Thread: Timeshift/flashback episodes in Anime

I Just took a look at the anime Ga-Rei Zero. I really don´t understand the purpose of that timeshift/flashback episodes in some series...

The anime was about avarage the first two episodes, but then the time changed into the past (searched for episode contents and found out that timeline is about ep 3-9->1-2->10-12
I don´t understand that, I´ve never seen a show that became better beacause of that stuff (Record of Lodos War or The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, though these two are still good, despite unnecessary shifts)

I want to know if anybody out there like this "stylistic device" or if all feel the way I do.

If anybody knows a good series, badly influenced by unnecessary timeshifts, feel free to post a correct episode order here.

ps.
The Theresa backflash in claymore was ok, could have problems accepting Clare as main char after seeing Theresa....

I didn't like Ga-Rei Zero too much, mainly cause it was too short to develop a more solid plot. It dragged on too much about the relationships, besides the anime is a prelude to the manga series, that's all I can say. They wanted substance on the character's background mostly the main girl, who inherits the Gai-Rei; can't remember her name.

speaking of flashbacks. anyone seen baccano?
the hole series is kinda of a giant flashback, that finally made sense in the last episode^^

One Piece.....................

The poll is broken, in that it doesn't have an option for "It depends".

All I'll say is Berserk. The manga and anime both. Wouldn't be the same without the bloody start it had.

Several other series uses such things extreamly well also. And if used correctly it's made of awesome, if used wrong, it's fail.

Originally Posted by pseudorandom

The poll is broken, in that it doesn't have an option for "It depends".

The first answer is the "it depends" answer.
I just didn´t make a "they are good/sensefull all the time" answer

The first is too restricted -- it insists that if the flashback is coherent, then it improves it. Sometimes a coherent flashback isn't a good idea, no matter how well handed.

Originally Posted by pseudorandom

The first is too restricted -- it insists that if the flashback is coherent, then it improves it. Sometimes a coherent flashback isn't a good idea, no matter how well handed.

?
it does?
With the first choseable answer I wanted to say, that if the flashback is coherent, it can improve the series, but not necessarly does. If it is spoken in a misleading way, it must be because I´m no native speaker...

Ah, I get it. It's not so much misleading as ambiguous. I was reading it the other way.