There's certainly something to be said for anime series' that get right to the point. They build up characters appropriately, intertwine stories with unique episodes and bring everything to a head in 26 episodes or less. When you look at the grand scheme of things, 26 episodes really isn't all that much. That's why it's so upsetting to see some series' out there include filler episodes.
There are all different types of filler episodes in anime, and I honestly don't see the point to many of them. The most dreaded of all is the recap episode. Nothing like waiting for a new episode of your favorite anime just to be cheated out of any new story elements. Yes, it's nice to refresh a story and introduce newcomers, but can't that be done without eating up an entire episode?
There's also filler anime that ends up meaning absolutely nothing to the entire series. I like to see where anime takes me, but there are some episodes that you can spot as filler from a mile away. You know the storyline isn't going to be moved forward, and whatever happens to the characters in that particular episode isn't going to matter overall. If there's stories to be told that push forward the main or sub plots, why waste time on one-offs?
How do you feel about filler content in anime? Do you like seeing the refreshers along the way? Will you take any 'new' content for a series you like? There has to be a reason why so many popular anime series' have filler episodes. It's nice to have semi-new content out there while rehashing the plot thus far, but wouldn't it be cheaper just to cut the animation production down to just the necessary episodes?
Fillers are a mix of good and evil. Sometimes fillers give us a little more insight into the characters of the...um...characters, but if it doesn't stick, then yes, its pointless. I recently watched Pokemon: Orange islands and only a couple of things make it out of there, the rest was filler garbage of a filler series. It would have been better to just not air episodes for a few weeks instead of exposing us to that garbage.
ReplyDeleteSometimes, filler's a necessary evil. In the case where the show outpaces the manga, or is required to diverge, filler will be a given.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, it still sucks and pulls you right out of the experience. ^^;
I don't really mind filler, as long as each filler is spread out far away from each other that each one is barely noticeable
ReplyDeleteI don't like fillers either, but if they have to be done, then the best way is to intertwine then with the main plot I think. That way you aren't having long fillers. But then your having short continuous fillers...Meeeeh it's all bad. No matter how you look at it :P
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