Underuse of fanservice.

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HaruhiToy

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I think the neighbor thread makes the case that fan service can be over-used. However can we make the opposite case?

This is in reference to [b]Kanamemo[/b] again, which goes to a lot of effort to present itself as a fanservice-heavy title. It has yuri, loli-yuri, moe, public bath episode, beach (sort of) episode with swimsuit shopping, and so on. The works.

Yet every time you would normally expect to see a panty shot or a nude body part shot, they hide it, steam it out, or outright put cutsey censor-figleaf over the naughty bits.

I'm not a guy who insists on fanservice. The majority of my favorite titles don't have any of that in them and many of those I rate the worst are fanservice-heavy. (Think Green Green). Yet it needs to be one thing or the other. This schtick where they build up an expectation just to frustrate it leaves a bleh taste. Anyone else feel that way?
 
Oddly enough, yeah. I agree. If a series is going to be one of these awful shows that is clearly built entirely around fanservice they might as well just go all out. No point in paying at anything else. Just cut right to the porno bits.
 
What about fanservice that isn't female ornamentation? I'd like some more Aramaki and exploding heads.
 
Doesn't hurt to have more fanservice with ecchi images of girls, but what is needed to be represented in anime more are ecchi images of cute guys too. Shouldn't fanservice appeal to both sexes?
 
I highlighted Ichiban Ushiro no Daimou for this. The first episode was too fanservicey for my tastes, yet it didn't seem like it offered enough for those who wanted such things. I too am of the opinion that shows should either be blatantly fanservice-orientated or only offer token amounts (if any). Trying to be both at once rarely works; better to do one thing well than two things poorly. The same goes with genres (although to a much lesser degree).

And yes, as dewlwieldthedarpachief mentioned, there is more than one type of fanservice. Shounen powerup scenes can be considered another form, as can Mecha battles, Tsunderes raging against the guy they like, big explosions, epic speeches, et cetera et cetera.
 
Does this really have to be a whole other thread?

My answer is no tbh fanservice is not underused. There are always going to be some shows you wish had a bit more fanservice. In fact it is overused and some shows where I was far more interested in the plot I gave up on the show because I would have to sit through 10 episodes of waffling and panty shots before anything would get done.

There is plenty of sexual material in Anime. There does not need to be any more. If you wan't more I would suggest go and download some Hentai there is plenty of that too. Not judging at all each to their own eh? However suggesting that actual Anime that is supposed to have a plot needs MORE sexiness .. well .. sorry but youre completely utterly wrong. In fact as I mentioned before. Less is more. The reason why you want fan service in that show so much is probably because you wanted to see the girls more. But if they all got naked I would bet you 50 quid you would lose interest fast. It is in mans foolish nature to want what he can't have after all.

Also while it is true that technically fanservice encompases all those things let's not get finecky no one didn't know what anyone else was talking about.
 
"Underuse of fanservice" hahaha there is no such thing. But seriously, I just don't get your point. Why does a series either have to be really fanservice heavy or not have it at all? This makes no sense to me. Should we be upset at a moe series that is standing against the grain and showing some signs of restraint? I think not. And what if they were just trying to make it a simpler form of fanserivice? Not every fanserivice show has to have a billion panty shots.

While we're at it we should just throw Lucky Star into the mix. It was a blatant moe fanserivice show (parody or otherwise). Yet not once did you actually see an out right panty shot, or "naughty bits". But never once did I get a "bleh taste" from that series.
Or Gurren Lagann, which had allot of fanserivice. Yoko has huge breasts and ran around in a bikini and the shortest shorts on earth. And there was Nia who was absolutely moe, and obviously a loli. Yet not once did I think to myself "god why don't they show more of Yoko's breasts?" Instead I thought to myself "what happened to her bad ass gun half way through the series? Like seriously it just it just vanishes."

The point that I'm getting at is I can't think of a single situation where I'd hold it against a series for "undersusing fanservice".
 
I think theres an underuse of good fanservice. The type of fanservice that's just there, but no one puts any real emphasis on it. High School of the Dead is a great recent example of good fanservice since theres a panty shot in every scene, but the characters don't even notice that much, if at all. I'm currently watching another great example in 009-1, and while Mylene may be a hot piece of ass that's not unabashed to the idea of getting laid for the job, there's not a lot emphasis on her hotness outside of the occasional little boy who's intimidated by the good looks of an older woman. Also, as much as some hate the show, Ikki Tousen is good fanservice, too, since ass and titties are flying out every scene, but there's an air of "Well, it happens".

Then we have shows like Kanokan where if a tittie pops out, everyone FREAKS OUUUUUUUUT. A little freak out like in Nagasarte Airantou where really only one character overreacts isn't that bad, but everyone and their dead grandpa getting a gushing nosebleed at the mere sight of a boob in a wonder bra is pretty lame. Self control is the name of the game, people. Overreaction is out and subtlety is in, and I hope more studios know that.
 
Agreeing with the above poster, but in a slightly different way: I'd like to add that they have to learn how to tease more. Okay, plugsuits, sukumizu and many other uniforms are an example of it done right, but in most cases it's just boing, boing, ooo panty flash. Too primitive to be of any interest. There's some balancing involved between "suggestive" "explicit" and just "bland". It's not always done right...
 
Tease?

You oughta watch Rideback. The heroine, Ogata Rin, rides this leaping motorcycle thingy for 12 episodes in a flimsy negligee that flaps all over the place and there's not a single glimpse of her knickers until the very last episode.

It's quite a "Yay!" moment when it finally happens, though.
 
WOW...just wow, no this argument can not be made, shows can not underuse fanservice, but they can OVERUSE IT. To little is fine, it doesn't take away from the story, TO MUCH, to much makes me even wonder why the hell I bother with anime anymore.

but yea, Unless your just someone that wathces anime soley for Ecchi content (which would be kinda sad.) This really isn't a valid argument.

To Much you can argue, To little, meh, not really.
 
Yet not once did I think to myself "god why don't they show more of Yoko's breasts?" Instead I thought to myself "what happened to her bad ass gun half way through the series? Like seriously it just it just vanishes."
Click to expand...

Lol not to get too offtopic but
isn't she fighting in a mech most of the time from then on out? And I believe she does pull out a version of it during the final battle.
 
errinundra said:
Tease?

You oughta watch Rideback. The heroine, Ogata Rin, rides this leaping motorcycle thingy for 12 episodes in a flimsy negligee that flaps all over the place and there's not a single glimpse of her knickers until the very last episode.

It's quite a "Yay!" moment when it finally happens, though.
Click to expand...

It happens in the first episode. I missed it too until people with quick eyes and no lives pointed it out to me. Some of them even went on to use a .gif of it as their Avatar (this is in another Forum).

As much as I really liked Rin's character design, what I really wanted was more of Tamayo being sexy.
 
HaruhiToy said:
Yet every time you would normally expect to see a panty shot or a nude body part shot, they hide it, steam it out, or outright put cutsey censor-figleaf over the naughty bits.
Click to expand...
I can understand the nipple issue if a series is vying for a good time slot on Japanese television, but the omission has never been a big thing for me. Truth be told, rather not see it because most are just... weird looking. Cheap animation does a lot to a nipple, that's for sure.

As for the steam, I've always wondered if this wasn't done through our distributors and not the studio's work. I say this because we all know older series did have this done to them, so it leaves a lingering doubt now.

I know they say our material is uncensored, but is it really? I mean, do people sit and compare both side-by-side on every episode?

I'm not really opposed to it, but there are times when the steam looks fake and completely detracts from the scene which looks good, especially the steam rising in the background. It also doesn't help to know we've seen a series released after it aired having been altered (another thread has great images to show off differences).

I do have to admit, though, there are some series which I wished they did put a panty shot or two in. Not because I want to get all tingly inside, but because my anime looks naked without it.
 
Fanservice is weird.

Two of shows that I liked that I thought had top notch fanservice were School Rumble and To Luv Ru. Quality is the key here to a point. Being bombarded with decent fanservice like Agent Aiki or Najika Blitz Tactics is good intiially, but the time the run is over, it does not mean anything to you.

Contrast To Luv Ru and School Rumble with Ah My Buddha. The story and the charactes made the service so much better in the two prior than the horribly failed attempt in the latter where you had zero attachment to the chars.

Fanservice done right can be quite powerful. In most instances, it really looks lame.
 
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