[Controversial] The "shonen tax" is a myth

Let me first say that I don't think anime should have more fanservice than video games. However, the notion that, on average, anime has more fanservice than video games is a myth that has been fabricated by people who are generally afraid of showing any skin, especially that of women.<br><br>It is impossible to prove this statistically. Each fan has different preferences. While some are okay with a lot of fanservice, others aren't. Some people watch ecchi anime but refuse to play games with fanservice. <br><br>However, the "shonen tax" is a lie. As a passionate fan of both video games and anime, I can confidently say that anime has no more fanservice than video games. In fact, I'd argue that video games tend to have more fanservice.<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>**Video games have more extreme forms of fanservice**<br><br>There are many video games with bare breasts, including those where characters walk around topless for the entire game. I can't think of any anime with bare breasts outside of hentai. <br><br>There are many video games where the female characters are scantily-clad. While there are some animes that have fanservice, I can't think of any where female characters are scantily-clad for the entire anime.<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>**Anime with fanservice is a niche**<br><br>Anime with extreme forms of fanservice is a niche. If you look at mal ratings, pure fanservice anime generally ratings of around 5-7. On the other hand, there are many top 100 mal anime that have little to no fanservice.<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>**Video games with fanservice are NOT a niche**<br><br>While you might expect fanservice to be relegated to games like Dead or Alive, but the truth is many AAA single-player games have extreme forms of fanservice. Games like The Witcher, Uncharted, and GoW have bare breasts and are very scantily-clad for the entire duration of the game. While there are many top 100 games with little fanservice, I'd argue that AAA single-player games generally tend to have more fanservice.<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>**In conclusion**<br><br>I agree that there is a cultural double standard in that people tend to look over video games with fanservice and instead focus on anime. However, the "shonen tax" does not exist. I'd even argue that video games tend to have more fanservice than anime.<br><br>This post is not intended to be controversial. The "shonen tax" is a dogwhistle that perpetuates a cultural double standard.