TVTropes Now available in the app store!
Open

Follow TV Tropes

Following

Misused: Ms Fanservice

Go To

Deadlock Clock: Aug 23rd 2014 at 11:59:00 PM
Serocco Serocco from Miami, Florida Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Faithful to 2D
Serocco
#51: Nov 26th 2013 at 3:34:37 PM

Then why are we having this discussion if it's that simple?

In RWBY, every girl is Best Girl.
shimaspawn from Here and Now Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: In your bunk
#52: Nov 26th 2013 at 3:36:56 PM

Because writing it so that the average troper can understand that and cleaning up the trope to match is much harder since everyone wants it to be person they think is hot. Not person responsible for the majority of the fanservice in a work.

Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
Serocco Serocco from Miami, Florida Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Faithful to 2D
Serocco
#53: Nov 26th 2013 at 3:39:09 PM

Then how do we write it?

In RWBY, every girl is Best Girl.
shimaspawn from Here and Now Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: In your bunk
#54: Nov 26th 2013 at 3:56:03 PM

That would be what we're trying to figure out. I think starting out with a bold laconic line:

Ms. Fanservice is the character that provides the vast majority of fanservice in a work. There can be only one per work.

edited 26th Nov '13 3:56:42 PM by shimaspawn

Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
Discar Since: Jun, 2009
#55: Nov 26th 2013 at 4:43:59 PM

I don't think there's always only one per work. Usually, yes. But you sometimes get works where each group will have their own Ms. Fanservice or whatever.

edited 26th Nov '13 4:44:28 PM by Discar

Writing a post-post apocalypse LitRPG on RR. Also fanfic stuff.
shimaspawn from Here and Now Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: In your bunk
#56: Nov 26th 2013 at 4:56:57 PM

Eh, in that case it's generally not really this trope and it's more of Ensemble Fanservice where there are a variety of characters providing a bunch of different fan service options. There is as a result no Ms. Fanservice whose job is to provide the majority of fan service in the work.

Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
Leaper Since: May, 2009
#57: Nov 26th 2013 at 5:36:39 PM

It's adorable how y'all think most tropers will read the description. ;)

Perhaps this means a tweak to the name may be necessary? Something like Foremost Fanservice Figure (thus also making it gender neutral)? Just tossing that possibility out there — I doubt it'll be popular.

edited 26th Nov '13 5:37:36 PM by Leaper

captainpat Since: Sep, 2010
#58: Nov 26th 2013 at 5:43:19 PM

Yea, this is gonna need a name change. People already have their own definition of "Ms. Fanservice" and tweaking in the description not gonna change that.

dRoy Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar from Most likely from my study Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar
#59: Nov 26th 2013 at 6:31:05 PM

[up] That sounds like a radical idea. I think it could work, though.

Continuously reading, studying, and (hopefully) growing.
KJMackley Since: Jan, 2001
#60: Nov 26th 2013 at 6:38:10 PM

Before anything radical is done we need a wick check. I am hearing a lot of claims that there are bad examples but I don't see anything from my own overview that says it is being misused. Sometimes if you see a couple of bad examples you just remove it, you don't need to redefine the trope and start a massive campaign over it.

Generally rule of thumb is that if there is 10 percent misuse you just clean it up, if it approaches 50 then you need to fix the trope.

Discar Since: Jun, 2009
#61: Nov 26th 2013 at 8:49:34 PM

Ms. Fanservice found in: 4650 articles, excluding discussions.

Since January 1, 2012 this article has brought 5,525 people to the wiki from non-search engine links.

Yeah, this is gonna need more than anecdotal evidence for a full-out rename. Let's not forget that currently most people see it as "Foremost fanservice character in the work" (with a little bit of confusion on the precise details, as seen here), and the problem is that the description is too broad, in that it allows for pretty much the entire female cast to count.

Writing a post-post apocalypse LitRPG on RR. Also fanfic stuff.
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#62: Nov 26th 2013 at 11:06:16 PM

While I expect to find lots of misuse (all the trope examples I usually see are akin to "this person provides lots of fanservice"), this will need a wick check before we can move onto anything.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Leaper Since: May, 2009
#63: Nov 26th 2013 at 11:11:27 PM

How exactly does "this person provides lots of fanservice" not fit the trope? Or do you mean they don't fit in relation to what the trope should be (as opposed to what it is)?

KJMackley Since: Jan, 2001
#64: Nov 27th 2013 at 12:19:49 AM

There isn't anything really limiting a cast from having more than one Ms. Fanservice, anymore than having multiple Big Guys. That is kind of like saying you can have only one Fanservice Extra. The core of the trope is that a main character (or frequent recurring character) is known for the amount of fanservice they provide. I can see some works where EVERY character provides fanservice on a regular basis, making it a fairly meaningless designation, but I think the majority offer some variety where you can identify the designated eye candy compared to the infrequent eye candy. But just because there is two or more doesn't invalidate the use of the trope.

There is My Name Is Earl, where Catalina is often lounging in her stripper outfit (and jumping around) but Joy's typical attire often ends up with short shorts, tight tank tops and often seen in her bra or wearing a bikini.

In a contrast, Star Trek Voyager obviously had Seven-Of-Nine; while both Torres and Janeway had their fanservice moments it was distinctly different than Seven wearing her catsuits.

edited 27th Nov '13 12:20:22 AM by KJMackley

Serocco Serocco from Miami, Florida Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Faithful to 2D
Serocco
#65: Nov 27th 2013 at 1:44:02 AM

I agree with Mackley. Ms. Fanservice doesn't have to be one specific character. RWBY alone has two, actually, in Pyrrha and Yang.

We have too many differing views as to what constitutes as Ms. Fanservice, I see.

edited 27th Nov '13 1:45:46 AM by Serocco

In RWBY, every girl is Best Girl.
nrjxll Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Not war
#66: Nov 27th 2013 at 1:47:43 AM

I don't think we do, really - it's just that pinning down a definition that's precise enough to definitely keep out the "any character with a scene of Fanservice ever" misuse is a bit tricky for a trope that relies somewhat on "feel".

edited 27th Nov '13 1:48:00 AM by nrjxll

crazysamaritan NaNo 4328 / 50,000 from Lupin III Since: Apr, 2010
NaNo 4328 / 50,000
#67: Nov 27th 2013 at 6:03:18 AM

[up][up] Which is why I suggested we might convert it to a gender neutral fan definition trope.

Splitting off a "Fanservice Cast" is probably useful no matter what happens with Mr and Ms fanservice.

Link to TRS threads in project mode here.
KingZeal Since: Oct, 2009
#68: Nov 27th 2013 at 6:12:18 AM

There isn't anything really limiting a cast from having more than one Ms. Fanservice, anymore than having multiple Big Guys. That is kind of like saying you can have only one Fanservice Extra.

The problem is, if you credit more than one character as a "Mr./Mrs. Fanservice", then the more characters who fit the description, the less the trope matters and the more it becomes "character the fandom finds hot". While on the one hand, you could have a series where both the Girl of the Week and The Baroness both count (like the James Bond franchise) or an Amazon Brigade which is nothing BUT fanservice (like The Saints from Hitman: Absolution) Ms. Fanservice, without limits on it, the Mr./Ms. Fanservice has no meaning.

KJMackley Since: Jan, 2001
#69: Nov 27th 2013 at 10:42:22 AM

Having more than one Ms. Fanservice in a Jiggle Show makes the trope about as meaningful as labeling someone a Badass in an action show. That doesn't mean the label is inaccurate. I agree with your assessment on principle, cause one person sometimes found in a fanservice situation does not constitute Ms. Fanservice. But saying there can only be one is something that has never been a part of the trope definition, so you can't call it misuse on those grounds.

Again, we need a wick check to see what is actually going on.

KingZeal Since: Oct, 2009
#70: Nov 27th 2013 at 10:45:01 AM

EDIT: Actually, I withdraw this argument.

edited 27th Nov '13 10:46:59 AM by KingZeal

MorganWick (Elder Troper)
#71: Nov 27th 2013 at 1:01:20 PM

Perhaps any bolded notice could just say "This is not 'person I find hot'. The show itself must play up their sexiness for it to be Ms. Fanservice."

acrobox Since: Nov, 2010
dRoy Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar from Most likely from my study Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar
#73: Nov 27th 2013 at 2:27:16 PM

[up][up] This.

Continuously reading, studying, and (hopefully) growing.
Serocco Serocco from Miami, Florida Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Faithful to 2D
Serocco
#74: Nov 27th 2013 at 4:52:21 PM

Clearly, "how often are they played up as Fanservice" is still plenty broadly defined, since a lot of people disagree on whether or not there should be more than one or two Fanservice Magnets.

So I provide a better example: High School Of The Dead. That has just about every female character as Ms. Fanservice, but the one that's actually listed as one is the teacher 'cause she's the exaggerated version (mainly 'cause she ends up nude more).

edited 27th Nov '13 6:39:29 PM by Serocco

In RWBY, every girl is Best Girl.
MorganWick (Elder Troper)
#75: Nov 27th 2013 at 9:39:57 PM

"Don't just list every character from a World Of Fanservice either."


Total posts: 243
Top