What Is the English-Friendly Score?

Every creator and work on this site carries an English-Friendly Score from 0 to 5. It answers one question: how smooth is the experience for someone who doesn’t read Japanese? Here is exactly how we score it.

One thing the score is not: a guarantee. It’s our editorial judgment of how much the language barrier will bother you — not a promise that an English version exists, that a translation is coming, or that every menu is readable. A high score means “you’ll likely have a good time without Japanese”, nothing more. Always confirm language availability on the official DLsite page before buying.

What we evaluate

The score combines four factors, in decreasing weight:

1. Content accessibility. Can you enjoy the content itself without Japanese? Visual content (photos, illustration, CG) scores naturally higher; dialogue-heavy audio scores lower unless translated.
2. Official English support. Translated posts, English UI, bilingual plan descriptions, or an official English version of the work.
3. Purchase journey. Whether an English speaker can realistically get from landing page to completed payment — including platform-level English interfaces and confirmed overseas payment support.
4. Creator responsiveness. Whether the creator (or circle) engages with English-speaking fans at all.

Reading the score

• 5 — English support was designed in: official translations or a fully bilingual page. Rare.
• 4–4.5 — Actively English-friendly. Bilingual captions or English UI; overseas payments confirmed.
• 3–3.5 — Manageable. Japanese-first, but the content is visual or the structure is simple enough that translation tools carry you.
• 2–2.5 — Some friction. Expect untranslated menus, slang, or unconfirmed overseas payment support.
• 0–1.5 — Significant barriers. Usually dialogue-heavy content plus a Japanese-only purchase flow.

What the badges mean

Scores compress a lot, so cards also carry badges for the specifics:

• English Menu — the creator wrote English (or bilingual) descriptions.
• Official English Version — a real, official translation exists.
• English UI — interface localized; core content still Japanese.
• Overseas Payment OK — confirmed working international payments.
• Low Text — enjoyable with little or no Japanese.
• Beginner Friendly — simple structure, easy first purchase.

How often scores update

Scores are editorial and reviewed when platforms or creators change something material — a new English UI, a payment change, a translated back catalog. If you spot something out of date, tell us; corrections are the fastest way this site gets better.