Line #78 Main/NonSerialMovie


1	%%%
2	%%
3	%% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thank you!
4	%%
5	%%%
6	->''"This is so non-canon it hurts."''
7	-->-- '''Vegeta''', ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'', "[[Recap/DragonBallZAbridgedM2 Christmas Tree of Might]]"
8
9	Non-Serial Movie is when TheMovie not only has nothing to do with the MythArc but is so divorced from the ongoing work that it practically comes across as an AlternateContinuity.
10
11	Very common with popular anime series, as they often spawn not only [[OriginalVideoAnimation OVAs]] but also shorter theatrical movies. A reason why this happens is that often the movie is being made while the series is still in production. Many of these films, especially in anime, serve less as self-contained narratives and more as an advertisement for their current slate of properties, often being screened at festivals or conventions. While they generally have enough sense not to ignore anything that's happened ''up to'' that point, due to ProductionLeadTime a show may have had the story developed into something quite different since the movie began production. This is an especially big concern with a LongRunner that relies on a DrivingQuestion or story-ending MacGuffin. While it is possible to set up a {{prequel}} this runs counter to promoting the work as it currently is, resulting in the movie feeling grossly outdated because they are using elements that are SoLastSeason.
12
13	The easy way out of this is to make sure the movie is [[ExiledFromContinuity officially out of continuity]]. Nonetheless [[FanWank fans sometimes establish a general sense]] of when a movie should logically take place, with various degrees of shoehorning. The only real rule is Non-Serial Movies usually have a "feel" for whatever season they were closely released in but nothing concrete, which allows casual viewing for those who don't have an encyclopedic knowledge of the characters and plot points. Often, the storyline in progress in the series will begin with a certain status quo and end with a new status quo, but the movie will use the status quo during the middle of the storyline. If the series is on the episodic side of SeasonFluidity,[[note]]up to and including HalfArcSeason,[[/note]] it could be considered LooseCanon so long as there are no contradictory elements. Otherwise, it's as if the characters went [[WackyWaysideTribe on a side-quest during an end-of-the-world crisis]].
14
15	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. The relative simplicity of a 1-2 hour movie can make it a GatewaySeries to the larger franchise, whereas diving into the original may incite ArchivePanic. It also allows for the inclusion of more creative and fleshed-out [[OneShotCharacter One-Shot Characters]] in 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.
16
17	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 can it make any long-term changes (e.g. KilledOffForReal) to any characters not original to the movie. This causes the fans to endlessly debate on the ContinuitySnarl that has occured. This trope is generally avoided when the movie justifies its' story via WholeEpisodeFlashback or {{Prequel}}. Effects of the trope can be mitigated by being more explicit in the change, being stylistically similar to the ongoing one but clearly divorced due to [[ArtShift visual designs]], [[TheOtherDarrin recasts]] or 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 [[ArmedWithCanon distance their own continuity]] from the work or admit they aren't [[SchrodingersCanon concerned about its canon status]]. In extreme or badly-received situations, [[MyRealDaddy the fandom may even symbolically reject the work]] even if [[BroadStrokes it could reasonably fit into canon]].
18
19	A feature-length BizarroEpisode can also be considered a Non-Serial Movie.
20
21	Compare OvertookTheManga, when a storyline is created that really doesn't fit into the main series narrative.
22	-----
23	!!Examples:
24
25	[[foldercontrol]]
26
27	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
28	* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' follows the ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' pattern of only halfway caring where things fit.
29	** The [[OriginalVideoAnimation OVA]] ''The Sealed Sword Frenzy'' is set between the Soul Society and the early Arrancar/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 in his very next battle he almost went out of control, leaving him weak until his Visored training. [[TakeYourTime This plot point seems to be put off]] for as long as they are introducing filler, it seems.
30	** The movie ''[[Anime/BleachMemoriesOfNobody Memories of Nobody]]'' apparently goes in the same one-day gap. Interestingly, we now know something ''like'' this movie happened in canon -- there really are Kyogoku (Valleys of Screams) between dimensions, and Ichigo mentions having been to one. But this creates ''[[VoodooShark even more]]'' problems since the manga's version of Kyogoku isn't much like the movie (for starters, in the movie there's only one).
31	** The second and third movies, ''[[Anime/BleachTheDiamondDustRebellion The DiamondDust Rebellion]]'' and ''[[Anime/BleachFadeToBlack Bleach: Fade to Black]]'', both show Ichigo able to use Hollowfication comfortably. The writers probably assumed the Hueco Mundo storyline would end with a restored status quo in which the movies could fit -- little did they know Ichigo would lose his powers beating Aizen! This puts a definite endpoint on where the movies can go, and Ichigo is ''extremely'' busy in canon the whole time he knows Hollowfication. Nor can the movies go after Ichigo gets his powers ''back'', since he gets a new outfit at the same time, and Rukia's rank and haircut have also changed by then.
32	** ''Anime/BleachHellVerse'' is flat out non-canon, since [[Creator/TiteKubo Kubo]] would introduce a very different concept of Hell in the manga's continuation, although a few ideas from the film were incorporated.
33	** The main anime one-ups most of the examples here by having two non-serial arcs: the New Captain arc, and the Zanpakuto Rebellion arc.
34	*** The New Captain arc [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] this in the first episode by quite openly saying it happens directly after Ichigo's fight with Grimmjow and that the story will return to that point after this story.
35	*** Whenever the anime started to catch up with the manga there was little choice but to insert a non-serial filler arc, as Kubo tended 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. Some elements from them would be referred to in the sequel novels in a BroadStrokes fashion.
36	* ''Manga/CaseClosed'' has had one of these per year [[LongRunners since a couple years after the show first started airing]]. Due to the relative scarcity of arc-based stories in the mostly-picaresque TV and manga series, the movies do not usually pose story-based continuity difficulties. They do involve a number of considerably different elements to the main series, however, which sometimes makes it a little hard to reconcile the two.
37	** The movies are considerably more action-packed, giving Conan a lot more physical things to do (and putting him in a lot more jeopardy). Over the course of the various movies he has [[spoiler:crash-landed a helicopter, rocket-skateboarded the length of an amusement park (including along a roller coaster track), parasailed, jumped a car from the top floor of one skyscraper to the roof of another, been shot at by a helicopter gunship on the roof of the Tokyo Tower, fallen out of and jumped out of a helicopter onto a blimp]], and more. His secret identity should have been blown by now from the things ''other people saw him do'' alone.
38	** The capabilities of his gadgets are always pushed to their logical limit, and then one inch further, so that between the rocket skateboard, the super-kicking shoes, and the bungee suspenders, Conan can practically fly in every movie. In the main series, any single facet of what's combined to achieve this would make the characters present suspicious. In the movies, such concerns are usually completely overtaken by a cascade of insanely high-stakes situations and awesome.
39	** Events that take place in the movies may be referenced in other movies, but are never brought up in the TV series. Also, the movies only rarely mention events from the TV series except in general terms. (An exception being the 13th movie, ''Raven Chaser'', which built heavily on earlier Black Organization arcs.)
40	** Two more points are also disputed by the fandom: should the {{backstory}} between Kogoro and Eri in the second movie be considered canon? And should [[VirtualGhost Noah's Ark]] be listed under the people who knew the truth?
41	** It does look like the movies may begin lining up more with canon as TheNewTens, however. The 2016 movie, ''[[http://www.detectiveconanworld.com/wiki/Movie_20 Darkest Nightmare]]'', again featured the Black Organization... and the 2017 movie ''Crimson Love Letter'' ''heavily'' featured Heiji and Kazuha's ChildhoodFriendRomance, including Heiji's manga SelfProclaimedLoveInterest Momiji Oouka.
42	* ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' is a bit complicated.
43	** ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'', the first season, has two movies. The first movie actually averts this trope, as it's both a {{prequel}} and was released before the first season aired. The second film was released while the first season was airing. However, it explicitly takes place after the events of ''Adventure'' and is referred to in the second season...
44	** ''Anime/DigimonAdventure02'' also has two movies that were released while it was airing. The franchise's third movie is difficult to fit in the canon, but the characters of this movie have a cameo in both ''Anime/DigimonAdventureLastEvolutionKizuna'' and ''Anime/DigimonAdventure02TheBeginning'' (and there was a previous appearance in a DramaCD). The franchise's fourth movie was released during the last few episodes of ''Adventure 02''. It takes place after the events of the season (but before the WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue) and acts as a direct sequel to the second ''Adventure'' movie. Obviously it was never referenced in canon, but nothing has ever said it ''wasn't'' canon either and nothing in the subsequently released ''Anime/DigimonAdventureTri'' contradicted it. There were a couple of evolutions that could be considered {{Continuity Snarl}}s but they can be easily explained. The events of the movie would later be directly referenced in ''Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning''. In English-speaking countries, the first three movies were dubbed and released together as a CompilationMovie entitled ''Anime/DigimonTheMovie''. The dub of ''Adventure 02'' also added references to the third movie (that doesn't exist in the original version).
45	** Like its predecessors, ''Anime/DigimonTamers'' had two movies released while it was airing. The franchise's fifth movie was referenced in the anime proper when one of its characters appeared in the anime. The franchise's sixth movie takes place after the end of the season, which causes problems, since [[spoiler:[[TheMagicGoesAway the Digimon ended up returning to the DigiWorld at the end of the series]], but they still appear in the movie]]. Chief writer Creator/ChiakiKonaka went on to confirm that the sixth movie [[ArmedWithCanon wasn't canon]] [[AllThereInTheManual with a drama CD]], but praised his coworkers' efforts in retaining the tone of his work. Both movies were dubbed in English well after the ''Tamers'' dub ended.
46	** The ''Anime/DigimonFrontier'' movie has trouble fitting into the show's timeline due to some minor details, but doesn't contradict too much despite being non-canon. Again, it was also dubbed into English after the series aired.
47	** ''Anime/DigimonXEvolution'', the franchise's eighth movie, is in its own canon and is based off the ''Digimon Chronicle'' setting (which didn't have a consistent canon to begin with).
48	** Finally, the ''Anime/DigimonDataSquad'' movie is non-canon.
49	** Averted with ''Anime/DigimonAdventureTri'', a series of six movies that are canonical and take place into the TimeSkip before ''02''[='s=] DistantFinale. Also averted by ''Anime/DigimonAdventureLastEvolutionKizuna'', a sequel to the ''tri.'' movies, and its own sequel ''Anime/DigimonAdventure02TheBeginning''.
50	* ''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 due to the movies being quickly made as hour-long hype pieces for the franchise as a whole, designed [[RuleOfCool to look cool]] than to [[ExcusePlot tell a fully developed story]]. After a longer production gap, ''Anime/DragonBallZBattleOfGods'' arrived as basically a {{revival}} of the greater Dragonball franchise and considered canon as it had [[SelfAdaptation Akira Toriyama's personal involvement]], and thus ignore prior movies (and the original SequelSeries ''Anime/DragonballGT'') to be the official continuation of ''Z'' and proceeded with several additional movies and ''Anime/DragonballSuper'' all in canon with each other. 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.
51	** The four ''Manga/DragonBall'' movies are completely separate from the show's continuity, retelling the story in BroadStrokes, with the same protagonists and similar situations but unique villains and settings. Interestingly, the original three are the only ones to attempt any sort of thorough arc, that being Goku's training with Master Roshi.
52	** ''Anime/DragonBallZDeadZone'': Taking place shortly before ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' begins, the general story could still fit as Piccolo still has his rivalry with Goku and both were unaware of Gohan's power, but Krillin did not meet Gohan until the start of ''Z'', and Piccolo and Goku have a conversation about their weighted clothing near-identical to the one before they fight Raditz. Interestingly, the villain later appeared in the ''Z'' anime series proper [[Recap/DragonBallZGarlicJrArc during a]] FillerArc, which appeared to accept the ending of this movie in BroadStrokes but otherwise doesn't explain its predecessor.
53	** ''Anime/DragonBallZTheWorldsStrongest'': Generally takes on attributes of post-Saiyan Saga/pre-Frieza Saga as Gohan is now trained and Goku utilizes Kaioken and the Spirit Bomb, but Piccolo is still alive so that the Dragon Balls can be used at the beginning. In the manga, Piccolo and others are dead by the time Goku returns to Earth with these techniques.
54	** ''Anime/DragonBallZTheTreeOfMight'': Similar to ''World's Strongest'', Piccolo, Yamcha, Tien and Chiaotzu show up alive while Goku uses Kaio-ken and the Spirit Bomb on Earth.
55	** ''Anime/DragonBallZLordSlug'': Implied to take place while Frieza is still alive (King Kai says that Frieza ''can't'' (present tense) beat a Super Namekian), but the characters are suddenly on Earth and Goku seemingly goes Super Saiyan but doesn't actually look the way he does in other works.[[note]]The real-world explanation is that while Creator/{{Toei\|Animation}} knew what it would look like, Toriyama hadn't shown it in the manga yet and famously added the blonde hair at the last minute to save inking Goku's hair all the time.[[/note]]
56	** ''Anime/DragonBallZCoolersRevenge'': One of the least contradictory films in principle, as the series featured a three-year TimeSkip waiting for the Androids shortly after the movie came out, where it fits in relatively seamlessly. Still, Gohan has his bowl cut from the Namek Saga and his tail is back (which could have easily regrown and been removed in the passing three years), plus Goku transforming into a Super Saiyan is depicted as requiring [[TranquilFury extreme rage]] as it did with Frieza (by the time Goku returns to Earth, he can do it on command). ''[[VideoGame/DragonBallXenoverse2 Xenoverse 2]]'' implies that while this movie's events didn't happen in the main timeline, Cooler still exists, as Frieza recognizes him when he appears on Namek.
57	** ''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 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.
58	** ''Anime/DragonBallZSuperAndroid13'': Is supposed to take place during the Imperfect Cell period of the Cell Saga (Trunks has short hair), but no one had any free time for it as depicted in the film. They went straight to Kami's Lookout after Goku recovered from the heart virus and they took turns training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber in order to face Cell, after which the Cell Games happen.
59	** ''Anime/DragonBallZBrolyTheLegendarySuperSaiyan'': Takes place during the ten 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 {{Canon Immigrant}}s 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 the Legendary Super Saiyan form. When she uses it, nobody brings up Broly, implying that those events never happened for them. Additionally, a lot (but not all) of official material in the ''Super'' era heavily downplays the "Legendary Super Saiyan" terminology for these forms, either generally referring to the transformation as a "Full Power Super Saiyan" or -- for Kale specifically -- calling it a "Berserker state."
60	** ''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 his 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.
61	** ''Anime/DragonBallZBrolySecondComing'': Takes place shortly before the Majin Buu Saga kicks into gear, so Gohan should have been unaware that Goten can go Super Saiyan. Goku also did not return to Earth until the World Tournament.
62	** ''Anime/DragonBallZBioBroly'': Took place during the World Tournament but the Z Warriors went on to fight Babidi and his crew, plus Goku was still around when the tournament was going on, and at the end, the film shows him back in the Other World.
63	** ''Anime/DragonBallZFusionReborn'': Takes place ''during'' the Other World Tournament, retconning in a break during Goku and Pikkon's fight. The tournament itself was supposed to take place shortly after the Cell Saga, but the status quo includes many aspects of the middle of the much later Buu Saga (which had a seven year TimeSkip). Goku should not be able to turn [=SS2=] or [=SS3=], Vegeta is dead, Gohan can reach Ultimate Level and {{Fusion\|Dance}} is introduced really early. Goku even mentions Majin Buu to Janemba, but should not have known anything of him until much later. On top of that, villains from every previous movie appear as cameos, so those would have to be canon for this to be canon.
64	** ''Anime/DragonBallZWrathOfTheDragon'': Takes place after the Buu Saga so the basic story holds up, but includes an origin story of the sword Future Trunks used that runs contrary to the prior canon (the sword is mystically powerful and used to defeat a creature that can challenge the [=SS2=] level transformation, the original sword is said to be ordinary and there was no way Future Trunks was powerful enough to defeat that creature).
65	** The TV special ''[[Anime/DragonBallZBardockTheFatherOfGoku Bardock: The Father of Goku]]'', while not strictly canon, does fit in with the destruction of Planet Vegeta mentioned in the manga. Bardock was a CanonForeigner that earned [[CanonImmigrant a cameo in the manga]] later on, and the ReCut series ''Anime/DragonBallZKai'' even splices in footage from the Bardock special as part of a prologue in the first episode. However, Creator/AkiraToriyama's own interpretation of Bardock in ''[[Manga/JacoTheGalacticPatrolman Dragon Ball Minus]]'' and ''Anime/DragonballSuperBroly'' contradicts the general story of the special, showing him sending Kakarot to Earth to protect him rather than dismissing him as weak.
66	** The other special, ''[[Anime/DragonBallZTheHistoryOfTrunks The History of Trunks]]'', is an expansion of the manga's only bonus chapter. 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'', whereas he only achieved Super Saiyan after Gohan's death.
67	** Downplayed with the ''[[Anime/DragonBallGT GT]]'' film, ''Anime/DragonBallGTAHerosLegacy'', which takes place after the 100-year TimeSkip. The movie takes place before the tournament battle between Goku Jr. and Vegeta Jr, with the former [[ComingOfAgeStory going from crybaby to capable fighter]] and unlocking the Super Saiyan transformation along the way. In addition, Pan is the only past character shown to still be alive, which makes sense as everyone else has passed on (with [[AmbiguousSituation the possible exception of Bra]]). Within ''GT'' itself, its placement is rather seamless. However, as ''GT'' has been labeled as an AlternateUniverse separate from the manga and ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'', it's non-canon on that basis alone.
68	** Tarble, Vegeta's younger brother from the ''Jump Super Anime Tour'' special ''Anime/DragonBallYoSonGokuAndHisFriendsReturn'' [[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...]]
69	** ''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. The anime's first two major arcs were adaptations of ''Battle of Gods'' and ''Resurrection F'' with a number of small differences between them.
70	** Following the conclusion of [[Recap/DragonBallSuperUniverseSurvivalArc the Tournament of Power]], there'd be another theatrical continuation in ''Anime/DragonBallSuperBroly'', which turned 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''). This was later followed up with ''Anime/DragonBallSuperSuperHero'', which continues the march towards the "End of Z" arc by giving us older looks for Pan, Goten and Trunks.
71	** Naturally lampshaded in ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged''. Lord Slug kills anyone comparing him to King Piccolo, and Cooler begins to fly off the handle whenever his cunning plans are compared to those of his more-regarded brother.
72	* ''Manga/FairyTail'':
73	** The movie ''Anime/FairyTailTheMoviePhoenixPriestess'' seems to fit somewhere between the Grand Magic Games arc and the Tartaros arc, ignoring the minor details of Elfman somehow losing all his bulk from the training he did at the start of the tournament, and Juvia and Bickslow returning to their long-disused initial designs. Seeing how the tournament was still ongoing when the movie debuted, 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 makes a cameo in ''Manga/FairyTailZero'' and in Natsu's personal heaven in [[Manga/FairyTail100YearsQuest the manga's sequel]].
74	** The second film, ''Anime/FairyTailDragonCry'', seems to fall somewhere between the Avatar arc with the guild back together, but before the mission to rescue Makarov from Alvarez begins. This movie also seems to avert being "non-serial" as 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 [[KeystoneArmy a 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 of lights they saw, the total number of holes is obscured by dust, and [[FreezeFrameBonus it is possible to see a sixth light]] following after the five Dragon Slayer lights.[[/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.
75	* The original ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'' [[TheMovie movie]] (the animated one, not the LiveActionAdaptation) roughly qualifies, as it was made while the manga and TV series were both still running in Japan. It doesn't actually introduce any new characters to the story though, but instead retells key events from the first nine or ten collected volumes of the original manga and then changes the order of events and how they transpire [[PragmaticAdaptation in order to tell a more condensed storyline]]. For example, [[spoiler:in the original manga and TV series, Kenshiro and Rei fought against the Fang King in order to save Rei's sister, whereas in the movie the Fang King and his clan are challenged by Raoh and his army for possession of their territory instead]].
76	* ''Manga/HunterXHunter'' has two, both released in 2013. They also follow the LooseCanon model.
77	** ''Anime/HunterXHunterPhantomRouge'' seemingly takes place between the Yorknew and Greed Island arcs, but with its own BigBad. It's actually loosely based on a non-canonical, unpublished manga story Creator/YoshihiroTogashi drew ten years earlier, and has a two-shot manga elaborating on Kurapika's backstory to tie in with it.
78	** ''Anime/HunterXHunterTheLastMission'' seemingly takes place between the Greed Island and Chimera Ant arcs.
79	* For the ''Literature/IsItWrongToTryToPickUpGirlsInADungeon'' anime, you have the movie ''Anime/ArrowOfTheOrion''. Technically, it is possible to fit it in the anime timeline since Bell and his Familia are still residing in their old abode so logically, it would take place sometime after the first season but before the events of the second season where Bell participated in the War Games. However, the author himself has stated the film is not intended to be part of the canon, but just a way to have fun.
80	* ''Toys/{{Jewelpet}} the Movie: Sweets Dance Princess'' is much like ''Anime/DigimonXEvolution'', in that it has its own canon instead of being connected to any anime season.
81	* ''Franchise/LupinIII'':
82	** On account of the franchise generally running on the principle of NegativeContinuity, '''none''' of the ''Anime/LupinIII'' movies or [[Anime/LupinIIIYearlySpecials specials]] feature any continuity with ''any'' of the TV series (which barely even bother with continuity with ''each other''), any other film in the series, or even [[Manga/LupinIII the manga]]. [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools It's part of the reason why they work so well, though, as they can still feel pretty timeless even with outdated clothing and technology.]] There's [[ComicBookTime a general sense of]] OriginsEpisode era, active period, and retirement (''Anime/TheCastleOfCagliostro'' mostly), but the creators prefer the flexibility of MythologyGag to ContinuityPorn.
83	** Seemingly averted as of ''Anime/LupinIIIPart5'', which not only acknowledges ''[[Anime/LupinIIITheItalianAdventure Part IV]]'' but also name drops ''Cagliostro'' in the very first episode. Later episodes suggest, via {{Continuity Nod}}s and/or direct cameos, that no less than [[Anime/LupinIIIPart1 "Green Jacket"]], [[Anime/LupinIIIPartII "Red Jacket"]], ''Anime/TheFumaConspiracy'', ''[[Anime/LupinIIIThePursuitOfHarimaosTreasure The Pursuit of Harimao's Treasure]]'', and ''[[Anime/LupinIIITheWomanCalledFujikoMine The Woman Called Fujiko Mine]]'' are canon as well. Even taking the BroadStrokes approach to continuity doesn't tie up everything in a neat little bow, as [[MultipleChoicePast backstories often vary from iteration to iteration]], sometimes wildly at that.
84	* Played with for the first two ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' movies, remakes of the first and second season which are, in-universe, [[DirectLineToTheAuthor films produced by the TSAB]].
85	* ''Anime/{{Macross}}'':
86	** ''Anime/MacrossFrontier'' got a movie started after the series ended, but even this trope and AlternateContinuity couldn't fit everything into only a single movie, so they made '''two''': ''The False Songstress'' and ''The Wings of Goodbye''.
87	** The production team for the original ''Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross'' decided not to go the CompilationMovie route for the inevitable theatrical release (a la ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' and ''[[Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato Yamato]]'') and instead produced a movie (''Anime/MacrossDoYouRememberLove'') that is in a parallel continuity with the TV series, presenting basically the same events as the series, but often in new ways. WordOfGod says that ''Do You Remember Love?'' is itself [[ShowWithinAShow a movie within the Macross universe]], and that the differences between the two are for dramatic purposes.[[note]]Though Creator/ShojiKawamori has said that neither the TV show nor the movie are "main" canon, and he considers elements of both to be "true."[[/note]]
88	* ''Manga/MaisonIkkoku'': TheMovie takes place in the space of time covered by the commercial break in the last episode of the TV anime series, and has all the voice actors from the TV anime -- except that it takes place in the AlternateContinuity of the manga instead of the anime.
89	* ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}'' has eleven feature films, each taking place sometime during [[Manga/{{Naruto}} the manga's]] TV adaptation storyline. Of these, only two movies (''[[Anime/TheLastNarutoTheMovie The Last]]'' and ''[[Anime/BorutoNarutoTheMovie Boruto]]'') avert this trope due to being canonical with the manga, in large part due to [[SelfAdaptation Masashi Kishimoto's personal involvement]].
90	** ''[[Anime/NarutoTheMovieNinjaClashInTheLandOfSnow Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow]]'' (the first movie) happens after Naruto learns Rasengan and before Sasuke's defection, somewhere around the "Land of Tea" filler arc. The [[Anime/NarutoTheMovieLegendOfTheStoneOfGelel other]] [[Anime/NarutoTheMovieGuardiansOfTheCrescentMoonKingdom two]] pre-TimeSkip movies can be neatly placed within the infamous 80-week filler season with no difficulty.
91	** [[Anime/NarutoShippudenTheMovie The first]] ''Shippuden'' movie is most likely set after the "Rescue Gaara arc", [[Anime/NarutoShippudenTheMovieBonds the second]] after the "Sasuke and Sai" arc, and [[Anime/NarutoShippudenTheMovieInheritorsOfTheWillOfFire the third]] following the "Hidan and Kakuzu" arc. There are still some continuity problems, though: Kakashi is incapacitated during the "Rescue Gaara arc" and doesn't recover until the beginning of the "12 Guardians arc", though he appears in both the first and second Shippuden films in complete health. And the "Hidan and Kakuzu" arc ends with Naruto's arm badly injured, and it doesn't recover until the "Three Tales" arc is already underway. And that arc leads straight into the next arc...
92	** The fourth ''Shippuden'' film, ''[[Anime/NarutoShippudenTheMovieTheLostTower The Lost Tower]]'', is set sometime in-between the death of [[spoiler:Jiraiya]] and Pain's attack on Konoha, with the former even being mentioned by Naruto, despite the fact that in canon Naruto immediately left to train with the toads on Mount Myouboku after learning of his death, and didn't come back to Konoha until Pain's attack had already begun. A {{flashback}} also contains various minor continuity errors. %%No, the movie did not say Jiraiya created the Rasengan. It has him showing off his own Rasengan to Minato, and boasts that he mastered it faster than Minato had.
93	** The fifth ''Shippuden'' film, ''[[Anime/NarutoTheMovieBloodPrison Blood Prison]]'', is implied to take place after the Turtle Island arc and before the Fourth Shinobi World War arc, given that Naruto already knows Killer Bee. However, canonically speaking, Naruto and Bee don't leave the island until the Fourth Shinobi World War is well underway, making the events of the film impossible to fit into the manga's timeline. There are a number of other continuity errors as well, such as A still having both his hands. Nonetheless, ''[[Literature/NarutoHiden Kakashi Hiden]]'' semi-canonized it (likely because its author also wrote the screenplay for ''Blood Prison''), though the film's specific events are implied to have played out somewhat differently in canon (for one thing, they seem to have happened at a far earlier date than what the movie was trying to imply, and Naruto apparently knew all along that his being sent to the prison was an undercover mission). Whether this means something [[BroadStrokes vaguely approximating]] the events of the other movies is also canon has yet to be revealed.
94	** The ninth overall film, ''[[Anime/NarutoTheMovieRoadToNinja Road to Ninja]]'', also takes place in the same time frame as ''Blood Prison'', after the Turtle Island arc and before the Fourth Shinobi World War arc, because Naruto has already "met" his mother Kushina, all of Akatsuki except for Tobi and Zetsu have been defeated, and Tobi hasn't yet gotten his Rinnegan or changed into his new uniform. Again, the film doesn't fit into the canon timeline because it depicts Naruto in Konoha, even though the Fourth Shinobi World War begins while Naruto is still on Turtle Island and Naruto then heads directly to the battlefield without making a stop at Konoha since the bulk of the fighting took place at the Land of Lightning, which is nowhere near Konoha.
95	** Averted with the tenth overall film, ''[[Anime/TheLastNarutoTheMovie The Last]]'', because it's the first one in the franchise to be explicitly canon with the manga, since it's the bridge between the penultimate chapter and the DistantFinale, set two years ''after'' the manga's conclusion. Creator/MasashiKishimoto was also heavily involved with the film by joining the writing staff as chief story supervisor.
96	** Also averted with the eleventh film, ''[[Anime/BorutoNarutoTheMovie Boruto]]'', because it's explicitly canon with the manga, is the direct sequel to ''The Last'', and takes place fifteen years ''after'' the manga's conclusion. Creator/MasashiKishimoto was also heavily involved with the film by writing the screenplay and serving as chief production supervisor.
97	* ''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 fifteen feature films as of 2022. At least one of these features a cast list that never existed in the series continuity.
98	** [[Anime/OnePieceTheMovie The first movie]] takes place not long after Usopp joins and the crew have received the Going Merry.
99	** [[Anime/ClockworkIslandAdventure The second movie]] could be set sometime after the Arlong arc, as Sanji is with the crew but they haven't entered the Grand Line yet.
100	** [[Anime/ChoppersKingdomOnTheIslandOfStrangeAnimals The third movie]] has almost nowhere to go canon-wise, as Chopper is part of the crew but not Vivi or Robin. Chopper was introduced when Vivi was in the crew and she remained as such until Robin joined, with a very slim amount of time in between.
101	** [[Anime/DeadEndAdventure The fourth movie]] can be placed right after the Alabasta arc, as Crocodile is mentioned and Luffy's bounty has reached its first increase. The fifth and sixth movies are likely before Skypiea, but there's no real indication of it.
102	** [[Anime/TheGiantMechanicalSoldierOfKarakuriCastle The seventh movie]] is before Water 7 as it gives an explanation on the origins of Luffy's Gear 2nd technique.
103	** The tenth movie, ''Anime/OnePieceFilmStrongWorld'', is a [[ZigZaggingTrope zig-zagged]] example. Shiki and his backstory showcased in a special chapter of the ''Manga/OnePiece'' manga (known as "Chapter 0") are considered canon (and he has been referenced a couple of times unrelated to the film in the manga [[spoiler:including eventually being revealed to be a former member of [[GreaterScopeVillain the Rocks Pirates]], thus making him a ''very'' important figure in the backstory]]), and the film was [[SelfAdaptation written by the creator]], with its official title even calling it the [[TheMovie "One Piece Film"]]. However, the canonicity of the film itself is heavily debatable, as it showcases definite inconsistencies from the manga, most notably Zoro (having suffered injuries in Thriller Bark, with the timeframe between the Thriller Bark and Sabaody Archipelago arcs being the only point in time that the film could have possibly taken place during) being able to fight at full health, despite his wounds reopening very quickly at Sabaody under similar circumstances. The events of the film itself have also never been brought up in the manga, even in passing. However, the anime added [[{{Filler}} a four episode mini-arc]] meant to lead up to it, which is widely considered non-canon.
104	** The twelfth movie, ''Anime/OnePieceFilmZ'', had its creation personally overseen by Creator/EiichiroOda, but it is not canon.
105	** ''Anime/OnePieceFilmGold'' cannot fit anywhere in the manga or anime without continuity problems. [[spoiler:The most obvious example being that the crew have their bounties increased during Dressrosa but not those from Whole Cake Island, even though the crew were separated for the entire time between those two events.]] For extra confusion, the anime added [[Recap/OnePieceSilverMineArc a prequel story arc]] immediately after Dressrosa.
106	** Likewise, the sixteenth movie, ''Anime/OnePieceFilmRed'', simply has no place where it could happen in the manga continuity. [[spoiler:While it seems to take place between the Whole Cake Island and Wano arcs, it cannot be placed there because the Straw Hats were split up until the Wano arc. Likewise, it also can't take place after Wano as Big Mom is shown to be alive and well in the movie and Luffy was declared to be one of the Four Emperors after Wano.]] However, WordOfGod has confirmed that, despite the movie's events never having taken place in the manga continuity, [[spoiler:Uta's existence and relationship to Shanks and Luffy]] ''is'' canon.
107	* ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'' tends to zig-zag this trope. The episodic, WalkingTheEarth nature of each series creates many potential gaps for the movies to slot into, although sometimes the timeline can get a bit iffy.
108	** The first few movies were explicitly in canon with the series, with ''Anime/PokemonTheFirstMovie'' being built up to within the show and having Mewtwo wipe everyone's memories of the events. Later movies are ambiguous, having the cast forget having seeing the focal Pokémon of that movie, but still referencing locations, items, and occasionally plot points from said films.[[note]]The main location of [[Anime/PokemonDestinyDeoxys Movie 7]] was made the hometown of May's rival Drew, [[Anime/PokemonLucarioAndTheMysteryOfMew Movie 8]] raised a plot point ([[BackgroundMagicField Aura]]) that has been [[ContinuityNod brought back]] in later episodes, Dawn gets a Lunar Wing in [[Anime/PokemonTheRiseOfDarkrai Movie 10]] and brings it out in a later episode, etc.[[/note]] In addition, each film has the same team lineup as the most recent episodes of the time. According to Bulbapedia, most of the movies are considered canon to the series, taking place between the episodes they air, and fulfill the same purpose as {{Filler}}, as no Pokémon are caught or evolve/learn new moves. [[note]]Usually, that is. Sometimes it does happen -- for example, Ash's Squirtle and Misty's Corsola used Bubblebeam for the first time in the [[Anime/PokemonTheFirstMovie first]] and [[Anime/PokemonHeroes fifth]] movies respectively.[[/note]]
109	** The fourteenth movie, ''Anime/PokemonTheMovieBlackAndWhite'', is the first movie that is explicitly not canon to the series, as the ''Episode N'' arc of the anime states that the heroes haven't met Zekrom and Reshiram. Granted, the movie had two versions that were mutually exclusive, so ''any'' attempt to refer to them elsewhere in either anime or movie canon would have required looser BroadStrokes anyway.
110	** ''Anime/PokemonVolcanionAndTheMechanicalMarvel'' cannot fit into the anime either, as Squishy transforms into Complete Forme Zygarde on its own despite the series later establishing that this requires both cores. Also, the Magearna Ash meets in the movie is said to be the only one of its kind, but Lillie has a [[PaletteSwap Shiny]] Magearna in ''Anime/PokemonTheSeriesSunAndMoon'' and Ash does not recognize it. However, the intro to the movie has Alain and Korrina beginning to do battle with Mega Charizard X and Mega Lucario during the Mega Evolution sequence and [[Recap/PokemonS19E30ADiamondInTheRough "A Diamond in the Rough!"]] shows the resolution with [[CurbStompBattle very bad results for Mega Lucario]].
111	** ''Anime/PokemonIChooseYou'', ''Anime/PokemonThePowerOfUs'', and ''Anime/PokemonSecretsOfTheJungle'' are loose, AlternateContinuity retellings of the Indigo League and Johto League seasons of the show, featuring entirely new characters and plot elements.
112	** ''Anime/MewtwoStrikesBackEvolution'' is a computer-animated remake of ''Anime/PokemonTheFirstMovie'' that's set in its own continuity.
113	* According to the ''Anime/PrettyCure'' trope page, "most seasons have at least one movie that makes no canonical sense (most of the time) but can't be thrown out because of [[RuleOfCool something really awesome happening in it]]." There are usually ''two'' per year: One is a mega-{{crossover}} involving every Precure that has ever appeared against a new BigBad, who is [[GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere a rather impersonal manifestation of badness]] not strongly tied to any of the existing continuities. Another is a movie that features only the characters of that year's Precure series, and the plot is usually strongly tied to those characters. New characters introduced in either movie won't appear in that year's TV series, except as a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo (such as [[LegacyCharacter Cure Angie]] from the ''Heartcatch'' movie).
114	* ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' had two of these, both based on anime-exclusive storylines. The first one, which revolves around Akane being abducted by a Chinese martial artist who has mistaken her for his fiancée, could be set anywhere after the first five episodes of the fourth season (Ranma uses the Hiryu Shoten Ha to defeat the BigBad, and all of the series main characters have been introduced). The second one, which has the crew shipwrecked on a tropical island and a bratty young noble kidnapping all of the women to pick a bride from their number, is definitely set after the late seventh season (Ranma and Ryoga use their KiManipulation, the Shi-Shi Hokodan and the Moko Takabisha). Additionally, there's nine [=OVAs=], one of which was released in Japan as a third movie -- of these, three were anime-specific (one Christmas story, one two-parter), and the other six were adaptations of manga stories that came out after the anime series was cancelled.
115	* ''Anime/SailorMoon'' has three non-serial movies tied to three of its five seasons with various degrees of success (though they do have a common problem of the current season's regular villains apparently deciding to take a short break).
116	** ''Anime/SailorMoonRTheMovie'' includes the main cast up to the later part of the second season, but has no trace of the main couple's breakup, ignorance of anyone's secret identity, no hint at [[KidFromTheFuture Chibiusa's unusual origin]], and both even take place during a different ''literal'' season of the year. In addition, a prominent flashback between two characters seems to contradict the age gap originally created by the show. Interestingly, this isn't a gaffe from adaptation troubles, as this was the only movie ''not'' initially from the manga nor with heavy involvement of the creator, Creator/NaokoTakeuchi. Despite this, it's regarded as the series' most popular movie.
117	** ''Anime/SailorMoonSTheMovie'' is based on a manga side story, partially explaining the difficulty of fitting it into the anime version cleanly, creating a mix of both. Sailor Moon still has the seasonal MacGuffin she'll eventually lose, but also has a formerly dead ally casually appear without comment on a suddenly much more amicable version of [[SixthRanger the secondary team]].
118	** ''Anime/SailorMoonSuperSTheMovie'' involves a manga story adaptation with minor compromises to anime continuity, such as a character getting their upgraded weapon from the show but also completely ignoring the apparent sabbatical taken by [[SixthRanger the Outer Senshi]], whose reintroduction in the show wouldn't come up till a season later.
119	* ''Manga/SgtFrog'' has five movies, in addition to several shorts. The shorts are all clearly in continuity, and three later movies have received small references from the tv show. In addition, the first three movies are all part of a clear trilogy of sorts, with direct references to past events, so they're presumably all in continuity. Yet, their specific timeline isn't known in relation to the series' episodes and there are references to events and recurring mechas in the movies that never appear in the tv show. They all can roughly fit after each season, starting with the second one. It's especially obvious with the third movie, which introduces new looks for the human cast which are carried over to the fifth season, but there's no actual official placement for them.
120	* ''Literature/{{Slayers}}'':
121	** The series has five movies; four of them, along with six OVA episodes, are adaptations of the ''Slayers Special'' novels, which is a prequel series to the main novel line. According to the movie director, the ''Slayers Excellent'' OVA is chronologically the first, with four of the five movies and the ''Slayers Special'' OVA following it, though without any given order. The fifth movie, ''Slayers Premium'', is the only movie set during the tv series, but it's a conundrum as to where it fits (fan interpretation has placed it after the second season of the anime and before the third).
122	** ''Premium'' takes this up by being subjected to ContinuitySnarl; a radio drama that details what happened before and after the movie stated that it had been five years since the protagonists had gathered together, yet it's made clear in the TV series that each season is set from several months to one year after each.
123	* A theatrical film for ''Manga/{{Trigun}}'' (titled ''Trigun: Badlands Rumble'') was released about a decade after the anime series, apparently taking place sometime during the more light-hearted portion of the series, and is basically a side story (much like the earlier episodes) about Vash and friends encountering a fearsome bandit in an AdventureTown.
124	* Of the six movies released for ''Manga/UruseiYatsura'', the first four definitively fit this trope, being released during the 194 episode (plus two "specials) run of the 1981 series. The exceptions are the fifth movie, an adaptation of the manga's final story, and the sixth movie, which was the last piece of media released until a new OAV debuted in 2008.
125	** The first movie, ''Only You'', revolves around an alien princess named Elle showing up and claiming that she and Ataru made a childhood marriage vow [[AccidentalMarriage when he beat her in a game of shadow tag]]. It was released between Episodes 58 and 59.
126	** The second movie, ''Beautiful Dreamer'', revolves around a dream being putting all of Tomobiki's cast of crazies into their personal dream worlds after falling in love with Lum. It was released between Episodes 99 and 100.
127	** The third movie, ''Remember My Love'', has Tomobiki return to normal after Lum and Ataru depart to seek out an evil wizard who turned Ataru into a pink hippo. It was released between Episodes 140 and 141.
128	** The fourth movie, ''Lum the Forever'', has Ataru accidentally cut down an ancient cherry tree, whose spirit reacts by attempting to steal Lum. It's widely regarded as the most ''confusing'' story in the series. It was released between Episodes 191 and 192.
129	* ''Anime/YuGiOh'':
130	** ''Anime/YuGiOhTheMoviePyramidOfLight'' has an altered version of canon post-Battle City and pre-Millennium World, and a spinoff season, ''Anime/YuGiOhCapsuleMonsters'', taking place between the KC Grand Prix and the Millennium World. There was also a non-serial manga spinoff of the original series, ''Manga/YuGiOhR'', taking place after Battle City.
131	** ''Anime/YuGiOhBondsBeyondTime'' averts this. Paradox cameoes in ''[[Anime/YuGiOh5Ds 5Ds]]'', and [[Anime/YuGiOhGX 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 {{time skip}}s between ''Yu-Gi-Oh!''[='s=] original arcs during which these events could have happened.
132	** ''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.
133	* ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'': TheMovie gave some mild character introduction and didn't have any impact on the main plot. Which was a good thing for anime fans outside Japan, the movie was licensed a few years before the actual TV series.
134	[[/folder]]
135
136	%%[[folder:Comics]]
137	%%* Sometimes Annuals can be of this nature.
138	%%[[/folder]]
139
140	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
141	* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
142	** The two Dalek films made in the 1960s, ''Film/DrWhoAndTheDaleks'' and ''Film/DaleksInvasionEarth2150AD'' are completely out of continuity with the TV show ''Series/DoctorWho'', and deliberately so: the cast is completely different, the lead is a human scientist called Who, and only the basic design of the Daleks is carried over. The fact that the plots were adaptations of TV stories cements their non-canon status. Averted with the 1996 film, which was intended to be a bridge between the 1963-89 run and a planned revival which wound up in DevelopmentHell for various reasons until Creator/TheBBC renewed the series in 2005, and is as canon inasmuch as ''Doctor Who'' has a canon (the Eighth Doctor occasionally makes appearances in flashbacks).
143	** The revived series took a BroadStrokes approach to the '96 movie: the Eighth Doctor was repeatedly shown in flashbacks before making an in-person appearance in an online episode, and when the Master returned, we ([[UnexplainedRecovery uncharacteristically, actually]]) got a real explanation for his resurrection (which of course would be unneeded if he was last seen alive, meaning his death in that movie -- and thus the rest of it -- likely still happened). The points that really stuck in the fans' craw have so far not been carried over -- one season finale outright states that a Time Lord HalfHumanHybrid is ''impossible'', which blows "I'm half human on my mother's side" right out of the water. A ''later'' finale suggested it might not be off the cards after all, but avoided saying anything definite.
144	* ''Film/InTheLoop'' takes place in a separate but very similar universe to ''Series/TheThickOfIt''. Most of the cast from the show is present, making it something between this and AlternateUniverse. It does this so that it can tackle something beyond the time period of the show (namely, UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror) and so it can have a character cross the MoralEventHorizon without making him ''completely'' unsympathetic on the show.
145	* ''Franchise/KamenRider'':
146	** Almost every Rider show has had at least one film. 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.
147	** ''Series/KamenRiderAgito'', ''Series/KamenRiderHibiki'', and ''Series/KamenRiderDecade'': These shows have movies that are canon to the series, but it's difficult to place exactly when they happen and they may have minor contradictions with the series. ''Decade'' sidesteps this with his second movie by having it serve as the FinaleMovie for the series.
148	** ''Series/KamenRiderRyuki'' and ''Series/KamenRiderKabuto'': Both of these shows have films that take place in previous iterations of a time loop, meaning the events themselves have been erased from history but did canonically happen at some point before the show.
149	** ''Series/KamenRider555'', ''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, instead going the BroadStrokes approach as some parts of the movies did happen but not in the way shown in said movies.
150	** ''Series/KamenRiderDenO'': Whatever they feel like from film to film.
151	** The ''Movie Wars'' crossover films are a special case where almost all of them are canon to each other and to the older show in the crossover, but not necessarily canon to the newer one. This is only particularly noticeable with the ''Drive'' and ''Ghost'' crossover, which fits fine into ''Drive'' canon but ignores much of the plot of ''Ghost'' in order to happen.
152	* 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. Two major cases of this involve ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.''; first, ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'' ended with S.H.I.E.L.D. being ''dismantled'' after [[spoiler:HYDRA's infiltration of the organization was exposed]]. The final quarter of season 1 dealt with that development; this created a very different status quo, and subsequent seasons shifted away from the LowerDeckEpisode approach and de-emphasized the strict MCU tie-ins. Then, the last two seasons ignored the game-changing ending of ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', and are implied to take place in an alternate timeline. [[note]]Seasons 6 and 7 were filmed between the releases of ''Infinity War'' and ''Endgame'', and the show's writers seemed to be in the dark about how the latter would go. The show's one-year TimeSkip attempted to skip over the uncertainty, only to be upended by ''Endgame'' [[spoiler:having a ''five''-year TimeSkip]].[[/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.'', whereas Creator/JossWhedon explicitly stated the films would carry on as if Coulson was 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 Creator/{{Netflix}} to Creator/DisneyPlus, 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}}''.]]
153	* ''Series/TheNextStep'', a Canadian {{Dramedy}} Mockumentary, has a two-part YetAnotherChristmasCarol ChristmasEpisode that aired in December 2019 as part of Season 7. Although it makes {{Continuity Nod}}s to the series, with many an occurrence of TheBusCameBack, it's also hard to fit into the official timeline for several reasons:
154	** Since the time span between Season 6 and Season 7 is a few days, it makes little sense that The Next Step Dance Studio would celebrate Christmas in April. Seeing as Kingston, Ozzy, Summer, Kenzie and Finn are present and Noah and Jacquie are absent, it cannot be set after Season 4, which would chronologically make the most sense in time. Therefore, these episodes are likely set out of the show's timeline, like the Halloween special.
155	** If the episodes are set within the regular timeline of the show, then, due to Amy's presence and Michelle saying in a later episode that she had not seen Emily since she informed her that she would not be buying the studio with her, these special episodes would be set between "The Return of Amy" and "We Need to Talk".
156	** In Season 4, a reference is made to the 30th anniversary of The Next Step Dance Studio's opening, but as the episode "Only You" in that season referred to the first dance captain technically being in 1984, it should be the ''33rd'' anniversary, ''but'' it is never actually confirmed that The Next Step was an established business at this point, meaning that before the studio was officially founded, it may have still existed as a dance education facility that made use of a dance captain.
157	** Part of Season 7 is LooseCanon at best, if not outright SchrodingersCanon, but WordOfGod on its canonicity from series creator Frank van Keeken has never been mentioned.
158	* ''Film/OnTheBuses'' (and its [[Film/MutinyOnTheBuses two]] [[Film/HolidayOnTheBuses sequels]]) isn't canon to the [[Series/OnTheBuses TV series]], as Olive and Arthur's son, Little Arthur, only appears in the films.
159	* ''Franchise/PowerRangers'':
160	** ''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).
161	** ''Film/PowerRangers2017'' was a retelling of the origins of the ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'' with younger actors and had no connection to the continuity of ''Series/PowerRangersNinjaSteel'' (the ''PR'' series that was on TV at the time).
162	* ''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 actors leading to the show continuing with the ship having an UnexplainedRecovery.
163	* ''Film/StarTrek2009'' and [[Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness its]] [[Film/StarTrekBeyond 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 Nero's crew and Ambassador Spock from the main continuity travelling back and [[AlternateTimeline splitting the timeline]]. There is a brief reference to this universe in ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'' Season 3 to help explain what is happening to one of their crew.
164	* ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' movies are different from those of ''Franchise/KamenRider'' -- they're hard to place in show continuity, typically don't touch the series' plot, and are rarely referenced thereafter, but they're almost never contradictory, unlike the turn-of-the-century ''Kamen Rider'' movies that were WhatIf stories from the get-go. [[labelnote:*]]Granted, it must be noted that most ''VS Super Sentai'' movies do fall in this trope by virtue of the [[ContinuitySnarl messy continuity]] in them, while the summer movies that are not ''VS'' usually don't contradict continuity in the series' plotline. That said, ''[[Series/KaizokuSentaiGokaiger Gokaiger]]'' seems to take a BroadStrokes approach regarding previous series events to allow their co-existence.[[/labelnote]]
165	** Strangely, in ''Series/NinpuuSentaiHurricaneger'', Tricondor is recognized by the team because of the movie's events, but there doesn't seem to be any reason for Oboro to have made a machine that looks exactly like the first Tricondor.
166	** ''Series/BakuryuuSentaiAbaranger'': The evil PaletteSwap mecha from the movie makes a brief appearance near the end of the series. There's also a RunningGag of mentioning ''Abarangers''[='=]s curry house in team-ups if that team-up doesn't have at least one ''Abaranger'' character appearing[[note]]Even the {{Fake Shemp}}s in [[Film/GokaigerGoseigerSuperSentai199HeroGreatBattle the Gokaiger/Goseiger team-up]] qualify as an appearance.[[/note]], suggesting ''every'' Sentai succeeding the Abarangers has at least someone who has it as a favorite hangout; you won't see evidence of this in their series.
167	** ''Series/TokusouSentaiDekaranger''[='=]s movies don't get mentioned in the series, but do mention each other -- an Algolian (the summer movie villains) is involved in the ''Dekaranger vs. [[Series/MahouSentaiMagiranger Magiranger]]'' team-up.
168	** 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 two mechs of the "evil" Rin Juken users Rio and Mele, but [[spoiler:in Episode 33, when the first three 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. [[spoiler:Then later they use Geki Rin Tohja Wolf.]]
169	** ''Series/EngineSentaiGoOnger''[='=]s, however, has Samurai World mentioned often, and [[spoiler:Retsutaka and Engine Daishogun return]].
170	** ''Series/SamuraiSentaiShinkenger'' does have the appearance of Hyper Shinken Red and the Kyoryu Origami in the TV show, a form and weapon that originally debuted in the ''The Fateful War'' movie.
171	** The two ''Series/KaizokuSentaiGokaiger'' team-up movies are canon.
172	*** The first one (with ''Series/TensouSentaiGoseiger''), set between Episodes 16 and 17, sees [[spoiler:the Gokaigers unlocking 11 Ranger powers at once]] and and while the events of the second one (with ''Series/SpaceSheriffGavan'') are not referenced in the show itself, the ''Series/TokumeiSentaiGobusters'' EarlyBirdCameo scene is a {{foreshadowing}} of Basco's final and most nefarious move against the Gokaigers in Episodes 47/48, setting the movie before that two-parter.
173	*** ''Gokaiger'' also includes numerous references to previous movies in its series, with identical relatives of previous team-up villains appearing. Episode 40 even shows their EarlyBirdCameo in the Shinkenger-Goseiger team-up in context. (How'd they have their suit-changing gimmick, gained from the lost powers of all past sentai, while Shinken and Gosei were active? The short version is, TimeTravel was involved.)
174	** On the case of ''Series/TokumeiSentaiGobusters'', Ene-tan and the Megazord Epsilon from the summer movie and the Megazord Omega from the ''Gokaiger'' team-up returned in the show after their movie debuts.
175	** The events of ''Series/ZyudenSentaiKyoryuger''[='=]s summer movie are shown in flashback in episode 29 of the series and later explicitly followed up on in Episode 39. ''Film/ResshaSentaiToqgerVsKyoryugerTheMovie'' fulfills a plot point mentioned only in the finale: [[spoiler:The appearance of the villain behind the Deboss Army, whose existence Deboss revealed to Daigo during the final battle.]]
176	** ''Series/ResshaSentaiToQger''[='=]s movies don't get mentioned in the series, but they do share a common plot element in the Galaxy Line, a cosmic analogue to the Rainbow Line.
177	** ''Series/OhsamaSentaiKingOhger'' makes it very easy to place its movie in the series timeline, specifically tying it to the end of episode 23, and a couple of episodes in the second half of the series heavily involve characters from the movie.
178	[[/folder]]
179
180	[[folder:Web Original]]
181	* ''Film/AngryVideoGameNerdTheMovie'' has a very loose relationship to [[WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd the web series]] it spawned from, due to it being written in 2007, teased in the series in 2012, and released in 2014, meaning it doesn't directly fit into the continuity at any point (insomuch as the show even ''has'' continuity). Unlike in the series, all the games the Nerd reviews in the movie are all either BlandNameProduct counterparts to real games or completely fictional, and none of the movie's supporting characters ever appear in the series before or after. There have been instances of footage from the movie briefly appearing in flashbacks, but the actual plot appears to be either treated in a BroadStrokes manner at best.
182	* Parodied in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEfFy-uZ8_g this skit]] from WebVideo/ProZD, where a crossover movie between ''Chairem Anime'' and ''King Dragon'' is declared non-canon and Archibald is confused.
183	* ''WebAnimation/TVTomeAdventures: TheMovie'' is actually a subversion of this. It has all the hallmarks of a Non-Serial Movie: The heroes fight against {{Filler Villain}}s, it has no effect on the plot, the events are (seemingly) never mentioned again, etc. Unlike most Non-Serial Movies, things such as Giga attacking them, references to the X-Games, and [[spoiler:Zetto still running around doing whatever he wants instead of being under arrest]] make it clear when it takes place: right between the X-Games and Infiltration Arcs. There is, however, one far more important difference: [[spoiler:The FillerVillain is defeated by Alpha and Zetto [[FusionDance Fusing]] together to form "Alphazet." This is never mentioned again... Until the Season 3 Finale where, with no warning whatsoever, Alpha and Zetto do it ''again'' to save the day. Oh, and that FillerVillain? [[ArcWelding Turns out]] that he was (probably) one of the super-intelligent viruses made by the BigBad.]]
184	[[/folder]]
185
186	[[folder:Western Animation]]
187	* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10'':
188	** The original series and ''[[WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce Alien Force]]'' each received live-action films. [[Film/Ben10RaceAgainstTime The first]] was originally firmly within this trope, with its events being non-canon until the franchise introduced TheMultiverse, which depicts the "Race Against Time" as having happened in one of many alternate timelines. [[SubvertedTrope Meanwhile]], [[Film/Ben10AlienSwarm the second live-action film]] was always considered canon, as the events of the film have repercussions in later episodes, despite it having numerous inconsistencies with the show.[[note]]Grandpa Max was involved in the plot despite being assumed dead at that point in the show, the team had an underground base when they had no such thing, Ben's then-girlfriend Julie does not exist, etc.[[/note]]
189	** The WhatIf episodes of the original cartoon ''also'' exist under this multiverse framework, with the Gwen of one of them playing a role in a later story arc.
190	* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoNinjagoMovie'' is not in the same continuity with either the ''WesternAnimation/{{Ninjago}}'' TV series OR toy line; it is instead a spinoff of ''WesternAnimation/TheLEGOMovie''. However, it takes inspiration from the source's plot points and puts a new spin on them, such as Lloyd's relationship with his father and the robotic aspects of Zane.
191	* ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' has one in ''WesternAnimation/LadybugAndCatNoirTheMovie'', which is a BroadStrokes retelling of the series, the {{origins\|Episode}} of Ladybug and Cat Noir in particular. While the film tweaks the characters, their backstories, and the setting in various ways (some minor, some major) and relies on the viewer's familiarity with certain plot beats from the source material, the fact that it ends with [[spoiler:Gabriel Agreste in jail for his crimes as Hawk Moth and the title duo discovering each other's SecretIdentity]] ''firmly'' puts the movie in AlternateContinuity territory when compared to the show's fifth season, which had wrapped up by the time the film premiered in 2023. Also a deliberate example, as WordOfGod was quick to deem the movie non-canon to the series the moment it was first announced.
192	* An interesting variation: the movie ''WesternAnimation/PenguinsOfMadagascar'' does not take place in the continuity of ''WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'' TV show, but rather in the continuity of the ''Franchise/{{Madagascar}}'' film series, which the show was spun off from.
193	* In spite of sharing some characters, ''WesternAnimation/PoundPuppiesAndTheLegendOfBigPaw'' is a separate canon from ''WesternAnimation/PoundPuppies1980s''. The most notable discrepancies include the Puppy Pound being run by Tammy and Jeff instead of Holly or Katrina Stoneheart and the film using a different art style and different character designs from the Hanna-Barbera show.
194	* ''WesternAnimation/TheRaccoons'' had four TVMovie specials:
195	** ''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 series itself.
196	** ''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 but there are some things that make it go into BroadStrokes territory.
197	** ''The Raccoons and the Lost Star'': This is of uncertain canonicity but possibly outside the show's core timeline, yet doesn't seem to contradict anything outright.
198	** ''The Raccoons: Let's Dance!'' is a LighterAndSofter MusicalEpisode that was DirectToVideo, much like an OVA, yet did get some TV airings. But how canon it is to the series is debatable.
199	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobSquarePantsMovie'' is non-canon to the series' timeline and is instead set in an AlternateContinuity. [[SeriesFauxnale It was written as the finale]] for [[WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants the show]], but as the franchise was hitting peak popularity at the time, Creator/{{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=]'' is a series where NegativeContinuity, SnapBack and StatusQuoIsGod are in full effect, meaning continuity was never strong anyway.
200	* The second ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub'' movie, ''Magical Adventure''. While the first movie, ''[[WhamEpisode The Secret of the Lost Kingdom]]'', was firmly within the show's continuity (taking place just after Season 3 and concluding the then-MythArc concerning Bloom's missing birth parents), ''Magical Adventure'' ignores much of Season 4 despite releasing after it (lack of Roxy, Nabu being alive, etc.). The fandom has come to agree that the film makes ''much'' more sense continuity-wise if you imagine the girls are in their third season ''Enchantix'' outfits as opposed to their fourth season ''Believix'' ones.
201	[[/folder]]

Context Main / NonSerialMovie