MAL User MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables AI assistants to interact with MyAnimeList user accounts for list management, progress tracking, and personalized anime recommendations.

Features

🔐 Secure Authentication

• OAuth 2.0 with PKCE for secure MyAnimeList authentication
• Automatic token refresh and management
• Multi-user support with secure token storage

📝 List Management

• View Lists: Get user's anime lists (watching, completed, on-hold, dropped, plan-to-watch)
• Update Progress: Mark episodes watched, update scores, change status
• Bulk Operations: Update multiple anime at once with natural language
• Smart Updates: "I watched episodes 1-5 of Attack on Titan, score it 8/10"

📊 Personal Analytics

• User statistics and viewing patterns
• Genre and studio preferences analysis
• Personalized recommendations based on watch history
• Compare preferences with other users

🤖 AI Integration

• Natural language anime list updates
• Context-aware recommendations during conversations
• Automatic status tracking based on discussion
• Preference analysis for better suggestions

How It Works

This project consists of two separate servers that work together:

🔍 MCP Server (build/server.js)

• Purpose: Provides MCP tools for AI assistants to interact with MAL API
• Usage: Runs in background, connects to Claude Code or other MCP clients
• Authentication: Reads stored tokens from tokens.json

🌐 Authentication Server (auth-server.js)

• Purpose: Web interface for easy MyAnimeList OAuth authentication
• Usage: Visit http://localhost:3006 to login and manage tokens
• Output: Saves authentication tokens to tokens.json for MCP server use

🔄 Workflow

1. Start Auth Server: node auth-server.js → Visit localhost:3006 → Login with MAL
2. Use MCP Server: Add to Claude Code → Use tools like mal_get_user_list
3. Tokens Shared: Both servers use the same tokens.json file

Recommended Companion

Anime Search MCP Server

For best results, use alongside the anime-search-mcp server to:

• Search and discover anime with detailed information
• Get MyAnimeList anime IDs needed for list management
• Access comprehensive anime metadata before adding to your list

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+
• TypeScript
• A MyAnimeList account
• Registered MAL API application

Installation

1. Clone and setup:

git clone <repository>
cd mal-user-mcp
npm install

2. Configure environment:

cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your MAL API credentials

3. Build the project:

npm run build

Two-Step Setup

Step 1: Authenticate (Web Interface)

# Start the authentication server
node auth-server.js

# Visit http://localhost:3006 in your browser
# Click "Login with MyAnimeList"
# Complete OAuth flow
# Tokens are saved to tokens.json

Step 2: Use MCP Server

# The MCP server is now ready to use with stored tokens
# Add to your MCP client configuration (see below)

MCP Integration

Add to your MCP client configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mal-user": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/mal-user-mcp/build/server.js"],
      "env": {
        "MAL_CLIENT_ID": "your_client_id",
        "MAL_CLIENT_SECRET": "your_client_secret"
      }
    }
  }
}

Testing & Development

MCP Inspector (Recommended)

Test all tools before integrating with Claude Code:

# Start the MCP Inspector
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector node build/server.js

# Visit the provided URL (e.g., http://localhost:6274/?MCP_PROXY_AUTH_TOKEN=...)
# Test tools in this order:
# 1. mal_get_auth_status - Check if authenticated
# 2. mal_authenticate - Get authentication instructions
# 3. Complete authentication at http://localhost:3006
# 4. mal_get_user_info - Test API connection
# 5. mal_get_user_list - View your anime list

Authentication Testing

# Test OAuth flow independently
node test-oauth.js

# Or run the full auth server
node auth-server.js
# Visit http://localhost:3006

Usage Examples

With Claude Code

# Check authentication status (gets login instructions if needed)
"Check my MAL authentication status"

# After authentication through web interface:
"I just finished watching Death Note, mark it completed with score 9"

# Bulk updates
"I watched these anime: Attack on Titan (completed, 8/10), Naruto (episode 50, still watching)"

# Get your stats
"Show me my anime statistics and what genres I prefer"

# View your list
"Show me what anime I'm currently watching"

Available MCP Tools

Authentication

• mal_authenticate - Start OAuth flow and store credentials
• mal_get_auth_status - Check authentication status
• mal_revoke_auth - Remove stored credentials

List Management

• mal_get_anime_list - Retrieve user's anime list with filters
• mal_add_anime - Add anime to list with status/score
• mal_update_anime - Update anime progress, status, or score
• mal_remove_anime - Remove anime from list
• mal_bulk_update - Update multiple anime at once

User Information

• mal_get_user_stats - Get user statistics and preferences
• mal_get_user_info - Get basic user profile information
• mal_search_user_list - Search within user's anime list

Analytics

• mal_analyze_preferences - Analyze genre/studio preferences
• mal_get_watching_history - Get recently updated entries
• mal_compare_with_user - Compare lists with another user

Configuration

Environment Variables

# Required: MyAnimeList API credentials
MAL_CLIENT_ID=your_mal_client_id
MAL_CLIENT_SECRET=your_mal_client_secret

# Optional: Customize OAuth callback
MAL_REDIRECT_URI=http://localhost:8080/callback
MAL_CALLBACK_PORT=8080

# Optional: Token storage location
TOKEN_STORAGE_PATH=./tokens.json

# Optional: API settings
MAL_API_BASE_URL=https://api.myanimelist.net/v2
MAL_RATE_LIMIT_DELAY=1000

Getting MAL API Credentials

1. Go to MyAnimeList API
2. Create a new application
3. Set redirect URI to http://localhost:8080/callback
4. Copy Client ID and Client Secret to your .env file

Authentication Flow

The MCP server handles OAuth authentication automatically:

1. First Use: Call mal_authenticate to start OAuth flow
2. Browser Opens: Complete authentication in browser
3. Tokens Stored: Access/refresh tokens saved securely
4. Auto-Refresh: Tokens refreshed automatically when needed

API Rate Limiting

The server automatically handles MyAnimeList API rate limits:

• Maximum 3 requests per second
• Automatic retry with exponential backoff
• Graceful error handling for rate limit exceeded

Security

• OAuth 2.0 with PKCE prevents authorization code interception
• Tokens stored locally and encrypted
• No sensitive data logged or transmitted
• Automatic token cleanup on revocation

Development

Building from Source

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Development mode with auto-reload
npm run dev

# Build for production
npm run build

# Run tests
npm test

# Type checking
npm run type-check

Project Structure

src/
├── server.ts              # Main MCP server
├── auth/
│   ├── oauth.ts          # OAuth 2.0 flow handler
│   └── token-store.ts    # Secure token storage
├── api/
│   ├── mal-client.ts     # MyAnimeList API client
│   └── endpoints.ts      # API endpoint definitions
├── tools/
│   ├── auth-tools.ts     # Authentication MCP tools
│   ├── list-tools.ts     # List management MCP tools
│   └── stats-tools.ts    # Statistics MCP tools
└── types/
    └── mal-types.ts      # TypeScript type definitions

Troubleshooting

Server Architecture Issues

Problem: "Connection Error" in MCP Inspector

• Solution: Make sure only the MCP server (build/server.js) is running, not the auth server
• Explanation: MCP Inspector connects to the MCP server, not the auth server

Problem: "Not authenticated" errors

• Solution:
  1. Start auth server: node auth-server.js
  2. Visit http://localhost:3006 and login
  3. Verify tokens.json file exists
  4. Restart MCP client to pick up new tokens

Problem: Port conflicts

• Auth server: Uses port 3006 (configurable via MAL_CALLBACK_PORT)
• MCP Inspector: Uses ports 6274/6277 (managed automatically)
• Solution: Make sure ports are available or change in .env

Authentication Issues

• Ensure MAL API credentials are correct in .env
• Check redirect URI is http://localhost:3006/callback in MAL app settings
• Verify auth server is accessible at http://localhost:3006

API Errors

• Check tokens.json exists and contains valid tokens
• Verify internet connectivity to MyAnimeList API
• Tokens auto-refresh, but may need re-authentication if refresh token expires

Rate Limiting

• Server automatically handles MAL's 3 requests/second limit
• If persistent issues, avoid concurrent MCP tool calls

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
4. Push to branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open Pull Request

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details

Support

• Report bugs via GitHub Issues
• Feature requests welcome
• Documentation improvements appreciated

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Note: This MCP server requires a MyAnimeList account and API application. Ensure you comply with MyAnimeList's API terms of service.