fan service
noun
1
: material included (as in a book, movie, game, or performance) specifically to please fans: such as
a
: entertainingly familiar elements (such as inside jokes or callbacks) aimed at fans of a series, franchise, etc.
… there are lots of Easter Eggs and … characters included purely as fan service for devotees to the original two movies …—
Aaron Potter
Aaron PotterOne way to look at this book is as several hundred pages of fan service. [Stephen] King offers a lot of callbacks to these earlier works that are undoubtedly a treat for his most loyal devotees.—Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus ReviewsSome games will include a character, location or a reference from other games or forms of entertainment as fan service …—US Official News
US Official News
b
in anime and manga
: sexually suggestive or explicit scenes (such as views of nude or scantily clad characters) that are included primarily to titillate the audience
An undeniable characteristic of both manga and anime is the concept of fan service—added material with the sole purpose of exciting the reader or viewer in a sexual way that does little to nothing to aid the plot.—Grace Schutte
Grace SchutteThe anime industry's brand of fan service is much more R-rated. Some fans love it, others find it distasteful, and all agree that fan service is highly gratuitous, either for good or for ill.—Louis Kemne
Louis KemneGiven the mission of sending up anime cliches, one should not be surprised at the "fan service" panty flashes, breast gropes, gratuitous nudity, and gay-lesbian tropes trotted out.—C. Cassady
C. Cassady2
: the act, practice, or approach of including fan service in something (such as a book, movie, game, or performance)
The entire third season of this … series felt like one long exercise in fan service …—Brian Lowry
Brian LowryMetallica ripped through five tracks from their most recent album …, but outside of that, their setlist felt carefully constructed for fan service.—Patrick Lyons
Patrick LyonsThe most obvious rationale for bringing [William] Shatner back into the fold is plain old fan service. I know some of the Star Trek fanbase is really tired of seeing the new films … present updated riffs on classic Star Trek.—Mike Bracken
Mike BrackenExamples of fan service in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Mayhem is the type of fan service that doesn’t dilute the artist herself.
—Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2025
Or would more guest stars mean the series devolving into gimmicky fan service?
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 6 Mar. 2025
As fan service, though, Friday the 13th is amazing.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 13 Sep. 2024
Director Michael Morris says the Easter eggs are an intentional form of fan service.
—Hilary Lewis, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Yet while Mackie and his cast members all do their parts – especially Harrison Ford, who turns into a Hulk (!) – the new adventure juggles too many subplots and too much fan service to form a coherent narrative.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2025
But that doesn’t seem to be the purpose of the record, which leans more heavily into fan service — a treat for those who’ve stayed loyal (or at least neutral) as Drake suffered the past year’s cavalcade of embarrassments.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 14 Feb. 2025
There are endless nods to the early films that all work beyond fan service.
—Barry Levitt, Vulture, 20 June 2024
The initial sight of Clark and Swift in a suite together after the pop star previously extended an invitation to Clark months ago provided a joyful dose of fan service for some.
—Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 19 Jan. 2025
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Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2025
Or would more guest stars mean the series devolving into gimmicky fan service?
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 6 Mar. 2025
As fan service, though, Friday the 13th is amazing.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 13 Sep. 2024
Director Michael Morris says the Easter eggs are an intentional form of fan service.
—Hilary Lewis, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Yet while Mackie and his cast members all do their parts – especially Harrison Ford, who turns into a Hulk (!) – the new adventure juggles too many subplots and too much fan service to form a coherent narrative.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2025
But that doesn’t seem to be the purpose of the record, which leans more heavily into fan service — a treat for those who’ve stayed loyal (or at least neutral) as Drake suffered the past year’s cavalcade of embarrassments.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 14 Feb. 2025
There are endless nods to the early films that all work beyond fan service.
—Barry Levitt, Vulture, 20 June 2024
The initial sight of Clark and Swift in a suite together after the pop star previously extended an invitation to Clark months ago provided a joyful dose of fan service for some.
—Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 19 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fan service.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fan%20service. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.
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