Fan Service--How Much is Too Much??

[Grimrider6]

As for fanservice in general, to me, it's like things that can be offensive (violence, nudity, controversial material in genral): if the fanservice-element can have an actual purpose (IE, say FF7:Advent Children, on top of being pure fan service, had brought cohesion or closure to the plot) it's acceptable. If it's just there for the sake of being there or for gathering attention to itself, then it's generally juvenile at best.

I've never really quite understood why being (selectively) juvenile is a bad thing. Fanservice doesn't need a purpose. It can easily be enjoyed for its own sake, in the same way that one can enjoy a B-movie while still consciously knowing that the movie is crap.

I think this thread needs a better, more specific question: Do you allow the presence of fan-service to make up for poor quality when buying or enjoying games/comics/anime/etc. ?

Similarly, does the absence of fan-service make you avoid otherwise good titles?

 

[SimuLord]

Good fanservice: Final Fantasy IX, which was really not much more than a 30-hour self-referential homage to everything that was great about the series up to that point.

Bad fanservice: When developers/producers/whatever do things with their female characters that even DeviantART wouldn't touch.

 

[Pumpkin_Eater]

No such thing.

I will say though, it doesn't belong in every title. If they tried to throw it into a serious drama like Gunslinger Girl it would be downright tacky, but for the most part I'm not one to complain about it.

Since people seem to be slinging around several definitions of fanservice I'll clarify that I'm calling it unnecessary close ups of naughty bits.

 

[Incompl te]

I'd say anything above minimum. It's unnecessary really.

 

[griffinmills]

Not sure, maybe it's too much when the entire game is fanservice ala Super Smash Brothers?

Seems like this is more focused on the sexual side of fanservice ala "unnecessary" anime cleavage and panty shots etc. Topic creator seems to think it is limited to females under scrutiny and being abused. Take a closer look at the unrealistic depiction of males sometime. Resident Evil 5 Chris Redfield is, to quote Escapist's Yahtzee, represented as a body not unlike a Chia pet on top of fridge. Men frequently have bulging biceps, rippling 6 (20) packs and usually at least a foot to foot and a half of bulging crotch-tal area.

Sorry to digress so harshly, back to sexual fanservice and when enough is enough. For me it's all pretty much, automatically "enough is enough" from panty/breast/crotch/butt/bicep/thigh shot one. Because of this I pretty much have to accept it and move on or I'd be screwed out of playing or watching almost anything. So I guess my answer is "zero tolerance" but with caveats. Instead of allowing it to define my existence and what I will and will not watch I just use it as an easy mental marker for "knocking points off" as I internally review what I'm engaged with.

 

[SimuLord]

Since people seem to be slinging around several definitions of fanservice I'll clarify that I'm calling it unnecessary close ups of naughty bits.

In which case, unless it's a hentai game, there's never a good time for it. Unless it's KOS-MOS. Give me KOS-MOS, some WD-40, and a floor buffer and I'll give you a good reason to reach for the Brain Bleach.

 

[MURPHYCHACHO]

Ever read the manga Negima?

THAT'S TOO MUCH.

 

[Pumpkin_Eater]

Since people seem to be slinging around several definitions of fanservice I'll clarify that I'm calling it unnecessary close ups of naughty bits.

In which case, unless it's a hentai game, there's never a good time for it. Unless it's KOS-MOS. Give me KOS-MOS, some WD-40, and a floor buffer and I'll give you a good reason to reach for the Brain Bleach.

I don't really understand what you just said, but I think my tastes in anime were just insulted.

 

[Syntax Error]

Since people seem to be slinging around several definitions of fanservice I'll clarify that I'm calling it unnecessary close ups of naughty bits.

In which case, unless it's a hentai game, there's never a good time for it. Unless it's KOS-MOS. Give me KOS-MOS, some WD-40, and a floor buffer and I'll give you a good reason to reach for the Brain Bleach.

Yeah, she'll shoot through an addict in the military just to get the "best shot" at a target (in this case this was a gnosis).

 

[Valiance]

Do any guys out there feel insulted by this view of you, that's that what draws you to a game?

How much is too much?

Question 1: Yes, terribly. It's depressing, insulting, and outright FUCKING WRONG.

Question 2: Any, any at all. If it's what you're talking about, any is too much.
Something like "You unlocked a gallery of the characters from the game!" is like "...well, gee, alright...the girls are going to be drawn hot because they think I give a damn...Oh well...I guess I understand."
Something like "You unlocked a gallery of the girls from the game wearing scantily clad outfits!" or "You're playing a fighting game, and we decided that making the breasts jiggle was more important than a combo system!" is to the point where I feel disgusted even playing the game. :/

 

[Matey]

the blatant fan service is really annoying and usually detracts from the game/show.
but at the same time... i have no problem with attratcive looking women in games/shows. i just dont need to see blatant panty shots. sex appeal itself can be good in games/shows... it just has to be presented in a more flowing natural way that either adds to the story itself or at the very least doesnt take away from it. but throwing in random scenes with no purpose but to show off a character... is really really annoying.

 

[NeutralDrow]

Ever read the manga Negima?

THAT'S TOO MUCH.

I absolutely love that manga, but I must admit Akamatsu definitely plays hopscotch with the fanservice line. Luckily, the shots are typically so small and unimportant that they're pretty easy to ignore, and when they aren't it's usually because a particular scene is intended to be humorous, and thus is more forgivable (naturally, not every instance fits these descriptions; I'm here thinking of Yuna getting dressed in the morning...a lot, granted). Then again, maybe I'm just inured to it. I'd say the Ai Yori Aoshi manga is worse, as far as fanservice is concerned...

To the thread question, I'd say it's too much when it becomes distracting. When it's clear that they're saying "hey, look at this," that's when I get annoyed. Skimpy outfits that manage to be tasteful don't bother me. Skimpy outfits that scream "hooker" or showcase more than realistic jiggle physics bug me. In fact...

The fanservice guage changes depending on the person.

For me, as long as the developers aren't shoving the fanservice in your face, and doesn't interrupt the story to give you fanservice for fanservice's sake, then it's fine. I like my game with a nice subtle side of fanservice; not as the main course. It's games like Street Fighter have far too much fanservice, what with the skimpy outfits and endless "bouncing" put into the female characters.

^This.

 

[AngloDoom]

I find fan-service uncomfortable and insulting pretty much all of the time. I was watching who characters in the anime Bleach, both massive-breasted red-heads talking about worries and crap, then decided to have a bath together.

Makes no sense, took up other time in the episode, and basically just said "YOU LIKE KIND OF SHIT, RIGHT?"

No, I find it patronising. It reminds me that most of the male populous would sell their organs to science for the sake of seeing a Double-D women's breasts.





...I'm going to fucking hate Uni...

 

[MattDark]

Ever read the manga Negima?

THAT'S TOO MUCH.

QFT.

Surprised nobody mentioned DOA yet. The fan services fans fighter.
While other fighter, like Street Fighter and Tekken have fanservice, DOA was pretty much throwing huge tits at you along with more panty shots then you can shake a whole box of kleenex at! Plus you had the volleyball spin-off, which was just pure fanservice...

That said, other fighters have really upped their fanservice over the recent years. With Namco using their own 'bounce' mechanic in Tekken and Soul Calibur, plus the bulk of the females seem to have become little more then eye-candy now, especially in SC4.

Im with KingKamor on this, fanservice that doesnt get in the way of the story is fine.

Problem is of course, developers know it will sell, so they keep throwing it in. I mean, look at God of War. As good as the games are, what was one of the earlier things they showed off? Yep, the sex-mini game.
I wonder how many people bought a copy just because of that?

 

[nikomas1]

Ever read the manga Negima?

THAT'S TOO MUCH.

What the hell are you taking about? I read all of the... nevermind. My point is that negima is by no means "TO MUCH", dude, it's made by the same guy that did "Love Hina", what do you expect when you pick it up?

Come to think of it... Love Hina is an evil series... it's corrupted me manga sense since I was 12...

Since people seem to be slinging around several definitions of fanservice I'll clarify that I'm calling it unnecessary close ups of naughty bits.

In which case, unless it's a hentai game, there's never a good time for it. Unless it's KOS-MOS. Give me KOS-MOS, some WD-40, and a floor buffer and I'll give you a good reason to reach for the Brain Bleach.

Unless it's an anime/manga in the adult/ecchi category, it can be good without stepping into hentai territory... although many seem to like to push those borders, I read/watch a lot of this stuff, I should know. (<---- Proud otaku... So sad!)

(Free scanlations and translations, Huzzah!, what? It's not like any of those are released in Sweden...)

 

[linchowlewy]

I have never cared about fanservice too much. it's only bothered me once.

That is in Code Geass: Lelouch of the rebellion. I think it's episode 13. when that nerdy girl (don't remember her name) is masturbating to a magazine of the princess. it led nowhere, we already knew she was lesbian and it had no significance to the plot or any side plots.

 

[Korolev]

It's too much if it's blatant or unrealistic. For example, FF12 - the Viera made me groan, because it was just so blatant and unimaginative and sexist. A whole race of incredibly good looking bunny girls who wear next to no clothing, with no male members in site? Veeeeery realistic, eh?

The girls from Dead or Alive are another example of incredibly blatant fan-service - how can a skinny school girl with long hair and no muscles fight against someone built like a mac truck? I don't care how good you are, if you've got the musculature of a 17 year old cheerleader, you're not going to win a fight against someone who looks like they could eat Spetznaz commandos for breakfast.

Essentially, I get mad whenever I see:

1) Hot action girls, who have ridiculously large breasts, but no muscles, effortlessly killing soldiers and enemies which are much, much bigger. It's not realistic. It's nice to look at, but it's really, really stupid and unbelievable.

2) How the main female character will always fall for the protagonist - I get really sick of this in JRPGs. Even though FF12 has the silly Viera, it gets points because Ashe doesn't drool all over Vaan.

I am a straight male. I understand WHY developers put these things into games. It does bother me, it is annoying and I don't think female gamers should put up with it.

 

[Galletea]

snip

I disagree with the Viera issue. I don't actually like the game, but a race where the women are the dominant of the species isn't that far fetched, and the outfits in that game? Did you see what some of the men in that game were wearing? The outfits the bunny girls wear might be a touch provocative but it fits the gaming world, it isn't overly out of place.

Fighting games are rarely realistic in any sense, DoA is no different. Even the jiggling is unrealistic. And cheerleaders are very athletic so the idea of a kung fu cheerleader beating people up isn't that far fetched, just saying. I kind of agree with the other statements, though I can't remember the last big boobed action heroine who wasn't lara (who shoots everything so, not really an issue of size) and I don't mind a romantic sub plot if it adds to the overall narrative. It's the crowbarred in ones that I hate.

 

[Korolev]

Hm, in regards to FF12, you've got a point there, with the male characters wearing little clothes as well (I guess that's just the artistic design they were going for). So, yeah, point taken.

I still don't like DoA: At least in Street Fighter 4, the female characters have muscle. Maybe not has much as the men, but it is noticeable - just look at the latest iteration of Chun-Li, her legs are positively blockly with muscles. I can imagine a kick from those legs doing damage.

But in DoA - the girls are incredibly thin and have no muscles - just look at their arms, they've got less musculature than BILL GATES! There's no way they can win against someone who looks like they train with the Navy SEALs, I don't care how atheletic they are. I've actually been in a few martial arts fights (which all ended very badly for me), and I can attest that even if you are very good at pulling off the moves, if someone is built like a tank, he or she will win over someone who has very little musculature. It's why in those shows about "ulimate fighting" where they allow almost any type of martial arts, the people who always win are built like wrestlers.