What is male fan service?

Bulghod · Post by **Bulghod** » Tue Oct 26, 2004 4:40 pm

Kazutaka wrote:This is what I call male fanservice....

Words just cannot describe....

nice lol. think that entails all of the essentials to fan service for girls

bishounen
pretty scenery (rose petals in this case)
implied feminine sexualness

Arigatomina · Post by **Arigatomina** » Tue Oct 26, 2004 4:44 pm

paizuri wrote:Forgive me if I seem to be arguing semantics here, but doesn't "male fanservice" imply that it's fanservice FOR males?

Depends on the usage. I've heard of mecha fanservice, but it wasn't aimed at the mecha - it featured the mecha. ;p

/note on my comments in this thread - I meant what men (or women) want in ANIME CHARACTERS and not human partners. This thread is about anime characters, after all.

Org Profile · Post by **Otohiko** » Tue Oct 26, 2004 5:21 pm

I think the underlying issue is that there's no textbook definition of what fanservice actually is, and I think it's only got to be an issue of definition when male-oriented shows started using the same kinds of tricks to generate sex appeal, but it's been around for certainly longer than that and probably extends beyond the panty-shot quota that seems to be the defining moment of 'fanservice' these days.

***

Actually, I've been thinking about Arigatomyna's point, and looking at it from a slightly different angle, there's definitely truth to it.

I'm no psychologist or anything, but it occurs to me that there are two types of outward physical/sexual appeal to people: one is fairly directly related to sexual activity, the other is not. Generally speaking, both do play a role. For instance, it's no secret that guys are attracted to female breasts and hips because of, well, the things they could do with them in bed. On the other hand, I think it's also fair to say that guys are attracted to facial features - so, there is very real appeal for them in the way a girls eyes or nose may look, and unless they're practicioners of nasal/ocular sex, I doubt this has to do with sex directly.

Anyways, I think it would be (in a broad, general sense) to say that by nature, more of this outward appeal for guys is of the sex-related kind. And actually, from my own observation, it doesn't all even neccessarily have to do with the features Ari listed. It's no secret that guys are hugely attracted to, how should I say this, girls who look good in motion. Running, dancing, whatever. Do I need to say why? I think you know why. If anything, I could validate myself the fact that anime featuring attractive girls doing various crazy things, fighting, shooting things, stunts, whatever, is probably probably more a 'fan service' than the tasteless panty shots and large-looking breasts that classically define 'fan service'. In any case, I instinctively would find it more attractive.

But, again, let's not forget that not every point in a typical guy's 'Attractive Checklist' has to do with a girl's... erm... performance features. And just as much, let's not forget we're just talking outward aspects here, without considering personality and such (or, something I like to call 'value system compatibility')

So, then you look at the otherside of this - at girls, and my observation tells me that girls are far less straightforward in how they tell physical attractiveness. To me, that seems to suggest that they find a lot to look at in features not immideately related to sex. Were it otherwise, I think I would be able to understand girls, but I can't. It continues to perplex me how girls seem to go crazy over pictures of guys featuring absolutely nothing sexual; the same way it puzzles me how they dwell on features guys would consider semi-irrelevant. A large number of things girls like about guys just eludes the sex-based explaination, really.

And how to explain the fact that I see good-looking girls with boyfriends/husbands I'd class as ugly, or creepy-looking? Well, here you have the personality issue, but a lot of times you could describe the personality in similar terms, too. Hell, I don't think I'll ever understand why my 'perfect middle-class daughter' mother went for my dad, who is, or at least was at that age, a creepy guy in most senses of the word

Anyways, the point is, whereas I can usually explain the driving impulses of attraction in guys, I almost never understand them in girls. And I think this has to do with the fact that guys look at 'sex-ability' more, which extends somewhat beyound the 'big boobs/curved hips' cliche depending on personal preference; and girls look at... who knows what they look at... but it certainly isn't usually something I'd readily class as related to the act of sex.

*sigh* That, or I'm just insane and clueless

tiny_faerie_queen · Post by **tiny_faerie_queen** » Tue Oct 26, 2004 5:41 pm

Women are complex. I'm a woman, and I don't understand women! I notoriously date unattractive guys. I do it because they appreciate me more. Attractive guys think they can have any girl they want, so they tend to not appreciate a girl as much. Of course, this has only been my experience. I have run into jerky, unattractive guys as well, but I avoid them as a rule.

Org Profile · Post by **Otohiko** » Tue Oct 26, 2004 5:47 pm

Yea, that's an interesting way of looking at it, although sort of the other way from what Ari said with

/note on my comments in this thread - I meant what men (or women) want in ANIME CHARACTERS and not human partners. This thread is about anime characters, after all.

I can see bishounen in general is being attractive, yea, but I still find things that girls find attractive, or moments featuring them that they see as 'fan service' amusingly odd

J-0080 · Post by **J-0080** » Tue Oct 26, 2004 5:56 pm

tiny_faerie_queen wrote:Women are complex.

Everyone's complex, it's just difficult for two ends of a spectrum to understand the other that well, and, like scientists, they can only make hypothesis (usually from what other people/the media tells them [whether outright, subtly, or through action]).

What's hardest is that there is no all encompassing stereotype for either group, and what Oto left out was that while some women might think the way he mentioned, others might think more "male" than most males (and the gender reverse holds true).

So really, you can't get an absolute definition based on characteristics alone (unless every single person put down their likes and had it recorded), just a generally accepted one.

Org Profile · Post by **Otohiko** » Tue Oct 26, 2004 5:59 pm

Yea, true. I'm just looking for a middle-ground sort of generalization here, which is obviously gonna be misleading in some way.

Then on the relationship level, I'm not one to know much about women anyway

bum · Post by **bum** » Tue Oct 26, 2004 6:01 pm

Otohiko wrote:Anyways, the point is, whereas I can usually explain the driving impulses of attraction in guys, I almost never understand them in girls. And I think this has to do with the fact that guys look at 'sex-ability' more, which extends somewhat beyound the 'big boobs/curved hips' cliche depending on personal preference; and girls look at... who knows what they look at... but it certainly isn't usually something I'd readily class as related to the act of sex.

Ya know, mabey girls do like similar things in guys as guys do in girls but, mabey they're just less open about it, around guys at least. One thing people have to realise however is that theirs a difference between someone you'd want to have sex with and someone you'd want to go out with and get to know beter. Like i said before, for men sexual attraction is easy. As long as a girl looks decent then chances are they would have sex with her if given the chance. For someone you actualy want to get to know beter however, its different. And alot harder to find someone that "fits". Maby its the same for girls, mabey its different. But everyone has hormones which react generaly to the same areas of the body.

tiny_faerie_queen · Post by **tiny_faerie_queen** » Tue Oct 26, 2004 7:30 pm

bum wrote: Ya know, mabey girls do like similar things in guys as guys do in girls but, mabey they're just less open about it, around guys at least. One thing people have to realise however is that theirs a difference between someone you'd want to have sex with and someone you'd want to go out with and get to know beter. Like i said before, for men sexual attraction is easy. As long as a girl looks decent then chances are they would have sex with her if given the chance. For someone you actualy want to get to know beter however, its different. And alot harder to find someone that "fits". Maby its the same for girls, mabey its different. But everyone has hormones which react generaly to the same areas of the body.

It's the same for girls. Girls have initial sexual attraction to guys, but most tend to be quiet about it. I personally have decided that if guys can be loud about it, then so can I, lol. There is definitely a difference between guys we would date and guys we just want to have fun with. So perhaps the sexes aren't too insanely different, when we get down to basics and are honest, lol.

Miz Ducky · Post by **Miz Ducky** » Tue Oct 26, 2004 7:39 pm

May I try?

Here's goes....
Obviously, men are visually stimulated. Hence the visual fanservice.

Women, however, are stimulated by other aspects that go along with a relationship (security, affection, etc.). So when a show depicts a relationship that gives us "that warm fuzzy feeling" (if you will), it arouses that sence that of fulfillment or the suggestion of it. Hence the "emotional fanservice".
If it was between two ugly guys would anyone watch it? So that's probably why it is all pretty boys, that and it's easier to accept by the hetero viewers. IMHO.