I dont particularly care who looks or bad or not, anime is an adaption and as such based on interpretation, sometimes purposely wrong to extend stuff to fit the the 1 episode 1 chapter pacing since Enies Lobby.
Animated adaptation is as valid as a source, as the original material.
Because the animated adaptation is NOT the original material.
"Canon", as people talk like simply being "the original source" it's not the only meaning for it, as there are lots of debates at the academic world about what it means a "canon literature".
You don't see people cashing Marvel's Thor just because it doesn't strictly follow norse mythology. do you? Is Marvel's Thor something "non-canon"?
Adaptation can come in many forms, and, aside from the cases where the adaptation is merely done to promote the original source, like many animes do, for instance, any adaptation is its own "canon" material.
"Filler" is just as exceptional case of sideline stuff that have 0 impact on the story whatsoever.
Saying a character did something in the anime, but should not be considerer "canon", just because it wasn't shown in the manga, is a misconception about the purpose of an adaptation.
Peace.