--- a/docs/tables.sql
+++ b/docs/tables.sql
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@
 CREATE TABLE `fanfiction_characters` (
   `charid` int(11) NOT NULL auto_increment,
   `catid` int(11) NOT NULL default '0',
-  `charname` varchar(60) NOT NULL default '',
+  `charname` varchar(60) NOT NULL default '' COLLATE=utf8mb4_unicode_ci,
   `bio` text NOT NULL,
   `image` varchar(200) NOT NULL default '',
   PRIMARY KEY  (`charid`),
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@
 
 CREATE TABLE `fanfiction_ratings` (
   `rid` int(11) NOT NULL auto_increment,
-  `rating` varchar(60) NOT NULL default '',
+  `rating` varchar(60) NOT NULL default '' COLLATE=utf8mb4_unicode_ci,
   `ratingwarning` int(11) NOT NULL default '0',
   `warningtext` text NOT NULL,
   PRIMARY KEY  (`rid`),

--- a/install/install.php
+++ b/install/install.php
@@ -588,7 +588,7 @@
 				$characters = dbquery("CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `" . $tableprefix . "fanfiction_characters` (
   `charid` int(11) NOT NULL auto_increment,
   `catid` int(11) NOT NULL default '0',
-  `charname` varchar(60) NOT NULL default '',
+  `charname` varchar(60) NOT NULL default '' COLLATE=utf8mb4_unicode_ci,
   `bio` text NOT NULL,
   `image` varchar(200) NOT NULL default '',
   PRIMARY KEY  (`charid`),
@@ -721,7 +721,7 @@
 				$output .= "<tr><td>" . $tableprefix . "fanfiction_panels</td><td align='center'>" . ($panels ? "<img src=\"../images/check.gif\">" : "<img src=\"../images/X.gif\">") . "</td></tr>";
 				$ratings = dbquery("CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `" . $tableprefix . "fanfiction_ratings` (
   `rid` int(11) NOT NULL auto_increment,
-  `rating` varchar(60) NOT NULL default '',
+  `rating` varchar(60) NOT NULL default '' COLLATE=utf8mb4_unicode_ci,
   `ratingwarning` char(1) NOT NULL default '0',
   `warningtext` text NOT NULL,
   PRIMARY KEY  (`rid`),