Manga is a graphic novel or written piece of comics from which an anime is created. When you rigorously follow this Japanese culture, you may know what are Fillers in Anime. Although, for most anime fans, the term “fillers” is still a mystery.

Anime and Manga are complementary to each other. Before exploring what are fillers in Anime, you must be acquainted with Manga and Anime.

Manga is an original piece of work written by an author and also referred to as Canon several times. On the other hand, Anime is an animation much like cartoons, based on Manga.

What Are Fillers In Anime?

Filler is a term used to describe a tale in an anime that does not appear in the original Manga. These are made because anime production typically exceeded manga creation.

Fillers are not directly aligned with the original story because these are created to catch up with the storyline while the manga version is still going to write. So, predominantly fillers are used to engage the viewers with the characters of Anime, etc., till the next episodes are aired.

It means the animation adaption of a manga is slightly different (or irrelevant) from what was actually written by the original author, and this difference is designated as “Filler.” Also, don’t forget to know what is OVA anime?

In simple words, you can say that filler refers to anything that isn’t contained in the original novel but is included in the Anime, such as original anime sequences, episodes, or even complete works of art. Users, who have not read the manga version of Anime, are unascertained to this difference.

For example – More than 42% of Naruto episodes are filler episodes. Yes, it is huge. Naruto includes a ridiculous amount of filler from episode 136 to episode 220, which is when Naruto Shippuden officially starts. Episodes that stray from the main narrative and, in most instances, fail to provide any substantial character development or plot advancement.

Another popular fillers anime episodes are from the Dragon Ball Anime series. The Pre-Cell tournament arc was one of the greatest Dragon Ball fillers. While there is no fighting, this short arc was great in showing us our favorite Z-Warriors during their time off.

Are Fillers Good Or Bad?

After learning what are fillers in Anime, you may be curious about whether they are pleasant or awful and if you should watch them or not. Yes, a lot of filler is horrible, like Naruto, but a lot of it isn’t, like Dragon Ball Z, so don’t worry about it and watch the episode.

Some episodes are so exciting to watch that you’d be ready to watch any new episode, whether it is filler or not. Some fillers are unrelated to the anime episode, but they are amusing and entertaining, like filler episodes from Sailor Moon.

Similarly, because the two episodes aren’t based on excerpts in the Manga, the initial episodes of seasons 3 and 4 of My Hero Academia are also considered filler episodes. This is a big giveaway because these episodes are recaps of events from past seasons.

Many anime series based on short Manga require fillers to maintain a 12- or even 24-episode run.

How filler different From OVA and Canon: OVA Vs. Canon Vs. Filler

There seem to be a lot of misconceptions about what fillers are and how they differ from OVAs and Canon in Anime. Let me summarize them quickly in a sentence.

OVA- OVA, which stands for Original Video Animation, is not part of original Anime or Manga (sometimes it could be). They are neither shown in theatre nor aired on Television. OVA is broadcasted separately on video market platforms.

Canon- Something that genuinely occurs in the story, as contrasted to something presented or produced, is considered Canon. In other words, whatever that did happen in the original script, not an adaptation, is deemed Canon.

Fillers- As discussed, filler could or could not be part of the Manga but could be related to the characters. It is produced to fill the gap between the Manga is written and anime production to engage the users. It can easily differentiate from OVA as fillers are always telecasted on the TV and in theaters.

Closing Words

I hope this article cleared what are fillers in Anime and how it differs from the original manga version. Next time you watch an anime series, you will be able to distinguish between all these terms. All fillers are not good to watch as they consume sufficient time, like Naruto.

Also, Fillers add nothing to the plot and are frequently of inferior visual and verbal qualities. However, some are good enough which are not affordable to be missed. I hope you like the post; please share it with your friends and give your feedback.