Macross Frontier seems to have a certain portion of the Macross fandom in a dangerous state of conflict, as they see both good and evil in this 25th Anniversary celebration of Studio Nue’s most famous work. Fanservice, of the T&A variety, fanservice, designed to get men (and possibly women) in a tizzy, it’s the subject of much discussion on forums and chatrooms. Some people feel it would be a better show without things like Sheryl’s exposed bosom or Klan’s alternating forms.
I think it’s a mistake to though say that the fanservice in Macross Frontier necessarily detracts from the show, as much of the fanservice is done with a sense of style and taste, and it’s not easy to mix with taste with tastelessness. I think the absolute best example so far, in so much that it got me particularly hot under the collar, is the hospital scene with Ranka and Sheryl competing with each other by singing to Alto. No actual T or A was present, but just the implied message of the two pop idols vying with each other for the affections of one man makes that scene perhaps the most sexually charged scene to date. Now that’s what I call fanservice.
And then there are all the people who wish they would get away from relationship drama and go back to more fighting. Don’t listen to them.
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August 10, 2008 at 8:25 pm
BrendantheJedi
Yeah, there wasn’t any T & A, but they did force Alto onto the rail, which elicits scenes from many h manga.
August 10, 2008 at 11:01 pm
Laz
I don’t get the feeling that whatever fan service they do show really detracts from the story. I really haven’t noticed any up to this point, maybe I’m just immune after watching Strike Witches … talk about Fan Service :)
August 11, 2008 at 8:54 am
OGT
This isn’t even mentioning the fact that fanservice (of both the T&A and the Itano circus variety) are mainstays in Macross since 1982.
August 11, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Hisui
I am of the general feeling that fan service is never necessarily a bad thing. I like sitting down to super serious and artistic movies, books, and other forms of entertainment as much as the next semi intellectual. I also like to watch a show that is just plain entertaining. I sometimes want a little fan service in my shows. The T&A type, the relationship type, the pretty boys doing pretty things type, the mecha fighting type. All of them have their time and place. They also draw in people who want any and all of those types of fan service as well.
Fan service can be a bad thing if the fan service becomes more important than the story. If you are ignoring, changing , or destroying the main plot and relationships to serve fan service then fan service has gone to far. There are also shows in which the story and characters are essentially unimportant. Then it’s all about the fan service. In this case the show is just full of failure unless you really want whatever brand of fan service they are selling.
I remember that people were all up in arms about Gundam 00’s fan service and I feel it was one of the most serious Gundam series of all time. People were complaining that the pretty boys were to pretty and the girls were too busty. People are entitled to their own opinion but I never felt that Gundam 00 moments of service were overwhelming or distracting.
For people who complaining about the T&A fan service I definitely understanding what you are coming from and I sympathise but I ask you politely to get over it. Yeah every once in a while they loving pan the camera over Sheryl to focus in on certain parts of her anatomy. Yes Klan Klan is sort of a mass of different types of moe that mixes into it’s own type of super moe. But I feel the story and the relationships are still the focus. As long as that remains true I don’t care how much or how little fan service they throw in.
For people who are complaining about the relationship fan serivce I have much less sympathy. You are watching the wrong show plain and simple. You are watching MACROSS people. If you don’t want the relationship fan service you started watching the wrong series. It’s like reading Negima and coming that you can’t understand why they keep throwing in the constant panty shots. It’s like watching Golgo 13 and wondering why they keep focusing on Golgo 13 being a super bad-ass stone-cold MF. All the things are the essence of the show no matter what you personally want it to be. Macross is also about the love triangle. The robots and the war are there to make the love triangle more interesting. That is all.
OK. They might throw in some more Ranka being impossibly cute service and I don’t think you will catch me complainingtoo much.