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Get top manga

get_top_manga

Read-only

Retrieve manga ranked by all-time score or popularity, with filters for publishing type, special rankings, and content safety preferences.

Instructions

Get manga ranked by all-time score/popularity, not tied to any release window. Use filter for special rankings (publishing, upcoming, bypopularity, favorite). If Tenrai is unavailable and MAL_CLIENT_ID is set, transparently retries via the official API — type/filter are merged into one best-effort ranking, themes/demographics come back empty, and sfw_strict degrades to the same filtering as sfw (the official API can't separate adult-rated from Ecchi-tagged-but-safely-rated).

Input Schema

TableJSON 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.
`page`	No	1-based page number for pagination. No upper bound — this ranking runs to the end of MAL's own catalog.
`type`	No	Restrict to one or more publication types.
`limit`	No	Max results per page (1-50).
`filter`	No	Special ranking filter.
`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.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

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

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed37 schema fields changedv0.9.0Jul 30, 2026
- 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
```
- changedInput schema / properties / page / description
```
Previous value: -"1-based page number for pagination."New value: +"1-based page number for pagination. No upper bound — this ranking runs to the end of MAL's own catalog."
```
- addedInput schema / properties / sfw
```
Added value: +{
+  "description": "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.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}
```
- 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"
+}
```
- changedInput schema / properties / type / description
```
Previous value: -"Filter by publication type."New value: +"Restrict to one or more publication types."
```
- removedInput schema / properties / type / enum
```
Removed value: -[
-  "manga",
-  "novel",
-  "lightnovel",
-  "oneshot",
-  "doujin",
-  "manhwa",
-  "manhua"
-]
```
- addedInput schema / properties / type / items
```
Added value: +{
+  "description": "A publication type.",
+  "enum": [
+    "manga",
+    "novel",
+    "lightnovel",
+    "oneshot",
+    "doujin",
+    "manhwa",
+    "manhua"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}
```
- addedInput schema / properties / type / minItems
```
Added value: +1
```
- changedInput schema / properties / type / type
```
Previous value: -"string"New value: +"array"
```
- 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 / chapters / maximum
```
Added value: +9007199254740991
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / chapters / minimum
```
Added value: +0
```
- changedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / chapters / 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 / volumes / maximum
```
Added value: +9007199254740991
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / volumes / minimum
```
Added value: +0
```
- changedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / volumes / type
```
Previous value: -"number"New value: +"integer"
```
Addedv0.8.0Jul 29, 2026
Removedv0.7.1Jul 22, 2026
First observedv0.1.0Jun 27, 2026

TDQS

A4.7/5.0

Behavior5/5

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true and openWorldHint=true. The description adds significant behavioral context: when Tenrai is down, it transparently retries via the official API, with details on how `type`/`filter` are merged, `themes`/`demographics` return empty, and `sfw_strict` degrades to `sfw`-like filtering. This goes well beyond annotations.

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

Conciseness5/5

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

Two sentences: the first states the core purpose concisely, the second details fallback behavior. No unnecessary words. Front-loaded with the primary action.

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?

Given the tool's complexity (fallback logic, multiple parameters, existing output schema), the description covers purpose, usage guidelines, and behavioral edge cases comprehensively. Pagination and parameter details are in the schema, so no need to repeat.

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 baseline is 3. The description adds value by explaining how parameters behave under the fallback (merged `type`/`filter`, empty `themes`/`demographics`, degraded `sfw_strict`). It does not repeat schema descriptions but clarifies dynamic behavior.

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?

The description clearly states it returns manga ranked by all-time score/popularity, not tied to any release window, and mentions the `filter` parameter for special rankings. This distinguishes it from siblings like get_seasonal_anime (release-window-specific) and get_top_anime (anime).

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

Usage Guidelines4/5

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

The description provides explicit usage context: it is for all-time rankings (not seasonal), and notes that `filter` can be used for special rankings. It also describes the fallback behavior when Tenrai is unavailable, which guides the agent on possible degraded functionality. However, it does not explicitly contrast with alternatives like search_manga or get_manga.

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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