Forum - View topicCan you like a fanservice show without liking fanservice?
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Hoppy
 Posts: 2 |
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I'm just wondering if there are some fans here who don't find fanservice to be their cup of tea, but just happen to enjoy an anime that has it?
I guess you could say that I personally fall into that category. Fanservice is something that I don't outright detest (being a guy and all), but it's something I find awkward when I'm watching anime. Take for example Love Hina, which is a show I adore for its characters and romance story, but find a lot of the "accidental falls" and boob jokes to detract from the reason why I wanted to watch it. Even a mecha anime like Strain, which mid-way caught me by surprise with a full-frontal of one female character, is a show I really liked for its sci-fi action, but wasn't expecting to see any such fanservice. |
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PetrifiedJello
Posts: 3782 |
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I'm not a fan of "fanservice" for the sake of "fanservice". A series like Strike Witches is a great example, but it's also a series I enjoy immensely. If the "fanservice" were removed, it wouldn't take anything away.
I'm now so desensitized to "fanservice", I'm more shocked when it's removed from a series, such as with my current viewing of My Bride is a Mermaid. Not a single panty shot. Disappointing? No. Shocking for this series? You betcha. A possible change in trends? Let's hope so. |
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Darksorrow29
Posts: 412 Location: United States |
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Just out of curiosity, would you still enjoy Strike Witches if it was about young boys? |
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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The way I see it, fanservice shows are those that exist mostly or even solely for the fanservice aspect. Where it makes up such a large portion of the show's identity that removing it would leave an almost completely different show aimed at a completely different demographic. So I would say that it would be almost impossible to like a fanservice show if you didn't like fanservice quite a bit.
I also disagree with PetrifiedJello that Strike Witches would be the same show without fanservice. Although it may indeed offer more than fanservice, there is no denying - no, escaping - the fact that fanservice is a huge part of the series. Why have all those combined fetishes and ubiquitous bathing scenes if the show isn't reaching out to titillate the fans? I have liked a number of shows which had fanservice moments and/or scenes, and often I even like those fanservice moments and scenes. To paraphrase the OP, "I am a guy after all". But I have never liked an actual fanservice show. Heck, I'm not entirely sure that I have ever finished a fanservice show. No, I tell a lie; I completed Basquash!, much to the detriment of my mental health. And even it isn't nowhere nearly as fanservice-heavy as other shows I could name. |
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Annf
Posts: 578 |
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Obviously there's some debate on what does and doesn't count as a "fanservice show," but that aside, I suppose it's possible, but I wouldn't bother trying, myself, if that described me.
In a general sense, I don't see the point in watching shows that have a large component I'm not interested in. There's so many other things I could be watching instead. Like, take Togainu no Chi, for example. It's based on a BL game, and a big part of its draw is attractive men, which doesn't mean much to me. It's not completely inconceivable I might like it anyway for other reasons, but I'm not planning on spending the time to find out. |
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The King of Harts
 Posts: 6712 Location: Mount Crawford, Virginia |
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Annf, don't you watch and BUY a ton of fanservice shows? I think I remember you making posts where you showed off your Queen's Blade and Strike Witches blu-ray collections. You also posted regularly in the High School of the Dead forum. I'm just confused right now.
As for myself, I wish more people could see beyond fanservice. Like PJ, I'm desensitized to fanservice and it doesn't bother me unless fanservice is all it has going for it. I suppose you could say that have the ability to see past boobs to the heart. I can watch Strike Witches and not notice a single crotch shot, I can ignore (to an extent) the large boobs in Witchblade, and I can shrug of all the full frontal nudity in Mahoromatic, because they all have great stories. However, there are shows like Kanokon that are simply boobfests and have no meaning outside of titillation. I will agree with "haters" on those type shows, since I'm not a fan of those either. Those kinds of shows aren't usually funny since they usually have one running gag (fanservice), they don't have even a scrap of story they can hold on to, and worst of all, most aren't even that edgy. If aren't going to be funny and you're not going to have a backup story, at least push the envelope a bit. Fanservice is a double edged sword. On one hand, it's needed to get the show made and so it can make money and be successful. On the other it can repel just as many as it attracts, thus making your fanbase smaller than it could be. It's the reason Yasuomi Umetsu was green-lit to make Kite, and the anime world is, or at least should be, happy that such a masterpiece was ever made. Unfortunately it's also one of the reasons people look down on anime as whole, thus leaving anime to it's own little corner in the Nerd World.
They're young girls with the fate of the world on their shoulders. As a male, I tend to feel more sympathetic towards female characters, especially immature ones who still don't know much about the world. The fact that it's 15-20 year old girls saving the world does make it a little different. Let me turn the tables on you: If Balsa from Moribito was a male, would that still be a strong character? The answer is most likely no, since the appeal of Balsa is that she can do things better than the boys, making her a very strong female lead. If Balsa is a guy, that character is just a male a lead who has good fatherly instincts; nothing that special, at least not something rare like strong females. The gender of the character can be very important in dictating what emotions you express and what reactions you have to certain scenes. And no, I don't think that's sexist. It's not anti-human if someone cries when a dog is shot, but not when a human is under the same circumstances. Last edited by The King of Harts on Sat Nov 06, 2010 7:43 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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einhorn303
 Posts: 1180 |
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I can't say too much, since I love fanservice. But I know it's certainly possible, as I know plenty of people like that. It just depends a lot on the individual and the show in question.
Imho, I don't think Strike Witches would work the same way (irregardless of the fanservice aspect) if the cast were male. Since the show's very quintessence is contrast between a traditionally masculine realm (war), and it's emphasis on structure and discipline, with the feminine realm and it's emphasis on emotions and interpersonal relations. Kind of like how if you took Les Miserable's entire cast and switched them from lower-class to upper-class, it's entire structure would be irrevocably changed. Just making the characters wear pants and de-eroizing their character designs would work. But even though I'd still enjoy the show, I'd enjoy it a heck less.
I believe he's describing how he'd feel if he didn't like fanservice. |
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DuskyPredator
 Posts: 15920 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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I think so, I am often a fan of fan service series without likeing the fanservice, altjough it can be a bit hard to point then out becaus of hormones.
I guess Highschool of the Dead of all the torn highschool clothes revealing underwear all the time, aswell as all the jiggly things, and buket time bazoongas was highlight of fanservice I didn't care for. Ladies vs Butlers another choice, didn't really like most of the fanservice, of course hormones have got to me before. Kind of like bits, but disliked a majority of the fanservice. I could go on but I think the lines are getting blurry as usually when I like a series I try to like it's different aspects. Well Sora no Otoshimono, I quite like the series but dislike the really pervy bits, it is like they try to make as low as the character. At least I sympathise with the other characters. |
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Annf
Posts: 578 |
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Sorry, I didn't make myself clear enough. "if that described me" = "not liking fanservice doesn't describe me" But I wanted to make a general comment on trying to extract enjoyment from shows that are focused on or contain a lot of some element you find boring and/or distasteful. |
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bravetailor
Posts: 817 |
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If you like a show, you like it. Who cares what genre it is?
Honestly, fanservice had built up such a bad rep over the years that bashing fanservice itself has actually become OVERDONE now. In the old days, they used to call fanservice "cheesecake". Put that way, there are a lot of fanservice shows I like for both the cake and the steak. But obviously if there isn't any steak, it's not as entertaining a show. But it's hardly the cake's sole fault if the steak isn't there. But that's hardly restricted to fanservice shows. In a typical mecha show, the "fanservice" are the mechas themselves. But like above, mechas are just the cake; they need the steak to be truly good. They should use the term "mecha porn" for some mecha shows out there, because there are a metric ton of gorgeously animated mecha shows that are just there to be mecha porn and nothing else. Which IMO is no different than a show that's basically all about "fanservice". |
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OtakuExile
 Posts: 202 Location: Neo Vegas |
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Anime has always had some sort of fanservice in it, sexual or not. This question is hilarious. Yes you can like fanservice without liking fanservice. But then you would be in that category of liking fanservice without liking fanservice.
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bravetailor
Posts: 817 |
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Haha...this reminds of those people out there who say they like an anime without actually liking anime. "I like Cowboy Bebop...but I don't like anime." 
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Kruszer
 Posts: 8017 Location: Minnesota, USA |
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Conceivably, in absolute terms, the main draw of "fanservice anime" is the fanservice and there's little else to them storywise. Most of them would be total crap instead of just mediocre if they didn't have that draw at the very least and be unwatchable. So the answer to this question is no. If you found a fanservice show you liked then you may have to reevaluate your position to include some exceptions and couldn't really say with absolute certainty that you don't like them anymore.
For instance I can't say "I hate all magical girl shows" because I found that liked the Lyrical Nanoha series, and Night Wizard and I really don't. I just don't like most of them. If you're asking about exceptions to the rules of people who don't like fanservice anime then yeah I can see where that can come about as true given my experience with magical girl anime so I guess it could depend on the person and the show itself; whether it had enough to override their dislike for fanservice and keep them watching. Of course I view fan service as what it is; service to me, a fan. I can't complain about that, and don't, unless I don't like the gift given. |
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wcsinn
 Posts: 186 |
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Of course you CAN - you just said you do. What I can never understand is people's obsession with self-imposed 'rules'. Am I too old to enjoy anime, can I like a series with fan service, can I enjoy a series that is dubbed (or subbed), it goes on and on.
Here's the easy answer - don't over think every thing. If you like it - you like it. That's nothing to be ashamed of and you don't need anybodies permission (what do you care what they think - its your money, spend it on what YOU enjoy!) If you keep setting expectations on what you think a fan should or should not enjoy - you'll miss out on much of what the industry has to offer. |
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RHachicho
 Posts: 897 Location: Essex, UK |
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Bah all this hoohah about the presence or abundance of fanservice in a particular show is just a vehicle for excising the fustration one feels when encountering an inadequate plot. I mean come on you pretty much have to be castrated either physically or emotionally to find the mere presence of nakedness and sexuality offensive as a male. I can understand females not liking its presence however there is then the option not to watch the show.
I am trying to get around to explaining a shift in perspective what are people "really" annoyed about? the presence of fanservice? or the simple lack of a plot. I have known a few heavy fanservice shows with good plots and/or other merits. However when one does not like the content of said show it is easy to pick up fanservice and go zomg anime studios are making stuff to sell to hentai freaks this has to stop! but really it's just youre common or garden sell out. Filling up what needs creativity with what dousn't. Instead of campaigning for less of the stuff that anime studios fill the holes with we should be wishing simply for better quality storytelling. When the plot takes up most of the time to tell fanservice is just an added extra and would rarely get in the way. Of course some the most militant anti fanservice people are those who are uncomfortable with feelings of attraction towards an animated character. Which is an issue not often touched apon in fanservice discussions but one i feel is relevant. To them i say that before photography people made do with entirely 2d porn. You wont be the first normal man to be aroused at a 2d image and you will not be the last. No offense if youre one of the few who actually feels nothing but fanservice show sales place you in the clear minority. And therefoe the answer to the op's question is yes. Provided that fanservice isn't the only thing in the show. If it's got great comedy you can enjoy that. If the plot is good you can enjoy that too. But you know what if its got nothing but boobie shots youre probably going to be dissapointed. Why do you need me to tell you this anyway? can't you make up you're own mind on wether you like something or not? not trying to be offensive but honestly this feels like a question that is loaded and looking for approval. As for your idea of detracting from the show. Well I dunno. The only way i could see fanservice being detracting is if you can't stand being aroused and have to go have a fap every time a character gets naked sorry to be crude but honestly sex and nudity is just a part of life i can't help but feel that people are being gigantically prudish to suggest that a scene with nudity in or the occasional panty shot is distracting them from a good plot. And if there isn't a good plot then the show has bigger problems than the over use of fan service. Blaming fanservice or moe for that matter for the quality of Anime is like blaming the water for the thiness of the soup. Also honestly not everyone can be into high quality entertainment. And an awful lot less good shows would be made without the revenue made from bad ones. Sorry but the world isnt made to give you everything you like just because you complain it isn't perfect. Jeez in an age of war and poverty and starvation and inhumanity of the highest order we live lives of relative paramount luxury and complain because Anime can't be almost the best damn thing we have ever been every single show like that could ever be possible. Bad Anime is Bad. Good Anime is good. There will always be more bad Anime than good. This is because there are more stupid people than clever people. As people get smarter this disparity will not diminish when we all have the iq of ssjeinstein they will be complaining because people with an iq that by todays standards is genius like stupid stuff. It's all just beating you're fist on the table and squeeling for more like a crying baby. Also if you wan't better anime, pay for it. I have no sympathy for anyone who moans about the quality of anime and puts no money back into the industry. If everyone paid for their anime studios would have alot more cash to persue more prestigous work. As it is they struggle to get by. Of course the idea of everyone paying is kinda like a pipe dream. No one wants to make the plunge because they feel not enough people will do the same and their effort will be meaningless but that's what it means to stand up for a principle. |
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