Recommending anime to those who are not familiar with the art form can be difficult. It would make sense to tell a friend to watch what’s most popular, but in many cases, that might not be the best course of action. The most acclaimed and celebrated anime of all time, likeDragon Ball,One Piece, andNaruto, are all hundreds of episodes in length for one controversial reason:copious amounts of filler.
A perpetual point of contention, filler is used throughout the anime sphere for a wide variety of reasons. If a series is running alongside its source material, the anime might have to add some of its own original content so as not to catch up to its manga counterpart. Other times, an anime series might want to expand on its universe in a way its source material could not. Whatever the reason,there are thousands of anime fans who look upon filler content unfavorably, and some viewers choose to ignore it altogether.
In the case ofDragon Ball,the filler sections of its original anime series aren’t quite as egregiousas some other shows, yet the anime includes plenty to take up a sizable chunk of its overall runtime.Fans have made guides on what episodes are skippable, while theDragon Ball Z Kaianime attempted to cut any unnecessary content from the story to bypass filler content. However, the manga genius behindDragon Ball, Akira Toriyama,admitted that filler in his series was just fine by him, and maybe anime fans should try to feel the same way.
The Series' Creator Admired the Hard Work that Went Into the Anime Adaptation
Anime is in the precarious position whereits most popular series likely have the highest barriers of entry. Compared to other seasonal shows which might put out a season every year or two, the biggest anime are constantly airing week to week with small breaks at the end of larger arcs. This creates a problem, however, when adapting something from an original manga. TV episodes can adapt three to four chapters at once, while a manga artist can only create one chapter a week.
Therefore, when an anime begins to creep a little too closely to the current events of the manga,filler is added in order to buy time for the mangaka to progress the story forward. Fans may not enjoy generous amounts of filler in their favorite shows, but for a series likeDragon Ball, it was a necessary evil. Surprisingly, however, in an illustration that Akira Toriyama drew during the series' publication, he revealed that he took no issue with anime-original content in his story.
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Toriyama wrote in the illustration, “the thirty-minute episodes would quickly catch up to the manga, so the anime staff inserts brand-new filler material to keep that from happening,” while also complimenting the anime staff for having to draw more than he does,before finally asking the audience to enjoy both versions ofDragon Ball. While filler content may seem like a waste,Dragon Ballis home to some of the best in anime, and fans should take a cue from Toriyama and simply enjoy more of their favorite characters.
It Might Not Be Canon, But Dragon Ball Has Great Filler
Much of Dragon Ball’s Filler Holds Up Today
Just because filler sections in anime might not be canon to the original story,doesn’t mean that they hold no value.Dragon Ball, in particular, has some of the greatest filler episodes in anime history, depicting events that most fans remember just as well as the franchise’s biggest fights. Episodes like #125, titled “Goku’s Ordeal”, features the iconic driving competition between Goku and Piccolo as the two are ordered to get their driver’s licenses by Chi Chi.
Other episodes focus on particular charactersthat aren’t the series' already well-known protagonist. Gohan showcases some character development early in his training with Piccolo entirely through filler, while the underutilized Z Fighters get some time to shine on King Kai’s planet during the Frieza Saga.Dragon Ballis a series that spans over 40 years, andits anime adaptations do occasionally show their age, but much of the filler still holds up today. Fans may not like it, but if Akira Toriyama was alright with filler, they should be too.
Dragon Ball
From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku’s never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
