Filler classification

[Frans]

I think objectively a real filler in an anime is an episodes that were made because they ran out of source material but still want to air something until new source material came, or an episode that made because the studio want to take a break (usually the episode come in a form of recap).
If they add something to the original source material, but it still related to the main part of the story, then it isn't a filler.
If they ran out of source but still have the time to made something up and try to end it, then i think that it's not a filler. I think it more like an alternate version of the same main story. Chrno Crusade and Gantz did this. On the other hand, Naruto later episodes are fillers because it tried to buy some time until they have enough material to be animated.
One of the worst offender are the recap episodes in Gundam Seed Destiny, because there are too many recaps and some of the recaps being aired too closely. It obvious that the studio try to buy some time because either they were to tired or the material isn't ready.

By this definition then Dragon Ball GT definitely isn't a huge filler, but my subjective self is telling me that this is just a filler ending season made so that Bandai could sell more merchandise

[Aoie_Emesai]

Dragon Ball series had not really fillers but tedious episodes of absolutely useless talking and staring contest for a useless 23 minutes. I hate how some anime has this complete BS style of wasting an episode.

[Thewanderer]

Originally Posted by Aoie_Emesai

Dragon Ball series had not really fillers but tedious episodes of absolutely useless talking and staring contest for a useless 23 minutes. I hate how some anime has this complete BS style of wasting an episode.

Wasn't the Garlic Jr saga considered filler?

[Bill]

After reading the responses here, I think we all agree that the following are filler:

Given they are not in the original manga...
1) Episodes that are of subpar plot and story, and have no bearing on any of the original work.
2) Episodes that if missed, would not effect the viewer's perception of what is going on, and what is going to happen.
3) (In my opinion the worst kind) Episodes that legitimately conflict with the canon of the story, creating plot holes the size of sinkholes.

Beyond these three designations, most of us would agree an episode that the overall community perceives to be 'worthless' would be filler.

Finally, and only some of us agree on this one, filler is anything that creates no 'grand scheme' plot changes, regardless of manga inclusion.

[Thewanderer]

Originally Posted by False Dawn

Of course, these boundaries aren't big black lines that can't be crossed. Taking a recent example; Bleach episode 119 featured events that hasn't appeared in the manga at all (I may be wrong, I didn't read earlier chapters so it could have appeared there) and yet, I'm not sure if it can be classified as a filler because it features backstory which is actually pretty interesting and does seem to have, if not significance, then at least relevance to the current plot. But then, it wasn't in the manga, and it didn't change the outcome of the ensuing battle at all, so... I don't know. Anyone else care to comment on that one?

It wasn't in the manga, therefore it's filler.

This is based on my logic that it's wrong to count anything "uninteresting" or "worthless" as filler. Filler is merely recaps or anything else not in the original material. But therefore it would be best described as "anime original", but everyone likes the word "filler"... so meh.



Okay, let's say a manga had a month timeskip, where one of the main characters had died. Say the anime at the timeskip went into an "anime original" mini-arc, which showed the character that died in the manga actually dying(which wasn't in the manga because of the timeskip).

-Was that part in the manga? No, it was "skipped"

-Is that death scene anime-exclusive? Yes, as there was no flashbacks shown in the manga.

It was a scene that happened, but was merely skipped. Would it count as filler though?

-It's an event that happened in-continuity(important-it's history)

-It wasn't originally part of the manga(unimportant-the manga can't show everything)

-It was recognized in the manga(unimportant-the manga can't mention everything)



Bleach 119, regardless of anything "important" happening and it being a flashback, is the same case. It indeed happened in-continuity, but wasn't in the manga.

This goes for the whole Bound arc, which was officially called an "anime original" arc. If it didn't happen, the leftover characters(the modsoul trio) wouldn't be seen in the future... but they are(at Urahara's, in the new OP, etc). It might not be "canon", but it's still in the anime continuity and even if it told a different story altogether, it should at least be aknowledged when dealing with the rest of the Bleach anime.

To put my view of it all into perspective: I think it's just logical to not classify everything one deems as boring/unimportant as "filler". One should also aknowledge anime-original events and characters to exist in the anime rather than consider it manga and disregard everything else. I don't know how many times I'm casually discussing the anime when someone posts "that was filler, it's not supposed to count"... as if something official is telling them to disregard every trace of it.

They even go as far as to say that filler pollutes anime and messes continuity up. Logically the mangaka has final say in what's added to his continuity via anime, games, or whatever... and I don't think he'd let something that'd only "pollute" his original vision in the franchise.

[wingdarkness]

I wrote this in the Naruto Forum, but I beleive it applies here...

Originally Posted by wingdarkness

No, what I was trying to convey was that the word filler has been so turned and flipped upside down that someone will call a basic transition scene or the nominal process of someone walking before a scene starts, or an elaborate conversation into this evil word called filler...Nevermind that filler (before Naruto distorted what this process really was) is a basic process that is done and needed for almost any and all medium...By some peoples' logic filler would have to even mean a bull$hit or non-100% vital conversation or illustration that doesn't specifically move the most important part of the story EVEN IN A MANGA...It's a chore in idiocy for me to listen to so many people whine about what's probably the most natural process involved in any work... Whether it be a book, a drama, a movie, or an anime, there is ALWAYS gonna be auxillary elements that are created for no purpose other than to make-up the body of a work...

Sometimes (as in many animes) these fillers are used to define characters that aren't as well defined in the manga...To create character development of lesser characters or to emphasize certain elements that can't be done in a soley non-animated illustrated way...Imagine yourself being a manga creator and you create a certain character who isn't very important when you first thought of the chapter, but as time progressed you inevitably see that character brought to life (perhaps it gets a popular fan reaction) and you want to add a side-story or character story in anime form...What in the hell is wrong with that?

Obviously when you say this in a Naruto forum people are gonna immediatley associate filler with Naruto's unprecedented filller-arcs which is the exception to the rule...and to clarify I understand when filler really is useless filler (and I mean beyond obvious stuff), but we are getting to the point where ANYTHING not 1000000000% to a tee with the manga or moving the most vital singular aspect of the story is now some worthless filler...

A frog landed on Jairaiya's face--Oh $hit that's filler!!!!
Pakkun's running too long in the forest--Oh $hit that's filler!!!!
Sasuke asked a question he didn't ask in the manga--Oh $hit that's filler!!!!
Naruto ate his Ramen too slow--Oh $hit that's filler!!!!

I mean where does it end? So no I don't find it a general consent that everyone understands what filler truley is when I see the word lazily used 20 times a day on this site alone...As for my personal opinion I think you know where I stand...All I ask is that it be GOOD, filler notwithstanding...But honestly I hate the word, because people who buy into the thoughts of random heads on animeforums like this will not watch a series or an arc or an episode because they hear some mark rambling about "Oh $hit it's filler" ...

[Nightengale]

Something of respectable length that's not in the original material.

That's all there is to it. While filler quality may differ depending on the particular anime, I don't consider filler to be bad as for most parts, they allow exploitation of characters, even if non-developed. If I don't want to watch a particular filler, I just don't. If there's characters I like in fillers even though they don't have any contributions or meaning to the plot, then why not?

[hobbes_fan]

Any episode that doesn't actually advance the plot in some way. Christmas episodes generally fall into this category according to how I do it. Recap episodes I can hack in moderation (1 for a 26 episode series, 2or3 max for 50 episode series)

[ibreatheanime]

any episode that is a review of the whole series so far like they have in chobits episode 9 is filler and a bit boring to watch...

[Furuno]

I'm definitely agree with TheWanderer. Something happened in the anime but not happened in the manga shouldn't called a filler. I'd like to call that as some kind of "Improvization".

For me filler would be something like recap episodes, side episodes (which really had nothing to do with the main plot. e.g. Da Capo side eps), and additional fan-service scene or something like that.