Fan service. Just saying the phrase is enough to spark an online flame war. Some fans defend it as part of anime’s DNA, while others deride it as cheap, unnecessary or even harmful. The truth, as is often the case, is somewhere in the middle.
But here’s the reality: anime has always dealt with sexuality and adult themes, and pretending otherwise isn’t just inaccurate it’s counterproductive. When handled with intention, fan service can enhance storytelling, add depth to characters and reflect human experiences that are both awkward and intimate. Rejecting it outright, as has become increasingly popular among a generation already struggling with social anxieties around intimacy, risks stripping anime of a cultural nuance that has defined it for decades.
Anime has never shied away from adult themes. From the psychological trauma explored in “Neon Genesis Evangelion” to the mature romance in “Nana” or “Inuyasha”, sexuality and relationships have always been part of the medium. Fan service, whether in the form of playful humor, character vulnerability or even tension in battle scenes, has long served as a way to both humanize and complicate characters.
Of course, not all fan service is created equal. Some is clumsy, gratuitous or feels tacked on for shock value. But some is deliberate, woven into the plot in a way that heightens character development or adds stakes to a narrative. Dismissing it wholesale ignores the diversity of how it’s been used, and how it can function as a meaningful storytelling device.
In recent years, criticism of fan service has become louder and more mainstream. Social media has amplified voices that frame it as outdated or inappropriate, and studios have taken note. Anime once brimming with suggestive humor or provocative tension now often opts for safer, sterilized narratives meant to avoid controversy.
This cultural shift isn’t happening in isolation. Studies and surveys suggest that younger generations are increasingly anxious about intimacy. Rising social isolation, digital-first lifestyles and a climate of hypercritical online discourse have contributed to a climate where many people are more comfortable avoiding depictions of sex altogether.
That discomfort is understandable, but it has consequences. When audiences demand anime scrub itself clean of adult themes, they’re asking the medium to deny a part of the human experience. Art is supposed to make us uncomfortable at times. It’s supposed to push boundaries, not just soothe them.
The best uses of fan service are never just about the surface. They’re about what the moment reveals. Consider when a character’s composure slips in an awkward situation, showing vulnerability that strengthens their bond with another. Or when a suggestive scene underscores the intensity of a relationship, heightening the stakes of the drama to come.
Even battle-heavy shōnen series have shown how sexuality and physicality can influence combat dynamics, character motivations and audience investment. At its most effective, fan service can be funny, poignant or even tragic. It can humanize characters by showing sides of them that might otherwise remain hidden.
Rejecting that entirely robs anime of one of its most distinctive strengths: its ability to embrace extremes, both emotional and aesthetic, in ways Western media often avoids.
This isn’t an argument for uncritical acceptance of all fan service. Anime still struggles with lazy tropes, objectification and tonal whiplash when fan service is handled poorly. Those issues deserve critique.
But the answer isn’t censorship by culture, nor the growing trend of blanket rejection. The answer is discernment. We should be asking whether fan service serves the story, the character or the emotional truth of the scene. When it does, it deserves appreciation, not dismissal.
Anime has always thrived on its ability to explore themes that other mediums shy away from. Pretending that sexuality has no place in it not only misrepresents its history but also denies audiences the chance to engage with stories that reflect real human complexity.
Anime is bold because it doesn’t always play safe. It’s emotional, dramatic, awkward, sometimes messy. That’s what makes it resonate. Removing sexuality and adult themes out of fear or discomfort risks sanding down the edges that make it unique.
As more anime crosses into mainstream Western markets, there will always be tension over what is “appropriate.” But instead of sanitizing the medium, we should embrace its range. Fan service can be tasteless or it can be transformative—the difference is intention.
If the next generation of fans learns to reject it entirely, not because of poor execution but out of anxiety about intimacy itself, anime risks losing part of its cultural soul. And that’s something worth fighting against.
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Please note that this article is simply the opinion of Kiran Mckee.
