Filler episodes are one of shonen anime's major downfalls. Though watching the heroes get a break from fighting villains to have fun every once in a while could be entertaining, many shonen series are oversaturated with filler episodes that only derail the plot. Bleach, for example, has 366 episodes overall. 164 of them are filler.
Filler episodes are a shonen trend that seems to be fading out, but some series are still chock full of them. Luckily, plenty of fantastic shonen anime series don't have any filler. If they do, it's just the occasional recap episode and nothing distracting from the story.
10 Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Stayed Faithful To The Manga
The Fullmetal Alchemist franchise is a juggernaut for shonen anime. The first adaptation faithfully adhered to the source material and didn't stray until its episodes caught up to the manga. Instead of waiting for new manga chapters to release, the producers opted for an anime-original storyline.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, however, outshined its predecessor with excellent pacing, stunning visuals, and an iconic soundtrack. Fans of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga were pleased with its lack of filler and felt that the adaptation did the source material justice.
9 One-Punch Man's Lack Of Filler Sets It Apart From Other Shonen Series
One-Punch Man adheres so strongly to some battle shonen anime tropes that it's a miracle that the series isn't completely littered with filler episodes. However, One-Punch Man has had zero filler episodes since its 2015 premiere.
One-Punch Man follows Saitama, an overpowered superhero who can defeat any foe with a single punch. Unfortunately, he's grown jaded since nobody can offer him a real challenge anymore. Madhouse produced the first season, so One-Punch Man didn't disappoint fans with its stunning visuals and beautifully choreographed battles.
8 Haikyuu! Is A Well-Written Sports Anime That Stays True To The Manga
Haruichi Furudate's Haikyuu! is a shonen masterpiece and a juggernaut of sports animanga. The series follows Shoyo Hinata, a boy who is determined to become a legendary volleyball player despite his short height. Haikyuu!'s exciting volleyball games, realistic characters, and hilarious banter cement the series as one of the greatest.
Haikyuu!'s anime adaptation didn't stray from the manga and doesn't contain filler episodes. It's unclear whether or not the upcoming movies will continue this trend, but Seasons 1 through 4 are entirely canon.
7 Filler Episodes Would Just Feel Out Of Place In Attack On Titan
Filler episodes are generally lighthearted and show the heroes having some fun for a change. Though some argue that Attack On Titan doesn't have enough humor, these kinds of episodes would just feel out of place with the series' gritty world-building.
As fans anticipate the final part of Attack On Titan's concluding season, many feel grateful that the series didn't have a single filler episode since its 2013 premiere. Studio WIT and MAPPA have done excellent jobs keeping the anime faithful to Attack On Titan's manga.
6 Hunter X Hunter Only Has Two Recap Episodes
Hunter x Hunter's 2011 adaptation has remained faithful to the manga and currently has 148 episodes. Most other shonen series would have included at least a couple of filler episodes by that point, but Hunter x Hunter only has two recap episodes.
These recap episodes don't take away from the plot since they're just rehashing recent events in the series. Hunter x Hunter is one of the greatest shonen animanga series of all time, so fans were grateful that Nippon Animation stayed true to canon.
5 Jujutsu Kaisen's First Season Cut Straight To The Point
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Jujutsu Kaisen's lack of filler is impressive, despite only having one season currently out. Its shonen predecessors, like Naruto, included filler episodes in the first season. However, MAPPA cut straight to the point and didn't even waste time with a recap episode. Hopefully, this trend will continue in Jujutsu Kaisen's highly-anticipated second season.
Jujutsu Kaisen stars Yuji Itadori throughout his journey as a sorcerer after swallowing a cursed finger. He enrolls at Tokyo Jujutsu High to buy some time while hunting for the rest of the fingers and keeping the King of Curses possessing him in check.
4 Yu Yu Hakusho's Lack Of Filler Was Surprising For Its Time
Yu Yu Hakusho premiered in 1992 and stayed faithful to the manga. During this time, most anime was chock full of unnecessary filler episodes that would be hard for new viewers to watch today. Yu Yu Hakusho was ahead of its time and didn't include any filler episodes.
Yu Yu Hakusho doesn't waste time on flashback episodes or slice-of-life plots that show the cast heading to the beach. Yu Yu Hakusho is a certified cult classic and one of the most beloved titles in the genre.
3 Fans Were Pleasantly Surprised By Demon Slayer's Lack Of Filler
Demon Slayer is one of the most popular modern shonen series, often recognized as one of the genre's new "big three." Before its 2019 premiere, some fans were worried that the Demon Slayer anime may have included filler episodes. However, viewers were pleasantly surprised when the anime didn't even include a single recap episode.
UFOTable did Koyoharu Gotouge's brilliant manga justice. The studio went above and beyond fans' expectations with its gorgeous art style, stunning visuals, and fluid battle choreography that's easy for the eyes to follow.
2 Mob Psycho 100 Is Perfect Without Any Filler
Adding any filler episodes to Mob Psycho 100 would be a fatal mistake for the series. Though the anime is full of lovable characters, Mob Psycho 100 fans really don't need to see Mob, Reigen, and the rest of the gang going to a beach or embarking on a noncanonical adventure.
Studio Bones has been faithful to the webcomic and exceeded fans' expectations. Thanks to Studio Bones' expertise, bright visual effects and brilliant animation quality have become synonymous with Mob Psycho 100's otherwise simplistic art style.
1 David Production Did A Great Job Pacing JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Without Any Filler
David Production had a massive responsibility in adapting JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. After all, the generational tale has been published in Shonen Jump since the late '80s, and its original anime didn't meet fans' expectations. David Production has done an excellent job producing the series from Phantom Blood to Stone Ocean.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure has so much going on in the plot that adding filler episodes would turn the series into a jumbled disaster. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure's campiness, unique character design, top-notch soundtrack, and unparalleled action cement it as a shonen masterpiece.