Common questions about Fan service

Short answers, pulled from the story.

What is fan service in anime and manga?

Fan service describes material intentionally added to please an audience, often through sexual elements like nudity, but it has evolved to include any element that serves the fans rather than the plot. Keith Russell defines fan service as the random and gratuitous display of anticipated gestures common in manga and anime, including panty shots, leg spreads, and glimpses of breasts. The concept contrasts with the gaze, as it offers a reassuring, unrealistic nature that confirms the freedom of desire.

When did fan service begin in Japanese anime?

The history of this phenomenon traces back to the 1970s, when shows like Cutie Honey began introducing risqué elements. By the 1980s, the standard inclusion of full frontal nudity and shower scenes became common in anime and manga. Shower scenes were very common in movies and anime of the 1980s and 1990s, whereas many more recent TV series use trips to onsen, tropical locales, or swimming pools to showcase characters in bathing suits.

How did U.S. companies handle fan service during translation?

When U.S. companies translated these works, they frequently edited out such content to align with American cultural values. Mike Tatsugawa explained this change as a result of a difference between the cultural values of Japan and the U.S. In the West, obscenity laws and rating systems prevent or limit unnecessary displays of nudity in films and comic books.

What examples of fan service exist in Western media?

The 1983 film Return of the Jedi featured Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia wearing a metal bikini and chains while enslaved to the gangster Jabba the Hutt. This attempt to feminize the character and appeal to boys' fantasies reflects the crude fantasies of the audience by making Leia the object of desire for a monster. Taylor Swift has been referred to as a ringmaster of fan service for her use of cryptic clues in her lyrics and accompanying media.

Why do anime studios use fan service techniques?

Christian McCrea feels that the animation studio Gainax is particularly skilled at addressing otaku through fan service by adding meta-references and showing violence and hyperphysical activity. The Gainax bounce, a term for jiggling breasts, originated from the opening scene of Daicon IV and was adopted by other animators, including the creators of the hentai series Cream Lemon. Series aimed at males can also include fan service for women, an attempt to court a wider audience.

Read the full story about Fan service →

Up Next

Ecchi