Rachel’s Definition of Fanservice

Fanservice is anything which is gratuitous and exists purely for the satisfaction of a group(s) of fans. Fanservice is excessive and unnecessary use of “popular” motifs which do not in any way shape or form contribute to the atmosphere, mood, plot, story or character development of an anime. A few things which are commonly termed fanservice in the anime fandom are pantyshots, meido (maids), nekomimi (catgirls), meganeko (girls with glasses), boob shots and gothic lolitas. However fanservice is not limited to feminine attire or female anatomy. It can also be overuse of popular gags, excessive blood and violence and/or unnecessary inclusion of characters or props. In short: Fanservice can be absolutely anything (people, places, things) used in excess, which doesn’t move the story forward nor creates atmosphere or mood.

I believe fanservice isn’t any one thing. It’s simply gratuitous use of popular motifs and characters as an end in themselves and not a means to an end. Fanservice is a way of making a product more appealing to a wider audience, or, is a way of targeting a specific group of fans who are wild about a specific character or theme. Catgirls come to mind.

But if an anime featured solely or mainly catgirls, the entire series should be judged on its merits as an anime before being condemned as purely fanservice. I do believe there are series which exist solely for fans of a particular motif and which don’t necessarily delve too much into things like plot and character development. Personally, I avoid such series. I don’t have the time to sit down and watch something which holds little appeal for me. If I see catgirls or gothic lolitas collapsed in what I dub the “moe fold“, I’m not going to be watching that series if I have a ton of other anime to watch. To me, such visuals smack of pandering, and although I can’t judge the series based solely on what appears to be fanservice driven character design, I’m not gonna go outta my way to prove my initial impressions wrong.

After hearing us sound off on our disbeliefs or definitions of fanservice, what are your thoughts on the issue? Do you believe fanservice exists? Is it something you easily recognize or is it in the peripheries as you watch a series? When you think about fanservice, what comes to mind? What’s your definition of fanservice?

Please share your definitions of “fanservice” in the comment section below!

Anime and manga are Japanese creations which have found a strong following in the States. But, will we ever see American-made anime and manga develop as big a foothold in the US as Japanese-made anime and manga?

Die-hard purists in the anime community refuse to acknowledge that anime or manga written or directed by an American can be just as good as anime from Japan. I’ve read reviews by fans who say Tekkonkinkreet- an awesome anime- was poorly done, due mainly to the fact American Michael Arias directed it.

Manga is also being written and drawn by American mangaka, and sometimes receive flack that their creations are a pale shadow compared to Japanese manga.

Are these opinions valid or are they a reflection of elitism stagnating growth in our community?

Americans, or Westerners in general, may never truly understand the Japanese perspective of anime/manga storytelling, being they weren’t immersed in it from birth. Yet, Americans who do become involved with either medium, can learn to create anime/manga with their own perspectives using the same style of storytelling.

Themes are important in anime, but isn’t it feasible to develop Western themes which will connect to those audiences in a more meaningful way? Moe means nothing to the average American and elicits feelings of revulsion among the more progressive who do know what moe is. It has no connection with mainstream US audiences except to serve as a reminder of how far feminism has come.

Each country has their own mythology and their own history which shape the archetypes in their storytelling. Is it possible to blend Japanese and American mythos to create something new which can still be labeled anime and manga?

Question:

Is pursuing American anime and manga viable or pointless?

My gripes are with bad stories, crappy animation, poor voice casts, etc., but everyone has gripes with those. I couldn’t care less about cat girls, robots and lolitas in anime-when used in moderation. Same goes for fanservice.

Moe, however, if it were up to me, would no longer be allowed in the house that anime built. If I could outlaw one thing in anime, it would be moe.

The Anime Blog Poll

How about you? What’s the one thing, no matter how big or how small, that you would outlaw in anime? Would you ban all non-bishie men? Toss out all girls C-cup and under? Buh-bye, tsundere? Sayonara, kittens? So long, mechs? What’s the one thing you would outlaw in anime?

Answer in the comments below!