"Toonami" News & Discussion Thread

[Hypeathon]

Well this happened at Momocon (#Intruder2 this Saturday May 31st):

[video=youtube;WWUZZNpE62w]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWUZZNpE62w[/video]

 

[Dan's Revenge]

Nice teaser! Looks like it'll be a nice event!

 

[GingaDaiuchuu]

We've come so far with the technology with which to produce these things. What a great promo for something so simple. Very exciting.

 

[WickedChild]

Is using the blurring tool really that hard? They did it for Tenchi on April Fool's Day, and they'll likely end up doing it for Black Lagoon.

Starz also blurred things frequently, 7 years ago on their SyFy Ani-Monday block, and that was run on the SUPER-cheap, also early in the night (11pm-1am). Yeah, I don't buy that as an excuse for not airing something, unless there's SO much nudity that the blurring would ruin the rest of the show.

Also it keeps bringing me back to this question - why is Adult Swim S&P still run by Puritan ministers? Why do cartoon boobies scare them so much? Comedy Central shows cartoon nudity as early as 10pm, and has for a long time. They sometimes show live action nudity after midnight. AS doesn't think their audience can handle what CC's audience does? Do they think the PTC is going to launch an all-out assault for something that (presumably) would air after 2am behind multiple disclaimers and a TV-MA-S rating?

AS just recently broke the S-word barrier, a decade after every other cable network stopped being scared of it. I think it's safe to say they're slow to adapt to changing social mores.

I still don't think so. They admitted on their Tumblr that they have no interest in airing anything older than Cowboy Bebop. The original Sailor Moon aired in 1992, six years before Cowboy Bebop. Crystal will take some time, but it's newer so it's more likely to air.

That's wrong. Dragon Ball Z Kai is considered a different show, animated differently, that aired in 2009. This new Sailor Moon dub is just a redub of the 1992 series. I mean, if there was a Sailor Moon Kai in Japan they might go for that, or if someone else tried dubbing the original Dragon Ball Z I doubt they'd go for that. Unless they decide to go back on what they said on their Tumblr, I just can't see them airing anything from the original Sailor Moon series, movies aside.

I think the DBZ Kai decision is probably less about a re-mastering technicality, and more about the fact that DBZ put Toonami on the map and if they thought anything should be worthy of an exception to the "nothing pre-Bebop" rule it'd be DBZ. I could see Sailor Moon getting a similar exception if DBZK is successful, though obviously not as huge as DBZ, it was a staple of Toonami in the early days and was popular for a time, and probably helped attract a more diverse audience back then.

I don't have any desire to see it either, but I can see DBZ becoming kind of Toonami's Family Guy - the long overplayed but consistently-performing "anchor" show that gets more casual viewers in the door.

 

[Daikun]

[video=youtube;1_rRY-VHUFI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_rRY-VHUFI[/video]

 

[veemonjosh]

Just a heads-up for those forecasting the runs of Toonami shows, but Toonami will most likely not be airing episode 13.5 of Attack on Titan. People who pre-ordered the first boxset have been receiving it, and episode 13 ends with a preview for episode 14, rather than 13.5, so Funimation likely will not be releasing it.

Nothing of value is lost, it's just a recap episode, just figured I should mention this to those keeping track of when shows are projected to end to move Attack on Titan's end date up one week.

 

[Beefy]

Also it keeps bringing me back to this question - why is Adult Swim S&P still run by Puritan ministers?

The answer is in the video (at 25:05) in the post below yours, as it was asked at the Momocon panel.

DeMarco said that it's because Adult Swim still shares channel space with Cartoon Network.
It's mostly because of the advertisers who buy commercial time on CN/AS, and that more younger people might be watching Adult Swim at night than you might expect.

The result is there are still some lines that Adult Swim S&P does not want to cross.

 

[Light Lucario]

The answer is in the video (at 25:05) in the post below yours, as it was asked at the Momocon panel.

DeMarco said that it's because Adult Swim still shares channel space with Cartoon Network.
It's mostly because of the advertisers who buy commercial time on CN/AS, and that more younger people might be watching Adult Swim at night than you might expect.

The result is there are still some lines that Adult Swim S&P does not want to cross.

That makes sense. Adult Swim is still a part of Cartoon Network, so even with some of the material and language their shows have aired, they don't want to go too far. A channel like Comedy Central doesn't really have that same issue because the bulk of their channel isn't primarily aimed at kids.

 

[Gold Guy]

I respect Adult Swim' decision. IMO, that's the responsible move. They're right, they don't know if kids will still be watching.

 

[Sketch]

I'd argue kids unhindered by parental controls could see worse things at the same time of night on other networks but I don't really mind that Adult Swim wont push certain buttons.

 

[HG Revolution]

I'd argue kids unhindered by parental controls could see worse things at the same time of night on other networks but I don't really mind that Adult Swim wont push certain buttons.

They could but I think because Adult Swim shares channel space with Cartoon Network more kids are looking at the stuff on Adult Swim (there's no comparable material on, say, Nick at Nite).

If there's the budget for it, there's a very easy way to edit nudity in Kill la Kill: glowing lights over boobs. They already have absurd glowing lights over penises in the regular show, so they just need to add them over boobs. It'd be the most natural tone-fitting editing since the record scratches in Champloo. But again, this might cost a bit, not as much as digital bikinis but still would be something. Maybe Aniplex would be willing to put forth the money?

There's also the Ragyo molestation scene which I'm not sure how they'd edit exactly. Maybe they could air it with a TV-MA-SV but I'd think an extra content disclaimer would be wise for that particular episode.

 

[MadMan400096]

Uh, yeah, on this subject, I think this Robot Chicken sketch says it best:
[video=youtube;Ru8n1-NYGyo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru8n1-NYGyo[/video]
Let's look at it from a more logical point of view. Is it really the network's fault if kids are watching a block called [ADULT swim]? Even if it's on a kids' network? It's the parents that should be the ones in control of what their kids are watching.

 

[WickedChild]

The answer is in the video (at 25:05) in the post below yours, as it was asked at the Momocon panel.

DeMarco said that it's because Adult Swim still shares channel space with Cartoon Network.
It's mostly because of the advertisers who buy commercial time on CN/AS, and that more younger people might be watching Adult Swim at night than you might expect.

The result is there are still some lines that Adult Swim S&P does not want to cross.

These advertisers - they're presumably the same ones that have no problem with Robot Chicken and Metalocalypse showing graphic mutilation and torture, or the Boondocks using the N-word constantly and exploiting every racial stereotype possible, or Family Guy's frequent trivialization of rape and genocide?

But these same advertisers are so deathly concerned about a hypothetical child, whose parents let him watch TV at 2am, and who just saw Glenn Quagmire drug and molest an unconscious woman's body hours earlier on Family Guy, possibly seeing the outlined silhouette of a cartoon nipple?

Whew! It's a good thing AS still has SOME lines it doesn't want to cross!

I'd argue kids unhindered by parental controls could see worse things at the same time of night on other networks but I don't really mind that Adult Swim wont push certain buttons.

I wouldn't mind either if they were consistent. And honestly it's not just an AS problem, but more of an American warped view of morality problem (I shouldn't need to repeat my examples above). But it does become a problem when a legitimately awesome show like Kill la Kill, that Toonami audiences would presumably love and would be great for the block, gets blocked for such silly reasons compared to much of the content AS is content to air at earlier hours.

 

[Mister Mayhem]

Comrades,

these censorship rules are ridiculous and need to go the way of the dinosaur. in today's day and age sexual & nude imagery is more easily accessible and a lot of parents are either oblivious or indifferent to what their children watch and read. parental locks are available for those who take an active interest in these things but even those can be bypassed. when i was a kid most children were looking at things 10X more graphic than some cartoon nipple.

 

[Golden Geek]

I'd argue kids unhindered by parental controls could see worse things at the same time of night on other networks but I don't really mind that Adult Swim wont push certain buttons.

Still though, their S&P are probably most strict only second to broadcast TV. While I'm glad they've lightened up a bit since the days of heavily editing Blue Gender, you have to admit that at some point Adult Swim has to grow up.

There are basic cable channels which are certainly showing worse and earlier; South Park was airing at 5pm for a while here on Comedy Central, and in some places BBC America is basic cable and they've got (had?) Skins, which despite the minor edits is extremely raunchy. For Adult Swim to be so frightened over things like Kill la Kill's revealing costumes is ridiculous.

 

[G1Ravage]

Wait, Adult Swim still has lines that can be crossed?

 

[PrincessuKenny]

They could but I think because Adult Swim shares channel space with Cartoon Network more kids are looking at the stuff on Adult Swim (there's no comparable material on, say, Nick at Nite).

If there's the budget for it, there's a very easy way to edit nudity in Kill la Kill: glowing lights over boobs. They already have absurd glowing lights over penises in the regular show, so they just need to add them over boobs. It'd be the most natural tone-fitting editing since the record scratches in Champloo. But again, this might cost a bit, not as much as digital bikinis but still would be something. Maybe Aniplex would be willing to put forth the money?

There's also the Ragyo molestation scene which I'm not sure how they'd edit exactly. Maybe they could air it with a TV-MA-SV but I'd think an extra content disclaimer would be wise for that particular episode.

That'd be the first time Adult Swim got a TV-MA-S rating since episode 20 of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

 

[Golden Geek]

Considering the content on their comedy shows:

During the actual ball, The Twins dumped Spanish flies onto the inmates, which caused the women to get “hot and bothered”. The women were shown tearing their dresses off, dancing provocatively and making out with each other. (Superjail!, CBSC.ca)

Meg knocks on Quagmire's front door.

Meg: “I was wondering if I could borrow some roofies.

Quagmire: “Oh, sure, just a sec. Roofies, huh? Pretty big pill for such a little girl.”

Meg: “Yeah, I know. But I asked someone to do me a favor and they're not too keen on doing it.”

Quagmire: “Oh, I know what they're for, honey. So how's school?”

They chit-chat for a little bit. Meg thanks him for the bag of roofies he hands her. Quagmire wells with pride as he watches her leave.

Quagmire: “That's what it's all about, Glen." (Family Guy, parentstv.org)

It would be entirely hypocritical to not air Kill la Kill during a midnight block simply because of semi-nudity and innuendo.

 

[G1Ravage]

I remember that "Reign" show they aired yeeeeeeears ago had some funky sexuality and semi-nudity in it.

 

[adyniz]

So... This happened:

Good news, everyone! #SpaceDandy Season 2 begins July 5th on #Toonami! It'll then air Saturday nights at 12:30am ET. pic.twitter.com/6OyhibjTer

https://twitter.com/FUNimation/status/474516035761360897