Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-11927664-20130711005557/@comment-11477779-20130720030538

The anime filler arcs had a purpose which was to allow Kubo to get ahead with the main story arc. From reading the little notes he's written in the manga books it looks like he definitely had input into the filler arcs as well, so they're not completely out there. I agree that what frustrated most viewers was having to wait for the main story line to pick up again. Instant gratification has spoiled us all! :) It's gonna be tough waiting a couple months for the manga to pick back up again!