Fan service, it’s everywhere in the anime community. From quick chest shots of bouncing buxom ladies to them being dressed in a variety of costumes from swimsuits to cat ears, there are many ways that the male audience is being catered with the extensive scenes of females in compromising scenarios. Though there are complaints about this at times over the top portrayal of females in anime by the female audience, that does not mean that they don’t want some fan service as well.
While a female audience may be looking for over the top near nudity from the male audience, it does not mean there is no appreciation for some show of skin with shirtless shots. And there is more to female fan service than that, there is also the factors of the male characters relationship with one another in the series, how they charm the characters and the scenarios they are placed in. The following listed take two or more of these factors and make it work in the series and characters.
5. Uta no Prince
Here is by far the largest reverse harem known in the anime community, with a total of 18 possible male love interest in the series, 20 counting the two teachers. Staring from the first season there was total of 7 males made into a band, then in the second season there was a 4 member band added to the line-up and at the end there was another band added with seven members.
The main point of fan service that can be found with this series is not with the variety of eye candy ((though it is a point) nor with the male relations, but in the different scenarios of the characters with the main character, Nanami Haruka. When it comes to reverse harems, a majority of them are based off on a game wherein you can imagine yourself as the receiving end of the male character’s charms. From being trapped against a wall to being given a gentle embrace it’s easy for the viewer to imagine themselves as the main character with how much attention is being given to the male characters.
4. Kuroko no Basket
Basketball, one of the more popular sports in the anime community and in this anime we get that but more. With a variety of characters different in sizes and personalities, there is different kinds of fan service to be found in this series. A main thing to note with this basketball anime is not only the uniform that shows off the muscular form of the arms and legs of the players but on the creative maneuvers that they are able to come up with that makes them look larger than life.
As for the characters, not only are they colorful in hair color but in personality as well. From a tight knit friendship turned fiery rivalry, there is much tension among different pairs and groups of characters in this series, especially when they started out with an almost unbreakable friendship. Add to the fact that many of them end up in quite comedic situations due to this rivalry and tense friendships. There is much to enjoy in this series, but in comparison to the rest it only takes 4th.
3. Haikyuu!!
A highly popular series in the sports genre as noted in various tumblrs, tweets, fanfiction etc. “Haikyuu!!” while not much in the show o skin in the male majority of characters, it does have other ways to show their physicality. As a sports series that takes on volleyball, there is pleanty of jumping, striking and blocking to be seen, meaning there are plenty of arm, leg and some chest muscle to admire. So while there is not much upper body nudity there is still much eye candy to look at, especially when there are more than four schools being featured.
On that note, that is where the fan service lies, with the characters. In comparison to the majority of sports anime, this series does not focus on the wins and loses of the main teams but of all the teams it goes against. There are more than five teams to look at and admire and each one contains characters with unique personalities. What’s more there are moments that are outside the court wherein they interact with one another and learn from each that brings out the female fans, most especially the fujoshis.
2. Yuri!!! On Ice
By far this series as garnered the largest fandom and merchandising in this list with an admirable character development, good animation and interesting plot. What doesn’t make this number one in the list however is that it doesn’t necessarily cater as a fan service anime. Rather it is an anime that was able to portray how male characters can also be graceful and beautiful while still being sensual and confident beings that can make a woman swoon at the same time
What does make this series as the runner up of this list is how much it impacts the audience and while it does focus on the concepts of skating character building, it does have it certain factors that would be considered as fan service. One of the most notable point of fan service in this series would be the show of physique with the characters. In the first episode alone, the viewers are given a shot of a very shapely bottom by Vitor Nikiforov and it didn’t stop there. Another point is the buildup of the relationship between characters, Yuuri’s and Victor’s being the hottest topic.
1. Free! Iwatobi Swim Club
This anime has been tagged by many fans and reviewers as an infamous piece of fan service for females. With a main cast comprised mainly of males and swimming as the sport of the series, this series is a formula for a female audience to swoon over. So far there has been no anime that has shown the amount of male skin as this series have for females. Add to the fact they are different male characters to admire in terms of body type and the different ways the anime seems to find a way to get them soaked, there is much eye candy to be found.
But more than the upper body show for admiration, it is the different personalities in the series to like in the series as well. From the highly liked tsundere to the adorable shota, female viewers will be able to get more than good looking faces and admirable bodies. Another point of fan service is the relationships between the different characters from the dramatic rivalry to the admirable friendships, it is a point to the female fans that are into malexmale pairings and in the anime community, there are many.