Now Useful! Tokyopop Revamps Manga Classification System!

I'm completely unaware that Toykopop has reached it's tenth anniversary and completely unaware that on Fall 2007 they're going to be rating manga in a new way.

...Tokyopop has developed a thorough ratings guide that not only reflects the graphic novel industry as a whole but also provides detailed explanations of its ratings, akin to the video game industry's ESRB (Entertainment Software Ratings Board) ratings.

Tokyopop's new ratings guide will include more than 40 content indicators divided among five age ranges. In Fall 2007, a general set of content indicators in addition to the ratings icon will be printed on the cover of each new series. The new system will provide prospective buyers with far more information about a book's content than the previous system (that Tokyopop pioneered), which simply provided the age rating alone.

Tokyopop has also disclosed the entire comsumer advisory list for each category. But there are a few questions: Who will be classifying the manga? Do they have actual guidelines to go along with the categories? And how will the category descriptors be defined?

Regardless, we will be withholding judgment on the new rating system until it launches Fall of this year.