Lack of fillers in 'Best Wishes'?

[Necrozma]

I've just noticed this, we are into 20 episodes of BW saga and we barely had any fillers.

BW001 - Isshu region and Shooty.
BW002 - Iris introduction and Ash's first catch.
BW003 - Ash catches Mijumaru.
BW004 - Ash catches Pokabu.
BW005 - Ash's first gym battle as well as Dento's introduction.
BW006 - Dento joins the trio.
BW007 - Ash catches Tsutarja.
BW008 - Filler.
BW009 - Iris development episode.
BW010 - The first Ash VS Shooty battle, new move.
BW011 - Dento gets Ishizumai.
BW012 - Ash gets the Zuruggu egg.
BW013 - New rival introduced - Belle.
BW014 - Filler. (unless you count Aloe's appearance)
BW015 - Ash's second gym battle.
BW016 - New moves for Pokabu and Mijumaru, Ash wins his second badge.
BW017 - Zuruggu hatches from the egg.
BW018 - Arti introduction and Ash's seventh capture.
BW019 - Character development for Dento, possible rival.
BW020 - Pikachu learns a new move.

Future episodes
BW021 - Most likely a filler.
BW022 - Kurumiru might evolve.
BW023 - TR VS TP
BW024 - TR VS TP
BW025 - Ash's third gym battle.

Anyone else actually shocked by this? This saga is having even less fillers than DP had. :O What do you guys think about this? Seems like BW021 will be our second/third filler of the saga.

 

[Iteru]

BW12 had Satoshi get Zurrug's egg I think, so technically it isn't a filler.

That's the problem with fillers in Best Wishes. Little, one minute scenes have made some episodes non-filler, like the Hihidaruma one. That would be a filler if it wasn't for the Rocket Dan obtaining that item.

It makes distinguishing what a filler is more difficult, as non-filler status can be gained by just the one scene. If someone asks what all the plot-related episodes are (say, they don't have time to watch every ep but want the important ones) then you'd be stuck telling them to watch a 95% filler episode just for one scene.

 

[Necrozma]

That's right, I forgot about the Zuruggu egg. Okay, I have edited out the list. Once again, we have only two or three fillers left.

 

[Cybersai]

DP didn't have a real filler till over 20 eps either.

Johto had a filler as early as the 4th episode.

 

[War]

I think it' s a good thing. Hopefully BW21 won't be a filler.

 

[Chiplet]

DP didn't have a real filler till over 20 eps either.

What about ''Like It or Lup It''?
Wasn't that episode a filler? :S
It was the 7th episode in the DP Saga.

 

[DracoMan]

Yeah, I wouldn't count BW 14 as a filler if it intro's Aloe, whom Ash battles in the next two eps.

The lack of fillers means this season's moving at a pace more akin to S1 than the other league journeys, so Ash & co. might actually make it to the Unova League in a reasonable amount of time.

 

[Sweet Veil]

Episode 21 introduces "The Sky Arrow Bridge" it isn't a filler and ep 9 also debuts Iris' Doryuzu.

 

[Eitarou]

Introducing a game location doesn't make it any less filler than it would've been without introducing it

 

[ivantuga2]

What about ''Like It or Lup It''?
Wasn't that episode a filler? :S
It was the 7th episode in the DP Saga.

Piplup learned how to use contest moves in it. It was an important part of Dawn's journey.

Introducing a game location doesn't make it any less filler than it would've been without introducing it

This. The anime advertises the games, but it's the anime's story we're talking about. Events that don't effect the anime's story are fillers, IMO.

 

[Wargle]

hate fillers

 

[Sweet Veil]

Introducing a game location doesn't make it any less filler than it would've been without introducing it

WTF? I hate it when Anime Fans use the term "filler" for episodes they don't like.

BTW, If it's in the game and it appears in the cartoon, it isn't a filler. The Sky Arrow Bridge is just as none-filler as the debut of a Gym Leader.

 

[Pikachufanboy]

But will the bridge be referenced again? Will the events taking place on the bridge set up any other plot points? Will there be anything in future episodes even brought up that you can't know unless you watch the episode? I haven't seen it, so I don't know.

 

[The Puppetmaster]

I'm not necessarily sure if we should be labeling episodes as filler. Like Cairo said, episodes where only one barely significant scene takes place automatically discounts the episode as a filler. I think there are filler plots, however.

An example of an episode with a filler plot would BW012. Yes, Ash receives the egg in this episode, but the whole "Ash and co. stop somewhere and help a group of people/Pokémon overcome their problems/fears" scenario was used. Despite the incredibly filler plot, Ash receives the egg at the end, automatically making this episode "important".

Then we get fillers like Where No Togepi Has Gone Before! where the storyline doesn't match the definition of a filler plot whatsoever. Did a significant event occur? Nope, but the episode was pretty good (at least in my opinion).

If somebody asked me which episode they should watch - the Yabakuron episode or the evil Togepi episode - I'd be more inclined to tell them to watch the Togepi episode even though nothing important happens because it was more entertaining.

This is why it's frustrating when people think all filler episodes are bad when they're not; it's the filler plot that's bad.

If I were to label which episodes have filler plot, I'd say BW003, BW008, BW012, and BW014 fit the bill almost perfectly. Otherwise, your list is fine the way it is.

 

[Sweet Veil]

But will the bridge be referenced again? Will the events taking place on the bridge set up any other plot points? Will there be anything in future episodes even brought up that you can't know unless you watch the episode? I haven't seen it, so I don't know.

I'm not one of those members who thinks they can see into the future so I don't know.

I'm tired of repeating myself. The pure event of the Sky Arrow Bridge Showing up makes it a bonafied none filler.

 

[garfield15]

I seriously don't count 14 as a filler since we met Aloe and entered the Gym in it. I mean, even if it wasn't a Gym battle, it's still an introduction to a gym leader.

And I echo the notion that if they visit a location from the games (at least for one episode), it shouldn't be counted as filler. I mean, this is the anime's story, but it is trying to be like the games at the same time. Really, I think 008 is the only one that could seriously be filler

MFW in Rockets vs. Plasma, they reference the suitcase from BW008 and say it's like "super-crazy-important" making it non-filler

 

[MarshiyanMisutaa]

BW008 - Filler.

Team Rocket received a suitcase, which they did use in BW009...

BW014 - Filler.

Aloe, Museum, Gym, prominent game location...And most of all, Team Rocket meet with Flint again and received the plans about stealing the meteorite from museum.

BW021 - Most likely a filler.

Can't we wait till episode airs? (I'm not talking only to you)

 

[Green Zubat]

I'm actually more surprised that others are surprised by this. They said they wanted to make BW faster paced that previous anime and what's the easiest way to do this? Cut out the fillers.

They're just trimming the fat and I'm personally enjoying it so far (not that I dislike fillers, as long as they're interesting & engaging as any other episode)

 

[Sweet Veil]

I'm actually more surprised that others are surprised by this. They said they wanted to make BW faster paced that previous anime and what's the easiest way to do this? Cut out the fillers.

They're just trimming the fat and I'm personally enjoying it so far (not that I dislike fillers, as long as they're interesting & engaging as any other episode)

:disgust:

There was no official statement BW is quicker then any other saga. That's just a load of FanDUMB speculation.

 

[Yankees4life]

They're like 3-4 fillers so far. I'm guessing the writers wanted to cut off most of the fillers from last saga to gear up for a filler-arc. But dats how I see it