49
edits
Dusknoir477 (talk | contribs) |
(added an actual definition; added links to wp articles on "story arc" and "plot point;" added definition of a Filler arc vs a Filler episode.) |
||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
'''Filler episodes''' are used by anime and other TV shows to extend the time between the major story arcs. | '''Filler episodes''' are used by anime and other TV shows to extend the time between the individual [[wp:Plot_point|plot points]] of the major [[wp:Story_arc|story arcs]], or between the end of one major story arc and the beginning of another. A "Filler episode" is one in which nothing happens to affect the progress of the long-term story arcs or to develop the main characters, and no returning side characters, or other significant persons (other than the main characters), appear. | ||
Any episode during a '''Filler arc''' may also sometimes be described as a "filler episode." A Filler arc is a storyline (often, though not always, shorter than the regular arcs) in which, over a number of episodes, an adventure is detailed that is unrelated, or tangental, to the main story arc(s); often, the "Filler arc adventure" does not derive from the original source material. Episodes in which permanent changes or character development occur ''can'' happen during a Filler arc. | |||
==Purpose== | ==Purpose== | ||
Line 6: | Line 8: | ||
==In Pokémon== | ==In Pokémon== | ||
In the case of [[Pokémon]], the [[Pokémon: The Adventures in the Orange Islands|Orange Islands episodes]] are a filler arc, mainly used to delay the beginning of the Johto saga until {{game|Gold and Silver|s}} had been released. | In the case of [[Pokémon]], the [[Pokémon: The Adventures in the Orange Islands|Orange Islands episodes]] are a filler arc, mainly used to delay the beginning of the Johto saga until {{game|Gold and Silver|s}} had been released. | ||
Infamously, the [[Pokémon: The Johto Journeys|third]], [[Pokémon: Johto League Champions|fourth]], and [[Pokémon: Master Quest|fifth]] seasons set in the [[Johto]] region are comprised of seemingly endless amounts of filler episodes with formulaic plots based on previous episodes. The arcs also served as a way to buy time for the releases of {{game|Ruby and Sapphire|s}} and were possibly used after the [[GS Ball]], which was planned to consume a large portion of Johto's story, became a {{wp|MacGuffin|useless plot device}}. It is sometimes thought that the Johto seasons have led to decline of the Pokémon anime itself, often referred to as the point when the series "{{wp|Jumping The Shark|jumped the shark}}". | Infamously, the [[Pokémon: The Johto Journeys|third]], [[Pokémon: Johto League Champions|fourth]], and [[Pokémon: Master Quest|fifth]] seasons set in the [[Johto]] region are comprised of seemingly endless amounts of filler episodes with formulaic plots based on previous episodes. The arcs also served as a way to buy time for the releases of {{game|Ruby and Sapphire|s}} and were possibly used after the [[GS Ball]], which was planned to consume a large portion of Johto's story, became a {{wp|MacGuffin|useless plot device}}. It is sometimes thought that the Johto seasons have led to decline of the Pokémon anime itself, often referred to as the point when the series "{{wp|Jumping The Shark|jumped the shark}}". |
edits