Fan service

Not to be confused with Fan labor.

Wikipe-tan, a personification of Wikipedia, wearing a swimsuit, an example of typical "fan service"

Fan service (ファンサービス, fan sābisu), fanservice or service cut (サービスカット, sābisu katto)[1][2] is material in a work of fiction or in a fictional series that is intentionally added to please the audience,[3] often sexual in nature, such as nudity.[4][5] The term originated in Japanese[6] in the anime and manga fandom, but has been used in other languages and media. It is about "servicing" the fan[7]—giving the fans "exactly what they want".[8] Fan service can also refer (by means of text, symbol, image, sound) to other stories[3][9] that contain visual elements.

When anime and manga were translated into English by US companies, the original work was often edited to remove some of the fan service, making it more appropriate for U.S. audiences. Mike Tatsugawa explained this change as a result of a difference between the cultural values of Japan and the US. [10]

Today, especially outside anime and manga, the term has expanded to hold a wider meaning. This includes any elements, be it visual nods, referencing older or forgotten media related to material, plot detours or otherwise, that are not needed by the actual plot or character development, but are included as nods to, or pandering to the long-term fans of the material, especially in context of sequels or prequels, or later seasons of series.[11] Taylor Swift has been referred to as a "ringmaster of fan service" for her use of cryptic clues in her lyrics and accompanying media.[12]

  1. ^ Example: 吉田陽一, ed. (25 June 1999). Encyclopedia Cutie Honey: Go Nagai World (エンサイクロペディアキューティーハニー : 永井豪ワールド). Nakano, Tokyo: Keibunsha. p. 028. ISBN 978-4-7669-3236-2. A frame (numbered "25") from the English opening sequence of New Cutie Honey, in which character Danbei Hayami fires a Rocket Punch as main character Honey Kisaragi lies topless and prone in the background, is shown and captioned "サービスカット! 団兵衛がジャマ……"
  2. ^ Barrett, Grant (2006). "fan service". The official dictionary of unofficial English: a crunk omnibus for thrillionaires and bampots for the Ecozoic Age. New York City: McGraw-Hill. p. 112. ISBN 978-0-07-145804-7. OCLC 62172930. Retrieved 15 June 2009.
  3. ^ a b de la Ville, Valérie-Inés; Durup, Laurent (2009). "Achieving a Global Reach on Children's Cultural Markets: Managing the Stakes of Inter-Textuality in Digital Cultures". In Willett, Rebekah; Robinson, Muriel; Marsh, Jackie (eds.). Play, creativity and digital cultures. Routledge. pp. 45–47. ISBN 978-0-415-96311-4.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference animecritic was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference animetion was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Fan Service and Fanservice - Meaning in Japanese". Japanese with Anime. 14 October 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  7. ^ Carrie Tucker (17 January 2009). I Love Geeks: The Official Handbook. Adams Media. pp. 75–76. ISBN 978-1-60550-023-2. Retrieved 9 April 2011.[permanent dead link‍]
  8. ^ Wolk, Douglas (2007). Reading comics : and what they mean. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Da Capo. p. 6. ISBN 978-0-306-81509-6. Retrieved 22 April 2011. fan service.
  9. ^ "Encyclopedia: Fan service". Anime News Network. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  10. ^ Gardiner, Debbi (January 2003). "Anime in America". J@pan Inc Magazine. Japan Inc Communications. Retrieved 1 May 2009.
  11. ^ "Fan Service - What does fan service mean?". slang.net. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  12. ^ Kheraj, Alim (9 November 2022). "The curate's Easter egg: how Taylor Swift turned pop into a multiplayer puzzle". The Guardian.