History Main / NonSerialMovie

* Inverted and subverted with the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, in which the films are the prime continuity, and the spinoff shows prior to ''Series/WandaVision'' are, in a sense, Non-Serial ''Series''. ''Series/AgentsOfShield'', ''Series/AgentCarter'', ''Series/JessicaJones2015'', ''Series/{{Daredevil|2015}}'' and so forth '''are''' officially part of the MCU, and repeatedly confirmed to be so. At the same time, however, the events of television productions have almost no impact on the direction of the films and their MythArc. This caused significant friction between Creator/MarvelStudios and Creator/MarvelTelevision, especially as the films could upset the status quo of the world at any time, and the showrunners were often left scrambling to keep up.[[note]]As happened following the massive shakeup caused by ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'', which actually ''dismantled S.H.I.E.L.D.''. While ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' was still airing its first season.[[/note]] Meanwhile, it's been made clear numerous times that the films have no intent on using or referencing developments from the television side of things.[[note]]Case in point, the resurrection of EnsembleDarkHorse Phil Coulson in ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'', and Whedon explicitly stating the films will carry on as if Coulson is DeaderThanDead, while the last two seasons of ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' ignored the game-changing ending of ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' and are implied to take place in an alternate timeline.[[/note]] [[spoiler: ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' marks the first time the series are acknowledged, however briefly, as Edwin Jarvis (previously only a secondary protagonist in ''Agent Carter'') gets to make a short cameo. Later, the Netflix series were implied to still be in canon, with the series being transferred over from Netflix to Disney+, Daredevil appearing in ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome'' and ''Series/SheHulkAttorneyAtLaw'' (as well as getting a SequelSeries to his original show in Phase 5), and the Kingpin appearing in ''Series/{{Hawkeye|2021}}''.]]

* Inverted and subverted with the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, in which the films are the prime continuity, and the spinoff shows prior to ''Series/WandaVision'' are, in a sense, Non-Serial ''Series''. ''Series/AgentsOfShield'', ''Series/AgentCarter'', ''Series/JessicaJones2015'', ''Series/{{Daredevil|2015}}'' and so forth '''are''' officially part of the MCU, and repeatedly confirmed to be so. At the same time, however, the events of television productions have almost no impact on the direction of the films and their MythArc. This has caused significant friction between the two studios, especially as the films can upset the status quo of the world at any time, and the showrunners are often left scrambling to keep up.[[note]]As happened following the massive shakeup caused by ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'', which actually ''dismantled [=SHIELD=]''. While ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' was still airing its first season.[[/note]] Meanwhile, it's been made clear numerous times that the films have no intent on using or referencing developments from the television side of things.[[note]]Case in point, the resurrection of EnsembleDarkHorse Phil Coulson in ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'', and Whedon explicitly stating the films will carry on as if Coulson is DeaderThanDead.[[/note]] [[spoiler: ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' marks the first time the series are acknowledged, however briefly, as Edwin Jarvis (previously only a secondary protagonist in ''Agent Carter'') gets to make a short cameo. Later, the Netflix series were implied to still be in canon, with the series being transferred over from Netflix to Disney+, Daredevil appearing in ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome'' and ''Series/SheHulkAttorneyAtLaw'' (as well as getting a SequelSeries to his original show in Phase 5), and the Kingpin appearing in ''Series/{{Hawkeye|2021}}''.]]

* Inverted and subverted with the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, in which the films are the prime continuity, and the spinoff shows are, in a sense, Non-Serial ''Series''. ''Series/AgentsOfShield'', ''Series/AgentCarter'', ''Series/JessicaJones2015'', ''Series/{{Daredevil|2015}}'' and so forth '''are''' officially part of the MCU, and repeatedly confirmed to be so. At the same time, however, the events of television productions have almost no impact on the direction of the films and their MythArc. This has caused significant friction between the two studios, especially as the films can upset the status quo of the world at any time, and the showrunners are often left scrambling to keep up.[[note]]As happened following the massive shakeup caused by ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'', which actually ''dismantled [=SHIELD=]''. While ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' was still airing its first season.[[/note]] Meanwhile, it's been made clear numerous times that the films have no intent on using or referencing developments from the television side of things.[[note]]Case in point, the resurrection of EnsembleDarkHorse Phil Coulson in ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'', and Whedon explicitly stating the films will carry on as if Coulson is DeaderThanDead.[[/note]] [[spoiler: ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' marks the first time the series are acknowledged, however briefly, as Edwin Jarvis (previously only a secondary protagonist in ''Agent Carter'') gets to make a short cameo.]]

** The OVA ''The Sealed Sword Frenzy'' is set between the Soul Society and Visored/Bount arcs, despite the show stating there was all of one day between said arcs. Also, after Ichigo's battle with Byakuya he was having trouble controlling his inner hollow, and his very next battle he almost went out of control, leaving him weak until his Vizard training. [[TakeYourTime This plot point seems to be put off]] for as long as they are introducing filler, it seems.

** ''Bleach'' one-ups most of the examples here by having non-serial arcs in the main anime: the New Third Captain arc, and the Zanpakuto Rebellion arc.

*** In ''Bleach'', whenever the anime started to catch up with the manga there was little choice but to insert a non-serial filler arc, as Kubo tends to write [[ArcFatigue very long story arcs]] which occur one right after another without any space to fit a filler between them. So from the New Captain filler arc onward it became standard for each filler to be a "yeah, this blatantly isn't canon but enjoy it anyway" affair.

** The other special, ''[[Anime/DragonBallZTheHistoryOfTrunks The History of Trunks]]'', is an expansion of a bonus chapter of the manga. Unlike in the special, Teen Trunks is already a Super Saiyan training with Gohan in the manga and in the Future Trunks arc of ''Anime/DragonBallSuper''.

** ''Anime/DragonBallZTheReturnOfCooler'': Blends the same TimeSkip with ''Cooler's Revenge'' but with elements of the early Android Saga. Dende is the new Guardian of Earth (which wouldn't happen for a several months in the manga, interestingly enough), meaning Piccolo fused with Kami and should be about as powerful as everyone else. Gohan is also older than he should be as he hadn't gone into the Room of Spirit and Time yet.

* ''Film/StarTrek2009'' and its sequels are set in an alternate continuity from the rest of the shows and movies in the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' franchise. Interestingly, the two universes are connected. The movie verse was created by a man from the main continuity travelling back and splitting the timeline.

** ''Anime/DragonBallZBattleOfGods'' was a new canon of the events following ''Dragon Ball Z'', eliminating the anime-only ''Dragon Ball GT'' story. It ends with a SequelHook of more powerful enemies for Goku and company to find, and unique for the first time [[CantCatchUp the heroes actually lose]]. ''Anime/DragonBallZResurrectionF'' is a direct sequel, featuring the return of Frieza, and the success of both movies led to the ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'' series. Following the conclusion of [[Recap/DragonBallSuperUniverseSurvivalArc the Tournament of Power]], there'd be another theatrical continuation in ''Anime/DragonBallSuperBroly'', which turns Broly into a CanonImmigrant and builds exclusively on major events of the entire franchise (Bardock, King Vegeta, destruction of the Saiyan homeworld, Frieza's second resurrection in ''Super'').

* ''Series/RedDwarf'' nearly got a movie that ignored the eighth season. The BolivianArmyEnding of Series [=VIII=] was Doug Naylor attempting to TorchTheFranchiseAndRun so the TV continuity couldn't be continued. The movie was scrapped when the only financial backers wanted to replace the cast with more successful answers leading to the show continuing with the ship having an UnexplainedRecovery.

** ''Series/KamenRiderFaiz'', ''Series/KamenRiderBlade'', ''Series/KamenRiderKiva'', ''Series/KamenRiderOOO'', and ''Series/KamenRiderZiO'': Straight examples. ''OOO'' is the last time that non-serial movies would be considered typical, as almost every show afterward integrates its movies into the show, while ''Zi-O'' does some LeaningOnTheFourthWall to acknowledge the impossibility of reconciling its films as canon.

** Tarble, Vegeta's younger brother from the ''Jump Super Anime Tour'' special ''[[Anime/DragonBallYoSonGokuAndHisFriendsReturn Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!!]]'' [[CanonImmigrant gets a mention]] in ''Anime/DragonBallZBattleOfGods'', though this was [[AdaptedOut left out]] when ''Battle of Gods'' was adapted as an arc in ''Dragon Ball Super'', only to be mentioned again in the ''Broly'' movie. [[FlipFlopOfGod Yeah...]]

There are a few bonuses to this technique. The movie is designed so those with only a basic sense of the series can still enjoy it, minimizing the risk of ContinuityLockout. It also allows for creative {{one shot character}}s into the story (especially a FillerVillain). The right director can put a creative spin on a series with an otherwise strict concept. And of course lots of gratuitous BigBudgetBeefUp.

A major negative of not being in continuity is it is usually not referred to in the show's later episodes to avoid plot conflicts, nor are they allowed to make major upheavals (e.g., KilledOffForReal) in characters. One way around this is to make the story a backstory, {{flashback}}, or prequel. Another is to do a plot that is stylistically similar to the ongoing one but clearly divorced (which may be a WhatIf). Another complication can arise depending on the original (for a given value of "original'" creators' personal influence in the story, or lack thereof, causing creators to distance their own continuity from the work or admit they aren't concerned about its canon. In extreme or badly-received situations, [[MyRealDaddy the fandom may even symbolically reject the work]] even if [[SchrodingersCanon it could reasonably fit into canon]].

* Most Heisei era ''Franchise/KamenRider'' series have had a Non-Serial Movie. There are exceptions, however.
** The Showa era series almost always averted this since, both in terms of runtime and stakes, their films were essentially TV episodes that were lucky enough to be shown on the big screen. One exception is ''Series/KamenRiderX [[Film/FiveRidersVsKingDark Five Riders vs King Dark]]''. It is supposedly in continuity due to bringing back [[Series/KamenRiderV3 Riderman]], but can't fit well into the series at any point. X-Rider still hasn't been upgraded in the movie, but already knows the Riders, while in the TV show he only meets Rider 2 for the first time after getting his upgrade.
** ''[[Series/KamenRiderAgito Agito]]'': ''Project G4'' isn't an AlternateContinuity, though it's difficult to place within the TV series continuity, leaving it up to {{Fanon}} to shoehorn the movie in.
** ''[[Series/KamenRiderRyuki Ryuki]]'': Both the movie and TV special present wildly contradictory events (and the TV special in fact had two alternate endings, which viewers could vote for via telephone). However, every version of events is considered canon since WordOfGod revealed that [[spoiler:Shiro Kanzaki repeatedly hit the ResetButton trying to SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong; each version of the story happened in some timeline, but the TV series is the final iteration since he was convinced to give up.]]
** ''[[Series/KamenRiderFaiz Faiz]]'' and ''[[Series/KamenRiderBlade Blade]]''[='s=] movies are AlternateContinuity epilogues based on the question "[[WhatIf What if]] the series ended differently?"
** ''Faiz'': The ''Series/KamenRiderDrive'' web mini-series ''Kamen Rider 4'' is not just an epilogue to ''Film/SuperHeroTaisenGPKamenRider3'', it also serves as a FullyAbsorbedFinale for ''Faiz'' resolving the one loose plot thread of its finale: [[spoiler:Takumi's impending death]].
** ''[[Series/KamenRiderHibiki Hibiki]]'': A particularly odd case. It shows Hibiki gaining his SwordOfPlotAdvancement and SuperMode in a different way than in the TV series; however, every part of the movie ''except'' this is meant to be canon.
** ''[[Series/KamenRiderKabuto Kabuto]]'': ''God Speed Love'' is an AlternateUniverse version of the TV series where the Shibuya meteor was even worse and reduced the world to a post-apocalyptic wasteland; it ends with [[spoiler:Hyper Kabuto altering history by breaking part of the meteor, lessening the impact and bringing the TV series into existence through the TimeyWimeyBall.]]
** ''[[Series/KamenRiderDenO Den-O]]'': The show actually incorporates the first movie into the storyline such that the movie forms the fourth of a five-part StoryArc, making it an aversion. The second and third movies play the trope straight, due to the unexplained presence of [[spoiler:Zeronos]] and no continuity between them. It gets even more confusing with the fourth movie and the 2010 trilogy, which may or may not be canon to the television series (their setting is in fact the Den-O AlternateUniverse visited by ''Series/KamenRiderDecade'', thus their canonicity is definite to ''Decade'' but questionable to the main ''Den-O'' universe; the Den-O AU was the least different of the Decade [=AUs=], so it's possible they're one and the same).
** ''[[Series/KamenRiderKiva Kiva]]'': ''King of Demon World Castle'' outright contradicts the show's continuity in so many ways that it's impossible for it to be placed in the show's timeline.
** ''[[Series/KamenRiderDecade Decade]]'': ''All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker'' is canon to the series, but placing it is somewhat difficult as the show has no evident moment bridging to it in a series where the end of each episode sets up the next; it seemed non-canon at first because of the clear lack of anywhere it could fit. ''Movie Wars 2010'' serves as ''Decade''[='=]s GrandFinale; it also confirms the first movie's canonicity through the presence of Dr. Shinigami, referencing the previous film's events, as the BigBad. On that note, ''Movie Wars 2010'' ends with the protagonists have nothing more to do than travelling across the multiverse, making any ''Decade'' character appearances henceforth self-contained episodic affairs.
** ''[[Series/KamenRiderDouble Double]]'': Averted for all films. Scenes from ''Begins Night'' appear in the first episode as part of a ColdOpen, and it tells part of the backstory in FlashBack, but the actual present-day events seem to take place between episodes 14 and 15 due to the movie's story being [[{{Foreshadowing}} Foreshadowed]] in 13-14 and the presence of the Fang Memory in 15. ''Forever A to Z[=/=]The Gaia Memories of Fate'' takes place quite pointedly between episodes 44 and 45, since the former ends with the T2 Gaia Memories being transported, and the latter begins with [[spoiler:Futo Tower being repaired following the final battle between Double and Eternal]]. ''Movie War Core'' serves as the backstory of PosthumousCharacter Kamen Rider Skull; however, being canon to ''Double'' ends up causing problems for...
** ''[[Series/KamenRiderOOO OOO]]'': ''Movie War Core'' has many contradictions with the show. It could have been easily written off as a non-serial movie if it weren't for ''Double''[='=]s canonical involvement above. ''Film/OOODenOAllRidersLetsGoKamenRiders'' is flat-out non-canon because the time travel chaos ends up creating about quite a few dystopian alternate timelines [[spoiler:''without'' [[SnapBack snapping back]] to the original, canon ''OOO'' timeline after the BigBad is killed]]. On the other hand, ''21 Core Medals'', though stated to be in canon, is hard to place - also, the Greeed loan Eiji some of their Medals to fight the BigBad and there's never any indication that he returned them - and ''[[Film/KamenRiderXKamenRiderFourzeAndOOOMovieWarMegaMax Movie War Megamax]]'' and ''Heisei Generations FINAL'' are set after the series, with the former having [[spoiler:Ankh dead and the non-existence of the Core Medals... and how both those things might change]] and the latter being about [[spoiler:how both those things ''will'' change]].
** ''[[Series/KamenRiderFourze Fourze]]'': Averted in ''Megamax'', which introduced Rocket States and the Virgo Zodiarts, and first revealed that [[spoiler: Gamou is working with Foundation X]], all of which are quite important to the series. ''[[Film/KamenRiderXKamenRiderWizardAndFourzeMovieWarUltimatum Movie Wars Ultimatum]]'' (which affirms the canonicity of ''Film/KamenRiderFourzeTheMovieEveryoneSpaceIsHere'' with the appearance of a character who otherwise only appeared in that movie) takes place five years post-series, with the post-series continuity respected in both ''Film/KamenRiderXSuperSentaiXSpaceSheriffSuperHeroTaisenZ'' and ''Heisei Generations FINAL'', the latter ''actually'' being made five years after ''Fourze'' ended.
** ''[[Series/KamenRiderWizard Wizard]]'': There are no references to ''Movie Wars Ultimatum'' or ''Wizard in Magic Land'' in the series proper. With ''Ultimatum'' not contradicting TV canon, it can be easily interpreted as {{Filler}} with no ramifications on the greater plot. For ''Magic Land'', reality was altered to create the very different universe of the film, which is fixed by the end. The bulk of the film is similar to the previous decade's WhatIf stories, but it all still happened for Haruto, if no one else. The movies make references to each other, though: in ''[[Film/KamenRiderXKamenRiderGaimAndWizardTheFatefulSengokuMovieBattle Fateful Sengoku Movie Battle]]'', Wizard has the EleventhHourSuperPower ring that [[NewPowersAsThePlotDemands he pulled out of nowhere]] in ''Magic Land''. However, there ''is'' a possible humorous ContinuityNod to ''Ultimatum'' in Wizard's Hyper Battle DVD: in ''Ultimatum'', Haruto went into an unknown person's Underworld, fell for the beautiful young woman he met there, and was utterly horrified when [[UnsettlingGenderReveal it turned out to be the Donut Shop Owner]] (who says [[AmbiguousGender he was mistaken for a girl when he was younger]]); in the Hyper Battle DVD, when Haruto sees that the Owner has fallen into despair, his immediate response is ScrewThisImOuttaHere, which could be attributed to the events of the film.
** ''[[Series/KamenRiderGaim Gaim]]'': The series is pretty weird about this. To begin with, ''Fateful Sengoku Movie Battle'' is never referenced in Gaim's series... but it does reference his EarlyBirdCameo in the last two episodes of ''Wizard''. (In fact, Wizard reclaims a ring that he gave away in those episodes). As for the others, ''Gaim'' tends to acknowledge movies with [[BizarroEpisode plot-interrupting movie tie-in episodes that are never brought up again]]. For example, after ''Film/HeiseiRiderVsShowaRiderKamenRiderWarsFeaturingSuperSentai'' premiered, ''Gaim'' got a {{crossover}} special with ''Series/ResshaSentaiToQger'' that tied into the movie. Neither the movie nor the special are ever brought up in ''Gaim''[='=]s series. Then there's ''The Great Soccer Match! The Golden Fruit Cup!''. It's got a tie-in episode, but as for its events, reality is altered to create the world it takes place in, and the characters lose their memories of it after, making it something that you could ignore... [[spoiler:until the final episode features the Big Bad of the movie as its stand alone antagonist]]. The ''Gaim'' movies take advantage of the fact that ours isn't the only world to face the threat of Helheim to keep movies, team-ups, and specials out of the way of a tightly-plotted, self-contained series. If you're not inclined to watch the movies, you can just know that between episode x and y, they went through a Crack to somewhere in the multiverse, did stuff that won't matter to Earth's invasion by Helheim, and came back. [[spoiler: At least, until the last Rider turns out to be Kogane possessing a woman.]]
** ''[[Series/KamenRiderDrive Drive]]'': Averted for all films thanks to the series' premise. There are exactly 108 [[MonsterOfTheWeek Roidmudes]], so every Roidmude kill in the movies is accounted for in the series. Even ''Film/SuperHeroTaisenGPKamenRider3'', which largely takes place in a Roidmude-less AlternateTimeline that gets negated at the end has a Roidmude kill in the real timeline (Roidmude 102, to be precise.). Interestingly, it ends with a cliffhanger that clashes severely with the rest of ''Drive,'' but the web miniseries ''Kamen Rider 4'', which serves as the epilogue of ''Kamen Rider 3'', sees it resolved, restoring ''Drive''[='=]s status quo for good so that the series can continue. As such, as non-canon as the movie looked, it all fits!
** ''[[Series/KamenRiderGhost Ghost]]'': Averted for some films, played straight with others. Ghost's cameo in ''Surprise Future'' is canon, although it's a little confusing how he has the Newton eyecon, when his cameo in the last episode of ''Drive'' is definitively canon as well and is where Takeru gets the Newton Eyecon. ''[[Film/KamenRiderXKamenRiderGhostAndDriveSuperMovieWarGenesis Super Movie War Genesis]]'' is non-canon, due to contradicting massively with later plot developments, and making little sense with relation to Drive's timeline. The Summer film is confirmed canon due to Takeru recognising Dark Ghost's suit when the Sage later uses it. ''[[Film/KamenRider1 Kamen Rider 1]]'' seems to be mainly filler, but it acknowledges the Rider Eyecon shorts, whose side characters later turn up in the show's endgame, probably making that canon too. And, finally, Ghost's two post-series crossovers are both canon, as they reference each other and the events of the show, as well as the Spectre Rebirth film.
** ''[[Series/KamenRiderExAid Ex-Aid]]'': Averted for all films in relation to each other, although the events of the films are rarely if ever touched on in the show other than ''Heisei Generations'', which sets up part of a major story element, and ''True Ending'', which acts as the show's equivalent of a BonusDungeon, is set up in the TV series as an impending threat and uses its timeline placement to make ''Series/KamenRiderBuild''[='=]s EarlyBirdCameo - which would otherwise be mere advertising with little narrative effects on the incumbent Rider's plot - into an ''Ex-Aid'' status quo-changing SequelHook for ''Heisei Generations FINAL''. Nothing about the other movies directly contradicts the show's canon other than some characters using extra Gashats, typically based off licensed products like ''Galaxian'' or ''Pac-Man'', that they never bring out in the show.
** ''[[Series/KamenRiderBuild Build]]'': Averted for all films. The events of ''Heisei Generations FINAL'' tie back into the series in at least two places: In the movie Build gains the [[TransformationTrinket Phoenix and Robot Fullbottles]] and loses them soon after; in the series it turns out that they were stolen by agents of Hokuto in order to create Kamen Rider Grease. About halfway through the series, Seito gets involved in the war and it turns out that they're using the Kaiser technology invented by the movie's BigBad (read: [[PropRecycling they repainted and reused suits from the movie]], but [[LampshadeHanging acknowledged]] it InUniverse). ''Be The One'' explicitly occurs between Episodes 45 and 46 (complete with a lead-in hook like ''Double'' above) and the film's villains claim that [[RememberTheNewGuy they were there all along]] and helped engineer some of the most critical elements of the series, including the death of Banjou's girlfriend Kasumi and [[spoiler:erasing Takumi Katsuragi's memory and turning him into Sento Kiryu to serve as their puppet]]. Additionally, during the EarlyBirdCameo for Series/KamenRiderZiO at the end of the movie, Sento recognizes Ex-Aid, re-confirming ''Heisei Generations FINAL''[='=]s claim to canon.
** ''[[Series/KamenRiderZiO Zi-O]]'': ''[[Film/KamenRiderHeiseiGenerationsFOREVER Heisei Generations Forever]]'' is explicitly stated by WordOfGod on Twitter to be BroadStrokes - on one hand, the movie is unreconciliable with ''Zi-O''[='=]s Den-O arc about the first meeting of the ''Zi-O'' and ''Den-O'' casts and with ''New World: Cross-Z'' on the ''Build'' side of things about [[spoiler:the nascita crew regaining their memories of ''Build''[='=]s old world]]; on the other hand, Zi-O gains the Kuuga and Double Ridewatches in the movie, which will pay off in said Den-O arc. ''[[Film/KamenRiderZiOOverQuartzer Over Quartzer]]'' takes places in an Alternate Ending to the TV series after Episode 43. However, it still counts as canon as the main villains did pull a ResetButton in the end, the show does mention that they encounter Go Shijima at some point as well as Sougo obtained the Drive Ridewatch in his timeline, allowing the ending of the show to happen, and Zero-One's EarlyBirdCameo is an important plot point for the next movie.
** ''[[Series/KamenRiderZeroOne Zero-One]]'': ''[[Film/KamenRiderReiwaTheFirstGeneration Reiwa the First Generation]]'' takes place in an alternate timeline. The movie addresses Zero-One's previous cameo as the reason for his RippleEffectProofMemory and explores the backstory of the World of Zero-One, solidifying ''Over Quartzer'' as canon. TheStinger shows the appearance of Thouser which places the movie somewhere between the first and second arc.
** Also, the ''Movie Wars'' films in general have many similar canon elements, not the least of which is the previous Rider recognizing the current one due to his EarlyBirdCameo in the previous Rider's Summer movie. There are also a number of {{Continuity Nod}}s; in ''Movie Wars Core'', when Eiji saves Akiko from some falling debris, Shotaro says "That's another one I owe you, OOO", referring to Eiji's cameo in ''Forever A to Z''; later in ''Movie Wars Megamax'', when Shotaro offers to hold off Foundation X's baddies and Eiji protests, Shotaro responds that he's finally repaying the debts he owes Eiji for all his help. Additionally, the previous Rider's portion of a ''Movie Wars'' film is generally considered canon, due to its being a [[PostScriptSeason Post-Script Story]] or in some cases (like Decade's) the story's GrandFinale. However, the ''current'' rider's portion may or may not be referenced.

** At first it seems like the ''Series/JukenSentaiGekiranger'' movie was this with its special combination "Geki Rin Tohja," a mecha formation made from the show's first mecha and the 2 mechs of the "evil" Rin Juken users Rio and Mele [[spoiler:but in episode 33, when the first 3 Gekirangers along with Rio and Mele get stuck in the past, they have to fight a giant monster; Rio suggests using Geki Rin Tohja, making the movie canon. Then later they use [[UpTo11 Geki Rin Tohja Wolf]]]].

Very popular anime series occasionally spawn not only {{OVA}}s, but also theatrical movies. One problem with this is sometimes the movie is being made while the series is still ''ongoing''. While they generally have enough sense not to ignore anything that's happened ''up to'' that point, by the time the movie is released a show may have introduced very different facts into canon since the movie began production. This is an especially big concern with very long series which in turn spawn many short movies. On the flipside, while it is possible to set a movie before the current storyline and have it fit into continuity, this results in the movie feeling outdated due to the character having their situations and abilities being SoLastSeason.

A major negative of not being in continuity is it is usually not referred to in the show's later episodes to avoid plot conflicts, nor are they allowed to make major upheavals (e.g., KilledOffForReal) in characters. One way around this is to make the story a backstory, {{flashback}}, or prequel. Another is to do a plot that is stylistically similar to the ongoing one but clearly divorced (which may be a WhatIf). Another complication can arise depending on the original (for a given value of 'original') creators' personal influence in the story, or lack thereof, causing creators to distance their own continuity from the work or admit they aren't concerned about its canon. In extreme or badly-received situations, [[MyRealDaddy the fandom may even symbolically reject the work]] even if [[SchrodingersCanon it could reasonably fit into canon]].


A feature-length BizarroEpisode can also be considered a [=Non-Serial Movie=].

** ''Anime/DragonBallZBojackUnbound'': Is one of the few that actually fits snugly: the Japanese dialogue has Bulma mention that Trunks is back from his future after defeating the Androids (a detail not retained in Creator/{Funimation}}'s dub). Considering Trunks has his own time machine, it easily explains why his hair is long again and why iconic vest has its sleeves ripped off. That said, [[spoiler:a dead Goku briefly leaves Other World with Instant Transmission to sock Bojack in the face and save Gohan]], something that's not exploited again when a bad guy wreaks havoc while Goku is dead in the Buu Arc.

* ''Franchise/DragonBall'': Nearly all the movies based on the series exist in a bubble, usually [[RecycledScript retelling previous stories or otherwise heavily borrowing plot elements and villains from the concurrent story]], and trying to fit most of them into the highly serial manga/anime story creates a number of {{Plot Hole}}s if not an outright ContinuitySnarl.[[note]]The series is rather tightly plotted and often use gathering the Dragon Balls to revive dead characters as their motive and, barring that, the Saiyans reach new Super Saiyan transformations in the current story arc and thus the movie has contradictory elements on when it should be taking place. So choosing any given movie certain characters should either be dead, capable of a higher transformation or otherwise occupied with the BigBad in the series.[[/note]] This is most likely due to the movies being made as hour-long hype pieces for the franchise as a whole, designed more [[RuleOfCool to look cool]] than to tell a good story. The newer movies, ''Anime/DragonBallZBattleOfGods'', ''Anime/DragonBallZResurrectionF'' and so-on, are aversions as they had [[SelfAdaptation Akira Toriyama's personal involvement]], and thus take greater efforts to fit in. The ''VideoGame/DragonBallXenoverse'' games consider the vast majority of the films listed below to be alternate timeline(s), which is how most fans view the movies these days.

** ''Anime/DragonBallZBrolyTheLegendarySuperSaiyan'': Takes place during the 10 days before the Cell Games, stated as such in the Japanese version and could theoretically take place then, but both Gohan and Goku are shown in their base forms, whereas in the manga they never left their effortless Super Saiyan state. The general backstory of Broly and Paragus would later be adapted as [[CanonImmigrant Canon Immigrants]] for ''Anime/DragonBallSuperBroly'', a follow-up to ''Dragon Ball Super''s first batch of arcs. Even before that there was the issue of Kale, a character from ''Super'' who is able to use Legendary Super Saiyan. When she uses it, nobody brings up Broly, implying that those events never happened for them.
** ''Anime/DragonBallZBojackUnbound'': Is one of the few that actually fits snugly: the Japanese dialogue has Bulma mention that Trunks is back from his future after defeating the Androids (a detail not retained in Funimation's dub). Considering Trunks has his own time machine, it easily explains why his hair is long again and why iconic vest has its sleeves ripped off. That said, [[spoiler:a dead Goku briefly leaves Other World with Instant Transmission to sock Bojack in the face and save Gohan,]] something that's not exploited again when a bad guy wreaks havoc while Goku is dead in the Buu Arc.

** ''Anime/YuGiOhBondsBeyondTime'' averts this. Paradox cameoes in [=5Ds=], and Jaden is picked up from a point in time after his series ended. Fitting Yugi and Pegasus into the mix is a bit harder, but there were several small timeskips between Yu-Gi-Oh's original arcs during which these events could have happened.
** ''Anime/YuGiOhTheDarkSideOfDimensions'' takes place after the manga, but also retains the anime's designs and characterizations, leading to a BroadStrokes universe similar to the Yu-Gi-Oh video games. The dub is canon to the TV series, using the English dub names for the sake of familiarity.

** The second film ''Dragon Cry'' seems to fall somewhere between the Avatar arc with the guild back together, but before the mission to rescue Makarov from Alvarez begins. TheStinger gives [[GreaterScopeVillain Acnologia]] an expanded backstory that is taken as manga canon, and a tie-in novel explains that film character Sonya snuck through the Eclipse Gate along with the five Dragon Slayer kids, making her responsible for scattering them across Fiore. It also introduces a [[KeystoneArmy fourth "generation" of Dragon Slayers]] just for ''Manga/FairyTail100YearsQuest'' to establish a fifth generation. What keeps it from meshing perfectly with the manga canon is that a.) witnesses of the Eclipse event only saw the five children and not Sonya[[note]]Those who passed through it burst through the ceiling as beams of light, creating five distinct holes instead of six; the anime changes it by having the witnesses unsure of the exact number, and the total number of holes is obscured by dust.[[/note]], and b.) [[BigBad Zeref]] is seen in his imperial robes, which he didn't choose to wear until after his first battle with Natsu halfway through the final arc.

* The ''Manga/FairyTail'' movie ''Phoenix Priestess'' seems to fit somewhere between the Grand Magic Games arc and the Tartaros arc, ignoring the minor detail of Elfman somehow losing all his bulk from the training he did well beforehand with Juvia and Bickslow in their original designs. Seeing how the GMG arc was still ongoing when the movie debuted, however, fans debated how the movie fit in the series at the time because the movie featured the guild back in their old guildhall during the Post-TimeSkip setting, which hadn't happened yet in the manga. To make matters more complicated, the titular CanonForeigner Eclair appears in both a one-shot written by Mashima himself, a cameo in ''Manga/FairyTailZero'' and in Natsu's personal heaven in the sequel series.
** The second film ''Dragon Cry'' seems to fall somewhere between the Avatar arc with the guild back together, but before the mission to rescue Markarow from Alvarez begins. It includes a scene that was cut from the manga fleshing out Achnologia, pre-Dragonization, establishing him as a AntiHero who originally fought Dragons to protect humans. The [[GodCreatedCanonForeigner movie character of Sonya]] would make a cameo in the manga and a tie-in novel revealed that Sonya and Animus traveled forward 400 years through the Eclipse Gate and [[SmallRoleBigImpact her presence was why the Dragon Slayer kids ended up scattered across Fiore, explaining why Anna and Zeref's original plan didn't work out as intended.]]

* The ''Manga/FairyTail'' movie ''Phoenix Priestess'' seems to fit somewhere between the Grand Magic Games arc and the Tartaros arc, ignoring the minor detail of Elfman somehow losing all his bulk from the training he did well beforehand. Seeing how the GMG arc was still ongoing when the movie debuted, however, fans debated how the movie fit in the series at the time because the movie featured the guild back in their old guildhall during the Post-TimeSkip setting, which hadn't happened yet in the manga. To make matters more complicated, the titular CanonForeigner Eclair appears in both a one-shot written by Mashima himself and in Natsu's personal heaven in the sequel series.

** ''Film/PowerRangers2017'' was a retelling of the origins of the ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'' with younger actors and had no connection to the continuity of ''Series/PowerRangersNinjaStorm'' that was on TV at the time.

* ''Film/MightyMorphinPowerRangersTheMovie'' was an example of a Non-Serial Movie with a BigBudgetBeefUp to go along with it; specifically, all of the cheap sets and spandex costumes (plus the stock footage) were replaced with expensive, high quality sets and plasticized, form-fitting body armor, respectively. The film's plot was also a change from the series' norm at the time. The movie's lead villain, Ivan Ooze, was never seen in the series either. The movie is not part of the series canon, since it basically tells the same story as the third-season premiere multiparter (Rangers lose old powers, must earn new ninja-based powers), but with major changes (for instance, the Rangers get their ninja powers from the scantily clad Dulcea of the planet Phaedos rather than the robotic Ninjor, and the new villain is Ivan Ooze rather than Rito Revolto).

* ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' had two movies:
** ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnoldTheMovie'' is actually canon to the series and TheMovie not this trope, despite some fansites in the 2010s claiming it was non-canon.
** Its sequel, ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnoldTheJungleMovie'', is also canon, and actually the series' GrandFinale.
** The series had StatusQuoIsGod and some negative continuity, but both movies are actually canon to the series, and fit into the timeline, so this trope is [[AvertedTrope averted]] despite it being from a franchise (Nickelodeon) where this sort of movie will happen occasionally.

** ''The Christmas Raccoons'': Officially, the FirstAppearance of Bert Raccoon and his family, and although it's treated as the pilot episode, it seems to contradict the actual series by having the humans (Julie and Tommy) meet the Raccoons, although this is taken in BroadStrokes for the show itself.
** ''The Raccoons On Ice'': A ChristmasEpisode, and it's LooseCanon if anything as characterization of the major characters is very close to the series itself.
** ''The Raccoons And The Lost Star'': Again, of uncertain canonicity but possibly outside the show's core timeline, yet doesn't seem to contradict anything outright.
** ''The Raccoons: Let's Dance!'' is a LighterAndSofter MusicalEpisode that was DirectToVideo, much like an OVA, yet did get some TV airings.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobSquarePantsMovie'', of all things, is one of these. [[SeriesFauxnale It was written as the finale]] for [[WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants the show]], but as the franchise was hitting peak popularity at the time, Nickelodeon [[FranchiseZombie kept the series going instead of ending it]]. Future episodes would not reflect the movie's ending, where [=SpongeBob=] gets a promotion to manager at a second Krusty Krab location and Plankton ends up in jail. [[WordOfGod Stephen Hillenburg]] considered it to still be the canonical ending of the series and handwaved any issues by declaring that all future episodes (and even other films) are set ''[[{{Interquel}} before]]'' the movie. An imperfect fix, but ''[=SpongeBob=]'' isn’t exactly a series with strong continuity anyway.

* Seemingly averted for two of the three (so far) ''Franchise/MyHeroAcademia'' movies, as the [[Manga/MyHeroAcademia manga]]'s creator Kōhei Horikoshi has a lot of input in them:

* Seemingly averted for two of the three (so far) ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'' movies, as the manga's creator Kōhei Horikoshi has a lot of input in them:

** ''[[Series/KamenRiderFaiz Faiz]]'' and ''[[Series/KamenRiderBlade Blade]]''[='s=] movies are AlternateContinuity epilogues based on the question "[[WhatIf What if]] the series ended differently?".

* ''Franchise/OnePiece'' has had several non-serial movies, starting with the {{OVA}} "Defeat The Pirate Ganzak!" (which actually predates the TV series), and going on to include fiteen feature films as of 2022. At least one of these features a cast list that never existed in continuities.

* ''Franchise/OnePiece'' has had several non-serial movies, starting with the {{OVA}} "Defeat The Pirate Ganzak!" (which actually predates the TV series), and going on to include ten as of 2010 feature films. At least one of these features a cast list that never existed in continuities.

** Like its predecessors, ''Anime/DigimonTamers'' had two movies released while it was airing. The franchise's fifth movie is referenced in the anime proper when one of its characters appear in the anime. The franchise's sixth movie takes place after the end of the season, which causes problems, since [[spoiler:the Digimon ende dup returning to the Digiworld at the end of the series]]. This, combined with the fact that certain members of the anime's staff were not involved in the movie's creation, makes many say it cannot be canon. Both movies were dubbed in English well after the ''Tamers'' dub ended.