Fanservice and Ecchi: Too much?

[Autis-misc]

I believe a little fanservice can go a long way. Date-A-Live and Infinite Stratos were both primarily Fanservice/Ecchi and I still quite enjoyed both for the humor.

But I think it's not necessarily the anime's fault that fanservice goes over the top. I'd blame that on the fanbase. Look at shows like K-ON or Other shows with a dominant female cast. The Fandom's of those overdo the Yuri Fanservice with a lot of Rule 34, and it's hard not to stumble upon them.

 

[Kutie Pie]

But I think it's not necessarily the anime's fault that fanservice goes over the top. I'd blame that on the fanbase. Look at shows like K-ON or Other shows with a dominant female cast. The Fandom's of those overdo the Yuri Fanservice with a lot of Rule 34, and it's hard not to stumble upon them.

Fandom is usually different from the actual show. Rule 34 doesn't really count as fanservice except amongst themselves.

I just remembered Perfect Blue in which "fanservice" is used to make a point about what's going on to the main character's mental state. It's done to a disturbing level in the movie, so it's fan-disservice (though I wouldn't put it past some really messed up people who think those scenes are hot). Now I think this could have a bit of mention as well, in which moments that are supposed to be fanservice are purposefully done in a way to be the exact opposite. I'm sure there are just as many shows that have this.

 

[Autis-misc]

Fandom is usually different from the actual show. Rule 34 doesn't really count as fanservice except amongst themselves.

That's basically my entire point. I don't believe that Fanservice actually takes over the anime, it's also partially the fanbase that overdoes it.

Which is one reason I won't watch Free!

 

[Kutie Pie]

That's basically my entire point. I don't believe that Fanservice actually takes over the anime, it's also partially the fanbase that overdoes it.

So... going by that, Fairy Tail's fanbase is to blame for why it's so full of fanservice?

Which is one reason I won't watch Free!

Can't really blame you, but you are honestly missing out on some great stuff. Of course, if you're talking about the yaoi fangirls pouncing on it the moment it was announced, wouldn't that fanbase have technically ruined Death Note as well?

 

[Jb]

The boobs were kind of a distraction, coming off as if the producer thought "Hmmm, somehow I don't think such a 'dull show' is gonna sell. I GOT IT! Huge boobs solves everything!"

But they were like that in manga, it just happened to get adapted.

It's like when people say Kira ruined Higurashi even though the manga and games have plenty of fanservice in them.

You like Popsicles?

To Love-Ru is great.

 

[Funnycupcakes]

Well. Being female. Ecchi is the last thing id watch unless its ecchi with guys instead.. My favourite anime is free! known as the swimming anime
I don't only watch it for the guys in swim suits I watch it for the plot. Its hilarious and touching. Id love to have ecchi with boys in it for girls but mostly we get lots of reverse harem with hot male guys and one girl who can tend to lack personality. Ecchi doesn't bother me as long as i don't see it. And fanservice.. the big question. It can get a bit OTT but yet entertaining XD.

 

[Kutie Pie]

It's like when people say Kira ruined Higurashi even though the manga and games have plenty of fanservice in them.

But they weren't that exploited, let alone as egregious as it was in the beginning of Kira. Also, the fanservice in-universe was done as harmless joke punishments. Keiichi, Ooishi, Tomitake and Irie appeared to have been rather serious and were getting very creepy to be considered joking.

 

[Zekromaster826]

Before I start my rant, I should mention that this is my personal opinion, feel free to disagree. Fanservice isn't ALWAYS an issue, just when it is literally the entire anime. If that is the case, that is just the genre and it's not my cup of tea. If it is NOT the genre, let them throw a little in here and there. A little bit doesn't kill a series (Beach/Pool episodes are usually mostly for the fanservice with little plot developement but it usually doesn't kill the anime, just the episode isn't as good as the rest)

In my mind, when I start to watch an anime (this is usually only with ecchi animes because otherwise it usually isnt an issue, ZnT seasons 3+4 are an exception, but it didn't KILL the anime IMO, but it almost did.) I make an imaginary line in my head. On top there is the quality of the plot and the quality of the characters. On the bottom there is the amount of fanservice/ecchi is and the intensity of the ecchi (is it just a bunch of large breasted women or is it that the characters are topless more times than not?) I think to myself, is the line more on the top or on the bottom? The line itself is the danger zone. In my personal opinion, there is A BIT of leeway about 1 cm below the line. I usually watch at least 3 episodes of the anime before I consider dropping it. You generally want to be above the line, unless you watch shows for the ecchi and fanservice but that is what hentai and other porn is for

Ecchis that in my mind were over the line and I personally really enjoyed (Now I haven't seen these in a while (SNO was the 3rd anime I watched) but IIRC these fell into the category of just a bunch of large breasted women and didn't have THAT much nudity.):
-Sora No Otoshimono S1+2 (This was funny enough that I couldn't give less of a f*** how much boobs were in the anime.)
-Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai S1+2 (Same 'ol song and dance)
-Kore wa Zombie desu Ka! (Not as funny as SNO but still pretty funny IMO)

On the Opposite side of the spectrum:
-Rosario Vampire (The plot wasn't that good IMO, nor was the comedy)
-High School DxD (Literally during half the anime the girls are at least topless, even when their uniforms are on you can see "points" on their chest. My friend told me it was hilarious, but I just didn't see it. My personal opinion.)
-ZnT S3+4 (Again, didn't KILL it, just made it a decent deal worse.)

TL ; DR: It is fine IN MODERATION, when a series has literally no plot and is mostly fanservice, that is a certain genre for a targeted audience. When there is a good plot but too much fanservice, it's a shame but nothing we can do about it. Just drop it if it is too much.

 

[Midnightmoon6o2]

It is hard to find a good show without having fanservice rubbed into the viewers face but there are times where there are shows that may have fanservice but that isn't the point of the show. Like Code Geass or maybe even free!. Their stories outweigh the fanservice they produce and in the long run there is hardly have any fanservice at all. It's hard to see this especially if you are getting your views from crazy fans. Such as a the free! fangirls, as a girl myself I sometimes feel ashamed that I like the show because of the crazy girls that pretty much scare everyone else that dislike it for simply showing hot boys who all have a deep past.

But sadly sex sells so we have to accept that the level of fanservice we get today will only increase but I'm sure we'll reach to a point where it gets too much that shows with high ecchi would drop because of the level of discomfort it brings to the viewers. I remember when Love Hina was around people didn't like what they were seeing but comparing it to today's that is nothing, I wouldn't even call it a ecchi anime at all. I think at one point One Piece (I think, I'm not sure) didn't have much fanservice at all but the girls who had a low chest size suddenly got a huge boob job. I don't think it was necessary to make existing girls that appeared early in the show to become attract males for the size their -ahem- are.

 

[matt0044]

It's like when people say Kira ruined Higurashi even though the manga and games have plenty of fanservice in them.

Not in such an overt way like Kira, that is.

 

[Alfred the Second]

I despise anime with over fanservice and ecchi. I am a guy, but I would rather watch women with an ample bosom and a natural body (with slender legs and shapely hips), but not HUGE boobs that keep bouncing when they do everything.

For example, High School DXD. My friend keeps trying to convince that it is a good anime and plot blah blah. But I didn't watch beyond episode 1 and WON'T watch ever.

I despise ecchi altogether. I would rather find some pornographic/hentai videos than watch things like Seikon no Qwaser. If you are trying to show me over-sized boobs, don't pretend to add a plot to that. It sickens me.

But there are a few anime, like History's Strongest Disciple Keichi, where the heroine has enormous breasts, and is constantly seen wearing tight dresses They show her nipples too. Now those are stuff I would ignore because the rest of the anime captivated me.

That being said, I watched Night Shift Nurses

[I am horribly biased with a few anime I mentioned above. So, don't take my word on anything.]

 

[Soaring Pikachu]

I am not a regional expert or anything but I think that it really boils down to different cultural standards. Looking back at some animes, I am about 50-90% sure that a lot of what non Japanese people would call "fan service" is considered totally normal by animation standards. Just because many western countries censor everything to heck and back does not mean that the original source material got it wrong. Its just that some places have gotten good enough in art quality that their characters come close to what a real life human figure would look like but since in other regions, cartoons (animation, etc) are mostly used for kids entertainment there is an over reaction and inevitably a conflict of sorts.

Granted, some anime is intended for adult viewers but other times, the animators are simply drawing things as they see them. A perfect example of this is Ki ki's delivery service. On quite a few occasions the camera moves so that the viewer is looking up her dress but the context is not at all sexual, its just the girl riding on her broomstick. (Well now I sound pervy too but I stand by my statement)

Ecchi is only one branch of a much larger anime universe

 

[Vernikova]

Suit yourself but I don't think I'll ever see popsicles the same way again.

You didn't see them that way before? :snowlax:

I am not a regional expert or anything but I think that it really boils down to different cultural standards. Looking back at some animes, I am about 50-90% sure that a lot of what non Japanese people would call "fan service" is considered totally normal by animation standards.

But what about their loli fan service? ;417;

 

[Funnycupcakes]

One thing about Free! is that face it. They are swimmers and have you taken a look at real life swimmers? They do have big biceps. So the bodies are realistic.. but in ecchi there are girls with boobs that block the sun and skinny waist. Unless they had a boob job that is impossible. Skinny waists mostly equal to smaller boobs.. bigger waists mostly equal to bigger boobs. I will let you boys enjoy your ecchi but its my opinion. I don't mind a bit of hot biceps and six packs myself. -blush-

 

[The Federation]

I despise ecchi altogether. I would rather find some pornographic/hentai videos than watch things like Seikon no Qwaser. If you are trying to show me over-sized boobs, don't pretend to add a plot to that. It sickens me.

Lol, it sickens you. That's just funny.

I imagined you with a banner protesting ecchi that reads "I only want the boobies in my porn, please".

But you have an over-dramatized point, there. Why watch semi-covered girls do sexy things when you could do the same except the girls have no clothing, the plot is either unaffected or bettered, and it doesn't get repetitive? It's better for the anime, because it has less stupid insertions of sexuality, and better for you, because boobies.

 

[EmphaticPikachu]

But you have an over-dramatized point, there. Why watch semi-covered girls do sexy things when you could do the same except the girls have no clothing, the plot is either unaffected or bettered, and it doesn't get repetitive? It's better for the anime, because it has less stupid insertions of sexuality, and better for you, because boobies.

B-but I like my "semi covered girls" better then my hentai in most cases. D:

While I don't think it has a place in random anime (One's without the ecchi tag), I atcually prefere the implied and the undertoned. Theres honestly an art to it.

 

[Jb]

That being said, I watched Night Shift Nurses

Yagami Yuu and Kazama Mana are better.

Let me stop there.

 

[Kutie Pie]

While I don't think it has a place in random anime (One's without the ecchi tag), I atcually prefere the implied and the undertoned. Theres honestly an art to it.

Yeah, unless it's tagged as such, it really is jarring when it just shows up for no apparent reason. I get that it's to "show" that it's not an anime for kids, but it comes off as a bit immature in my opinion. If they want an adult anime, that's fine, just be mature about what to put into it. Adult anime like Ghost in the Shell, Monster, and Paranoia Agent made it adult not just for the content, but for the themes involved with that content in a tasteful, mature manner. I personally feel that kind of mindset is very uncommon these days because they feel like they have to have boob-fanservice to be considered "adult" or "mature".

As for the implied/undertoned in ecchi, I'm being reminded of Mysterious Girlfriend X. Both the anime and manga run on fanservice (yes, the use of drool is considered fanservice to some people--are we really surprised?--and the nudity isn't detailed), but it's all backed up by plot. Just about nearly any fanservice moment moves the plot along just a little, and thus the fanservice moments don't exactly feel like fanservice, even though it's there in your face about it. I personally consider that a good example of how to use fanservice/ecchi and have it go hand-in-hand with the plot and character development, which still can stand on its own two feet without the fanservice, but it will feel a little incomplete. I think most shows try to do that, but they end up failing because they don't balance it out very well. It can probably attribute to one reason why ecchi and hentai tend to have a bad rap when the plot/characters just aren't that good. Some people are just that picky--but as anime like Eiken and Master of Martial Hearts have shown, there is such a thing as bad ecchi.

But the market still goes strong for it and hentai, so obviously unless they're doing it for the art (using it loosely even though I know there are hentai with actual plot), it's done for the money.

 

[Midnightmoon6o2]

One thing about Free! is that face it. They are swimmers and have you taken a look at real life swimmers? They do have big biceps. So the bodies are realistic.. but in ecchi there are girls with boobs that block the sun and skinny waist. Unless they had a boob job that is impossible. Skinny waists mostly equal to smaller boobs.. bigger waists mostly equal to bigger boobs. I will let you boys enjoy your ecchi but its my opinion. I don't mind a bit of hot biceps and six packs myself. -blush-

Yeah, but try telling those people who still think its about hots guys who have nothing else but swim and swoon the fangirls. (Just because half of the support comes from fangirls that have nothing to do but spam RinxHaruka all day on tumblr shouldn't turn anybody off unless you've watched the first episode or so.) To be honest free! has realistic fanservice compared to High School of The Dead and to some extent Fairy Tail.

But fanservice could come down to cultural terms and art style. Maybe some people draw woman with big boobs because that is their style and guys with unusal giant and toned muscles. Like a panty shot is considered normal and brings no harms but to the western people think its the end of the world. lol.

 

[Soaring Pikachu]

But what about their loli fan service? ;417;

I have a theory about the Loli's; since drawing and art is taken more seriously over there, it is likely that a lot of young people practice sketching what they know best: other kids. I would assume that sometimes when they go pro artist, instead of switching to adults they may just continue to draw what they already have the most experience with. Of course when we combine that with the different standards for what is seen as acceptable in other places and it can (rightfully) cause an uproar. At least that is my theory anyway, it is also possible that some manga aritsts are just a little bit too creative, if you know what I mean.

Yeah, But the market still goes strong for it and hentai, so obviously unless they're doing it for the art (using it loosely even though I know there are hentai with actual plot), it's done for the money.

I have heard somewhere before that mature rated series tended to be profitable.