Q: What defines a genre, and what level of it must the 'story' contain to be labelled as such?

I ask this because I'm not sure and often think that although the 'genre' applies to the story, it should not be labelled as such.
(Think of a mature rating when all that happens is a mother breast-feeding her baby, yes I can see a boob... don't be a prude)

I personally think a genre could be put on one (or more) of three different levels:

1. The main character(s) 'do' something.
2. People in direct contact with the main character(s) do something (friends / family)
3. Stuff that happens in the background or one time (short) events (like a high-school culture festival in Azumanga Daioh).

If the main character falls in love with someone of the opposite gender I think the story should be labeled as romance (or more specifically heterosexual).
But, should the story be about blasting aliens from the sky in a somewhat pessimistic view of the future... and a friend of the main character is a girl that dresses as a boy (or vice-versa) and is the only occurrence of this in the story, should the story still be labelled as Gender Bender/Cross Dressing? (sometimes it is, why?)

What is your view on this?

Yeah, . . . I think
there should be s t r i c t e r
rules for this. It always...

made me
confused.

I like for the series to be more defined.
Maybe a potential side-genres section?

(Nah, keywords - would - be - a - better - idea - for - this.)

• My Thoughts.

source: animenewsnetwork

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I thought as genre tags aren't sorted alphabetically then they are sorted by the influence. No?

(Think of a mature rating when all that happens is a mother breast-feeding her baby, yes I can see a boob... don't be a prude)

Here boob doesn't defines the matureness, but feeding a baby does.

this is too deep for the forums. or at least for me