Today, I want to talk about filler episodes. Not because this episode is filler, but because people use that term a little too liberally. To be clear, filler episodes consist of storylines that weren’t in the manga. But this episode is all canon, so you’d better pay attention.
Not that there is anything inherently wrong with filler. It may be considered the fast food of anime, but I’d argue that there is no meal I’d rather have at two in the morning than a Taco Bell crunchwrap with beans instead of beef, and potatoes thrown in. My point is, there’s a time and place for everything, and as long as the filler is good, I’m here for it.
There is perhaps no show that has more debate surrounding what is filler and what isn’t (what needs to be seen and what doesn’t), than One Piece. People see that episode count, and immediately start bargaining. There is even a whole fan edited version of the show called “One Pace” that attempts to cut out all of the “unnecessary scenes.” According to the website, “One Pace is over 40% faster to watch compared to the original One Piece anime, while retaining the entire canon. That's over 9000 minutes (150+ hours) saved!”
I have nothing against this project. Personally, I want more people to experience One Piece, and “One Pace” definitely makes it less intimidating. I have the same sentiment for Wit Studio’s The One Piece, an upcoming reanimation of the manga. I’m excited to see it, but there is a part of me that is a little sad when I see how much they plan on cutting out of the series.
It’s not because One Piece is perfectly paced, or that every moment is incredible and needs to be experienced. But, you can only cut so much of a story before it is no longer the same story. Think about the last two episodes. We don’t need to follow Buggy in his journey to reunite with his torso, arms, and legs.
As someone who is finishing up his 50th essay on One Piece, you might expect me to try and argue that you have to watch every episode. You must know that for one disastrous morning, Richie, the purple and green lion, was the captain of Buggy’s crew. I won’t pretend to know where Oda is going with things, but I’d be willing to bet that the Bear Claw Tribe being food connoisseurs will not factor into what the One Piece is, or who finds it.
But it was funny. It’s wacky to the highest degree, and I find it hilarious. To summarize, Buggy’s crew literally erects a boxing ring on Buggy’s grave site, have a cookout while the highest ranking members spend all day beating each other up, only to have a sleep walking lion deal a double knockout to both men, and the rest of the crew readily accepts that their new leader is an animal that cannot communicate with them.
None of this advances the plot, but does that mean it serves no value? Aside from it just being a fun episode, it’s creating memories and moments with the main cast, and other more minor characters. These moments are what make One Piece so magical. While laughing along, I have learned more about Buggy’s crew, and Buggy himself.
One Piece is like somewhere fun you used to go as a kid. A place that was great in its own right, but is only bolstered by the memories you had there. Maybe you’re lucky and that place is still there. Walking through the door, you can feel the comfort, not just from what that place is, but from the time spent there.
I get it, the world moves fast, and forces us to move fast with it. Time is precious, and I understand when people don’t want to spend so much of it watching one show. But our time is always being commodified, and thus efficiency is so often enforced. Episodes like this one, remind me that it’s ok to take your time with things. Our time does not always need to be used to its “maximum efficiency.” Joy has value too.