Is fanservice bad?

[minacia]

^see title!

I'm curious about people's opinions.

What are examples of fanservice done well or done poorly?

To what extent is it good for content creators to interact with their fanbase and reflect material that readers are seeking?

I mean, I would sort of expect that a writing purist might respond that a creator should never take into consideration their fans' hunger, but at the same time I think about ZUN's Touhou project were the fandom in some cases can grow even larger than the original work. In some circumstances, allowing fans to runaway with their fantasies can be especially powerful.

 

[OneRanter]

What are examples of fanservice done well or done poorly?

The attention and care to details in this scene in Ghost in The Shell's movie is my favorite fanservice (attention to detail).
In it, you have weapons that run out of bullets and overheat. Besides, the animation of the weapons, water, and anatomy is just so damn goood.

WARNING: The scene is a major SPOILER of the movie's end and it is NOT family friendly (gorewise speaking)

 

[Minx]

I wouldn't say bad, just do it in moderation I guess. As for the example, let's say once in a while for every arc? After tons of battle in the arc, I'd say a small filler to enjoy the characters antic in their everyday life is fun too.

Though this is just my personal opinion as a fellow degenerate on the internet.

 

[TheOneWho]

For me, there are 3 times when fanservice is bad

1. Is when it doesn't fit the scene or time
2. Doesn't fit the genre or type of story it is in.
3. It doesn't add anything to the story.

Number 3 is the biggest turn off for me for fanservice, fanservice just for the sake of fanservice just plain out annoys me.

 

[DubstheDuke]

Id prefer stories without it

 

[AMissingLinguist]

Yuusha ga Shinda! makes fanservice a plot point.

Spoiler: Yuusha ga Shinda!

MC uses his love of naked kneesocks to take out the final bad guy.

As long as fanservice is used effectively to convey how the author wants the story to be understood, then I don't see how fanservice is bad.

 

[sereminar]

It can frequently be exploitative, misogynistic, objectifying and from the male gaze thus actively perpetuating and holding up patriarchal power structures. Which of course can be extremely damaging to the women who are being taught that their bodies are objects used to service fans with and that they have little value outside that.

 

[minacia]

It can frequently be exploitative, misogynistic, objectifying and from the male gaze thus actively perpetuating and holding up patriarchal power structures. Which of course can be extremely damaging to the women who are being taught that their bodies are objects used to service fans with and that they have little value outside that.

Too be fair, fanservice operates in all directions (not limited to the male-gaze usage regarding anime).

For instance, BL often demonstrates fanservice, and Western series like RWBY employ fanservice by intentionally leaning into ships that arose in the fandom (queerbaiting, in other words)

 

[FDSIO]

It is bad.

What are examples of fanservice done well or done poorly?

What do you mean by fanservice done well? I have yet to see one universally done right. That doesn't mean I haven't enjoyed some in the past-- when I was still young and naive to the whole thing, yet to be exposed to better stuff --but as of now... I find fanservice almost disgusting. A sign of amateurism, lack of respect for your work and your audience, compensation for the lack of quality, a way to please the superficial( and horny) audience... you name it.

• Conclusion: No good for the older and more experienced audience.

• Personal opinion: I hate it with passion!

 

[Farok]

Response to the title: No.

Fan service isn't inherently bad. It's the way it is done that determines whether people will like it or not.
I'm a bit too lazy to develop, so I will leave it at that until someone wants me to.

 

[OneRanter]

It is bad.

Fanservice is not just naked boys/girls or lame sexual jokes. It is adding value to the story in a way some or a good part of the audience will appreciate and enjoy it.

Things like Stan Lee's cameos.
Proper physics/science in sci-fi stories.
Good math/probabilities in betting stories.
Historical accuracy in Historical stories.
Things like bringing back J. K. Simmons, the J. Jonah Jameson in the 2002-2007 spiderman movies, as J. Jonah Jameson in Spiderman Far from Home are fanservice too.

compensation for the lack of quality

Attention to minimal details sometimes require a lot extra work only to increase the quality of a single scene but it is also a type of fanservice.

Sometimes it requires extra investigations, sometimes it requires extra time investment, and sometimes it requires extra monetary investment.

In webserials you could have it in an author going the extra mile by drawing a map for the readers or just hiring an artist to draw a character/cover/scene.

There is much more to fanservice than just sexual jokes. Proper fanservice is supposed to pump up the quality of a story instead of bringing it down.

 

[Racosharko]

There is much more to fanservice than just sexual jokes.

Most people won't see it tho... Sexual fanservice is more obvious, while other forms can be more subtle.... invisible even.

I mean trying to unpack "Gundam".... where does the fanservice begin? And where does it end? In fact, sometimes I think, "Ah~ that new series of Gundam.... so much cameo.... so much self-referencing... so many launch sequences. that's pretty much 70% fanservice... ON TOP of the endless shower scenes of glistening men...."

 

[OneRanter]

Most people won't see it tho... Sexual fanservice is more obvious, while other forms can be more subtle.... invisible even.

I mean trying to unpack "Gundam".... where does the fanservice begin? And where does it end? In fact, sometimes I think, "Ah~ that new series of Gundam.... so much cameo.... so much self-referencing... so many launch sequences. that's pretty much 70% fanservice... ON TOP of the endless shower scenes of glistening men...."

May the Mechas Rest in Peace
.┌─┐
.┴─┴
(╭ರ_T)\~
Still, A Ranter can dream tho. One day, another Mecha Hype will descend upon us!

 

[Poleg]

Well fanserviceis pandering and pandering doesn't do good for the story in my experience.

 

[FDSIO]

Fanservice is not just naked boys/girls or lame sexual jokes.

Both you and I know of what kind of fanservice this post required our insights on. Naked boys/girls and lame sexual jokes. No detailed nudity for the sake of authenticity and the rest... And I did exactly that.

In fact, the following:

Things like Stan Lee's cameos.
Proper physics/science in sci-fi stories.
Good math/probabilities in betting stories.
Historical accuracy in Historical stories.
Things like bringing back J. K. Simmons, the J. Jonah Jameson in the 2002-2007 spiderman movies, as J. Jonah Jameson in Spiderman Far from Home are fanservice too.

or

Attention to minimal details sometimes require a lot extra work only to increase the quality of a single scene but it is also a type of fanservice.

I refuse to acknowledge such things as fanservice. I refuse to put some boob grabbing scene in the same category as some accurate physics...

In my opinion, fanservice is fanservice because that is its main purpose. To be fanservice for the audience in said scene. If the primary purpose of the scene is no longer that, then the scene is no longer fanservice. Just a nice touch to the scene.

 

[OneRanter]

Both you and I know of what kind of fanservice this post required our insights on. Naked boys/girls and lame sexual jokes. No detailed nudity for the sake of authenticity and the rest... And I did exactly that.

You can't just give in and let them have the word for themselves! What will the next generations know if you abandon them?
!┌─┐
!┴─┴
(╭ರд<)/
And the thread is about fanservice in general. I'd rather you throw the trashy nudity "fanservice" under the bus and let propper fanservice be the standard!
,┌─┐
,┴─┴
(╭ರдɥ)\
*huf huf huf!*

 

[minacia]

Both you and I know of what kind of fanservice this post required our insights on. Naked boys/girls and lame sexual jokes. No detailed nudity for the sake of authenticity and the rest... And I did exactly that.

In fact, the following:

or


I refuse to acknowledge such things as fanservice. I refuse to put some boob grabbing scene in the same category as some accurate physics...

In my opinion, fanservice is fanservice because that is its main purpose. To be fanservice for the audience in said scene. If the primary purpose of the scene is no longer that, then the scene is no longer fanservice. Just a nice touch to the scene.

Hmm, I personally agree with OneRanter's definition though.

To me, fanservice is anything that panders to fans, sexual or not!

 

[FDSIO]

I'd rather you throw the trashy nudity "fanservice" under the bus and let propper fanservice be the standard!

Unfortunately, that's not the case... The creators provide what the audience carves for and what sells best. Sad but undeniable.

 

[OneRanter]

/(T.T)\

I won't give up </3​

 

[Queenfisher]

Attention to minimal details sometimes require a lot extra work only to increase the quality of a single scene but it is also a type of fanservice.

Sometimes it requires extra investigations, sometimes it requires extra time investment, and sometimes it requires extra monetary investment.

In webserials you could have it in an author going the extra mile by drawing a map for the readers or just hiring an artist to draw a character/cover/scene.

Hm.



Not sure that is the definition. Personally, I go the extra mile of 1) drawing fanart of my characters, and 2) scrupulously creating worldbuilding for every last thing with tons of research:

Because 1 enriches my story and shows in an easier way how characters relate to each other. My story is long and complicated. I need that stuff to streamline it. And 2 is crucial to the plot and themes. There is no story without it.

Fanservice definition should be cleared up if that's what we're talking about. Neither of the things I do is fanservice because I would have (and frequently do) the same things for the stories I do not publish anywhere -- so there are no fans to talk about. So what should I call that? My weird OCD?

What does it have to do with fanservice then?

As another example, I do not think that Tolkien had created his languages and history for decades before ever publishing it as part of fanservicing anyone either... .

So first -- define fanservice in a way that correlates with the official definitions on Wiki, Google, etc first -- because so far, I feel like you are saying that anything that has the potential to please anybody = fanservice. And I'm not sure I agree with that.

That is just saying "anything" = fanservice and that would be nonsense. Fanservice has to mean something beyond that, some specification in its definition.

Hmm, I personally agree with OneRanter's definition though.

To me, fanservice is anything that panders to fans, sexual or not!

Then entire books and franchises can be fanservice. So it is very odd to discuss entire genres built to be nothing but serving... Like airport novels or mom porn. .Because if it exists --> someone needs it and creates demand for it. So there's no need to ask if it's good or bad, unless you want to ask if entire genres are good or bad.

Makes me wonder how it is correlating with art in general, but then again, the first art that began was also a kind of a literal fanservice (or better to say zealot-service? Believer-service?).

This discussion then depends entirely on the hierarchy of art in question. Which art are we talking about? Is it paid art? Museum art? Referential art? Po-mo art? Naive art? Popular art? Academic art?

Because we can only determine whether fanservice is bad or good if you offer us an actual spectrum to choose from, I think... . For some of these art movements, nude fanservice is bad while for others -- its bread and butter. Likewise, a reference to Kantian philosophy in a Pokemon is a very bad example of fanservice for the philosophy nerds, you know. Then again, I have never actually seen good philosophy fanservice in my life anywhere... it's always just Name-Dropping and never an actual thing.

So based on what I have seen from fanservice in all areas... meh. Rather not. My preferences for what I consider "fan" usually need to go deeper than surface-level references, and the majority of fanservice NEVER go deeper than the surface. .

I hate that.

=> I hate all fanservice.