Approved / Preferred Examples for Titles

This section explains what is acceptable and preferred as a main cover image across all titles and countries in the database.

These examples illustrate correct choices, even when those choices may:

• Appear older, simpler, or lower in resolution

• Differ from what appears by default on streaming platforms

• Differ from international, overseas, or platform-specific versions

These examples are illustrative, not exhaustive. If an image follows the principles and patterns described below, it is generally acceptable, provided it complies with all cover image rules.

Core Principle — Official Release Identity

Approved main cover images must be:

• Official promotional visuals

• Intended to represent the title as a whole

• Aligned with the title’s original release identity in its primary market

Official intent, stable usage, and correct context always take priority over:

• Visual polish

• Resolution

• Platform visibility

• Recency

Priority Order of Official Promotional Visuals

When multiple official visuals exist, the main cover should be selected using the following priority logic.

Primary Official Promotional Poster / Visual

Preferred examples include:

• Posters or key visuals released for:

  • Original broadcast

  • Original theatrical release

  • Initial domestic promotion

• Visuals used during:

  • Original airing period

  • Initial release phase

These visuals define the title’s public identity at launch and are the highest-priority choice.

Widely Adopted Official Posters / Visuals

Preferred examples include:

• Official posters that have become the standard representation of the title over time

• Visuals consistently used across:

  • Official promotional materials

  • Reliable domestic reference sources

This applies when:

• Multiple official posters exist

• Platform visuals are low-quality, UI-only, or inconsistent

• A later official poster does not reflect the title’s original identity

The approved poster does not need to be:

• The newest version

• The highest resolution

• The one most visible on streaming platforms

Consistency and domestic usage matter more than recency.

Content-Type Guidance

Drama / Series Titles

Approved examples include:

• Official promotional posters or key visuals released for:

  • The original airing period

  • A specific season, part, or installment (when officially defined)

Each separately listed title entry (season, part, special, anthology story) must use its own corresponding official promotional visual, when one exists.

If no official promotional visual exists for a specific entry:

• Posters from related titles must not be reused

• Placeholder handling is managed by the approval staff

Movies

Theatrical Releases

Preferred examples include:

• Posters used for the original domestic theatrical release

• Distributor-issued theatrical campaign visuals

When a domestic theatrical poster exists, it takes priority over:

• Streaming posters

• International or foreign-market posters

• Home media packaging

Direct-to-Streaming / Non-Theatrical Films

Preferred examples include:

• Official promotional posters or key visuals released for:

  • Platform originals

  • Digital-first releases

• Visuals used in:

  • Official announcements

  • Press materials

  • Promotional releases outside the platform UI

Platform UI artwork or thumbnails are not acceptable as main covers.

TV Programs

Approved examples include:

• Official posters or branding visuals released by:

  • Broadcasters

  • Production companies

  • Platforms only when the program is a platform original

• Visuals that:

  • Represent the program as a whole

  • Display official branding (title, logo, identity design)

  • Were released before launch or during airing

Many TV programs do not have traditional posters.

When no poster exists:

• Official logos, title cards, or branding visuals are valid and preferred

• These must be clean, unmodified, and officially released

Platform Originals — Correct Usage

Approved examples include:

• Platform-branded posters only when the title was:

  • Produced or commissioned by the platform

  • Released as a platform original in the relevant market

• Visuals used in:

  • Official announcements

  • Press materials

  • Promotional releases outside the platform interface

Important:

• Platform appearance alone does not make a poster valid

• UI artwork, thumbnails, recommendation images, and app-only visuals are not acceptable

Festival, Pre-Release, and Temporary Visuals

Approved examples include:

• Festival posters may be used as the main cover only when no domestic promotional poster or key visual exists at all

• Pre-airing or early promotional visuals:

  • Used temporarily until an official release-era visual exists

Once an official domestic promotional visual is released, it becomes the correct main cover. Temporary or campaign-only visuals do not replace stable release identity.

Legacy & Archival Promotional Materials

Approved examples include:

Original-era posters or promotional visuals

• Low-resolution or scanned materials when no higher-quality version exists

• Archival promotional materials (e.g., posters, flyers, press sheets)

For legacy titles:

• Historical accuracy takes priority over visual quality

• Older titles are not required to meet modern design standards

Co-Productions — Primary Market Rule

The main cover image must use the promotional visual from the primary release market.

The primary market is the market that:

• Defines the title’s main database page

• Led the original release or promotional identity

Secondary-market posters:

• May be uploaded as additional images

• Must not be used as the main cover when a primary-market promotional visual exists.

• If no primary-market promotional visual exists at all, an official secondary-market poster may be used temporarily until a primary-market visual becomes available.

Language does not determine correctness — official origin and intended market do.

Relationship to Country-Specific Guidelines

All global Approved / Preferred rules apply unless explicitly overridden by country-specific guidelines.

Country pages may:

• Add clarifications

• Define local edge cases

• Address ecosystem-specific behaviors

They do not replace or contradict the global approval logic.

Country-Specific Approved / Preferred Examples

China

Hong Kong

Japan

Philippines

Singapore

South Korea

Taiwan

Thailand

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