Pipoko said: eurgh there are people who found that scene hot. That's creepy. Especially since Satsuki clearly looked like she was in pain and uncomfortable. That wasn't played for fanservice or fun at all. It was uncomfortable and creepy, reinforcing the idea of oppression through these clothes - Ragyo is making sure her daughter remains under her "control" in the most disgusting way possible. Makes for a really effective villain, though.
As for all the actual fanservice and why that scene can't be actually considered fanservice - Firstly, the "fun" fanservice is balanced out by an equal amount of manservice. Secondly, nakedness is actually tied into the plot and themes of the series. Despite the surface there is a theme going on here and there's purpose to it. That's very separate from empty fanservice series and the reason why that scene wasn't just there to be creepy, uncomfortable fetish fuel.
True. All true.
Yet...that bath scene was hot.
Your analysis is right for the most part, so I largely concur, but the thing is, I don't think it's an or-or question. While Ragyo still dominates her daughter this way, it's ambiguous enough to have doubts if that is the only reason; the explicitly stated in-story reason is that it was to help her, and we see no reason to doubt this isn't true. The antagonists in this series are multi-layered, and I like that. This goes for Satsuki, but to some degree also for Ragyo, albeit she's still pretty mysterious so we don't know to what extend one can call it evil. In a broader sense, her molesting her daughter - though we don't even know that for sure, it could as well be opening her 'chakras' or something, but in any case, the scene clearly and deliberately gave of the impression of a heavily sexual themed action: aka, wincest - can also be seen in the context of the clothes vs nude concept. If clothing is sin, and nudity is purity, then it stands to reason that other sins aren't considered sins anymore neither, especially when nude. In fact, there is a Biblical reference to this too - and the sin/knowledge/shame/fig to cover nakedness is already used as biblical reference - because after all, Adam and Eve and their direct offspring can not be else come forth than by incestuous behaviour too. According to some religious doctrines, this (incest) was not a sin or something dangerous back then, because they still inherited the 'perfect bodies' given them by god, and they did not know shame, so there really was nothing wrong with it, until after they were thrown out of paradise.
Anyway, I'm diverting. Point is, while you are right in what you say, it is ALSO right that it's just...hot. One can see it in the context of oppression, helping, dominance, support in regaining strength, incestuous behaviour, innocent (aka, in the sense of not acknowledging it as a sin), you can even see it as just part of the whole analogy of clothes vs nakedness and militarism vs freedom, etc....but if you just look at it *as such* without involving a particular context in it, it's plain and simply a hot scene. You see two beautiful women yuring eachother (or at least, that impression was evoked); what guy wouldn't find that hot?
The same goes for the question whether it (and the other scenes, like when they transform in their nothing-revealing sailor-moon-outfits for mature audiences) is fanservice or not. I think you're slightly mistaken about this, or, more correct, a bit naive about it. Yes, what you say is right: it's embedded in a deeper meaning and has contextual analogies throughout the story and series. It supersedes mere fanservice, agreed. At the same time, however, one can not deny that it IS fanservice as well. The one does not prohibit the other. People who are dismissive of it because it's 'only cheap fanservice' are wrong and miss several points of the (why of the) naughty scenes being shown (one obvious one being a persiflage on all other anime series who use it).
However, people thinking it's ONLY about that context, and Trigger didn't consider the impact it would have as fanservice, are wrong too. There is no denying that all the flapping boobs, ultra-short clothes around asses, wincestious behaviour and all the nude-scenes ARE ALSO meant as fanservice. In this series, at least, the fanservice - just like the antagonists - is multi-layered. Rationally, it has some hidden meaning and references, and is used allegorically, emotionally, it still is also fan-fapping stuff to make males (and probably also females, seen the fact they don't shun both sides) drool.
I don't think this combination is bad. Most anime go one way or the other, and when they try to combine it, it gets annoying like blatant, not-fitting-in fanservice can be. Kill la kill is too over-the-top to have much bother from that, however. Heck, even the recap is over the top. In more than one way, this series is a breeze of fresh air through anime land. |