Thread: Filler Episodes - Are they important?

Originally Posted by Oxymoron24

lol puns :p

But anywhom, I think Pokemon would be a lot shorter and way more boring without the fillers. I mean imagine...Ash captures pokemon. Gym Leader. Ash captures 2nd pokemon. Gym Leader. Ash captures 3rd Pokemon. Gym Leader. Ash captures 4th Pokemon. Gym Leader. Ash captures 5th Pokemon. Gym Leader. Gym Leader. Gym Leader. Gym Leader. Pokemon League Tournament Thing. Oh no Ash lost. Move to new region. Repeat.

It'd be like watching someone play the video game...but with even less to see

HOLD IT! I can think of a million things that could go there that would add to story. Here is 3

First how about in addition to Ash they are 7-16 other trainers. The trainers are rivals or friends to Ash but, they also have their own relationships. The would go together in there own groups change groups through drama. Not all episodes would have Ash thus bringing variety to filler. There would be so much going on that nothing would get stale. I love this Idea even if it is just for one series.

Second, Ash could be constantly thinking of ways to achieve his goals. Have a three part saga where he trains somewhere. Have him go to battling circles to set up a filler stories with particular trainers but further his goal in the short term. Have him seek out the skills and people that make him a better trainer instead of him bumping into them.

Third, introduce new villains and focus on game villains more.

Well I only intensely like the first one but sure at least one of the writers can think of something better than what I said or filler.

Well I think the excessive fillers is why so many people did not enjoy the Johto saga. When you're watching a long saga and it feels like nothing is happening from episode to episode, of course people are going to complain.

I mean the least they could have done is focused on the main cast more, instead of COTD's which we'll never see again.

Originally Posted by Aestivate

some of the BEST EPISODES EVER are fillers, some of the WORST EPISODES EVER advance the plot.

entertainment value is all i need, really. in between episodes that advance the plot, of course.

fillers that show off other Pokemon = also awesome

like i'm sure no one will disagree with me when I saw that BW029 is one of the best episodes in BW even though it's "filler" in that no pokemon are capture, released, trained, etc. and the plot isn't advanced.

I have to agree with this.

A lot of the episodes I re-watch are fillers due to the fact they are entertaining or funny.

Plot driven episodes can often be a chore to watch, especially if you're re-watching them because you missed something.

I rewatch filler too but it usually really early fillers. new filler is usually NOT entertaining as it should be.

I don't think this series could survive without filler episodes. After all, it's a show about adventure. The sense of Ash being on a long journey full of learning and growing up and all that grand stuff just wouldn't be there if the episodes rushed him from one major event to another. That's how I feel about it, anyway. I think the question is not whether or not there should be filler, but how much filler should there be.

It's exactly why I feel that Indigo League, Orange Islands, and Battle Frontier are all ultimately stronger than Johto, Hoenn, and Diamond & Pearl. They move at a much faster pace, allowing them to have a better sense of progression without quite feeling rushed (especially Indigo League). The longer three, while they are great overall, plod along and are much more exhausting to follow. And a more limited amount of filler episodes naturally leads the best ones to come to the top of the pile, likely making the filler episodes that are there the most entertaining ones the writers have to offer. Likely, anyway.

But anywhom, I think Pokemon would be a lot shorter and way more boring without the fillers. I mean imagine...Ash captures pokemon. Gym Leader. Ash captures 2nd pokemon. Gym Leader. Ash captures 3rd Pokemon. Gym Leader. Ash captures 4th Pokemon. Gym Leader. Ash captures 5th Pokemon. Gym Leader. Gym Leader. Gym Leader. Gym Leader. Pokemon League Tournament Thing. Oh no Ash lost. Move to new region. Repeat.

It'd be like watching someone play the video game...but with even less to see

There is more to non-fillers than just that. What about all the character development episodes and episodes where Ash finds out about or reaches a gym city.

We can't have Ash be in Pewter City one episode then magically be in Cerulean City the next, that would be stupid. How about Charizard being disobedient then all of a sudden, he obeys Ash.

The least they can to is make fillers more training/battle and main character centric or maybe if they really want the show to be gripping and tons and tons of main characters so we can always have development rather then just a tad bit every now and again.

Also they stretch out main events and I count that as filler. Just because it has a gym leader in it doesn't mean it's not filler. And usually those fillers are the episodes that apply to the above statement "some of the WORST EPISODES EVER advance the plot". So yeah fillers is mostly bad and the can make the same amount of episodes in more memorable and entertaining way.

Obviously they're not "important" but they can be fun and are nice to have now and then. And without them, each saga would only last around 50+ episodes a piece so they're useful for prolonging the time the human and Pokemon characters spend together.

Originally Posted by Trainer_Gabriel

Obviously they're not "important" but they can be fun and are nice to have now and then. And without them, each saga would only last around 50+ episodes a piece so they're useful for prolonging the time the human and Pokemon characters spend together.

They could add more substance and put it there. It would make the show a lot better.

Originally Posted by Alphaphlare

The least they can to is make fillers more training/battle and main character centric or maybe if they really want the show to be gripping and tons and tons of main characters so we can always have development rather then just a tad bit every now and again.

What you are describing is more non-filler than filler but yeah, I would like to see more of those kind of episodes.

Depends on really what you call importance. By definition, fillers only serve the purpose of keeping the plot from going too fast, which is important in it's own way, but to the plot as a whole, they aren't important, either. Important to you is a matter of opinion, though. Then again, what I just said could be a matter of opinion as well. This is why I've said for some time now that this label is essentially a witch hunt for the episodes that no one likes. This could vary to a lot of people, though. I will also go with what a lot of people said that as long as it's entertaining, it's okay.

'Go West Young Meowth' is my favourite episode of all.

Other fillers that are among my favourite episodes: 'Holy Matrimony', 'Fly Me To The Moon', 'Island of the Giant Pokemon', and 'Ghost of Maiden's Peak'.

You might argue that Go West and Holy Matrimony aren't fillers because they are character pieces, but the generally accepted definition of filler is an episode that doesn't advance along the main storyline of the show, and both of these episodes completely detour from Ash's quest.

I hate fillers, but I have to admit some of them are necessary. Like someone above me said, we can't have Ash in Pewter City one episode, and then Cerulean City the next. There should be one or two episodes on the road - BUT with character development or important stuff.

Like, we can have Ash gather information on the next gym leader while solving some random COTD. Or the writers could produce a story where they go deeper into pokemon traits. Personally, I liked that episode with the Mareep farm somewhere in early Johto. It shows how pokemon are used in that world's life, not only as battle creatures or pets, but as important farm animals that actually helps the farmer make a living.

Originally Posted by darkqueen

I hate fillers, but I have to admit some of them are necessary. Like someone above me said, we can't have Ash in Pewter City one episode, and then Cerulean City the next. There should be one or two episodes on the road - BUT with character development or important stuff.

Like, we can have Ash gather information on the next gym leader while solving some random COTD. Or the writers could produce a story where they go deeper into pokemon traits. Personally, I liked that episode with the Mareep farm somewhere in early Johto. It shows how pokemon are used in that world's life, not only as battle creatures or pets, but as important farm animals that actually helps the farmer make a living.

Most of the Johto episodes and indeed other regional sagas are like that showing that the Pokemon world isn't just about gym battles and contests and show the wide variety of owning pokemon and the different kinds of battling (P1 Grand Prix, Whirl Cup, etc).

Originally Posted by Domino White

'Go West Young Meowth' is my favourite episode of all.

Other fillers that are among my favourite episodes: 'Holy Matrimony', 'Fly Me To The Moon', 'Island of the Giant Pokemon', and 'Ghost of Maiden's Peak'.

You might argue that Go West and Holy Matrimony aren't fillers because they are character pieces, but the generally accepted definition of filler is an episode that doesn't advance along the main storyline of the show, and both of these episodes completely detour from Ash's quest.

I don't consider those two filler at all. They may not advance the plot in anyway but we do get to learn more about the histories of both Meowth and James in these episodes. Also we learn more about James' history as well as the mention of Jessebell in Sweet Baby James, an obvious non-filler due to James releasing Chimecho and obtaining Mime Jr.

Island of the Giant Pokemon is arguable as it is part of the St. Anne arc directly continuing after the previous episode and also Ash leaving Vermilion City.

Fillers can be important. They can show us things about the Pokemon world or charcters their main storylines wouldn't normally touch upon.

Sometimes fillers can make no sense and be fun.

I know I won't like all fillers. And that's okay. But my main gripe with fillers is that, despite there being so much they can work with from the source material, or get inspired from other continuities, they keep spitting crap no one really cares about a lot of the time. =/