A comment at the local comic shop made me rethink how we talk about filler episodes

I was picking up a volume of One Piece at the shop on Elm Street about two months ago, and this guy next to me was talking to the clerk. He said, 'I just skip all the filler, it's a waste of time.' The clerk replied, 'Yeah, but sometimes the filler is where the characters just get to breathe, you know?' That short exchange stuck with me. I realized a lot of online debates just repeat the 'skip it' take without considering why someone might enjoy those slower parts. It made me pay more attention to the quieter moments in shows I watch now. Do you think the push to be 'efficient' with our watch time is making us miss something?

4 comments

4 Comments

sethm461mo ago

My old rule was to skip filler in any anime I watched. That comic shop conversation made me realize those episodes are where you see the characters just being people, not heroes. Now I watch them and find I like the show more.

susanb341mo agoMost Upvoted

Totally read a blog post saying the same thing.

the_taylor1mo ago

Funny how those "filler" bits can hide the actual themes. Like in Naruto, the endless bell test with Kakashi wasn't just goofing off. It was the first time team 7 had to work as a unit, showing how bad they were at it. That laid the groundwork for every conflict they had later. Skipping it means missing why their fights hit so hard.

the_jana1mo ago

My friend skipped filler and missed the whole point.