The Sexy in Anime & Manga: Fan Service
Getting walked on while watching anime or reading manga follows Murphy’s Law: it’s always at the wrong moment.
Whether it’s an upskirt scene or the tense, “accidental” kiss scenario, it’s never normal and we get caught, stuttering through an embarrassing explanation. The worst part about it is that it's utterly unintentional because no matter what the story is, the amount of fan service incorporated into the storyline is unpredictable.
The reason why manga and anime sometimes get a bad rap is because of their “perversion” - sex undeniably sells. That’s the whole premise behind fan service, which is just a little treat sandwiched between the wideness of Japanese media.
The term “fan service” comes from the concept of the author “servicing” [treating] the fans with spicier content. This is seen in all kinds of movies, books, and notoriously fan fictions. This “service” is often to satisfy the male gaze, showing subtle but suggestive sides of popular characters: swimsuit poses, cleavage, panty lines, shower scenes, etc. The most iconic kind of fan service might be the Gainax bounce, named after Studio Gainax, which is the overdramatic jiggle of breast movement. There is also fan service aimed at the female gaze, especially in BL [Boys Love], which is mostly excessive showing of washboard abs, V-lines, moans, and corny pick-up lines.
The fan service found in anime and manga is next level though. They are so incredibly provocative yet tactful that an embarrassing amount of fans develop real-life crushes on these characters, fantasizing for days on end. But this concept is not just softcore, it’s a lot of ships and fillers. Fan service was dramatically filtered out when anime and manga were exported to the West, but this is less popular now that the demand for it is incredibly high, and special edits are sought out.
After all, this is a powerful marketing technique in a densely saturated industry. It keeps people wanting, and it serves a different purpose than regular adult content: that little bit of creativity is the key to everything.
About the Author:
Mizuki Khoury
Born in Montreal, based in Tokyo. Sabukaru’s senior writer and works as an artist under Exit Number Five.
