Comments on: Commentaries on Recent Trends in Fanservice

By: THAT Animeblog » Yoku Wakaru Gendai Mahou, Episode 3- Pantsu Patrol

THAT Animeblog » Yoku Wakaru Gendai Mahou, Episode 3- Pantsu Patrol — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 21:26:40 +0000

[...] This show is not exactly shy about the fanservice, whether it be panties or a classic transformation scene. It’s good to see the lovely Yumiko back in action and of consenting age. Loli is good for some, but I prefer the busty version. And as many loyal readers know, I am all for appropriate and well-done fanservice. [...]

By: TorontoSyrup

TorontoSyrup — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 05:37:44 +0000

I don’t usually read blogs of any sort but I found this one in particular to be quite interesting. Also I to am a fan of fan service, but is there a line?

Such as Rosario + capu2, I may be blind but it seems to me that there is NO PLOT what so ever. They say its also in the action genre but I find that to be pure BS for the 2 mind of crappy action compared to the 23min of dialogue and fan service.

So what do you think, where’s the line of fan service? is it when it just casually pops up in a show? or when it seems forced in every 2 minutes or so?
And my last question Do you prefer a show based on fan service to have a plot OR just useless dialogue and fan service?

Well that’s all I have to say, I’ll read some more of your blogs they seem to have caught me x] well peace.

By: kazekaeru

kazekaeru — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 10:34:06 +0000

I tend to be the old-timer pointing stuff to the past, but this issue has caught my attention because it is indeed becoming widely discussed and has developed into a marketing strategy for an otherwise nudity-friendly industry. Broadcast censored, then sell uncensored to get max $$$.
I remember shows way back, such as Ranma, Urusei Yatsura and other oldies in the 80’s, 90’s had no censorship, even in the normal broadcast. When those shows were brought to other countries, it was known that a certain level of censorship was in place to adequate to “western” levels. Now, in a time with supposedly more freedom, I see censorship everywhere.
Sure, times change, regulation and standards change; but the thing that catches my eye is that these censored-uncensored releases take both time and money from the publishers, in a time where resources are supposedly scarce, in order to create “products” to sell, not only to express animation as limitless as it can be. Now, what was a question on a moral level has become a money making strategy. If this is their counter to piracy and improves some of their numbers, hope it works, but it is really funny to watch an industry whose levels of censorship were so low that it got series and episodes completely out of syndication or completely re-written in other countries to block the viewer of the complete product for the sake of sales.

Just my 2 cents.

By: D.J

D.J — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:04:41 +0000

Ahh Fumoffu how I loved it. The rugby episode is one of my all time faves, I laugh so damned hard everytime I watch it.

KURZ!!! Another sniper who may be dead. Seriously what is it in the anime world and their hatred of snipers, because they always snuff it.

My beloved Michael from MF, Lockon from Gundam 00, and Kurz from FMP! Why?????!!!! Is it because they are so damned pretty and everyone is jealous?

He was doomed the second he wore those red speedos

By: Calawain

Calawain — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 23:35:00 +0000

@Anonymous

OH YOU. You almost had me there, good laugh.

@Lubczyk

I wouldn’t buy a DVD just for that, no. I’d buy the DVD if it was a good show, the nipples would just be a bonus. It’s a rarity however, and none of these shows have really made it over to R1 DVDs.

@Biankita

It’s hard to find a story amongst all the pantsu. It was constantly nagging me at all times, because it was just the females who lacked pants. Perhaps there was a law against it.

@0rion/Myssa Rei

The lack of mentioning Inukami was out of format concerns, I’ve seen the show. I tried to keep the examples balanced and the size of the article limited. I picked Umisho because I don’t think a lot of people have seen it and I wanted to throw it out there.

@Elena

There are certainly many more of them then there used to be. It’s a phase, it will wax and wane just like most others.

@LDC

3D=pig disgusting, right?

By: Myssa Rei

Myssa Rei — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 23:19:27 +0000

I can’t believe the topic of Manservice was broached with nary a mention of Inukami! For shame.

By: LDC

LDC — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 22:56:46 +0000

Agree with Takumi.

By: Elena

Elena — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 17:42:38 +0000

A certain level doesn’t hurt my enjoyment of a show if it is quirky and funny, but it seems they are taking it to a whole other level lately.

I was looking at the preview images of the winter shows, and I am saddened by the overabundance of teenage boy targeted fanservice shows, it’s like the other audiences barely exist.

By: Omisyth

Omisyth — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 11:26:32 +0000

+points for Umisho mention get.
If you’re looking for an explanation about panty shots…

http://oihayaku.com/top-ten-anime-fetishes

By: soso/karin lover

soso/karin lover — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 07:22:28 +0000

I really hate the censorship of Rosario Vampire. It’s very distracting.

By: 0rion

0rion — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 07:13:17 +0000

I’m surprised you wrote an entire segment of your post on Manservice without even a single mention of Inukami. Umisho is definitely right up there in that department as well, though. =P

By: Cherubium

Cherubium — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 03:24:27 +0000

Ah Full Metal Panic Fumoffu I remember that, especially the last episode where a air-borne virus at cotton and made everyone naked. I think there was a orgy in one of the montages of what is happening around the school.

By: biankita

biankita — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 03:00:35 +0000

i have a high tolerance for fanservice. it can be funny and can be a good ice breaker in certain situations in anime. but only if they are used as intended: a sporadic, unexpected thing. personally, i dropped strike witches after one episode despite the seemingly interesting premise because the fanservice was too much. so that’s what the show’s resputation was reduced to: fanservice. no one who wanted to watch a “good” story ever bothered picking it up anyway. i would say the same thing about rosario+vampire, but that show was just crap.

and hooray for manservice!

By: Jerry

Jerry — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 00:01:23 +0000

FMP:Fumoffu was an incredibly hilarious show. I haven’t found a show that can match it yet in many aspects.

By: lubczyk

lubczyk — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 23:54:26 +0000

I like to contribute to CALAWAIN’s discussion.

I don’t find fanservice particularly good or bad. I find it as an extension of my puberty drive. I don’t consider it toilet humor, I find it rather engaging to my suppressed male psyche.

Fanservice though, is best served when it’s least expected and on rare occasions, like Full Metal Panic and Shuffle rather than all the time like Rosario Vampire and Strike Witches. If a director overuses an effect too much, like Bullet-time in Wanted or panty shots in Rosario Vampire, it loses it’s effect. It becomes unengaging.

On the topic on tasteful censorship, like your FullMetalPanic Onsen episode example, it becomes artful. Sex in movies is best when it’s not shown, just hinted at. Once you see the boobs or other private parts, the sexual act and situation loses its mystique. The character in question becomes another piece of meat and not a character that has grown on us, the viewers.

Personally, I would never buy the DVD just so I could watch the uncensored boobs and panties. I have an imagination – my brain can do the uncensoring for me. There isn’t incentive enough for me to buy the DVD just so I could see the boobs or panties in an anime.

To all those concerned, would you buy the DVD of an Anime, R1, R2 Japan, R2 Europe or otherwise, just to be able to see animated boobies or patines after having viewed the Japanese broadcast – whether it’s fansub, DVD or RAW?

Personally, that’s not enough of an incentive for me.

I like films with extended scenes, like Apocalypse Now Redux, but those uncensored and added scenes have to be meaningful and not mere fanservice.

So, no, I won’t be buying the Rosario to Vampire Capu2 DVDs since I’ve already seen the fansubs of the TV broadcast.