In my
previous blog post I talked about an anime that has amazed me this summer.
However, some might not realize how incredibly close it was to not existing all
together.
Fan service as you know it
The
initiated anime watcher is probably already quite familiar with the term ‘fan
service’. Not that it is a phenomenon only restricted to animes, as it is
present in films, comics and other media as well, but it is a bit more noticeable
in Japanese animation, as it can be extremely over-the-top. A prime example of
just how silly it can get would probably be the “matrix breasts scene” from
High school of the dead (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKBKLvI8F8A).
The second
thing that is very influential in anime fan service is the demographic. While
the exact gender divide of the demographic can vary from one poll to another,
the majority believes that most of the demographic are males and thus get the
most attention when marketing anime. In practical terms, this means that ‘fan
service’ are mostly selective camera angles, mostly highlighting pride female assets,
or female character with cute or/and attractive traits such as the ‘moe’ archetype.
Fan service
aimed at girls is mostly found in the ‘shojo’ genre of anime, where the story
mostly revolves round a couple’s journey of getting together, or in the ‘yaoi’
genre involving relationships between two males.
Free phenomenon
As stated
in the pas section, to create an anime with fan service aimed at girls outside
of those two genres was virtually unheard of, at least not in such an obvious
way. Free! was the first one to step out of the line, but it started primarily due
to fan initiative.
Originally,
Free! was released as a small animated short from Kyoto Animations, just about
one half of a minute long. The intent was not to announce a new swimming anime,
but to show off their water animation. However, the short quickly spread around
the female community, particularly the site Tumblr. The pressure on the
animation studio was so high they eventually announced a full length anime due
for the summer season.
Backlash
Just the
proposal was heavily criticized by the male anime community. The main problem
was not just the anime concept itself, which was said to be an anime with fan
service for girls, but also the production studio. Kyoto Animation was, as
mentioned in my former post, formally famous for producing a lot of anime
titles that pandered to the male anime watchers by showing cute little girls
going about their daily lives doing cute things, such as K-on for example. To
think that the studio would do a 180 with a show that featured guys undressing
at regular intervals was incomprehensible to some. Certain people even went as
far as believing it’s just a high-budget addition to the yaoi genre, other
argue that it is presenting unrealistic expectations of the male body.
The truth?
It is hard
to be completely objective about these things, so you’ll have to take my
opinion for it.
There is
fan service in the show and it is relatively easy to pin down where. Firstly it
is in the camera angles that are, as with most fan service, conveniently placed
for you to get a good look at the well-drawn stomachs and, in some cases, even
the rears. The other use of fan service is a bit more subtle, but still fairly noticeable.
While none of the characters in the anime are clearly homosexual, there are
some suggestive moments between the cast that were obviously there to make the
fujioshis* have a collective ‘fangasm’.
However, the
fan service is more of a flavor on the side, a choice in detailing rather than
the driving force of the plot. After all, the contraction of clothes is usually
required before going into the water. The story doesn’t make jarring turns or
completely unreasonable decisions to get the characters to behave a certain
way, but it seems to be their inward motivation.
That is why
I advise you not to get discouraged from seeing this anime, particulary if you
enjoy slife-of-life comedy and judge it yourself.
