Identify Fanservice in Anime
Even though anime is a very diverse style of animation, fanservice - gratuitous accentuation of a character's sexiness or general attractiveness - occurs a lot. Here's how you can tell the difference between a genuine plot device and needless sparkles.
Steps
- Put some thought into it. Is it relevant to the plot? Certain things are allowed as a means of moving the story along. If a character is in a sexual or romantic situation that contradicts his or her personal morals (e.g. a homosexual encounter, a tryst, or an encounter with an enemy of the family), it's probably a vehicle for character development. This is also the case for situations involving a long-standing, serious relationship (as opposed to a one-night-stand) or a rape. If the event is random and doesn't really help the story (if there even is a story), it's probably fanservice.
- Notice the camera angles. Is the viewer's perspective arranged so that you're looking right up the leading lady's skirt (or down her cleavage)? Does the camera zoom in on a secretary's butt as she leans over? Is the camera placed at some other odd angle that gives you a front-row seat to a character's naughty bits? If so, it's probably fanservice. Sexual scenes that aren't fanservice actually tend to censor this sort of thing, focusing instead on artistic camera angles that complement the sexual or romantic tension of the situation.
- Look at how detailed certain things are. If every single wrinkle in a busty woman's too-small top is drawn in minute detail, or every drop of sweat on her leg is painstakingly animated as she does gymnastics, it's probably fanservice.
- Do sexy but unlikely things happen? Does a boy's gym uniform get stolen, forcing him to swim in his tighty-whiteys? Does a girl's shirt get caught on her chair, tearing the fabric and revealing her lacy push-up bra? Are the girls' school uniforms so short that you can see the butt of their panties as they walk down the hall? If they weren't fanservice, these situations probably wouldn't happen because they're incredibly unrealistic.
- Look for the obvious. Sparkles. Shines. Popsicles. Lollipops. Erect nipples. Boners. Bodily fluids. Lingerie. Men or women who are so well-endowed that their proportions seem physically impossible in nature. Any of these could signify fanservice.
Tips
- Not all fanservice is sexual. A character could be a victim of fanservice if he or she is made to wear a certain outfit, or do a certain thing, or given a makeover, or simply shrouded in sparkles.
- Pretty much any scene, chapter, or episode involving a hot spring or bath house is guaranteed to be fanservice.
- These are the symptoms, not the disease. Just because something doesn't have one of the qualities mentioned above doesn't mean it's not fanservice, and vice versa.
