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
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
The Wrong Trousers is one of the most memorable Wallace & Gromit adventures, but Vengeance Most Fowl doesn’t lean on empty fan service when reintroducing the beloved villain; Feathers is a nostalgic callback, but he’s given a good reason to return.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
Still, No Way Home felt like a satisfying continuation of Holland's version of Peter Parker and his existential crisis as well as pure fan service to celebrate nearly 20 years of Spider-Man on the big screen.
—Darren Franich, EW.com, 7 Jan. 2025
The collection ends with a sweet and stirring sequel to Prep, returning to her boarding school for an alumni reunion—fan service of a kind, but also sheer delight.
—Vogue, 26 Dec. 2024
Its success could lead Marvel to lean even harder into fan service and cameos going forward.
—Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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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
The Wrong Trousers is one of the most memorable Wallace & Gromit adventures, but Vengeance Most Fowl doesn’t lean on empty fan service when reintroducing the beloved villain; Feathers is a nostalgic callback, but he’s given a good reason to return.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
Still, No Way Home felt like a satisfying continuation of Holland's version of Peter Parker and his existential crisis as well as pure fan service to celebrate nearly 20 years of Spider-Man on the big screen.
—Darren Franich, EW.com, 7 Jan. 2025
The collection ends with a sweet and stirring sequel to Prep, returning to her boarding school for an alumni reunion—fan service of a kind, but also sheer delight.
—Vogue, 26 Dec. 2024
Its success could lead Marvel to lean even harder into fan service and cameos going forward.
—Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Fan service.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fan%20service. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.
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