Panty Shots, Titillation and Fan Service! (No Hentai for j00!)

I was at a friend's house the other day, and somehow, someway, we ended up watching a few episodes of Ikki Tousen. Which provoked two responses, laughter, and slight bemusement from those who hadn't seen it before. It's not just because Ikki Tousen requires a total shutdown of neural activity to enjoy, but the gratuitous, blatant and ultimately (after about an episode...hey we're guys after all), boredom-inducing boob/panty/ass shots.



Fan service in anime terms usually has no deeper meaning beyond the inclusion of racy or sexual content designed to titillate (pun intended) us lonely guys sitting in front of our computer or TV screens. Other types exist, but the racy kind is my little topic here. There are exceptions to the situations (comedic, sexual, action sequence), but none in the execution. Almost every freakin' anime has SOME sort of fan service in it, and it's just something we have to accept. The question here isn't really whether fan service should be included in animes...'coz we're gonna get it whether we like it or not...but whether it should be done at the right times, or without any direction like some erratic, inefficient assassin.


There are the exceptions of series wth no story and purpose whatsoever relying on fan service to pull them through...after all sex sells, even if it comes in a trash can of a show. I won't be talking about that, though. I don't hate fan service, most definitely. Like any warm-blooded male, I get a kick when I see fan service from a character I have grown to like over the series, and if its done stylishly and at unsuspecting moments. What irks me is when it's done tastelessly. I think fan service can be divided into 3 categories: i) brainless fan service done just for the hell of it...ii) the "we have a story here, we really do...but we think you'd like more panty shots no?" kind, and iii) the well-executed fan service that actually does a job at rounding out the situation and amusing/entertaining the viewer.


Falling into the first category would probably be the likes of Ikki Tousen and Najica, the former consisting of martial arts in short skirts and ripped tops and the latter having ample human and 'humaritt' chicks and maids with guns. In shows like these, all girls apparently have cameras fixed between their legs, on their feet and right above the cleavage resulting in rather 'interesting' scenes. If executed slightly better, both these shows could have been 'not bad'. But, if you're like me and don't feel anything from repeated underwear flashing, the shows are just lame. Then there are those that don't do it so much, but are still guilty of it...the Onegai Series, Tenjho Tenge and Vandread come to mind. And there are those which include fan service but in a way where it's actually believable that those scenes were part of the show and not so much stuffed in for sensationalism purposes. Ghost in the Shell, Ranma 1/2, Evangelion, Love Hina (not the OVA), Kamisama Kazoku and Fate/ Stay Night are just the few popping into my head.



That last part there shows that there IS a good side to fan service. I wouldn't have enjoyed Love Hina if Keitaro didn't always inadvertently walk in on the girls bathing/changing like an idiot, or wouldn't have laughed as hard if Samatarou's mom and sisters didn't have the 'bloomers athletic meet' in Kamisama Kazoku (god bless that, oh, he did, lol), and it was certainly amusing watching Haruhi 'inflict' fan service on herself and Asahina with the bunny-girl costumes. I guess what I'm trying to say is, when there is a solid plot or direction, then fan service is definitely welcome. So, why is it that if these shows can pull off fan service in this way, others choose to have nothing but that on their shows? Maybe the animation studios are low on funds and this is the only way they'll pull in money and viewers? Maybe the animator is just a pervert. I don't know.



What about the blatant, full episode of fan service stunt that many animes with any amount of pretty girls have pulled over the years? Holidays, beach visits, onsen visits and a whole lot of other excuses to strip the babes. Like I said in my recent review, doing it in something like Burst Angel not only felt out-of-place (although the show was screaming for an episode like that), but for god's sake, the girls didn't have to get boob-jobs for it did they? I think these sort of things should be done in the vein of Full Metal Panic, where there was a whole Fumoffu? arc/side-series for this sort of thing. Who could ever forget the little hot spring scene with all the girls from the show? However, it was believable and more importantly, tastefully done, to a certain extent. Watching Fumoffu? after a whole first season of quality was enjoyable, as it should be.


Right, I have been ranting and raving at the same time, I guess. There isn't much to draw from this except that fan service is here to stay, but I hope animators at least have a storyline in hand before deciding the colours of the various underwear the bishoujos will don. So yes, in my opinion, fan service should be included when suitable, at the right times, not brainlessly to provoke reactions, or to entirely dominate a series. Come to think of it, that ain't so bad either...Argh!

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Tags: Animation, Anime, Japanese Animation, Manga, Fan Service, Fanservice, Ikki Tousen, Tenjou