Forum - View topicOn Naruto and Filler Episodes
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18376 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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For a long time on these forums I have seen vociferous complaints about the filler episodes which make up the last third or so of the first Naruto series. Aside from the fact that they are not adaptations of the original manga, why do fans hate them so much?
I am watching the series via Cartoon Network's broadcast, which just finished the mini-arc about the Bikochu beetle, and have not noticed a significant drop-off in artistry, production values, or storytelling quality in these filler eps compared to the last 3-4 dozen pre-filler eps. Granted, these are side stories only vaguely connected to the overall storyline, but the so-called "overall storyline" was so paper-thin to begin with that I don't see that it matters. The style, humor, action, drama, and character development components all remain pretty much the same, and it's nice to see some characters in action that have been prominently featured in openers but given little or no attention in episode content over the past few dozen episodes. (Especially Hinata in these most recent episodes - quite impressive, actually.) It's also been quite satisfying to see Sakura finally discovering a role for herself where she can excel. Now granted, except for the odd episode here and there I haven't had a high opinion of the series since the end of the spoiler[attack on the Leaf Village] arc, so maybe that's why I haven't noticed the quality drop-off, but so far I just don't see what people have been complaining about. |
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TranceLimit174
 Posts: 960 |
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As far as the CN broadcast is concerned, Naruto is still "healthy" so to speak. I personally thought the Bikouchu arc wasn't bad myself (probably because of the Hinata moments). However after Raiga (which will be the next arc) that's when things will start to slow down into a screeching halt until the show falls over onto itself. In about another 2 months or so all of the well deserved criticism of the Naruto filler will become quite apparent.
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IchigoK90
 Posts: 1634 Location: Scarborough, Ontario |
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I had only gone up to episode 189 I believe before I stopped caring really for Naruto. I admit there are some filler arcs I enjoyed. About 4 of them. However some of the arcs were just plain weak and there are about 2 episodes that really got on my nerves.
The Arcs I did enjoy were the: The Bikuchu Arc The Raiga Arc The Arc that deals with spoiler[Anko's past]. The Hoshikage Arc. Those were the most enjoyable arcs in my opinion. The only problem I had with the Filler arcs were that the villains were just throwaways and that the formula for the arcs was pretty redundant and predictable. |
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BellosTheMighty
 Posts: 767 |
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I have to say I agree- although the animation has been a bit dodgey lately, they took a good tack in terms of storyline by spotlighting the supporting cast, which didn't have much room to do anything during the post-chunin arcs. Except for the Sound Five fights, it's all been Naruto and Sasuke. That's okay, they are the main character and the main rival after all, but there are a lot of other stories in the leaf village waiting to be told, and I'm glad that now we get a chance to hear them. The Mizugi arc recieved a lot of brickbats, some deserved, for being another lame plot by Orochimaru and for fizzling at the end. But I think a storyline focusing on Iruka was important, since he's very significant in Naruto's life but hasn't been seen around much since Kakashi entered the picture.
People keep telling me the filler goes down after a while, but... well, okay, here's the thing. Around the time the Sound Five arc was wrapping up, I heard people talking about the filler and how it was a black poison in the veins of the series, universally. Then as the canonical material started wrapping up, it became "Well, the first storyline isn't so bad, and there are one or two other good ones, but after that it's all crap." Then a while later it became "Well, okay, these current ones are alright, but it's going to be a rough ride from here on out." Now the word gets out that Rock Lee's in the next arc, and the feeling is "Okay, they've held it together reasonably well, but after next arc it's straight downhill." The conventional wisdom keeps pushing back the point at which the series is going to fall into the ocean of shitte, and you'll pardon me if it's starting to look like some sort of con job. It's perfectly reasonable that the writing team will run out of interesting ideas, but when it never happens despite everyone prophesying the eventual implosion of the series under bad storytelling, it starts to look like that old cliche- the internet fanboy who proves himself the series best fan via the BizarroFan method of railing on it constantly. But who gives a flying crap, honestly? It's one hour a week at a time of the week that I have nothing to do except possibly your mom, and if it gets tedious I can just hit the power switch on the TV and go play some more Geneforge. So I say, let's just roll with it for the time being and enjoy the supporting cast luv. It'll suck when it sucks, and until then why hate on it? |
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MokonaModoki
 Posts: 437 Location: Austin, Texas |
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I never really had a problem with Naruto filler beyond the nagging feeling that something pretty significant got left behind.
As for the filler stories themselves, some were really entertaining, and some really sucked. It was never the wrenchingly awful situation that many make it out to be. Once the second series started I watched for about 10 episodes before realizing "it's still just Naruto" (i.e. it wasn't stunningly better than the filler). This was about the time I stopped watching fansubs at all. I'll just start watching again when the second series starts up on Toonami. |
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fokkusuhaundo
 Posts: 346 Location: San Diego ♥ ☼ ▓ |
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That's exactly how it was for me as well. I didn't really have that big of a problem with the filler episodes, I just expected Shippuden to be much better and worth the wait through 85 episodes of filler, which it really wasn't, it was the same Naruto that Naruto was before the filler. So I just lost interest and stopped watching Naruto altogether, although I do occasionally skip through episodes to watch fight scenes when there's nothing else to watch. |
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BrothersElric
 Posts: 1996 |
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Since I had just finished watching the series up to the end of the Sasuke retrieval arc around 170 or 180 or something like that (it was somewhere around the Star Village arc) I just skipped ahead to that episode, since I had heard that "one could pretty much just skip ahead without much penalty." And by that point, I can honestly say that yeah, they were getting pretty bland. Which I think is the big problem with it really. 85 episodes or so of pretty much the same thing only with different characters/adventure can get pretty old. If they had done it like Bleach, where it's all one big story arc of it's own, that would probably have been better.
But I can honestly say that having the opportunity to go back and watch these earlier filler arcs that this is indeed WAY better than what I watched. Not sure exactly where it started to drop in quality, but I think I can tell that it did at one point. I think the biggest problem of all with it is the fact that in these earlier episodes, I've noticed that there is actually quite a bit of cannon here and there (about the last few chapters or so of the manga have been kind of spread out amongst all these stand alone story arcs) such as Sakura's training as a medical ninja (yes Key, that is actually cannon material  ), Kiba's and Shino's conversation about "the last mission," Hinata watching Neji fight, ect. And I myself have been enjoying the fact that characters like Hinata and Iruka, ect. have been getting all this nice screen time/development (with this last arc I have to say now that one of the very few disappointments I have with the original story content is that I'd love to have seen Hinata have the same development she had in that arc), even if admittedly, the stories themselves have been kind of dull. But none of this sort of thing was relevant AT ALL in ANY of the filler episodes I skipped ahead to, save maybe the last filler arc that ended with a nice little Gara story and the cannon material that ended part 1 of the series. Other than that it was pretty dull, repetitive and had an occasional really retarded episode (think of how this last arc ended..... yeah......). But I will say though that when it wasn't retarded, at the very least I found some of them to be fairly enjoyable anyways, even if it wasn't going anywhere.
In the end though, and I've said it millions of times before and will say it again, the anime, while still a strong companion to the manga, just isn't the best way to get into this series. I wouldn't say skip it entirely, but I would say read the manga first. Because it's WAY more fast-paced for one, but another one of the problems I have with the fillers is that for a storyline like Naruto's, it's as long as it is because of all the different characters it has to explore and the sheer amount there is to the world that it's in. Basically, it's an ongoing story. I mean yeah, sure, it has it's "story arcs" and whatnot, but instead of a new story each arc or whatever, each arc flows into the next into one big, long storyline. Meaning filler is just so hard to make happen without interrupting and ruining some of the series' greatest moments. And that's what the filler seems to do for me: ruin key/great moments by making the story appear repetitive/dull/longer than it needs to be, when in the original manga content, that flow isn't interupted/too dragged out and you get to see what truly makes this series as great as it is. Granted the anime actually does have certain strengths that the manga doesn't, I'll admit that, but the manga is just an overall better experience. |
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Ohoni
Posts: 3421 |
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It does get worse. I didn't have a huge problem with the filler for several more episodes yet. Aside from Mizuki-cat. That was horrible.
Taken purely in its own context, I disliked the filler, as a whole, because it's kind of pointless and nobody REALLY develops much (although some characters fake it), and any development they do do is either outside of canon, or just a preview of things to come, which detracts slightly when it actually does happen in Shippuden. Beyond that, I dislike the filler because the original plot was tighter and made more sense, and this is equivalent to taking one of my wirey 5'8 sweaters and putting it on a bulky 6'4 guy, it just bends it out of shape. There's less urgency to the situation when Naruto essentially "takes off" what must be at least six months to just goof around on random pick-up missions, where in the manga he was immediately dragged away by Jiraiya to train and travel for the entire duration of the gap between failing to capture Sasuke and the events of Shippuden. It's just not as solid a product. |
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HitokiriShadow
 Posts: 6251 |
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I found the first few story arcs to be at least decent. The first two showed spoiler[Sakura realizing she was pretty useless as she was and needed to improve a lot and then we got to see a bit of it.] And I liked the Bikochu arc because I'm a Hinata fan. The next arc focused on Lee, of whom I am not a big fan, but the storyline was okay. But after that, I just couldn't care any more. I vaguely recall a two episode arc I skipped through and an episode I only watches a few seconds of (when the fansubbers themselves say "There is absolutely nothing worth watching in this episode", its' probably utter crap). It appeared to be about Naruto and others of his rank escorting the younger kids on a camping trip). I had felt Naruto had just lost something after the exam/invasion arc and the subsequent arcs where just never as good and Naruto was never exactly my favorite series, so I just didn't have any interest in watching a bunch of so-so filler episodes where nothing of consequence was going to happen. But it sounds like most of the episodes after I had stopped just got worse.
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Vortextk
 Posts: 892 Location: Orlando, Fl |
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I wouldn't say it's the worst thing ever. The problem some people have, while being reasonable about this, is it turns from Naruto to pokemon. Sure, Naruto is aimed at a younger audience but if you like this kind of thing you can't deny something like the arc with Zabuza was VERY fun to watch. The fillers? Not so much. "Shadow clone, rasengan!!"(To be fair, that's all freaking Naruto has done after fillers too =/) No new moves, no new story, nothing that will affect ANYTHING later or be in ANY flashbacks because it's useless fluff.
The reason I learned to hate the fillers was lack of quality, boring fights, insanely stupid enemies(the fish thing...the butterfly whatever village....and while Hinata's new power was cool, the bee/insect summoners? Shino has thought thrown into his powers and fights, theirs seemed much worse) and just waiting until a real story would pick up. If I didn't know they were fillers while I was watching, I probably would've disliked them less. How far along are the AS releases? I mean, two words Key, "Money Ninja". If you haven't seen it yet, enjoy when you do
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Emerje
 Posts: 7391 Location: Maine |
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Yeah, I'm going to agree with Ohoni on this one. Sure, some of the filler actually did have potential, especially some of the early on stuff, but when they start doing the shorter and single episode stories things begin to fall apart pretty quickly. However, I think a lot of the backlash against the filler isn't because of the content as much as it is the anticipation. The people who saw it as it was airing in Japan was chomping at the bit for the next series (Part 2) to begin which was making the filler more unbearable. Since that part of the manga isn't as widely read by the current Toonami viewers the anticipation might not be as high and actually might make the filler even more enjoyable.
With that said, here are my thoughts on the filler stories (light on spoilers, but there might be some): 136-141 Infiltration arc- Good: Good animation, some visually disturbing scenes, Sakura comes to terms (again) with her weaknesses. Bad: Maybe a little to much of Jiraiya being Jiriya. 142-147 Mizuki arc- Good: Great use of Iruka as a standout character, Ino-Shika-Cho is always great to see, Mizuki makes for a good villain. Bad: Horrible ending for what could have been a good arc. 148-151 Bikochu Beetle arc- Good: HINATA! She really shined in this episode, also good to see more of Shino. Bad: Fart jokes. 152-157 Raiga/Curry arc- Good: First look at a third member of the spoiler[Mist Seven Swordsmen], Raiga's creepy spoiler[infatuation with funerals and burying people alive]. Bad: Curry of Life (I really didn't care for that angle), Lee could have looked stronger. 158 Survival Challenge- Good: Naruto in a mentor role. Bad: Naruto being a little too weak and careless, would have been better if it focused on him maturing. 159-160 Bounty Hunter arc- Good: Interesting Wild West theme, pretty good story. Bad: No development, overall forgettable. 161 Gai/Lee Impostors- Good: Nothing Bad: Shonen Jump Japan gag episode that doesn't translate well to anyone that doesn't read SJ. 162-167 Noroimusha arc- Good: Rare Naruto ghost story, feudal setting, overall good story Bad: Nothing though a lot of people didn't like this episode. 168 Raman mission- Good: Nothing Bad: Probably a little too Japanese for most, not very funny for a gag episode, poor Ayame! 169-173 Anko arc- Good: Explores Anko and Orochimaru's relationship, mixed team of Naruto, Shino, and Ino, return of some characters from the Chunin Exams. Bad: Animation quality fluctuates a lot, not everybody liked the monster premise (though I thought it was fittingly used) 174 VIP Escort- Good: Nothing, why are these one shots so bad? At least it isn't a gag episode. Bad: Pretty similar to the story of the third movie, but not half as enjoyable. 175-176 Treasure Hunt arc- Throwaway episodes 177 Currier Ninja Throwaway episode 178-183 Star arc- Good: Interesting use of chakra, one of the more emotional stories in Naruto (IMO) Bad: I lot of people didn't like this arc, I think they were just anxious for the Part 2 at this point. I really enjoyed it. 184 Kiba one-shot- Good: Always great to see other characters get the spot light. Bad: Doesn't really go anywhere. 185 Obaa- Throwaway episode, and a dumb one at that. 186 Shino gag episode- Good: Nothing Bad: Shino out of character, not a good episode, maybe something was lost in translation. 187-191 Moving/Bodyguard arc- Good: Good action, unique fights, Naruto and others look good, arc plays out like one of the movies. Bad: Not a whole lot, I really enjoyed this one. 192 Ino One Shot- Good: Nothing Bad: Worst. Episode. EVER! Ino is the skinny body double for a fat fiance, Husband to be likes fat chicks (what a twist!), Naruto pees on Ino. There, now you can spare yourself the trouble. 193 Lee One Shot- Throwaway episode despite being Lee-centric. 194 Ghost Castle- Throwaway episode 195-196 Lee Rival arc- Good: Makes up for the 193, new character seems interesting... Bad: Strange twists in the story hurt the arc. 197-201 Leaf Village Reconstruction arc- Good- Interesting story that actually feels like a threat to the village, all of the kids get to test their investigation skills. Bad- Not much, I liked this arc 202 Top 5 Fights- It's a clip episode, list is kinda random and made up, glaring omission of what many consider the greatest fight in the series, Lee vs. Gaara. 203-207 Kurenai arc- Good: Kurenai takes the spot light, lots of great Genjutsu arts. Bad: Maybe a little slow paced 208 Treasure Escort- Throwaway episode. 209-212 Prisoner Transport arc- Good: Another story that plays out like one of the movies, touching story, good characters. Bad: I liked it, best arc of the final season. 213-215 Amnesia arc- Good: Pretty much on par with the last arc Bad: Reminds us how close we are to the end of the filler. 213-219 Sand arc- Good: Excellent arc, lots of character development, finally see the return of the Sand Ninja. Bad: Sand looked a tiny bit weak. 220: Final Episode- Good: Back to canon story! Bad: Doesn't actually mean anything improves unfortunately... Emerje |
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sj21
Posts: 312 |
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i enjoyed all arcs as naruto is my favorite anime, but i hate how sakura keeps saying she's going to do something and she never does. it's annoying.
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BladeDragoonZETA
 Posts: 586 |
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you forgot HEADLESS NARUTO |
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Zoe
 Posts: 898 Location: Austin |
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177 is worth it just for this quote: spoiler[It seems like Rasengan is becoming some kind of cheap technique.]
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britannicamoore
 Posts: 2618 Location: Out. |
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I enjoyed it mostly, I just hated that some of the chracters began to act way out of charcter...a good example would be the Curry of Life.
spoiler[Neji would never be one to act so goofy. I don't even care for him so much, but still. ] I agree with the Rasengen comment and it was kinda sad Naruto got dragged everywhere. (from what I remember) It's a show about him, but I think if he hadn't of been in an episode or two I would have liked them more. |
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