The Purpose of the Use of Filler in Anime

Anyone who has watched an anime series, particularly one based on a manga, knows exactly what I'm talking about. It could be a few minutes in an episode, or a whole group of episodes, but the purpose is the same: to waste time. So is this trend in Japanese animation good for the genre or bad?

What is filler?

Filler is a catch all term used to describe material in a series that did not exist in the source it was based on. For example, if a show is based on a manga, filler would be used to describe all the scenes that didn't exist until appearing in that show, such as extended fight scenes, side stories, and added flashbacks. This is done with the intent to not only make it more suitable for viewing, but also to keep the animated series far enough behind the manga so that it does not pass it up. And as long as the series does not surpass the original source material, they can make as many episodes as they want while still having more to draw from. Sounds good on paper doesn't it? Unfortunately, it doesn't always work as intended...

The Negative Side of Filler

Filler, if done poorly, can kill an anime series. A great example of this is Rurouni Kenshin, whose last story arc of its respective manga was never animated due to excessive filler, causing its viewers to lose interest. It can also create plot holes in a story line if too many story arcs are inserted in the middle of a series. Dragonball Z is a prime candidate for illustrating this point. How can Garlic Jr. return in his own saga if the movie he was featured in doesn't even fit into the timeline of the show? Questions like this crop up all the time and tarnish an otherwise very well presented series. Spinoff shows can often times be considered filler and create even more plotholes if it is considered to be a direct sequel to another series. Dragonball GT is believed by many to be nothing more than an animated plothole.

Excessive explanations and flashbacks, also in the filler category, can ruin viewer enjoyment during a show. There are times during critical fight scenes in anime where flashbacks and long explanations are inserted where they seemingly don't belong and can sometimes bring an exciting moment to a screeching halt. Dragonball Z and Naruto are huge offenders in this category. For example: Fighter A punches Fighter B. Fighter B wonders where Fighter A got so much power. Fighter A has flashback regarding his training. Spectators A, B, C, D, and E each have surprised expressions on their faces. Spectator F has another flashback over a fight that Fighter A had five episodes ago. Rinse and repeat. Believe me, you'll know the pattern when you see it.

The Positive Side of Filler

Not everything about filler is bad. If you take a step back and really look at what filler does for a show, you'd realize that it is making your favorite shows longer. And if you really like something, then in theory, having more of it should be better. To further drive the point home, let's say you area Naruto fan. Having filler in the Naruto anime will make it a longer series, thus giving you more Naruto to watch! And it's not just flashbacks and extended fight scenes that make up filler either. Sometimes certain characters will have more light shed on their background or even have their own side story based around them. Bardock from Dragonball Z got his own feature movie, and many characters in Naruto got backstories that didn't exist prior to the anime debut.

If filler didn't exist, what would happen to a series? Once the anime catches up the manga, the series would then grind to a screeching halt until more material is written to base the series off of. This could mean months or even years of no new material being released. I'm sure there's more than a few of you that couldn't handle being without your favorite shows for that long of time!

Better With or Without?

It's hard to say whether a particular series would be better with or without a little filler thrown in. The series Full Metal Alchemist is without filler and was done particularly well. But this is because the anime went in an entirely different direction than the manga. Sure, it started out the exact same way, though after around episode 20 the series went off track introducing new characters and plot twists that didn't exist in the original. Full Metal Alchemist eventually ended after 50 or so episodes, but the manga is still going. This model worked great with FMA, but could it apply to Dragonball Z successfully? Naruto? Bleach? I think fans would have a fit if those particular series ended prematurely.

So what is the right answer? Is filler good or bad? Well, I think it depends on the nature of the anime. If it's a show where additional material can be inserted without compromising the integrity of the show, then I think from a creative aspect it would be healthy to at least try to expand on some elements of the story. But if a manga's original storyline is wrapped up so neatly that adding to it would destroy its purpose, then by all means, give me your best quality 13 episodes that you can make!