Fan Service – What is it? How did it come about? Why is it bad?

Have you heard of the term fan service? Do you know what it means? What is it? Why does it exist? In this article, we will delve deep into the meaning of the term fan service, which is quite present in anime, manga, movies, series, and other modern works and media.

Fan service (ファンサービス) refers to ideas that the author creates in their works to please and attract more fans. Some tend to do this by including scenes of humor, double meanings, or even sensual content. Many anime end up going overboard.

What is Fan Service? What does it mean?

The most common fan service in anime is adding ecchi (sensuality), such as characters with large breasts and visible underwear. It may seem interesting to perverts, but this can end up ruining the anime or manga.

In theory, the goal of fan service is to deliver things that fans want to see. A good example of fan service is the references and easter eggs from other series, stories, and interesting visual elements. If only it were just that, unfortunately, the term fan service has gained a negative reputation due to the sensuality used to attract fans in most works.

There is nothing wrong with doing fan service; this happens not only in anime and manga but in all existing works on earth. The big problem is that many authors and directors have no idea what they are doing. It can be very disturbing when used at the wrong time.

Fan service is increasingly prevalent in anime. Although it attracts many children and perverts, many people end up being put off by the works due to the excess of fan service. One of the major causes of fan service is the clichéd scenes and elements that further alienate people.

How did Fan Service originate?

Fan service is not something created by the Japanese. The desire to please the audience is as old as fiction itself. Homages, parodies, and breaking the fourth wall are just some of the techniques used to please and attract fans.

One of the first notable examples of fan service is the cheerleaders that appeared in 1950 in professional sports. Their flashy outfits, performances, and dances aimed to please, entertain, and excite fans. At a time when works with sexual appeal or even erotic scenes were rare, fan service was a way used in cinema to generate more profit.

Over time, the industry became less rigid regarding the content displayed in films, comics, music, and animations. This causes the trend in media to have more sexual appeal. The term fanservice emerged in the late 1980s and was introduced in the film Otaku no Video in 1991.

While some notice the fan service, others have no idea they are dominated by it. Just look at successful Brazilian songs, both sertanejo and funk, which are full of sexual appeal, all to please and attract the target audience. The whole world is contaminated by this; it is not something exclusive to Japan.

The main mistakes with Fan Service

One of the most disturbing mistakes in fan service is inflating the breasts of most female characters. Some go beyond the limits of physics by adding an unrealistic size to the characters’ breasts. Animes where all female characters are excessively busty end up deterring many from appreciating the work.

Some don’t care about this, but in various battles, female characters end up tearing their clothes exactly in inconvenient places. Some end up equipping powerful armor that does not protect the important parts.

Some animes are impressive in terms of plot, storyline, and characters, but they end up being ruined because of fan service. One such example is the famous Sword Art Online, which started with a beautiful story and romance and was soon destroyed with a harem and scenes focusing on unnecessary parts.

Some animes/mangas show underwear every 5 minutes, focus the cameras in unnecessary positions just to please young perverts. Fan service also happens for girls, where there are various scenes where men walk around shirtless or force girls to ship characters.

Many characters are androgynous, perverted, and have strange personalities just to create humor, but it ends up scaring some and making them think that Japan is a place full of crazies. Not to mention the excess of loli characters.

Animes like Rosario + Vampire and Kaichou wa maid-sama could have new seasons if they hadn’t been a failure because of fan service. Although I like maid-sama, Usui being perfect is nothing more than fan service to attract girls.

List of animes with the most fan service

Below we will share the result of an online survey that presents which animes have the most fan service in the whole world. Will you disagree that one has more fan service than the other?

1. High School DxD
2. Sekirei
3. Shinmai Maou No Testament
4. High School of the Dead
5. Freezing
6. Monster Musume: Everyday Life with Monster Girls
7. To Love-Ru
8. Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?
9. Kill la Kill
10. Maken-ki
11. Sekirei: Pure Engagement
12. Prison School
13. Queen’s Blade
14. Rosario + Vampire
15. Heaven’s Lost Property Forte
16. Fairy Tail
17. Date A Live
18. Masou Gakuen Hxh
19. Kiss X Sis
20. Is This a Zombie?
21. Seikon no Qwaser
22. Ikki Tousen
23. Manyuu Hikenchou
24. Cat Planet Cuties
25. Chivalry of a Failed Knight
26. Elfen Lied
27. Girls Bravo
28. Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid
29. Witchblade
30. LADIES VS BUTLERS
31. Infinite Stratos
32. Heaven’s Lost Property
33. Kanokon
34. Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple
35. Hundred
36. Zero no Tsukaima
37. Sword Art Online
38. Mayo Chiki!
39. Gurren Lagann
40. Golden Boy
41. No Game No Life
42. Haganai
43. Grisaia Series
44. KonoSuba
45. Blood Lad
46. Nisekoi
47. B Gata H Kei
48. Strike Witches
49. Bleach
50. Bakemonogatari
51. Triage X
52. MM!
53. Black Butler
54. Yosuga no Sora
55. Nisemonogatari
56. Mirai Nikki – Another: World
57. Free! Eternal Summer
58. Unbreakable Machine-Doll
59. Cross Ange
60. Shomin Sample
61. Tenchi Muyo
62. Please Twins!
63. Nyaruko: Crawling with Love!
64. Listen to Me, Girls. I Am Your Father!
65. Certain Magical Index
66. Strike Witches 2
67. We Without Wings
68. Mysterious Girlfriend X
69. One Piece
70. Dusk maiden of Amnesia

What do you think about fan service?

Some animes only became famous because of fan service, even when used excessively. Animes like To Love Ru, Triage X, Free!, Shokugeki no Souma, HotD, and Freezing are some examples. Other animes like Fate/Zero received good reviews for the correct use of fan service.

What is your opinion on the subject? Which animes had good fan service? Which ones were ruined because of excess and sexual appeal? We would love to hear your opinion in the comments.

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