If you are an anime fan, you have probably heard the words canon and filler somewhere, and probably haven’t understood what they mean. In this article, I will explain what canon and filler mean in anime, and give some examples.
What Does Canon Mean In Anime?
Canon is anything that actually happened in the original story (manga) and not in the adaptation. On the other hand, non-canon refers to any material that does not conform to the official rules of a story like fillers and fan art.
For example, in Dragon Ball Z, Garlic Jr is not canon because he is not in the manga and he is not playing an essential role in the main story.
What Does Filler Mean In Anime?
Filler episodes are episodes that are not produced to meet any particular purpose, except to fill time. Anime fans have long complained about these episodes, but the industry has yet to figure out what they do. In fact, some people believe that the filler episodes actually help the show get popular.
There are three types of filler episodes.
Lost Episodes
Lost episodes are episodes that were supposed to air, but the studio didn’t finish filming them. These episodes are often hard to find and are considered rare. Fans who want to see them have to search online or ask around.
One example of a lost episode is the ending of Cowboy Bebop. When the original broadcast finished airing, the studio decided to release a special edition where the last two episodes were combined together.
Trailer Episodes
Trailer episodes are episodes that are released before the actual episodes. The producers of the show know that viewers are going to want to see the rest of the series, so they put out trailers to entice viewers to watch the rest of their series. Trailers are usually short and feature only small parts of the show. They are meant to give viewers an idea of the whole show.
Unnecessary Episodes
Unnecessary episodes are unimportant episodes that add nothing to the show. Mostly, the studio makes those episodes to gain time for making the real episodes.
Why do anime producers make fillers?
1. To keep their audience engaged
While anime fans may complain about how long some series take to get to the good parts, they’re not complaining about them because they want to watch the show faster. In fact, most people who enjoy watching anime tend to be those who have watched the entire series already anyway. So, while it might seem like a waste of time to sit down and watch an episode that doesn't really add anything, it's actually kind of helpful to have something else to do while you wait for the next episode.
2. To give the characters time to develop
In many cases, anime producers don't know exactly what story arc they're going to tell until they've finished writing the first few episodes. That means that the writers have to figure out where everything fits in the grand scheme of things without knowing what comes after. Usually, at least one episode is devoted to introducing the major players and setting up the plot, before the rest of the episodes start focusing on the actual action.
3. To give the creators time to prepare
After the initial idea for a series is settled upon, the producers need to decide whether or not they want to make it happen. If they choose to go ahead with it, then they'll have to think about how they're going to bring it to life. Sometimes, they can spend months working on just one scene. Other times, they might need to work on several scenes at once. Either way, it takes time to plan out the details of each episode.
4. To avoid making mistakes
Anime is notoriously difficult to produce, especially if you want to make sure that the final product looks great. One mistake could mean having to redo weeks' worth of work. An extra episode might save you from having to redo a whole season. By giving yourself time to plan and test your ideas before starting production, you can cut back on any potential problems.
5. To improve pacing
When you're watching a TV show, you probably expect certain events to occur at regular intervals. But when you're watching anime, you might find that things don't always follow that pattern. There are often long stretches of time where nothing happens. And even though you might be expecting something to happen, it never does. That's because anime producers don't want to rush the viewers. Rather than putting together a quick episode, they prefer to put together longer ones.
6. To help the audience understand the characters
Even though anime is known for its elaborate plots and high-quality animation, it's still pretty rare for someone to understand what's happening in a given episode right away. Instead, anime tends to rely on visual cues to indicate what's going on. Even if you haven't seen the previous episode, you should be able to pick up on what's going on based on the direction the characters are facing and the objects they're interacting with.
7. To provide background information
If you're looking for a deep dive into a specific topic, you won't find much in the way of explanations in anime. However, there are plenty of shows that explain concepts in more detail. Plus, anime tends to use these episodes to set up future storylines, so you'll learn a lot about the world and the characters in the process.