Vent: skipped the filler arc in Bleach for 2 months, now I get why pacing debates rage

I kept skipping every filler episode because the main story dragged, but then I hit the Zanpakuto Rebellion arc on a whim during a layover in Denver and actually enjoyed it. It wasn't canon but the character moments felt more real than some of the main fights. Does anyone else think filler gets a bad rap when the source material rushes things anyway?

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karenw231mo ago

GIRL, I feel this so hard! I did the EXACT same thing with the Bount arc back in the day, skipped it for like three months, then caved during a dead week at work. The trick I learned is to treat filler like a palate cleanser, not a chore. Watch it in chunks between canon arcs, not all at once. The Zanpakuto Rebellion actually has some of the best character writing in the whole series, and honestly, some of the filler fights are more fun because they don't have to follow the manga's rules. Once I stopped forcing myself to "catch up" and just let the episodes breathe, I enjoyed Bleach way more. Now I just skip the ones with terrible animation and keep the good ones.