MAL MCP Server

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Get seasonal anime

get_seasonal_anime

Read-only

Retrieve anime lists for a specified year and season, or fetch the current season when both are omitted. Filter by media type, rating, kids content, and more, with pagination.

Instructions

List anime from a given season — supply both year and season together, or omit both for the current season; supplying only one is treated as omitting both. For next season's lineup use get_upcoming_season instead. If Tenrai is unavailable and MAL_CLIENT_ID is set, transparently retries via the official API — filter/rating/unapproved/continuing/kids are silently dropped (no equivalent there), order_by/sort keep only the default members-descending order (anything else comes back unsorted), themes/demographics/broadcast come back empty, and sfw_strict degrades to the same filtering as sfw there (no Ecchi-genre distinction available).

Tool call template

This tool declares no required parameters. Add optional parameters from the input schema as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {},
    "name": "get_seasonal_anime"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`sfw`	No	If true, exclude adult/explicit-rated entries (R+ Mild Nudity and up). Defaults to false (no filtering). Note: this alone still allows mainstream, safely-rated shows tagged with the Ecchi genre (fanservice) through — use `sfw_strict` to also exclude those.
`kids`	No	If true, exclude entries tagged as children's/kids content. Defaults to false.
`page`	No	1-based page number for pagination (1-20000).
`sort`	No	Sort direction. Only takes effect together with `order_by`; ignored on its own.
`year`	No	Four-digit year, e.g. 2024.
`limit`	No	Max results per page (1-100).
`filter`	No	Restrict to one or more media types.
`rating`	No	Restrict to one or more specific content ratings. More granular than `sfw`/`sfw_strict` — use this to target a precise rating band instead of a blanket adult-content cutoff.
`season`	No	Season name.
`order_by`	No	Field to order by. Defaults to members.
`continuing`	No	If true, also include TV series continuing from a previous season. Defaults to false.
`sfw_strict`	No	If true, exclude adult/explicit-rated entries AND anything tagged with the Ecchi genre, even otherwise-mainstream/safely-rated shows. Stricter than `sfw` alone. Defaults to false.
`unapproved`	No	Entries not yet approved by MAL's moderators: 'true' also includes them, 'false' (default) excludes them, 'only' returns exclusively unapproved entries.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`page`	Yes
`results`	Yes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed8 schema fields changedv0.11.0Oct 25, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / limit / description

Previous value: -"Max results per page (1-50)."New value: +"Max results per page (1-100)."

changedInput schema / properties / limit / maximum
```
Previous value: -50New value: +100
```

changedInput schema / properties / page / description

Previous value: -"1-based page number for pagination (1-1000)."New value: +"1-based page number for pagination (1-20000)."

changedInput schema / properties / page / maximum
```
Previous value: -1000New value: +20000
```

changedInput schema / properties / sort / description

Previous value: -"Sort direction."New value: +"Sort direction. Only takes effect together with `order_by`; ignored on its own."

changedInput schema / properties / unapproved / description

Previous value: -"If true, also include entries not yet approved by MAL's moderators (excluded by default). Defaults to false."New value: +"Entries not yet approved by MAL's moderators: 'true' also includes them, 'false' (default) excludes them, 'only' returns exclusively unapproved entries."

addedInput schema / properties / unapproved / enum

Added value: +[
+  "true",
+  "false",
+  "only"
+]

changedInput schema / properties / unapproved / type
```
Previous value: -"boolean"New value: +"string"
```

Changed40 schema fields changedv0.9.0Jul 30, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / continuing

Added value: +{
+  "description": "If true, also include TV series continuing from a previous season. Defaults to false.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / filter

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Restrict to one or more media types.",
+  "items": {
+    "description": "A media type.",
+    "enum": [
+      "tv",
+      "movie",
+      "ova",
+      "special",
+      "ona",
+      "music",
+      "cm",
+      "pv",
+      "tv_special"
+    ],
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  "minItems": 1,
+  "type": "array"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / kids

Added value: +{
+  "description": "If true, exclude entries tagged as children's/kids content. Defaults to false.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

changedInput schema / properties / limit / description

Previous value: -"Max results per page (1-25)."New value: +"Max results per page (1-50)."

changedInput schema / properties / limit / maximum
```
Previous value: -25New value: +50
```

addedInput schema / properties / order_by

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Field to order by. Defaults to members.",
+  "enum": [
+    "score",
+    "members",
+    "start_date"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}

changedInput schema / properties / page / description

Previous value: -"1-based page number for pagination."New value: +"1-based page number for pagination (1-1000)."

changedInput schema / properties / page / maximum

Previous value: -9007199254740991New value: +1000

addedInput schema / properties / rating

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Restrict to one or more specific content ratings. More granular than `sfw`/`sfw_strict` — use this to target a precise rating band instead of a blanket adult-content cutoff.",
+  "items": {
+    "description": "A MAL content rating: g (All Ages), pg (Children), pg13 (Teens 13+), r17 (17+ violence/profanity), r (R+ Mild Nudity), rx (Rx Hentai).",
+    "enum": [
+      "g",
+      "pg",
+      "pg13",
+      "r17",
+      "r",
+      "rx"
+    ],
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

changedInput schema / properties / sfw / description

Previous value: -"If true, exclude adult (NSFW) entries. Defaults to false (no filtering)."New value: +"If true, exclude adult/explicit-rated entries (R+ Mild Nudity and up). Defaults to false (no filtering). Note: this alone still allows mainstream, safely-rated shows tagged with the Ecchi genre (fanservice) through — use `sfw_strict` to also exclude those."

addedInput schema / properties / sfw_strict

Added value: +{
+  "description": "If true, exclude adult/explicit-rated entries AND anything tagged with the Ecchi genre, even otherwise-mainstream/safely-rated shows. Stricter than `sfw` alone. Defaults to false.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / sort

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Sort direction.",
+  "enum": [
+    "asc",
+    "desc"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / unapproved

Added value: +{
+  "description": "If true, also include entries not yet approved by MAL's moderators (excluded by default). Defaults to false.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / page / properties / current_page / exclusiveMinimum
```
Added value: +0
```
addedOutput schema / properties / page / properties / current_page / maximum
```
Added value: +9007199254740991
```
changedOutput schema / properties / page / properties / current_page / type
```
Previous value: -"number"New value: +"integer"
```
addedOutput schema / properties / page / properties / last_visible_page / exclusiveMinimum
```
Added value: +0
```
addedOutput schema / properties / page / properties / last_visible_page / maximum
```
Added value: +9007199254740991
```
changedOutput schema / properties / page / properties / last_visible_page / type
```
Previous value: -"number"New value: +"integer"
```
addedOutput schema / properties / page / properties / total / maximum
```
Added value: +9007199254740991
```
addedOutput schema / properties / page / properties / total / minimum
```
Added value: +0
```
changedOutput schema / properties / page / properties / total / type
```
Previous value: -"number"New value: +"integer"
```
addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / episodes / maximum
```
Added value: +9007199254740991
```
addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / episodes / minimum
```
Added value: +0
```
changedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / episodes / type
```
Previous value: -"number"New value: +"integer"
```
addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / mal_id / exclusiveMinimum
```
Added value: +0
```
addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / mal_id / maximum
```
Added value: +9007199254740991
```
changedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / mal_id / type
```
Previous value: -"number"New value: +"integer"
```
addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / members / maximum
```
Added value: +9007199254740991
```
addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / members / minimum
```
Added value: +0
```
changedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / members / type
```
Previous value: -"number"New value: +"integer"
```
addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / popularity / exclusiveMinimum
```
Added value: +0
```
addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / popularity / maximum
```
Added value: +9007199254740991
```
changedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / popularity / type
```
Previous value: -"number"New value: +"integer"
```
addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / rank / exclusiveMinimum
```
Added value: +0
```
addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / rank / maximum
```
Added value: +9007199254740991
```
changedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / rank / type
```
Previous value: -"number"New value: +"integer"
```
addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / year / maximum
```
Added value: +2100
```
addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / year / minimum
```
Added value: +1900
```
changedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / year / type
```
Previous value: -"number"New value: +"integer"
```

Addedv0.8.0Jul 29, 2026
Removedv0.7.1Jul 22, 2026
First observedv0.1.0Jun 27, 2026

TDQS

A4.8/5.0

Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations only say readOnly and openWorld; the description adds the substantive behavioral fact that a fallback to the official MAL API silently degrades specific parameters, and enumerates which ones. This is disclosure an agent cannot get from structured fields and would materially change how it interprets results.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Front-loaded with the core rule and the alternative tool, with the fallback caveats last. The second sentence is a long stacked clause list, but every item is a distinct degradation an agent needs; minor density cost only.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

A 13-parameter tool with an output schema, fully documented properties, plus description coverage of the default season behavior, the sibling boundary, and the degraded-API mode. Nothing an agent needs to call it correctly is missing, and return values are rightly left to the output schema.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, so the baseline is 3, but the description goes beyond the schema by documenting cross-parameter coupling (year+season) and per-parameter fallback degradation not visible in any property description. It stops short of explaining pagination interaction or the empty-value fallbacks in more detail, so not a 5.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb and resource ("List anime from a given season") with the exact scoping inputs, and names the sibling it is not (get_upcoming_season). An agent can separate this from search_anime and get_upcoming_season without opening any schema.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Gives explicit invocation rules (pass year and season together, or omit both for the current season; a single value is treated as omitting both) and names the alternative tool plus the condition that selects it. Nothing about when to choose this tool is left to inference.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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