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I understand the anime adaptations are meant to be promotions for the original work but I feel like most of these series would benefit from being adapted after the manga is already over, case in point FMA brotherhood started while the manga was wrapping up and it ended up being an almost perfect adaptation (aside from that first episode, I mean the Freezer? is that the best villain name you can come up with?)

I know the staff for the One Piece anime consults with Oda about any anime original Devil Fruits to make sure they don't accidently use one Oda had plans for later on. Aside from that, I don't think he has much involvement in the anime.

I see some faithful adaptations as an insult for the intelligence of the viewer. It´s stupid that Fuuka couldn´t be a better than average show because stupid faithful adaptation bull**. Good thing the twist didn´t happen, who wants another sorta popular but crappy show because of a stupid truck meme? Fuuka needed the K-on treatment: ignore the crap, which in this case it´s 80% of the manga´s run, and make a more interesting series. It´s not an insult to Seo Kouji, because he has a quality product that people will love over his crappy manga, and he still will have some fame to him. It´s a shame we don´t see more of those adaptations because "respect the creator´s vision". Who wants to respect a crappy vision of a manga ka when you can take the good stuff he has and make it a more competent product?

Or is it an insult to the Sailor Moon manga that Toei gave it the much needed flavor it deserved, when Crystal was just yet another faithful adaptation, but an inspid one at that? Of course Naoko Takeuchi was pissed off by that, but who can watch Crystal now?

Those who think filler is an insult to the mangaka´s vision are very wrong. Most western otakus don´t know what an adaptation truly is. And there´s the difference between non-canon content, which is content added to an adaptation to make it coincidde with the canon content in a significant way, and filler, which is dead time with no new information about a plot, character development, etc.(basicallywhat happens with One Piece: 1 chapter of manga is 1 anime chapter, with a bad amount of dead time that could use some new information).

And of course, as proven by Hollywood, a faithful adaptation can be as bad as a loose one, with The Wicker Man 2006 and The Shining TV miniseries serving as an example. While on the opposite side of the spectrum, Fight Club movie resulted to be better than the book.

There are some filler arcs and characters that are created by the original author, but that's usually mentioned as a selling point so I guess it's more of a special feature than a standard one.

There's plenty of good filler out there. I'd say D.Gray-man is a good example. It took bit characters that had little screentime in the manga and give them full backstories so we care a bit more when something happens to them. It actually added to the work rather than simply provide a distraction.

Sometimes filler does get fully embraced by the original author. A Certain Scientific Railgun comes to mind, as after the anime aired the manga started making references to anime original characters and events.

DmonHiro wrote:

...shows like Rosario+Vampire...a total insult to the anime.

How can an anime be an insult to itself? Rolling Eyes

zztop wrote:

Are there any famous mangakas who were able to successfully influence the anime production of their works?

Some thing I've read about was that CLAMP was able to do this with the TV adaptation of their Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle manga. The anime did a fair amount of it's own thing both in terms of making original episodes (call it filler if you must I really don't like the term) as well as adding scenes changing up things, the usual give and take in any adaptation. Supposedly, CLAMP withheld the rights of their later chapters after the second series being dissatisfied over the TV adaptation leading to the cancellation of a third series and opting for OVAs instead.

I assume this comes from somewhere in interviews as it seems to be the common narrative among fans (unless fans are speculating). Also read they forced a retcon episode in series 2 in response to an original series one and if this is indeed true, it's an example of a mangaka really throwing their weight around.

Another example I've read about was Natsuki Takaya really got on Akitaro Daichi's nerves while Fruits Basket was getting it's anime adaptation, probably not enough to influence the direction of the anime but seemingly enough for Daichi to swear off doing any further.

DmonHiro wrote:

However, you need to be very careful with filler. If you do a shit enough job you can kill the anime. Ruroni Kenshin has such an abysmal filler season that it killed the anime ratings and it got canceled before resuming the manga storyline.

Which isn't too bad one you bother to read the Jinchuu arc and see how much of a weaker arc it is in comparison to the Kyoto arc.

theNightster wrote:

first episode, I mean the Freezer? is that the best villain name you can come up with?)

You can just call him either by his real name Issac McDougal, or the "Freezing Alchemist".

Aquamine-Amarine wrote:

I think filler episodes are an insult to the original creator. It's like a big middle finger to them, as though the anime staff is saying "your stuff isn't good enough on it's own, let me fix it by adding my stuff into it".

Depending on the manga this is actually true, DragonBall and Z are good examples of adaptation being better do to the existing material being expanded upon.

Last edited by Jonny Mendes on Mon Apr 17, 2017 5:02 pm; edited 1 time in total

xchampion wrote:

In some ways I like the approach of anime like Attack On Titan, Yes, we had to wait 4 years in between seasons, but we didn't have to deal with any damn filler. We only have to worry about canon content. I can see why most would want the show to continue to air even with filler. If a show is off the air too long in between season there might not be enough fans left to care about it. It's why shows like Shirobako and Prison School might not get 2nd seasons, not because they weren't popular, but because the demand might not be there anymore. You could say that AoT is the exception to the rule.

From what im seeing this is what is happening in Shonen shows now. Even Fairy Tail that have some filler episodes are making a stop to have more manga release before returning in a future date when have more material.

Gintama is also a good example with a estimate 27 filler episodes out of 328 episodes. And stoping when get near the manga, before return later

The time of the never ending shonen titles going non stop for years are ending with, One Piece and Detective Conan as one of the few survivors. Japanese TV stations have less and less time schedules for daytime shonen anime and are not investing in that kind of anime as in the past.
And with that filler episodes will also be a thing of the past. When the get near the manga they will stop until enough manga chapters are out for a new season.

@SkerllyF: I tend to agree with your bigger point - an adaptation almost always turns out better if the production team focuses on creating the best adaptation that they can, not just the most slavishly faithful adaptation. That's not to say that a faithful adaptation can't be good or a loose adaptation can't turn into a train wreck, but fidelity alone does not make an anime adaptation automatically good or bad. In fact, quite a few of my favorite anime series - I'm thinking here of Trigun, K-On, Angelic Layer, Ghost in the Shell (both movie and Stand Alone Complex), Hyouka, and Cardcaptor Sakura - are widely praised as excellent adaptations despite making some significant alterations from the source material. Some of those have true "filler" episodes and some don't, but OTOH, some of the filler episodes in Cardcaptor Sakura and Trigun were among my favorite episodes in both shows.

While I'm not fond of fillers in general, I can't deny that it's not unusual for anime adaptations to be superior than the original material and a lot of them are ones where liberties were taken. Dragon Ball Z for example took itself more seriously than the manga and focused more on making things dramatic while the manga was too gaggy and pacing wasn't smooth. Another example, I don't care if this is an unpopular opinion but Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) was another great show that in my opinion was far superior to the manga and Brotherhood. YuYu Hakusho is another series where the anime was better. And Urusei Yatsura was also made into a series much better than the manga.

Filler is always blow out of proportion by fans who got burned once or twice.

There is good filler, most One Piece Fans Adore the G-8 arc, and like the Ice Hunters, even the recent Marine Rookies Arc was well received.

Fairy Tail has also had decent filler with the Key of the Starry Heavens (Which even got a few nods in the Manga by the Author with Yukino mentioning the lack of Spirit Wizards and a I'm pretty sure a certain doll showed up in Lucy's room in one chapter.)

Occasionally the authors do make contributions, Mashima created the Eclipse Spirit Designs for the last Fairy Tail Filler Arc and I believe he made some contributions to the KOTSH filler as well.

They theoretically do have say over the anime. I remember Fruit Basket needing to get a color detail right and Mr. Shaman King recently said no to a new show, as he wanted to keep the old VAs. Mr. Kenshin even shut down a possible Pachinko machine once! Still, who has time to work another full time job, if their manga already takes up all their life.
Meddling in another medium would also have repercussions for their future prospects with their publisher and future licensees. I would stay away too, if i was a mangaka.

The need for "traditional" TV filler lastly means that an anime is doing well, as it is biding time, but that once killed Kenshin´s chance to see the last 3rd adapted. The exception to the rule.

Yeah seems like filler's becoming a thing of the past. I do like how they're doing My Hero Academia, doing an arc and then waiting, then doing the next arc when it's done in the manga ect ect, at least for so long as the show makes money I suppose.
I don't think filler was just about keeping the show going, but also about keeping their animation teams around and working. But right now there's so much work in demand I don't think any studio has fears of running out of work. Running out of money maybe...

CheezcakeMe wrote:

Yeah seems like filler's becoming a thing of the past. I do like how they're doing My Hero Academia, doing an arc and then waiting, then doing the next arc when it's done in the manga ect ect, at least for so long as the show makes money I suppose.

this isn't new, long running anime haven't been a thing for a long time.

the only shows that keep doing it are ones that have been doing it since the old days. (naruto/one piece/conan)

Tylerr wrote:

this isn't new, long running anime haven't been a thing for a long time.

Um, yeah, thus it becoming a thing of the past.
Some still sort of try the long-running anime thing with uber amounts of filler, such as Twin Star Exorcist, but that bombed.

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