Fan service is one of those anime staples that can help to really make a show when done well, or if done badly bring down an otherwise good series and provide the finishing blow for a bad one.  The most common form of fan service is probably either the panty shot or the send the cast to an onsen* so we can see them naked episode.  Both are classics and do their job well, but the really stand out when you can incorparate them into an actual advancing of the plot, which is where so many shows fall flat on their faces.  I appreciate fan service as much as the next guy, and maybe a little more .  The biggest problem with fan service is that tends to become an end to itself in certain shows, destroying all plot movement and carachter development.  Thats not to say you can't build a show a around fanservice, you can, it just takes careful planning and a deft hand.  You can get a way with a hell of a lot without annoiying people if it drives the plot.  One of the funniest anime I own is built entirely around fan service, by using humor and an irreverent attitude Colorful provides a lot of laughs that in the hands of a less talented staff wouldn't be nearly as funny.

Here are four shows that bring on plenty of fanservice while still giving you a decent helping of plot and story.

1.  Najica Blitz Tactics- Panty Shots extrodinare, plus lots of firepower and suggestive outfits.

2.  Colorful- As the cover says 'Roses are red, violets are blue. This show is about panties.'  Short adventures of various people and the dumb and desperate thing they do to see panties while largely ignoring the women in them.

3.  Plastic Little: The Adventures of Captain Tita-  Old School at its best, an entertaining if not brilliant story and lots and lots of BOOBIES! Plus the infamous ADV jiggle counter.

4.  Godannar-A real fanservice all you can eat buffet, Girls, Guns, Giant Robots, Monsters, impossibly tiny and clingy battle suits. (for the ladies at least)  The story is good, the art great and the action occurs often, all served up with a bit of tongue firmly in cheek. 

*For those that might not know and Onsen is a traditional Japanese hot spring, and for maximum humor you sen your characters to one that features mixed bathing.**

**Mixed Bathing-Men and women bathing together with no dividers etc, let the nosebleeds begin.***

***And yes upon further review these notes are insanely obvious and perhaps unneeded in this case, oh and they were written by a moose.

Posted by: raging tachikoma at 10:21 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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From Chizumatic, or more specifically SDB's future series list.

Desert Punk -- NO -- Grim and gritty
Gunslinger Girl -- NO -- Grim and gritty, dead girls, blood and gore
Ghost in the Shell Standalone Complex -- NO -- Grim and gritty, lousy art
Full Metal Alchemist -- NO -- Grim and gritty

      I must disagree with all of these but one in particular sticks in my craw.  That would be Desert Punk, it is emphatically not grim and gritty.   Desert Punk is actually a send up of all the various grim and gritty post apocalitic distopia stories out there, and a damn funny one with a fair bit of fan service.(Paging Junko, you have a call on the blue curtesy phone.) Those that have seen this series know what I am talking about when I say Kanta in the air vent it draws both laugther and a shudder.   As one might gather from the name of this site I like GITS-SAC*, I didn't think the art was lousy, it didn't leave me mouth agape but it didn't leave me scrubbing my eyes either.  I would say that it had average to above average art.  But My other main points of contention are with Full Metal Alchemist and Gunslinger Girl.  FMA is grim and gritty and has angst yes, but it also has a great story, an even better cast and an ending that is perhaps the most uplifting of any anime series or movie I have ever seen.  My quibble with Gunslinger Girl is a technical point, they aren't dead, they were all near dead/terminally ill and were chosen for the program as a result.  So what am trying to say here?  Namely that it can be hard to decide check a series based upon the often thin and less than informative plot synapsis that are on offer in cyberspace.  I respect Steven's opinions but I disagree with him about the shows, but namely I am trying correct what I believe to be a judgement based on less than the whole truth.  So to correct that misconception I am offering to send, on my dime a copy of the prview DVD from Newtype USA's May 2006 issues which has the first episode of Desert Punk on it, if Steven still doesn't like it that is fine.  If he changes his mind, then great, I helped clear up a misunderstanding.  Either way all I ask is that if you (and assuming you ever read this) are interested drop me a line (at ragingtachikoma@sbcglobal.net )so I can fire this baby off to you.  Until then I shall continue to enjoy your blog, after all because of you I was turned on to Kaliedo Star and that show is absolutely top notch.

*GITS-SAC=Ghost In The Shell Stand Alone Complex

Posted by: raging tachikoma at 02:12 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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