2013-01-11, 19:51 | Link #22 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Age: 35
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I don't remember how much fanservice Strike Witches had in any of its "serious" scenes, but if it did have any, the fanservice didn't bother me any. On some level I think the "if the scene is good enough (i.e. tension, drama, etc.), then it doesn't need fanservice" argument can be turned on its head: if the tension/drama is high enough to pull you into the scene, then there's no reason to be distracted by a bit of fanservice.
My feeling is that Strike Witches was certainly compelling enough in terms of its actual content (particularly Season 1, and episode 6 in Season 2) that the fanservice did not bother me at all. And I'm getting a similar impression from Vividred. Compared to, say, Senran Kagura this season, which I am watching with much lesser hopes of any genuinely meaningful story. I think the viewers who complain of not being able to take Strike Witches seriously might be misinterpreting the intent or not synchronising with most of the scenes. There are moments when Strike Witches carries off "serious" very effectively, such as when one of the witches gets injured in battle, regardless of fanservice. The point is actually that most of the time, Strike Witches is not trying to be "serious" at all (in the sense of gravitas, weightiness, grimness or whatever). Most of Strike Witches' drama arises instead from 'hotblooded' elements (like passion, wanting to protect people, etc.) for which the mere visual presence of sexuality does not really impact negatively. For example, you know how there's that saying/idea that a female warrior does not feel embarrassed if she is exposed in the course of battle. That is because, in embracing her duty/identity as a warrior, it would be a failure to be distracted by the feminine aspects of her sexuality. In the same way, whenever any of the Strike Witches characters got heated up about any goal/issue which they were truly passionate about (i.e. protecting people, overcoming themself, reaching their dream, whatever) there is no reason for me to be distracted by their sexuality. It is beside the point for now because Vividred has not yet really had a fighting/action scene, and has even been a bit conservative with the fanservice (ass shots/etc., although what was there was certainly very well done ). However, I think that even if Vividred ends up including a bit of gratuity into its action scenes, that won't be an obstacle at all to it telling a serious story. |
2013-01-11, 20:11 | Link #25 |
Last Engage
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Florida
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It doesn't bother me. Even in a show that has an element normally considered fanservice as a central story element (Manyuu Hikenchou, still one of my lesser known favorites), it doesn't bother me. As has been mentioned by others, there's a matter of the context of a series. The notion that any sexual fanservice is inherently not serious is also a little alien to me. Not to mention there are other circumstances - what if the scene being used is trying to say something about the interplay of sex and violence (it seems people are okay with the second, not so much with the first here)? Then in that case, it would have a reason to be there.
Being serious all the time, and not mixing that seriousness with anything else, is just as stagnating as any other element. |
2013-01-11, 20:17 | Link #27 |
reading #hikaributts
Join Date: Feb 2009
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Also this phenomenon is not that new, seeing that there are many animes with fanservice midbattle in the 90's (one of the more (in)famous ones is probably street fighter 2 the movie with Chun li barely dressed after her shower fighting Vega/Balrog/"Claw" or whatever people call him)
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2013-01-11, 20:24 | Link #29 | |
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Age: 41
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But yeah, I think there is indeed a whole separate conversation that could be had about what is "fanservice" in this context.
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2013-01-11, 20:31 | Link #30 |
Black Steel Knight
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Indonesia
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I actually like Girls und Panzer because there’s no unnecessary sexual fanservice even though they have the option to do it (like making the girls wear some revealing uniforms like in Muv-Luv or something). And bless the author/writer/maker of the series for not doing it.
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2013-01-11, 20:32 | Link #31 |
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@Triple R:
Unfortunately, I think you missed the point of VRO. I don't mean to insult fans of this show or what their tastes are, but really I can tell right from the bat after skimming through the episode (I was curious about the next Yoshino trainwreck k ) that VRO is "meant" to be a fanservice series that largely (though not all) caters to "lolicon fans" and in VRO's specific case "ass fetishists". The "plot" is just icing and is just a tack-on. You do not watch this show for action (at least serious action), though it is part of it. Everyone has a guilty pleasure and if this is theirs, then all means go watch it and enjoy it. Just don't go yelling to the rest of the anime community that such a show is the best series ever and you're meant to take it seriously . I know personally I'm not going to watch this series, but I'm not gonna go complain about it either. Now if say something like Fate/Zero had this kinda level of fanservice and nonsense, then yes I will be pretty mad too. |
2013-01-11, 20:40 | Link #33 |
Last Engage
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Florida
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I kinda take umbrage at the idea that, for a show like VRO, the plot is simply "tacked on" or the show is a "guilty pleasure". It's like the anime community has this idea in its head that certain shows can only be enjoyed through a lens of detached irony. I haven't seen VRO yet (waiting on the simulcast), but I can say that I actually teared up a bit at the climax of the Strike Witches movie. That doesn't happen for something a person watches as a "guilty pleasure". That requires investment in the characters, the world, the events.
That Japan's a little more open about having some sexiness in its works is one of the things I like about it. It may not work for every series (and there are plenty that don't use it), but if it's there, it was likely meant to be there, and should be considered just another element, not cast aside and ignored. |
2013-01-11, 20:42 | Link #34 |
Also a Lolicon
Join Date: Apr 2010
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I'm sorta hoping the plot isn't purely an excuse to show us nice images of girls, but wouldn't be disappointed if that was true.
I think a nice story can come out of it. It's not like massive fanservice and good story conflict in any way. |
2013-01-11, 20:45 | Link #35 | |
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2013-01-11, 20:50 | Link #36 | |
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Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my guilty pleasures too. I mean I don't think I've laughed as much as anything else this season so far than Haganai season 2. That was one "suggestive" and "innuendo-centric" ep |
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2013-01-11, 20:52 | Link #37 |
~Maru~
Join Date: Mar 2008
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Honestly i dont see a problem with VRO, plp should of known the kind of FS was gonna be in it if you watched strike witches. i think it blends together really well, if you want action scenes without ecchi then you watch Ippo not a show about loli girls who can transform with an unknown power....you should know better wat was gonna happen the premise is not new action+ecchi has been around for a damn long time
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2013-01-11, 20:52 | Link #38 | |||
Princess or Plunderer?
Join Date: May 2009
Location: the Philippines
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Pocari Sweat:
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2013-01-11, 21:03 | Link #39 | ||||||
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My point is just because a serious fight takes place in a relatively lighthearted work doesn't detract from the seriousness of the fight itself. And with a serious fight I don't want to be distracted by fanservicey elements that are completely superfluous to the fight itself. Now, a female character may look attractive in combat just because she has an attractive character design in general. That's fine. And I don't have a problem with "plug suits" because they typically make sense in-canon. But that's different than the camera taking a perverted "male gaze" approach that I think is simply unwarranted and very distracting when what the camera is "filming" is a serious fight. And besides, there's just no need of it. Isn't there enough time in non-action scenes for this stuff? Quote:
The fact is that many anime shows gravitate seamlessly between fanservicey lighthearted scenes and non-fanservicey action scenes, so just because there's fanservice in lighthearted scenes doesn't mean that I expect them in action scenes. Quote:
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Good point. Which is another reason why Obelisk ze Tormentor's comparison is perfectly fine, imo. Quote:
Fanservice tends to be loud, by nature, much like a hawaiian t-shirt is loud. A hawaiian t-shirt tends to get noticed by people who love it, by people who hate it, and everyone between. Sexual fanservice is the same way. And things that are loud are inherently distracting. Quote:
And "wanting to protect people" is a serious character motivation. Honestly, that's about as serious as it gets.
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Last edited by Triple_R; 2013-01-11 at 21:14. |
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2013-01-11, 21:12 | Link #40 | |
Black Steel Knight
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Indonesia
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What I mean by blind is: I don’t know that this series will be too much fanservice-y for my taste, not how the whole story will turn out. Like I said, I only read a little synopsis of it and pic of magical girls before watching the 1st ep. I had no idea that I’d be watching a lot of loli’s ass.
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