Clip episodes: Are they really necessary

[rocklobster]

I'm currently rewatching Gundam Wing, and I'm at the clip episode. Even though I despise clip shows, I'm watching it anyway because I'm reviewing it and the recaps are helping to jog my memory for the review.
However, I was wondering something. Are clip shows even necessary? I mean, if you've been watching every episode up to this point, do you really need 20-45 minutes of stuff you've already seen? Especially if you have a short series. I can understand when it's something like a Gundam show, because those are somewhat long (anywhere from 40-52 episodes) and there's a lot of important events to remember. Even the filler episodes are important in Gundam because the stories are so plot-driven, we need to see how the events are developing the cast.
So, I leave the question to you, are clip shows necessary or do they bog down the story?

[TheSubtleDoctor]

When you have the benefit of owning a show on DVD, or have access to all the episodes in a streaming format, then recap episodes can seem superfluous. However, remember that (1) these shows air in a once-weekly fashion. By episode 30 of Wing, a viewer might need a refresher on what happened six months ago; and (2) these episodes allow the studio to save some money and put it towards upping the animation quality in later episodes.

[ABlipinTime]

I'm reminded of Nadesico, in which they make fun of the recap episodes with their own recap episode.
Sadly, I can't recall which episode this was.

My opinion on recaps: I like Nadesico's. Frankly, they're unnecessary. If you keep up with a show, you shouldn't need a recap episode despite each episode being separated by a week at a time. Plus, I find that the lack of recaps also allows for an easier passing of time: if you aren't being reminded of what just happened, somehow events seem really old and it feels like more time has passed, which translates to more realism if you're considering anime whose chronologies happen over a long time span.

[FllMtl Novelist]

I've never seen a 'clip episode'. But if it's a long show it makes sense to recap somehow, and I'd prefer they got all their recapping done at once, rather than in five-second clips replayed every ten episodes ("Die, InuYasha!!").

Also, if you remember everything well enough, you can probably just skip a recap episode. On the other hand, you have to sit through a dozen tiny flashback-style recaps ("Die, InuYasha!!") since fast-forwarding would be more trouble than it's worth.

So I'd say recap episodes are definitely the better refresher course, if one is needed. But that's just my (admittedly uninformed) opinion.

[bakura91]

I think Clip episodes served more of a purpose before the Internet and DVD/home video.
I watch Online or on DVD now so I always skip the clip episodes but I could see how with say something like Fist of the Northstar that has alot of clipshow/recap episodes. I could see why since it was a long running(at the time) series,in the 80s before DVD.
(athough it was probably for budget reasons as well)

[GrubbTheFragger]

Depends really on the length of the show. High school of the dead had one at episode 6 which was stupid and unnecessary.

[ChristianKitsune]

While I once saw a point for them before DVDs and such,I think even then I was annoyed. I wanted a new episode after waiting a week to find out what happens, especially if they left off at a very pivotal point in a series. So when they aired a clip episode, it was really annoying because I had to wait AnOTHER week to find out what happened next. XD

But what was really heinous was when a series such as Wolf's Rain not only had one clip episode but four in a row. If I remember correctly, these episodes documented each of the wolves' story during the series run.

[Rocketshipper]

9 times out of 10 clip shows are just annoying wastes of time, especially if your watching a show on DVD instead of TV, so you can see episodes in much quicker suscession. There have been a few shows that were creative with their clip shows, like the previously mentioned Nadesico, or Revolutionary Girl Utena, but they seem to sadly be the exception.

What really bugs me is that it seems that clip shows have nothing to do with the lenght of a series. You;d think that long runners would get clip shows more often than short series, but it really seems they're more prevalent in the shorter shows. I'll never get why Chobits, a 27 episode series, has THREE recaps (including the *final* episode!!!) while a show like DBZ has ZERO. And then Japan even has an obsession with Recap *movies*!! Eva Death and Rebirth, the Death Note Re:Light specials, The first Gurrenn Lagann movie, Various Gundam re-edited movies and TV specials. I don;t really get it. I don't think anyone in America would put up with it if someone made a movie out of some show that was just re-used clips, ala Death and Rebirth, but in Japan they can get away with it just fine...

[Masquerade1412]

This is what I think about clip episodes.
If it is good, or pretty close to the beginning, it can be the perfect starting point for new viewers and still make sense to a continuous viewer!
If it is bad...Skip it.

[A_Yellow_Dress]

When I think clip episodes, I think Wolf`s Rain.
I just find they mess up the pacing of the show.

[Umbreon0]

I despise clip episodes. I find them a waste, because if you're like me and watch tenor more episodes a day, you pretty much remember everything.

[Atria35]

I despise clip episodes. I find them a waste, because if you're like me and watch tenor more episodes a day, you pretty much remember everything.

When you have the benefit of owning a show on DVD, or have access to all the episodes in a streaming format, then recap episodes can seem superfluous. However, remember that (1) these shows air in a once-weekly fashion. By episode 30 of Wing, a viewer might need a refresher on what happened six months ago

I know a few shows that I've watched once-weekly, and that makes me incredibly grateful for clip shows. When I'm watching on DVD and internet, I can just skip them, but the clip shows were meant for those who follow it from week to week, and there are *long* shows out there that need it.

[Wallachia]

Recaps are essential for overly long anime series; they are not good for shows that only last around 12 episodes. The average 26 episode series is iffy. I can understand a show like Kaiji getting a recap episode, and especially a show that airs on TV at a slow rate.

[blkmage]

I can't say that, even watching around ten shows as they air every season, I have ever suddenly forgot what happened in the previous few weeks of a show.

There is only one reason that recap episodes even exist and that reason is the budget.

[KhakiBlueSocks]

[font="Trebuchet MS"][SIZE="4"][color="RoyalBlue"]Funny that you brought up this topic, Rocklobster. As you know, I recently reviewed "His and Her Circumstances" on my blog, (shameless plug) and that series had more recaps, flashbacks and clip moments than I care to count...well...actually I did...episodes two, three, four, seven, nine, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, nineteen, twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five and twenty-six all contained some kind of flashback or recap of the series up to that point. I also timed them using my stopwatch; it came up to 57 minutes and 31 seconds worth of recaps...two episodes worth for a series that's only 26 episodes! Granted, there are many circumstances involved with the production including the director, Hideaki Anno, leaving the project and having a dispute with the original manga creator, but it's ridiculous to have that many flashbacks in a series...especially back to back like that!

Rule of thumb for me: if your episode is less than 26 episodes, no clip show episodes or flashbacks are required or needed![/color][/SIZE][/font]

[Sheenar]

With my memory issues, clips/flashbacks/recaps for a longer series can be immensely helpful in helping me remember what had happened before (like, for example, in DBZ where they have the recaps at the beginning of each episode --if I'm not watching it in marathon format on DVD, it really helps me remember what happened without having to re-watch a previous episode).

However, if the series is less than 30 episodes, it can be iffy if they are really necessary --except for weekly shows, then a brief (around 2 min.) recap can be helpful.

[SincerelyAnomymous]

I'd rather just experience the previous episodes than watch a 20 minute recap. But I guess the writers need a break...

But for me, the best time to do a recap would be near the end. When a lot of stuff has happened and the climax is about to approach us. That would be a little more fitting.

[ABlipinTime]

^ The writers need a break? What about the poor animators? XD

Mm, a recap at the end might be fitting for some shows, but that can also diminish the "rewatchability" as I call it - that driving element of mystery that gets you to watch the show again to figure out how everything happened.