what is wrong with 'filler' episodes?

Wedding_Angel · Post by **Wedding_Angel** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 10:56 am

ok...

if you look on the wonderful site www.animeacademy.com

although not as wonderful as this one

you will find that they criticise some anime for having e.g. fruits basket 'filler' episodes...

dont filler episodes help to broaden a character?
dont they bulk out the series?
or are they wasted time?

i for one believe that filler episodes are worth while in an anime, they just provide more time to get to know the character...

i mean, its ok as long as its not a filler saga..e.g. dbz...garlic jr..or something like that

anyway. ive waffled too long, what do you think?

someperson · Post by **someperson** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 12:05 pm

Filler episodes are usually pretty useless. They do nothing to help the plot or character development.
There's nothing wrong with liking filler episodes. There are some filler episodes (ex. Saiyuki) that are just there for comic relief but they're still enjoyable because they're funny. They can also be moving and hold sentimental value. Others just make you dumber as an after-effect from watching them.
Filler episodes can be annoying if there are a lot in a series. If there are too many in a series then it can be frustrating that the show isn't getting on with the story.

It's hard to say what is filler and what isn't filler sometimes. Fruits Basket focuses a lot on building relationships and has a light-hearted atmosphere for most of the series. I wouldn't say that the series contains a lot of filler. The people who made that web site just may not have enjoyed all of the heart-warming stuff.

narcted · Post by **narcted** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 12:47 pm

Recap fillers are helpful too. You may forget that the show is being broadcasted on a weekly basis in Japan. Audiences are not watching it all at once on DVD like we can. They sometimes need a recap to be brought back up to speed on plot or for some who joined in on the series late.

Also sometimes the network demands a Christmas special.

Wedding_Angel · Post by **Wedding_Angel** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 1:13 pm

...recap? surely you cant mean the recap episodes in eva...they were unneeded ...and well..were only used cause gainax were going bankrupt..i think 1 minute recap at the beginng of each epsidoe is enough for me nota whole episode dedicated to it

HyperTails · Post by **HyperTails** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 1:22 pm

One recap episode is fine, but 4, like in Wolf's Rain, is unnecessary.

Wedding_Angel · Post by **Wedding_Angel** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 1:39 pm

HyperTails wrote:is unnecessary.

wow..so that how you spell it..i take my word unneeded back then

dokool · Post by **dokool** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 1:46 pm

"Filler" episodes totally depend on the series and the director.

For example, you could claim that over half of Bebop is "filler" because only half a dozen episodes are about the main storyline.

Then you have a show like FMP! Fumoffu?, which is <i>all</i> "filler", but is still very enjoyable.

Personally, I get annoyed when shows like Naruto start off each episode with the last 3 minutes of the previous episode. You can sum it up in 30 seconds, they do it on American TV all the time.

OtakuMan22 · Post by **OtakuMan22** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 2:04 pm

Hmm... filler episodes...

Well since you put that link up there, I've been going through the grade system they have in place, and I must say that I am quite intrigued at what they have to say. In their bottom rung of anime, I noticed some that are generally considered masterpieces and great works of anime (Metropolis was in the 60% aisle).

Other times, I find ones very high up in the 90% aisle that I was not expecting (Aura Battler Dunbine).

However, I am definitly book marking this page so I can come back and refer to it when comparing reviews. Usually, I've stuck with Animerica or NewType for Anime reviews (although NewType doesn't so much review as it does preview). On the web, I seek out Anime News Network, and now I'm going to seek out Anime Academy. The different point of view on anime is refreshing and helps give me two sides of a coin when it comes to a specific anime.

Now to the filler...

I don't know if anyone ever saw this video, but I definitly think you should:

http://www.animemusicvideos.org/members ... hp?v=56577

Now that you've calmed down from laughing... oh wait you're not done yet... well just let me know when you're ready...

Ready? Good! Alright, now then...

Filler episodes in anime are usually an excuse to do something fun that does nothing to advance the story, or even the characters that much. In some anime, as seen above, the filler can be used simply for a cheap laugh or fanservice. After all, it's those things that keep fanboys happy, and the doujinshi running!

The problem then becomes, when is there TOO much filler? The fact that an anime, ANY anime for that matter, has filler episodes is practically standard. There's usually the obligatory "Episode 13" Filler episode where half the series is over, and people just joining need a recap in order to keep from going "HUH?!"

Now the current "Recap" episode is actually a new invention. Anime like Nadia, for example, instead use a short one minute introduction before each episode to get the viewer up to speed. I remember watching a real story-line driven anime back when I was little, Dragon Warrior, and it was only on at my grandparent's house (where I found and subsequently watched it) and not at my home, so I only got to see TWO episodes. (Each Saturday morning)

Each one gave a recap of the last few episodes, so when I found Dragon Warrior, I was HOOKED! To me, the recap episodes and flow felt JUST like an RPG (NES RPG that is). I was more into Nintendo than anime when I was that age (9 was it? Man that was so long ago!), and of course, Dragon Warrior just sucked me right in!

But now let's set recapping aside. The battle of a single recap episode versus one minute intros to the episode is nothing compared to the POINTLESS filler episodes.

These include the ones, like a trip to the beach, that are primarily for humor and/or fan-service. Now these filler episodes might actually do something for the characters. For example, I'm watching Petite Princess Yucie with my wife and we just saw the "beach episode" in that one. They treated this episode as though it was like a little girls slumber party, staying over at a beach house owned by one of the girl's fathers's friends. In the last few story episodes, our main gal Yucie was feeling down due to some very heavy character development that had just happened. To cheer her up, she and her friends are sent off to the beach, and luckily, it works!

This, as far as I can tell, is a good example of a filler episode that is used right. It didn't do much, but it did something and made the viewer happy that something happened.

Compare this to a filler episode of, oh say, Love Hina. Love Hina is CHOCK FULL of filler according to the Anime Academy. This is because while there is SOME character development in the TV series, the characters themselves NEVER REALLY CHANGE whether it's the beach, or the hot springs, or whatever, the characters NEVER TRULY REVEAL WHO THEY REALLY ARE! The times where something DOES happen, it usually then reverts to same ol' same ol'. It becomes too much Kitsune oggling, and wondering exactly at what point will Keitarou keel over and die after one punch too many.

Of course, if you're looking for some oddball fun without all the nutrition and substance of something like Eva, then this is a treat for you!

So far I've only covered the short and sweet series...

...now it's time for PAIN!

SAILOR MOON! QUEEN OF FILLER! That's right, you heard me! All of Sailor Moon from start to Sailor Stars, is 200 EPISODES LONG! That's 2-DOUBLE 'O EPISODES!

And what does Sailor Moon and friends do during most of these episodes? Why fight the monster of the week of course!

Only a small handful of these monster of the week episodes contain anything relevant. Often times, it's just a chance to reveal something about Japanese culture and then have some quirky humor (The Tea Ceremony episode of Sailor Moon S comes to mind).

Sailor Moon IS a good show. Some of the story elements and plot development is deep and all around good.

The PROBLEM is that at 200 episodes long, only about 100 of them are actually MEANINGFUL! That's 100 episodes of NOTHING! Just...

Step 1) Sailor Moon and friends are having a DAY.
Step 2) Sailor Moon or friend decides to introduce other friend of theres
OR Sailor Moon or friend decide to go somewhere out of the ordinary
OR new fad which is actually a trap pops up and Sailor Moon and friends walk right into it
Step 3) Beryl, Tomoe, or other decides to have crony number 2 make a monster or plan to get random source of energy A.
Step 4) By coin-ky-dink, their evil plan has to do with whoever, whatever, or wherever Sailor Moon and friends are with, doing, or at!
Step 5) After some dumb pointless drama
OR innocent friend going evil
OR weird stuff
... the monster appears
Step 6) Begin transformation sequence... NOW
Step 7) JUST SAY THE DAMN LINE AND KILL IT ALREADY!
Step 8) Says the line
Step 9) Monster dies
Step 10) People forget the entire thing
Step 11) Sailor Moon and friends have a NIGHT

The End!

That, for the most part, is how the series goes. I should know! I've SEEN all 200 episodes back in High School, and believe me when I say that OH MAN is there a lot of repetition.

Frankly, the series was popular, it had some good moments, but OH SWEET CHRISTMAS was it longer than it needed to be! The entire first season of Sailor Moon wraps up in about 5 volumes of manga. Given the anime, and assuming that it was ALL from the manga (which it isn't), I would expect 50 volumes for season ONE!

Dragon Ball Z is even worse because YOU CAN'T SKIP THE EPISODES! Nooooo, it bounces along from Goku to Frieza to Vegeta to Frieza back to Goku back to Frieza turn Super Saiyan kick ass rinse repeat!

They drag the story on SOO much, and make the grave error where IT'S ALL FRAKIN CONTINUOUS! You skip one REALLY boring episode and start the next and go, "Hey wait, wasn't Goku winning last episode? What happened?"

Basically, in one episode, only one minute was actually worth watching. You can take all 170 some episodes, and condense the ENTIRE DRAGON BALL Z series into 170 minutes.

Or, as one person did... 30 SECONDS!

And now you know why filler, IN EXCESS, leads to obesity, body odor, overt fanboyishness, sugary tooth decay, loss of A life, and a total lack of sight when it comes to anime because the filler has consumed you.

I hope this has been a bit educational for you, but now I got work to do. Laterz!

~Otaku-Man

Z3r02007 · Post by **Z3r02007** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 2:21 pm

Filler episodes are good in moderation. They will become annoying if the action is starting to pick up.

DBZ is guilty of TOO MANY DAM FILLER EPISODES!

KaneDragon · Post by **KaneDragon** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 4:34 pm

How about the Naruto filler episodes out right now, just stalling for time to let the manga get ahead again? Ultimate suck.

Ridiculous plots, stupid extra bad guys, repetition...

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*couldn't resist*

Of course, filler episodes can also be good for some character development. It depends.

[Kalium: Link to site with anime downloads removed.]