Quote:
Originally Posted by Triple_R
It's more a case, I think, of a lot of modern anime incorporating certain popular elements into their shows that end up being entirely superfluous, if not pointless, given what the anime is aiming for overall.
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Okay, but that's basically the Evangelion definition of "fanservice" (so oft promised in the next episode preview, and so little relevant to the plot itself). It's not like it's something new or recent. These "fanservice" elements are not necessarily enjoyed by everyone, but they are enjoyed by some; they help spice up the show a bit.
So what's the argument? "Shows these days include fanservice I don't like and consider unnecessary; I think the shows would be better if they didn't include this sort of irrelevant fanservice."? But it stands to reason that they include these elements because other people do like it (and for adaptations they might have been in the source), so we're sort of net neutral at best.
If it's just "I like 95% of this show, but they just
have to include this 5% that I hate"... then I guess he has my sympathy. All I was doing was outlining some of the reasons why I think that's happening and what could be done to avoid it in the show selection process. As far as changes or trends go, I guess maybe you could argue that the sorts of fanservice in shows has changed over the years (to match the dominant interests of the fanbase at the time -- that's why it's fanservice), but the issue still comes down to a mismatch between your tastes and those to whom the fanservice was intended to please. (Unless the argument is that anime should never include these sorts of unnecessary elements at risk of offending the fans who don't like them... but that's a pretty bold claim; fanservice has been part of anime for as long as I've known it.)