"Toonami" News & Discussion Thread

[Light Lucario]

I'm kind of surprised that he wanted the block to be only three hours of premieres, but the higher-ups decided to double it to six hours. If I recall correctly, it wasn't that long after Toonami was revived that they got that extra amount of time. While I do think it's a shame to lose that time, if only so that they could potentially play around with a couple of more premieres, I can understand why he wanted three hours and why they're happier with this outcome. With the budget they have, it's probably harder to make a block last for six hours compared to three. If they didn't lose a bunch of shows or if Cartoon Network didn't write off their own shows like Beware the Batman and Sym-Bionic Titan, maybe that could have helped them to keep those hours. At least the higher-ups were nice from the sound of it and wanted to make sure that they knew that Toonami wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

It was also interesting to hear a bit about the production into IGPX. You can definitely tell that they put in a lot of effort into that show from the animation, the voice acting, the music and the writing. While I really like the show, I'm still not surprised that it wasn't as much of a hit. People did generally expect a more action-packed series from Toonami instead of a slice of life/sports drama kind of series. I don't know if I would have liked the show that much back when it premiered. I only vaguely remember a few episodes airing on the original block and the last few episodes airing outside of the block, but I don't remember much about my opinions on the show. Still, it was nice that they wanted to do something different instead of another giant robot show. I think that does help to make IGPX stand out a bit more and it sounded like they enjoyed the experience of making the show too.

 

[Hypeathon]

Yeah, Jason mentioned about how he felt losing the back-half of the block before on the Toonami Faithful podcast (which Sketch posted a link to here several weeks ago). The act of the matter is, it was just juggling a lot of balls for him and everyone else and that having a shorter block full of just premieres not only makes things easier for him but also makes Toonami come of sleeker in terms of scheduling.

Also, something else he mentioned before and in more detail on his Toonami Faithful Podcast interview but not on ANNCast was that with Sym-bionic Titan, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Beware the Batman, the legal department told them at the last minute. Apparently when a show is cancelled and is off-air, then it's likely considered forgotten by the legal department since they don't always keep track of what shows a network still has and doesn't have. And this can especially apply in a case where say with a big corporation like Turner, a lawyer working with five different networks may assume that show was written-off. Not even Kim Manning, head of programming, was fully aware of these shows being written off at the time. Between all the American-animated programming being written off and the whole issue with Dish network and airing Attack on Titan reruns (which he's right about how shows like that couldn't possibly do well on reruns), and December being the holiday season where ratings are not as likely to do well, I can see how it was a perfect storm of losing so much momentum.

Also, fun fact: Star Wars: The Clone Wars was the first show between CN and Adult Swim to be in high definition and that led to the beginning of both networks moving away from using tapes.

 

[Mister Mayhem]

So Jason Demarco was on this week's Anime News Network podcast to discuss and answer questions all about Toonami. It which he revels that he always wanted the block to be 3 hours of premieres but CN made it 6, How they acquire the shows and the relationships they've built with the anime studios and licencors, They're role in Big O's ending and how a certain scene in Sword Art Online doesn't bother them at all.

Countrymen,

Don't know why that part in Sword Art would bother anyone. One of the best scenes in the series. The content of the Fairy Dance arc is common in anime and manga.

I also don't know why the decline of anime in region one would matter unless CN was getting a slice of profits from all the anime they aired. I'm assuming they get a percentage from toyetic stuff like Pokemon, Bakugan, Beyblade but stuff like Naruto, Yu Yu Hakusho and Kenshin I'm not so sure. I thought ratings would matter more for the latter.

The fact that the Toonami crew always seems to be told things at the last minute says a lot, especially being told about the end of the block in 2008 a week before it happened. Its clear that at least some of the higher ups don't have a high opinion of them.
Turner was wrong to take a hands off approach to Space Dandy. Show would have probably been a lot better if they exerted more creative control.

S&P knows toonami airs mostly children's programming. Why else would they be concerned about what kind of content airs in shows supposedly aimed at an adult audience.

The exclusive deals stuff sounds like bull. Not only do sites stream series that have currently and previously aired on CN and AS but anime ain't exactly in high demand. It makes no sense that Hulu, Amazon Prime and Netflix would be worried about stuff being broadcasted.

Thank you to Aniplex for deciding to let Toonami air Sword Art Online early. Tooanmi needs all the help it can get.

The only non dc and marvel western actions cartoons that I could see airing on Tooanmi is GI Joe and Transformers. Probably won't happen but I would love to see renegades and animated on the block.

 

[Light Lucario]

Countrymen,

Don't know why that part in Sword Art would bother anyone. One of the best scenes in the series. The content of the Fairy Dance arc is common in anime and manga.

I have no idea why that could be considered one of the best scenes of the series. It was downright insulting. Also, I don't know if incest and attempted virtual rape is all that common in anime and manga in general. It wouldn't be uncommon per say, as I do know of shows that pander to the crowds that like incest, but I think it depends more on what specific kind of series you're talking about rather than saying it's common for the medium in general.

The fact that the Toonami crew always seems to be told things at the last minute says a lot, especially being told about the end of the block in 2008 a week before it happened. Its clear that at least some of the higher ups don't have a high opinion of them.
Turner was wrong to take a hands off approach to Space Dandy. Show would have probably been a lot better if they exerted more creative control.

I'm not sure if it says that they didn't have a high option of them back then. I don't think that it's that uncommon for people to be told that their project is being cancelled at the last minute, especially a block that had been around like Toonami. As for Space Dandy, I'm not sure if it would have been better if they had more creative control over the project. I'm not sure if they could have had much impact on how the show turned out even if they did get more creative control over it.

The only non dc and marvel western actions cartoons that I could see airing on Tooanmi is GI Joe and Transformers. Probably won't happen but I would love to see renegades and animated on the block.

I don't know if they could get one of the older Transformers series on the block and the newest one is going to air on Cartoon Network proper. I don't know much about the GI Joe series, so I don't know if that's more of a possibility compared to Transformers.

 

[MadMan400096]

Countrymen,

Don't know why that part in Sword Art would bother anyone. One of the best scenes in the series. The content of the Fairy Dance arc is common in anime and manga.

I've never seen SAO and I have no intention of doing so, but just because some tropes and elements are common doesn't mean they're better. If anything, it just makes them worse because they're doing the same crap others are doing, and are probably handling better.

But the biggest insult? Calling us "countrymen". Shame on you.

 

[Thepowerofnone]

Countrymen,

Don't know why that part in Sword Art would bother anyone. One of the best scenes in the series. The content of the Fairy Dance arc is common in anime and manga.

Honestly, that scene was horrible, disturbing, and unwatchable. I don't know why you say that a rape scene is one the best scenes in Sword Art Online and I don't think the content in the Fairy Dance arc is that common in anime.

 

[PapaGreg]

Off topic but am I the only one who when sees a crunchyroll commercial featuring on Toonami with Hunter X Hunter on it I die a little inside with the thought of knowing +one day we will say a femmine gary stu fight a Darth Vader wannabe on Toonami but not a 12 year old wailing on a pedophilia clown while said clown has the most over the top orgasm

 

[SpecialColorfull]

Life Can be so cruel sometimes...LOL.

 

[MadMan400096]

Attack on Titan's replacing Deadman Wonderland per the Pre-Flight.

 

[Mister Mayhem]

Countrymen,

Eh, they should have replaced Deadman with Bleach.

 

[Thepowerofnone]

By the way, it will start from the beginning again. https://mobile.twitter.com/Clarknova1/status/574005510246170624

 

[Light Lucario]

I was hoping that they'd put on a new show after Deadman Wonderland wrapped up since there's very little that I actually enjoy on the block right now, but I can see why they brought back Attack On Titan. They did say that they'd have to give it a second run and it might provide some good ratings for the later hours of the block. Too bad that it's running from the beginning, but it has been awhile since it was taken off the lineup and this does give them more time to potentially get a new show to replace it with later. I wouldn't be surprised if they put Space Dandy or IGPX on at 3AM afterwards and make that slot the designated rerun slot for the foreseeable future.

 

[TheCtes]

I was hoping that they'd put on a new show after Deadman Wonderland wrapped up since there's very little that I actually enjoy on the block right now, but I can see why they brought back Attack On Titan. They did say that they'd have to give it a second run and it might provide some good ratings for the later hours of the block. Too bad that it's running from the beginning, but it has been awhile since it was taken off the lineup and this does give them more time to potentially get a new show to replace it with later. I wouldn't be surprised if they put Space Dandy or IGPX on at 3AM afterwards and make that slot the designated rerun slot for the foreseeable future.

I was expecting them to air Bebop in HD, since they actually did something to acquire that and only a few episodes has aired yet.

 

[Light Lucario]

I was expecting them to air Bebop in HD, since they actually did something to acquire that and only a few episodes has aired yet.

They might air Bebop after finishing Attack On Titan instead, especially when they all really like it and it has been on Adult Swim for a number of years.

 

[Ishtar]

Jason mentioned that they can't afford to have premieres at 3am the way things currently are, so they had no choice but to replace Deadman with another re-run.

 

[veemonjosh]

Even if they can't air premieres at 3am, Attack on Titan's second run tanked terribly in the ratings, showing that it has no replay value. They have Cowboy Bebop (which only got a few episodes into its HD run before being pulled), Space Dandy (of which season 2 only played ONCE), Bleach, even Ghost in the Shell could have run.

Why, oh why, did they pick the one show they still have the rights to that performed terribly in reruns? And why air it from the beginning yet again when the Trost arc has already played three times in its entirety? I mean, if I had to rerun Attack on Titan this point, I'd at least just run the Female Titan arc, which, much like Dandy S2, has only aired once through.

 

[Ishtar]

I think Attack on Titan will re-run fine at 3am. The main issue was more so trying to re-run it at 11:30, which hurt the momentum of the start of the block. Had they just stuck it at like 2:30, I think it would have worked out way better. I do agree that starting it at episode 1 yet again is unneeded. The first 11 episodes have already aired 3 times via the first run, the Labor Day marathon, and the 2nd run that got interrupted. Besides, Attack on Titan didn't even get pulled that long ago. I do think the main incentive to re-run Attack on Titan again is that it likely has the closest expiration date, and they want to take advantage of the airing rights they payed for before that time comes.

 

[ChildHood90s]

I wouldn't mind catching Attack on Titan after watching One Piece. Didn't catch the Female Titan Arc (and some before that?) due to shenanigans with my computer.

 

[Ishtar]

I wouldn't mind catching Attack on Titan after watching One Piece. Didn't catch the Female Titan Arc (and some before that?) due to shenanigans with my computer.

To bad you'll have to sit through yet another run of the Battle of Trost arc before we even get to the Female Titan arc again, which will take months.

 

[Dan's Revenge]

Hope Titan does better in repeats this time. As much as I'd have preferred Bebop or Dandy, I'm okay with this. Gave Titan about ... 4 episodes I think but I couldn't get into it. More than hope the repeats do well for the block though. It could be the smartest rerun to air. Dandy though could be a nice lead-out later on because of it's comedy elements.