movies/tv When Is Filler in a TV/Anime Series Appropriate?

[PonyFunk 155]

Sometimes "filler" can fill several minutes of an episode, a whole episode, several episodes, or even make up an entire story arc.

 

It can get very annoying sometimes, but it isn't automatically wrong if done right.

 

I don't mind a love relationship in a drama series if the couple has good chemistry and they both help the main story arc go along smoothly.

 

I don't mind a new story arc that begins unexpectedly if it's plausable enough.

 

Figuring out how to keep the audience engaged for an entire series with as little pointless filler is admittedly not an easy task. So what are your thoughts on filler? What are some examples of TV and anime series that have good filler and bad filler? How does MLP do on filler?

[Castle Bleck 19,163]

MLP does 50-50 on filler, IMO.

 

Sometimes the filler ideas are interesting; other times... not so much.

 

P.S.: Do Princesses Dream Of Magic Sheep? was the most epic filler yet and the perfect way to hold us off until the 2nd half of S5.

Edited November 12, 2015 by A.V.

[Megas 27,048]

The problem with filler is that most of the time they're awful. They don't serve any purpose and most of the time they just aren't fun

 

Only on rare occasions are there is some fun filler like the DBZ Driving School episode

[cmarston1 5,951]

Whenever they aren't awful.

Either that or whenever they don't get in the way of the actual story too much.