it ended. 
  6. Canceled: Never aired. It might have been planned but plans fell through, or it was filmed but was never released. This will make the title not show up when searching.

Movie:

  1. Unconfirmed: for titles that turned out to be unconfirmed or rumored titles. It doesn't mean you can add new unconfirmed or rumored titles, it is an option for pages on MDL only. It means that those titles were accidentally approved by the approval staff, but they are not sure if it is entirely fake, so it is kept.
  2. Announced: for the announced titles that don't have an exact release date.
  3. Not Yet Released: is for titles that have a release date but are yet to be released.
  4. Released: Already released.

Episodes and Duration

  1. Always add the number of episodes from the original premiere of the drama. Some websites split episodes, so please check.

Content Rating

  1. Content ratings should be from a reliable source, don't add it based on your opinion cause it might differ in each country and your personal values. 
    • Note: Use tables that are at the end of this page, to covert the content rating.


Cover Image:

  • Please submit the most widely used Main Poster. This only applies to new titles, so please don't change the posters on older titles, they will not be approved. Please check the official website and the websites below before submitting:
  • It would be best if you can grab posters from the official website as they usually have super good quality. As an extra step, please search using the poster on google images to find the best quality one, but make sure it doesn't have website watermarks. 
  • Don't know which one to use or there are multiple Main posters, here is a list from the most to the least preferred that you should follow when in doubt: 
    • Official poster with many characters in it (not rotated). 
    • Official poster of the main lead characters only (not rotated). It could be single-character main posters used by the production company.
    • Rotated Official widescreen poster.
    • Official character poster (not rotated). Those are individual posters released for the main characters as an introduction, not the same as single-character main posters used by the production company.
    • Poster-size DVD cover from the county of origin.
    • Poster or DVD cover from the release in another country. 
    • Fan-made poster (only allowed when the work has already been released and there is no official poster).
  • If a TV show is airing but there is no official poster, you can use the title screen/logo instead.


Related titles:

  1. Related titles are not to be used when directly not related. Please, don't use related titles to link titles with the same historical/real person or titles that have the same genre or elements but are not related at all.
  2. When adding related titles, only add the season before and after the show you are editing. Plus, add the specials related to that season only. For example, on the Ugly Miss Young Ae Season 11 page,  you should only add seasons 10 and 12 in the relation, and add specials related to that particular season.
  3. Only add the original title when linking a remake. Do not add all other remakes, except on the original title’s page. The other remakes will be on the original title page. Example: Fated to Love You. All remakes are linking ONLY to the original title they were remade from, and the original title contains all remakes.
  4. Here is an explanation of the story formate:
    • Adaption: Meaning both dramas/movies come from the same written material; novel, manga, or webtoon.
    • Compilation: Use to refer to dramas/movies that are part of the same series but the plot is not related at all, or in the case of behind the scene specials, talk specials, or recap. The main dramas/movies should use "Original Story".
    • Original Story: Use to refer to the main dramas/movies in case of a Compilation or Remake.
    • Parent Story: Used to refer to the main dramas/movies in case of a Side Story or Spin-off.
    • Prequel: A story containing events that precede those of an existing work (A prior season or film). Should follow a chronological order, not production order.
    • Remake: A drama/movie that is based on an earlier product and tells the same, or a very similar, story. (Not to be used between dramas or movies adapted from the same written material; novel, manga, or webtoon).
    • Sequel: A work that continues the story or develops the theme of an earlier one (The next season of a drama or part 2 of a movie). Should follow a chronological order, not production order.
    • Side Story: A self-contained story featuring the main characters that run parallel to the main narrative but is never completely separate from it.
    • Spin-off: Taking the supporting characters from one drama/movie and make them the main characters in a new drama/movie.
edited Quote
Hessa Volunteer Staff

Cast:

  1. Most of the character names on the website do not have a dash (-) between their first name, so please replace it with space.
  2. Add the episode number the guest appears in, some people just watch the episodes their favorite actor or idol was in.
  3. Cameo" already means "guest role" - therefore it is useless to add it as a character name when you have the role set as a guest role. Just keep it empty and choose “Guest role”.
  4. If you do not know the “Type of Role” do not leave it as “Select”, choose “Unknown”.
  5. Mostly in sitcoms, actors have the same character names. If the actor or an idol is appearing as the actor or the idol and not as a character who somehow has the same name as the real person, the character name should be written as "himself" or "herself", and not copying the actor's or idol's name.
  6. Don't add Himself/Herself in the "Character" boxes of variety shows. Just use it to indicate the episode number that person has appeared on.
  7. Seven or so main roles? Are you sure this is true? I understand there might be some cases with many main characters [for example, White Christmas], or in those dramas that have different stories throughout [for example, Hometown Legends], but in most cases, I doubt there will be more than 3-4 main characters. In case, there are more than four main roles, please use your common sense and double-check it.
  8. Don't add extra details and titles for the main characters. The purpose of the titles/extra details is not to provide more info about each and every character and make the list long and messy, instead, it is to help views identify the characters if they have minor roles. So, there is no need for them for the main characters, just add them for supporting and guest roles.
  9. In case it is a Chinese title, please don't use Douban and Baidu as a source when the title is still upcoming. Those two websites carry rumors and usually are wrong, so please only use the official Weibo accounts as a source until the title is released and Douban and Baidu update their info. 
  10. Recently, the "Character" boxes became messy, so here are some tips for adding nicknames, segments, episode numbers, or more info about the character:
Name of
symbol		SymbolUsed toExample
Vertical bar|Separate the character names if the actor has two roles in the drama.Ye Hua | Mo Yuan
Slash/Separate other names/nicknames of the same character.Do Hyeon / Se Gi
Quotation marks" "Indicate nicknames.Wang Chun Wei / "Johnny"
or
"Mong" Thitphati Techpipat
Curly brackets{ }Indicate the segment this actor was in if the drama/movie has segments.{Night Bug} Geun Ho
Parentheses( )Indicate episode number.Heo Sook Hee (Ep. 1-4)
Brackets[ ]Indicate the extra details about the character.Heo Sook Hee [Patient]


10. Use this to know the role type:

MDL Role
Explanation
(This is the official definition of each role, but you should just use other databases to find the correct role and not choose it however you feel it should be)		KoreanJapaneseChineseThai
Main RoleThe largest role in the piece.주연主役主要人物Helps us add it if you know the language
Supporting RoleAn actor who performs a role in a play or film below that of the leading actor(s), and above that of a bit part.조연助演Helps us add it if you know the languageHelps us add it if you know the language
Guest Role
/ Cameo appearance
/ Friendship appearance		A brief appearance or voice part of a well-known actor or other celebrity.특별출연
/ 카메오 출연
/ 우정출연		カメオ出演特別出演
/ 友情客串		Helps us add it if you know the language
Bit Part
(Only for films)		A role in which there is direct interaction with the principal actors and no more than five to six lines of dialogue.단역端役Helps us add it if you know the languageHelps us add it if you know the language
UnknownWhen you don't know the role


Crew:

EnglishKorean
Chinese
Japanese
Director
감독 
 导演
監督
Assistant director조감독副导演助監督
Art director
Art Team Leader		미술 감독
미술팀장		 美术设计
美术指导
Action director액션감독

Casting director


Screenwriter
각본 
编剧
脚本
 Writer (Book/manga)
The writer of the original work
원작자
原著作者 
原作
Cinematographer촬영摄影指导
摄影		撮影
Editor
편집  剪辑
編集
Assistant editor
편집보


Executive producer제작책임자
出品人
製作総指揮
Producer
프로듀서
制片人
製作
Line producer
监制
ラインプロデューサー  
Costume Design
의상


Stunt
스턴트


Composer
작곡
作曲
音楽
Visual effect시각효과视觉特效
 Makeup dep.분장팀化妆
Costume dep.의상팀服装 
Sound dep.음향팀音效
Music dep.
음악팀
音乐

Voice actor/dubber성우配音
 


Service:

  • If you want to request a streaming provider, do it HERE.


External Links:

  1. Don't add streaming links or trailers here.
  2. For Website, use the official website only, don't use it to add random links that do not fit the other options. 
    • URL post the link
    • Link Text type Official website
    • Additional Text type the website's name
      • Example: Official website on tvN 
  3. Currently, there is no way to view the links without going to the edit page.


Release Information:

  1. For online Chinese dramas, use the VIP or VVIP when available to indicate the start end date. You might not have the VIP service, but others do. So don't restrict their ability to mark the drama as finished.
  2. Don't use the release info to mark new seasons in dramas, make a separate page for it.
  3. When asked about the season's name while editing a long variety show, use the year. Don't add all episodes under season 1 as the season's limit is 300 something episodes. 
  4. Please use the drama/movie/TV show's title instead of season # or year if it has no other seasons.
  5. If you get "Invalid or missing end date" that means the episode's date is after the series's end date. You can just edit the episode's date and it will disappear after approval.
  6. Use the dates for the first release schedule. If it was released at a film festival, use that date as not to restrict the ability to mark the title as finished for people who watched it at the festival.
  7. When there is a delay in releasing an episode, only mark the delayed episode with the reason (Sporting event, Golden Week, etc), the following episodes should not be markered with the reason and their date should be fixed under "Wrong date or time".


Production Information:

  1. The "Production Countries" field is only used for titles that are co-produced by more than one country. If it's produced by only one country, leave this field empty.
  2. In the production information, please don't add anything if you do not find the TV channel/Network. You can request the TV channel/Network to be added from here:  [Requests] New Channel/Network addition
  3. Only use the original network where the series or program aired. This is not to tell you where you can find it, it tells you where it aired first. For example, don't add "Netflix" if the show/movie was added there month or years later, it is not a Netflix original and is just added until the end of their licenses. 
edited Quote
Hessa Volunteer Staff

Genres and Tags:

Genres

  1. Please, only add the main genres. Minor genres/themes should go to the tags. 
    • Example: don't add "School" as a genre, if there was 1 tiny shot of a school that appeared for a few episodes.
    • Example: don't add "Romance" as a genre, if one of the characters has a crush or 1 sweet moment, while the rest of the episodes are not.
  2. It should be 4 genres MAX.
  3. Please use genres as specified below:
    • Action: a genre that features extended fight scenes, violence, explosions, daring escapes, and frantic chases.
    • Adventure: a genre that focuses on visiting and exploring exotic locations. Usually, it focuses on the protagonist who journeys to epic or distant places to accomplish something.
    • Animals: a genre that focuses mainly on an animal(s). Usually, the animal is one of the main characters.
      • It is no longer being used and is replaced by the tag. 
    • Business: a genre that focuses mainly on company setting and different job positions in the company.
    • Comedy: a genre that focuses on entertaining the audience through amusement, and tells about a series of funny or comical events, intended to make the audience laugh.
    • Crime: a genre that focuses on one major crime that the plot revolves around or the lives of criminals or a crime that is being committed  This genre is more appropriate for heist, spy, or Mafia/Yakuza titles. Featuring several unrelated crimes in a story is called Police Procedural, and the tags for it should be used instead of the genre crime.
    • Detective: a genre that focuses on the police force and detectives life (Different from the “Investigation” genre).
      • It is no longer being used and is replaced by the tag version.
    • Documentary: Focuses on nonfictional stories that document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record.
    • Drama: a genre that focuses on the in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes (Different from the “Melodrama” genre).
    • Family: a genre that aims to appeal not only to children but to a wide range of ages in the context of home and family.
    • Fantasy: a genre with a plot that takes place in imaginary worlds (sometimes consists of kingdoms) where magic and magical creatures (Dragons, elves, and wizards) are common.
    • Food: a genre that focuses on food; eating or cooking food.
    • Friendship: a genre that focuses on friendship; the bonding and fights between friends.
    • Historical: a genre with a plot that takes place in a setting located in the past.
    • Horror: a genre with a plot that seeking to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's primal fears (If it has ghosts but not scary it is not horror, instead it is supernatural).
    • Investigation: a genre that focuses on investigating a crime or some unexplained phenomena by an investigator or a detective – either professional or amateur.
      • It is no longer being used and is replaced by the tag version. Use the genre "Mystery" instead.
    • Law: a genre that focuses on the system of justice and who works in it; such as lawyers, prosecutors, and judges.
    • Life/Slice of Life: a genre that describes a drama/movie that might have no plot but represents a portion of (everyday) life.
    • Manga: a plot that was adapted from a manga/webtoon.
      • It is no longer being used and is replaced by tags, such as "adapted from a manga."
    • Martial Arts: a genre that focuses on numerous martial arts fights between characters.
    • Mature: a genre that focuses on adult content mainly focusing and featuring sexually explicit scenes and nudity.
      • This genre is for adult films/series such as Call Boy and The Naked Director. It should not be used just because there is a sex scene in the films/series, use the content rating and tags such as "Sexual Content" and "Nudity" to tag those. The explicit content should be the focus for you to add the Mature genre.
    • Medical: a genre that focuses on the hospitals and doctors, and is based around a team of medics helping patients who have been involved in accidents serious.
    • Melodrama: a genre that focuses on a dramatic plot, which is typically sensational and designed to appeal strongly to emotions. The genre tends to use plots that often deal with crises of human emotion, failed romance or friendship, strained familial situations, tragedy, illness, neuroses, or emotional and physical hardship.
    • Military: a genre that focuses on the military setting and soldiers.
    • Music: a genre that focuses on singing and producing music. Usually, the main protagonist is an amateur or professional singer (Can also be used for musical films).
    • Mystery: a genre that focuses on an investigator as they attempt to solve a puzzle (often a crime) or a mysterious death. It can be detective stories in which the emphasis is on the puzzle or suspense element and its logical solution such as a whodunit. 
    • Political: a genre that focuses on political affairs or describing a politician or series of political events.
    • Psychological: a genre that focuses on the mentally disturbed protagonist and emphasizes the psychological condition of the hero that presents obstacles to his objective.
    • Romance: a genre that focuses on emotion-driven plots that are primarily focused on the relationship between the main characters of the story. 
    • School: a genre that focuses on a school setting, students, and teachers, and their interaction.
    • Sci-Fi: a genre that focuses on the use of scientific understanding to explain the universe that it takes place in. It generally includes the presumed effects or ramifications of computers or machines; travel through space, time or alternate universes; alien life-forms; genetic engineering; or other such things.
    • Sitcoms (For dramas ONLY): a genre that focuses on characters having to deal with odd or uncomfortable situations or misunderstandings.
    • Sport: a genre that focuses on a sport or sports team training or competing in a competition.
    • Supernatural: a genre that focuses on anything beyond 'the natural order of things.' If a person could move things with their mind, can see ghosts, or have superhuman reflexes (If a drama/movie has ghosts but is not scary, it is supernatural).
    • Suspense: a genre that focuses on the feeling of pleasurable fascination and excitement mixed with apprehension, tension, and anxiety developed from an unpredictable and mysterious plot.
      • It is no longer being used and is replaced by the tag version. Use the genre "Thriller" instead, as suspense is an element of the Thriller genre.
    • Thriller: a genre that focuses on giving viewers heightened feelings of suspense, excitement, surprise, anticipation, and anxiety.
    • Tokusatsu (Literally "special filming"): a genre of Japanese live-action entertainment that usually involves superheroes combatting evil monsters.
    • Tragedy: a genre that describes any sort of disaster or misfortune which happens to the main protagonist. Usually, it involves the death of one of the main characters.
      • It is no longer being used and is replaced by the tag. Please don't use it as it is a spoiler.
    • Vampire: a genre that focuses on vampires and their powers.
      • It is no longer being used and is replaced by the tag. 
    • War: a genre that describes a war or battle that can either be historical or fictional.
    • Wuxia (Literally "martial arts chivalry"): a genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China.
    • Youth: a genre that focuses on the life of children, teenagers, or young adults, and deals with their ambitions and friendships.
    • Zombies: a genre that focuses on the fictional undead beings and their power.
      • It is no longer being used and is replaced by the tag. 


Tags

  1. To include notes for the staff, please edit the tags from Edit this Page and then choosing Genres.
  2. You must add sources or screenshots that verify why you want to add or remove a tag. If you have watched the series, please provide an explanation of how this tag is relevant. Simply adding, "I watched it" is not enought.
  3. Don't add tags that are already in the genres, such as adding romance in the tags and the genres. It is either the main theme, so it goes in the genres, or a minor theme that goes in the tags.
  4. Don't use foreign words in the tags, if possible. 
    • Example: "Older Woman/younger Man" instead of "Noona Romance".
    • However, "Asadora" and "Taiga" are okay to add since the admin allowed it.
  5. Don't use Plural tags or add (s). 
    • Example: Use Doctor, instead of Doctors.
  6. Don't use actor/idol/company names in tags. (Admin's request)
  7. Don't use awards, such as SBS Drama Awards. (Admin's request)
  8. Don't use places/locations.  (Admin's request)
  9. Don't add useless tags such as wheelchair, firework, or rock.
edited Quote
Hessa closed this Sep 26, 2017 12:10 pm
Sleepninja locked this Sep 26, 2017 10:02 pm
xxmai unlocked this Oct 13, 2021 11:39 am
Hessa Volunteer Staff

Actors and Crew Members


General guidelines:

  1. When adding new actors and actresses: No Dramas/Movies = Profile is Rejected. Adding dramas/movies with no cast is accepted, but adding actors with no credits is not. So please add the dramas/movies and then submit the actor's profile.
  2. As long as a western actor has played a main/support role in 1 Asian film or TV series, he or she can be added to our database. If he played a guest role, do not add him.
  3. Please do not request the addition of actors by writing in the notes when you do not find them in MDL’s database. We are not always free to do that. So it'd be great if instead of that you'd go and add them yourselves. Use can do that from here: http://mydramalist.com/add/people

Primary Details:

  1. No special characters in names. If it does have special characters, it is almost impossible to find it, since most started English keyboards do not have those symbols.
  2. Starting 2021, per the admins' instructions, all names should follow the Google names, the ones that show up on the Google knowledge panel. If most sites (IMDb, Viki, Wikioedia, etc..) used a different name, that overrules the Google names (See Mike Angelo (Reason). We will still keep the space between syllables in the case of Chinese and Korean names, but whether to use the English name or their original language name will depend on Google and other major websites.
    • If the person doesn't exist on IMDb, Viki, Wikipedia, etc, please use pinyin in the case of Chinese names. (Admin's explanation)
  3. If the person uses their mononymous name, just add the full name instead, as mononymous names are not stage names. 
    • Example: If we have multiple Soo Ae, we have to enter each page to see the family name to differentiate between them. Therefore, adding the family name to the mononymous name makes it easier to differentiate artists with the same first name.
    • Example: Minseo, we have Saturday's Minseo and WOO!AH!'s Minseo. Using their family name makes it easier to differentiate when images are too small for you to recognize their face.
  4. Add the birth name in the Birth Name box, if the actor uses the same name and doesn't have a different birth name, just add the name again since it is required.
  5. For the Native name, only use the stage name, or use the birth name if there is no stage name. Don't include multiple names in the box, especially different spellings, the others go in the Also Known As.
  6. Nicknames, in this case, do not qualify as "also known as" in the actor profiles, since they're only nicknames. In other words, it's an ADDITIONAL name for the actor/actress, and not a name you would know instead of its real one. You wouldn't google, for example, Toda Erika by her nickname only, you would know her name for sure. 
    • Please don't add fan-made nicknames.
    • No need for the Japanese nicknames with "-chan"/"-kun".
  7. Please don't just straight out copy the entire Wikipedia page of the person, just add the important things.
  8. Biographies should:
    1. only include drama, films, and shows that had a significant effect on the person's career, such as, debut work, award-winning work, or record-breaking work.
    2. not include trivia such as "XX person likes YY hobby or clothes", "XX person is learning YY language", or "XX person has father, mother, 1 brother, and 2 sisters (unless they are also in the entertainment industry or are famous)", etc.
    3. have important information about the person, such as the cause of death, significate events in their life, or their current relationship status (for example, actor XX is married to YY).
    4. not include the birthdate, it is already available in the details box, no need for it again in the biography box.
  9. Using Google translate for biographies is not allowed. If MDL wanted machine translations, we would have added an automatic translator to MDL. Please only add translation using language you know/fluent in or copied from another website (don't forget to add the source), don't add them if you will use Google Translate.

Cover Image:

  1. Changing people's cover images is not based on personal tastes. We only change the covers if it fits the change criteria; for example, the quality is either bad or small. Therefore, it is pointless to submit photos basing on style and looks with comments like, “they look better here” or “This hair/look suits them better”. You need to know that it is impossible to satisfy everyone’s tastes.
    • The images will not be changed if the person changes their image on their agency website/social media account. MDL doesn't care if it is an "official" picture, MDL will use what fits the criteria.
  2. Images should have a 300x360 px crop ratio (constrain the aspect ratio in photoshop and check the dimensions for bigger images) and the face should be centered like this:
  3. Cover images will only be changed if:
    • The picture is in black and white.
    • The picture has bad quality, small, or blurry.
    • The picture is extremely widescreen. MDL pages are more geared for the pictures being bigger height-wise (rather than width-wise).
    • The person has drastic weight change; lost/gained 100 pounds (50 kg).
    • The picture is several years old so the person now has gray hairs (from old age), or they have grown from being a child and are now an adult.
    • The picture is of someone else.
    • Something is obscuring the face of the person.
    • The picture is super close to the face that the person's face is cut off from the cast list pictures.
  4. Criteria for good pictures (Example: Top 20 actors):
    • Pictures should focus on the face, not the body of the person or an item they are holding/wearing.
    • Pictures should be of high quality.
    • The picture should be a close-up to the face, but not so close that the face of the person is cut in the cast list pictures. Basically, the image should show the full head of the actor (all hair and face if possible) and include equal spaces on top and bottom of the page with the person's head in the middle.
    • The person's face should be straight toward the camera so their full face is shown.
    • No watermarks are present in the picture.
  5. Please use this image if you could not find any image of the person and could not screen capture their face in the film/drama.
    1. https://photos.app.goo.gl/JCVxLFFYwUiNBQhh9
edited Quote
Hessa Volunteer Staff

Episode Guide


Primary Details:

  1. Only use English.
  2. The title is optional. Please, don't include it if it is just Episode 2. It has to be words, not the number of the episode, which is automatically there.
  3. You have to always add credits to the summary. If you took it from somewhere (preferably the distributor or the TV channel) add (Source: website name) after the summary. If you have written it yourself, add (Source: Your Username at MyDramaList) after the summary.
  4. Regarding episode summaries - please have in mind that these are not the same as episode reviews. What I mean is that in episode reviews, you include your opinion and evaluation of the episode, but in episode summaries, you have to keep it strictly professional. In other words, no evaluation or opinion, simply the retelling of what happened in it.
  5. For episode covers, it is best that you square the image. Do not crop it, just resize it. If it is a wide image (example: YouTube thumbnails), you just use the length of the height for the width.  So 1280 x 720, should be 720 x 720.
edited Quote
Hessa Volunteer Staff

Translations

  1. Please use the translated title. 
    • You can translate it on your own, only if you are fluent in the language, but it is best if you can find the official translated title in your language.
  2. Using machine translations, such as Google Translate, for synopses is strictly forbidden. If MyDramaList wanted machine translations, we would have added an automatic translator. 
    • Please only add translations if:
      • You are fluent in the language you are translating to.
      • You copied it from another trusted website. Please don't forget to add the source.
  3. Since the approval staff might not speak your language, you must explain the reason, such as spelling mistakes or grammar, when editing an existent translated text.  It might be obvious to you, but to someone who doesn't know the language, they wouldn't understand the reason for the edit.
  4. When adding translated synopses/biographies or translating one yourself, please add the source and who translated it under the synopsis. This is how it should look like in the end:


(Source: "Original language of the synopsis" = "website" || Translation = "username" at MyDramaList)


  • Anything in blue should be replaced.
  • You can omit your username from the source, but make sure to keep " at MyDramaList".
  • If you have translated it from an original MyDramaList English written synopsis, the source should look like this: (Source: English = MyDramaList || Translation = "Your username" at MyDramaList) 
  • Please reference the original writer if they have their username on the English one: (Source: English = "the original writer's username" at MyDramaList || Translation = "Your username" at MyDramaList)


How the sources should look like in each Langauge:

LANGUAGE

EXAMPLE FORMAT
EnglishSourceTranslation

(Source: Korean = Wikipedia || Translation = "username" at MyDramaList)

Chinese [Simp.]来源翻译

(来源: English = Wikipedia || 翻译 = "username" at MyDramaList)

Chinese [Trad.]來源翻譯

(來源: English = Wikipedia || 翻譯 = "username" at MyDramaList)

DutchBronVertaling

(Bron: English = Wikipedia || Vertaling = "username" at MyDramaList)

FilipinoPinagmulanPagsasalin

(Pinagmulan: English = Wikipedia || Pagsasalin = "username" at MyDramaList)

FrenchLa sourceTraduction

(La source: English = Wikipedia || Traduction = "username" at MyDramaList)

GermanQuelleÜbersetzung

(Quelle: English = Wikipedia || Übersetzung = "username" at MyDramaList)

GreekΠηγήΜετάφραση

(Πηγή: English = Wikipedia || Μετάφραση = "username" at MyDramaList)

IndonesianSumberTerjemahan

(Sumber: English = Wikipedia || Terjemahan = "username" at MyDramaList)

ItalianFonteTraduzione

(Fonte: English = Wikipedia || Traduzione = "username" at MyDramaList)

Japanese出典翻訳

(出典: English = Wikipedia || 翻訳 = "username" at MyDramaList)

Korean출처번역

(출처: English = Wikipedia || 번역 = "username" at MyDramaList)

Myanmar
(Burmese)		ရင်းမြစ်ဘာသာပြန်

(ရင်းမြစ်: English = Wikipedia || ဘာသာပြန် = "username" at MyDramaList)

PolishŹródłoTłumaczenie

(Źródło: English = Wikipedia || Tłumaczenie = "username" at MyDramaList)

PortugueseFonteTradução

(Fonte: English = Wikipedia || Tradução = "username" em MyDramaList)

RomanianSursăTraducere

(Sursă: English = Wikipedia || Traducere = "username" at MyDramaList)

RussianИсточникПеревод

(Источник: English = Wikipedia || Перевод = "username" at MyDramaList)

SpanishFuenteTraducción

(Fuente: English = Wikipedia || Traducción = "username" at MyDramaList)

Thaiที่มาการแปล

(ที่มา: English = Wikipedia || การแปล = "username" at MyDramaList)

TurkishKaynakÇeviri

(Kaynak: English = Wikipedia || Çeviri = "username" at MyDramaList)

VietnameseNguồnDịch

(Nguồn: English = Wikipedia || Dịch = "username" at MyDramaList)

edited Quote
Hessa Volunteer Staff

Trailers

  1. Please request them in this thread: https://mydramalist.com/discussions/community-tasks/66785-request-trailers
  2. Trailers with English subs are preferred over unsubbed trailers.
edited Quote
Hessa Volunteer Staff

Extra content


Useful sources for adding a new title:


Useful sources for the synopsis (Make sure to cite them):

Drama/TV shows:

Korean Content:

Japanese content:

Movies:

edited Quote
Hessa Volunteer Staff

Content rating


Useful sources to find the content rating:


  • G: All ages
  • 13+: may contain horror, some fantasy violence, some sexual content, little use of strong language, mild blood, and/or mild suggestive themes.
  • 15+: can contain the use of alcohol, more sexual content, mild violence or little strong violence, major blood or gore, and/or suggestive themes.
  • 18+ and R: almost certainly contain adult themes, graphic sexual content, sexual situations, strong language, and disturbing scenes of violence.
South Korea
Television programs
Movies
IconCountry's ratingMDL's ratingIconCountry's ratingMDL's rating
All (모든 연령 시청가)G(Old icons)
(2021 icon)		All (전체 관람가)G
7 (7세 이상 시청가)G
12(12세 이상 시청가)12+(Old icons)
(2021 icon)		12 (12세 이상 관람가)12+
15 (15세 이상 시청가)15+(Old icons)
(2021 icon)		15 (15세 이상 관람가)15+
19 (19세 이상 시청가)18+/R(Old icons)
(2021 icon)		R (청소년 관람불가)18+/R
(old icons)
(2021 icons)		Restricted Screening (제한상영가)R


Japan
( More info )
Television programsMovies
IconCountry's ratingMDL's ratingIconCountry's ratingMDL's rating
No content rating for TV series.GG
PG-1213+
R15+15+
R18+18+/R


Taiwan
( More info )
Television programs and Movies
(Both are the same for Taiwan)
IconCountry's ratingMDL's rating
0+ (普遍級(普)G
6+ (保護級(護)G
12+ (輔導十二歲級(輔12)13+
15+ (輔導十五歲級(輔15)15+
18+ (限制級(限)18+/R


Hong Kong
( More info: Drama - Movies )
Television programsMovies
IconCountry's ratingMDL's ratingIcon
Country's rating
MDL's rating
No iconsG (general)GSuitable For All (第I級)G
PG (parental guidance recommended)13+PG 12 (第II級)13+
M (mature)18+/R12+ (第IIA級)13+
15+ (第IIB級)15+
18+ (第III級)18+/R


Thailand
( More info: Drama - Movies | Health Info in Thailand )
Television programsMovies
IconCountry's ratingMDL's ratingIcon
Country's rating
MDL's rating
Preschool - 2-6 years old (ก)GNo good source of the movie content rating icons.P  - EducationalG
Children - 2-12 years old (ด)GGG
General (ท)G1313+
PG (น)13+1515+
PG13 (น-๑๓)13+1818+/R
PG18 (น-๑๘)15+2018+/R
Adults (ฉ)18+/RBanned (Films that are not allowed to screen publicly in Thailand.)Restricted Screening


Philippines
( More info )
Television programsMovies
IconCountry's ratingMDL's ratingIconCountry's ratingMDL's rating
GGGG
PG13+PG13+
R-1313+
SPG15+ or 18+/RR-1615+
R-1818+/R
Icon unavailableXRestricted Screening
edited Quote
xxmai locked this Oct 13, 2021 11:54 am

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