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Originally Posted by kj1980
Every child in Japan (at least in the past thirty years) grows up watching "Doraemon." It's a pasttime, a national icon of an anime up there along with "Sazae-san." In about one in ten episodes, there is always a scene where the main character, Nobita-kun "accidentally" uses Doraemon's dokodemo-door and ends up in Shizuka-chan's bathroom. Then there are scenes where there is a panchila shot of Shizuka-chan when the wind blows.
Both the current anime viewers and the animators themselves were watching "Doraemon" as a child. The next generation of children are also watching "Doraemon" as I speak. What you have here is a cliche. It's a recurring gag that stems from what we thought to be amusing and funny as a child. If a person who hasn't grown up in Japanese society, it will be difficult to grasp the idea of this and be viewed as rather pointless.
A very bad analogy in American cartoon terms would be something like seeing a scene where an anvil drops on top of someone's head and the image of Wile E. Coyote pops into your head. I personally think this is pointless as well, but then again, I never lived in America. But in a sense, wouldn't such scenes in your country be considered a sort of "fan-service" as well?
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I think that is a pretty good analogy, I've never thought of it that way. The Wile E. Coyote gags are easily recognizable and they are like a trademark aspect of American animation. There was a time when I thought it was funny, but now I tend to groan. That's how I feel about fanservice now too.
More and more anime being broadcast on TV feature sex scenes or masturbation, KimiNozo for example comes to mind. Sure they are not "explicit" and some would call the scenes "tasteful" but it still sounds softcore to me...
I usually judge whether a series has "excessive" fanservice on a case by case basis. Sometimes I think its hilarious when the anime makes fun of excessive fanservice, like in Wandaba Style or Puni Puni Poemi. Even Green Green was funny at times for me, like the fangirl who dreams of bishounen and only gets ugly, horny teenage nerds.
Only "at times" though.
As for sexuality being broadcast on US TV, I think its also become more and more liberal. I already feel uncomfortable watching MTV if my parents are in the room. And strangely, they'll show sex scenes on daytime soap operas but no nipples or genitals.
I wouldn't worry about the degredation of anime though. The increased fanservice is mostly visible in the same genres they always existed in: ecchi, comedy, bishoujo, and boy's romance shows. I don't think its infecting anime as a whole, we're just seeing more offerings from the same genres that always featured fanservice.