Fan service (ファンサービス, fan sābisu), fanservice or service cut (サービスカット, sābisu katto) is material in a work of fiction or in a fictional series that is intentionally added to please the audience, often sexual in nature, such as nudity. The term originated in Japanese in the anime and manga fandom, but has been used in other languages and media. It is about "servicing" the fan—giving the fans "exactly what they want". Fan service can also refer (by means of text, symbol, image, sound) to other stories that contain visual elements.
When anime and manga were translated into English by U.S. companies, the original work was often edited to remove some of the fan service, making it more appropriate for U.S. audiences. Mike Tatsugawa explained this change as a result of a difference between the cultural values of Japan and the U.S.