Could the anime cut down filler or is it needed?

[TheWanderingMist]

I think that fillers aren't there only to fill the gaps between major episodes but also to show and other pokemon!!! As I haven't play the games I enjoy the fillers because I have the opportunity to meet and learn things for pokemon that aren't part of the main characters teams!!!! So let the fillers alone so we can have access to information and we who don't play the games!!!!

I mean, there really isn't such a thing as "filler" in this anime. Every episode will at least showcase a Pokemon that hasn't been seen in a major way before. Also, we wouldn't get the cross-dressing episodes otherwise.

 

[Nafsika]

Ah that episode are the best!!!! I still enjoy the episode Arriving in Style!!!! Ash and Pikachu were so cool with that costume!!!!

 

[Navin]

Fillers can be quite good. The problem is the writers seemingly don't have a long-time idea of pacing episodes. Case in point BW and XY&Z.

The 15+ DA! episodes of BW could have easily been integrated as more league episodes or Episode N episodes. They ended things too quickly.

XY&Z was the opposite. The latter half of XY&Z had literally no fillers. It was great, but clearly evident the writers were running out of time. How many more league episodes could we have gotten if the fillers from years 1 and 2 of XY were eliminated?

Sure, I know they depend on knowing when the next generation is ready, but they know of this in advance, and can plan accordingly.

 

[TheWanderingMist]

Fillers can be quite good. The problem is the writers seemingly don't have a long-time idea of pacing episodes. Case in point BW and XY&Z.

The 15+ DA! episodes of BW could have easily been integrated as more league episodes or Episode N episodes. They ended things too quickly.

XY&Z was the opposite. The latter half of XY&Z had literally no fillers. It was great, but clearly evident the writers were running out of time. How many more league episodes could we have gotten if the fillers from years 1 and 2 of XY were eliminated?

Sure, I know they depend on knowing when the next generation is ready, but they know of this in advance, and can plan accordingly.

Uh, zero more league episodes? Kanto had 7, Johto had 7, Hoenn had 7, Sinnoh had 7, Unova had 6, and Kalos had 7. Each League also had a non-battle oriented episode. Both Johto and Sinnoh technically have their Conferences begin one episode earlier, but no plot important battles take place then.

 

[Xenon Blue]

They probably can cut some filler out for more league episodes or something. Too often arcs get cut short due to time constraint which wouldn't have existed without fillers. Even if the anime has no creative way to showing off Pokemon without using fillers, the fillers themselves can improve by a lot. It doesn't always need to use the same generic formula involving CotD and TRio. I really hope the anime uses more flashback type fillers (like the one with Clemont's Bunnelby). It doesn't even need to be great, as it will guarantee some insight into the character/Pokemon.

 

[Crystal]

I know this show must feature the Pokemon species for advertisement purpose, but why it must be only one single focused pokemon for each episode? Can't we stuffed like two our even three focused pokemons into one episodes? Then we really don't need +100 episodes for each region, 50~80 is already enough in featuring all the pokemon in one gen + finish off Ash's league challenge.

This show can definitely cut down the amount of its fillers. I think it is just too much to the point of watering down the meaningfulness of its "true" story. The time it takes for something characteristically and narratively meaningful happening on screen feels like it had took millions of years. This long waiting just wear off my interest for this show.

 

[doofinc]

Looking at it as what it is: an advertisement, the fillers are needed to pad out the series for the new games and to feature every pokemon

If we look at it solely as a show by itself, then of course cut out almost all filler.

 

[MattySadler]

The anime itself needs filler for pacing/ showcasing every Pokemon, but personally I tend to skip them out and only watch the episodes of consequence nowadays.

 

[Navin]

Uh, zero more league episodes? Kanto had 7, Johto had 7, Hoenn had 7, Sinnoh had 7, Unova had 6, and Kalos had 7. Each League also had a non-battle oriented episode. Both Johto and Sinnoh technically have their Conferences begin one episode earlier, but no plot important battles take place then.

That pre-league episode prevents rushing into the league as XY did. XY also had a non-battling episode in the middle of the league. Not to mention, for being Ash's first time reaching the finals, there should be more episodes.

 

[Litleonid]

Fillers are needed to showcase all the new Pokemon and such. Though I think some filler could be cut if it doesn't really feature any new Pokemon or have anything noteworthy happen.

 

[Leonhart]

This anime needs fillers, otherwise each saga would only last a few dozen episodes at most since important episodes would be scarce. It's a sad reality.

 

[U.N. Owen]

Yes, we need filler to keep the pacing from being too fast. It takes an amazing writer to make a series without filler with a natural pace.

 

[04n70n10]

That pre-league episode prevents rushing into the league as XY did. XY also had a non-battling episode in the middle of the league. Not to mention, for being Ash's first time reaching the finals, there should be more episodes.

[Dream] If it's for me, I would like to watch a league arc with at least 20 episodes [/Dream] LOL. But said that, after so many seasons and years there is (clearly) some "proper" reason if writers planned only 6-7 episodes for each league.... every time. If a League starts with too preliminaries, a top 64, top 32 match etc then Ash definitely won't go too far in that league, simple as that.

 

[Daizy]

We need filler, but it could be so much better. For instance, we should see Ash train in most fillers in addition to him helping random people.

 

[LilligantLewis]

I know this show must feature the Pokemon species for advertisement purpose, but why it must be only one single focused pokemon for each episode? Can't we stuffed like two our even three focused pokemons into one episodes? Then we really don't need +100 episodes for each region, 50~80 is already enough in featuring all the pokemon in one gen + finish off Ash's league challenge.

This show can definitely cut down the amount of its fillers. I think it is just too much to the point of watering down the meaningfulness of its "true" story. The time it takes for something characteristically and narratively meaningful happening on screen feels like it had took millions of years. This long waiting just wear off my interest for this show.

First of all, we do have many fillers that debut multiple Pokémon at a time. Second of all, the hundreds of episodes is not because of fillers. It's because that's how long it takes for the next generation games to come out

We need filler, but it could be so much better. For instance, we should see Ash train in most fillers in addition to him helping random people.

This actually did happen a lot in DP!

 

[Zoruagible]

Sun/Moon needs to.
It's barely given two of the main characters development at all.
The dumb episodes like Pokebase and the mushrooms weren't needed when Mallow so desperately needs some character development.

 

[DatsRight]

The problem isn't always fillers, but formula. A lot of episodes tied with the main arcs in some way still contained the aforementioned repetition and lack of depth, sometimes even when they were trying for something better. XY had comparatively less filler but the COTD/TR formula still kicked in strong and monotonous as ever in many episodes.

Episodic stories aren't bad at all so long as they use the opportunity to make them interesting. Flesh out characters and show unique setups and locations within the show's universe, something that can't always be done when the main stories are ongoing. A lot of people can stand the filler of SM (and some of BW) because it is trying that more often (not perfectly but a lot more than the other series). The filler isn't just an excuse for the writers to kick back and not care anymore.

 

[Leonhart]

Sun/Moon needs to.
It's barely given two of the main characters development at all.
The dumb episodes like Pokebase and the mushrooms weren't needed when Mallow so desperately needs some character development.

I hate to admit it, but that's kind of what's been bothering me regarding SM's fillers. Sure they're entertaining as heck, but it feels like some of them could've been used as platforms for character development instead.

 

[RedJirachi]

How does one define filler in the anime? Things that don't include Pokemon evolution, badges, villainous plans and leagues? Whatever the general term I do think we need a good amount of episodes to relax and experience a day in the life of this setting, though I feel at least a fifth of the episodes should be plot or character related