Ah, the recap episode. It is the standard operating procedure for any series. They try to mask it by throwing in some extra animation. They try to make it entertaining. The very best recap episodes actually add some information about the story or characters, but usually only very little. I suppose that if one were interested enough they could discern the flak from the relevant information. I, for one, am usually just kinda’ pissed that I have to watch a recap episode just to be sure that I don’t miss anything.

As I implied, I would assume that there is the possibility of there being some amount of interesting and relevant information in recap episodes. Isn’t there a better way to reintroduce old information? I could imagine several plot devices specifically used for this. For instance, a dramatic scene could be shown where the bad guy simply states the old information to the good guys (but he is really talking to the audience).

Probably the most irritating recap I have every put myself through (5 or 6 times) is the Death part of Death & Rebirth. Sure, it is edited well. It has new scenes. It was re-voiced. I’m sure EVA fans exist more fanatical than I who would argue that it was one of the best uses of recappiness. I enjoyed it, but in the end we got sixty minutes of recap and twenty-odd minutes of new anime.

Probably, the more irritating recap format is the opening preview with a recap of the previous episode. For this absurdly intrusive and cheap trick, I point you to the first episodes in the Bleach series, which I dropped after becoming totally frustrated with the show’s recappiness and extremely slow story progression.

Let us review the past here: (you don’t actually have to read them)

Life is a box: This was the last post of 2006. Here I wrapped up what I had started more than a month prior. I’m not sure how many people were following.

Gankutsuou is deep: Here I tried to get all-philosophical about The Count of Monte Cristo.

On Perspective and Interpretation: An attempt to make sense of how the audience interplays with the art.

Google Trends: My attempt to prove that all anime fans a total pervs.

Spoilers: Some type of rambling about how I can’t possibly spoil a story.

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Wow, this took about the same amount of time to do as a normal post.

BTW, “recappiness,” I copyright that.