Toonami Ratings

[The Man in Black]

Did Secret Saturdays cliffhanger end?

 

[Light Lucario]

Did Secret Saturdays cliffhanger end?

Luckily, it didn't. It resolved the conflict pretty well, even though the final moments of the series are kind of depressing. I just wish it had lasted longer because it was so good and I think that the creator had ideas for another season anyway.

 

[RabidInuyashaFan]

Despite the strong ratings & the save YJ twitter campaign CN has not annouced a return for either YJ & GL. The Turner PR this week highlighted CW yr over double digit gains & #1 in K9-14 but didn't give any mention to the YJ premiere which beat CW in 18-49 & didn't trail it by much in tv's. For YJ & GL to come back they would likely have had to double DC Nation to 2 hrs & they clearly have no interest in that. DC Nation will feature Teen Titans Go & Beware the Batman series instead. I would think that means YJ & GL would be available to TOONAMI for this summer. [line]2[/line] It does seem odd that CW would be mentioned given that it's not coming back either, but with the addition of Yoda Chronicles they now have 5 SW animated specials from LEGO. So maybe they mentioned it to help market that.

 

[Light Lucario]

Despite the strong ratings & the save YJ twitter campaign CN has not annouced a return for either YJ & GL. The Turner PR this week highlighted CW yr over double digit gains & #1 in K9-14 but didn't give any mention to the YJ premiere which beat CW in 18-49 & didn't trail it by much in tv's. For YJ & GL to come back they would likely have had to double DC Nation to 2 hrs & they clearly have no interest in that. DC Nation will feature Teen Titans Go & Beware the Batman series instead. I would think that means YJ & GL would be available to TOONAMI for this summer. [line]2[/line] It does seem odd that CW would be mentioned given that it's not coming back either, but with the addition of Yoda Chronicles they now have 5 SW animated specials from LEGO. So maybe they mentioned it to help market that.

I'm not sure if either show would be available for Toonami to air by this summer. It might take a bit longer than that, but I wouldn't have a problem with either show airing on the block. They would help to keep the block a bit more diverse and it could help them to buy more shows if they didn't have to spend much, if anything, to air Green Lantern or Young Justice.

 

[Rynnec]

Thundercats started airing on Toonami a few months after its initial run, so it's possible.

 

[Sketch]

If they got started on the paperwork as soon as both end their run on March 16th then they could both air by Summer no sweat, assuming Warner allows it and there's no reason they shouldn't because they only stand to gain from airing them on Toonami as opposed to tossing them on Boomerang or shelving them entirely.

Sure they could toss them at The Hub eventually but CN's contract wont be up for a while I figure and if CN wont do anything but put them on Boomerang, Toonami is a much better use of their ratings potential with adults. It's not out of reason for them to actually start up Young Justice as soon as ThunderCats run ends and I think that's a good plan if they want to wait until GXP ends to bring in another fresh anime. Let YJ take the ThunderCats slot until GXP ends and then move everything down a half hour. Hopefully also ending the reign of double Cowboy Bebop in favor of just one airing or giving the show some time off the block.

They probably don't have the budget to have anime premieres 12AM-2:30AM once GXP ends so if they don't add Young Justice they're only going to be able to dip into the FLCL, Big O and GITS well and still potentially have an hour of Cowboy Bebop because they'll have earlier slots to fill.

I'd much rather they bring in Young Justice than to settle into a 2AM-6AM schedule of this

ThunderCats - Sym-Bionic Titan - Eureka 7 - FLCL / Big O Season 2 / GITS - FMAB - Bebop - InuYasha - InuYasha

Though it's still a decent line-up it looks pretty lifeless and mundane since everything on it has either been on the block since last Fall, was played to death on ASA or both.

Though if it was also an option throwing a second run of Deadman Wonderland on at 3AM would certainly turn some heads.

 

[RabidInuyashaFan]

Personally, I don't want to see the DC Nation shorts. I think that time is better served on TOONAMI with DC themed RC sketches. Some shorts were cool but most were lame or skewed to a younger audience. It felt like they purposefully designed the shorts for that purpose. I've enjoyed most of those RC sketches so I'm all for that. It's ironic, but the shorter program length of DC Nation programming actually makes it more attractive to [as]. I caught only 1 ep of the few that aired on Boomerang & I don't recall them airing the short then either. They just filled that space up with Boomerang promo time.

 

[HG Revolution]

I kind of wonder if Young Justice's biggest obstacle to getting on Toonami is the title. The show's content itself would do fine on the block, but the name "Young Justice" sounds like "Justice League Jr." and would seem odd to market on "Adult Swim." JLU would probably be an easier fit in that regard had Vortexx not taken it up.

One more thing regarding GL/YJ: GL at least is confirmed for Netflix Instant. If WB wants to get into the Netflix-exclusive content game that could be where either of those shows continues.

 

[Ishtar]

While I wouldn't mind either YJ or GL joining Toonami, at the same time I don't want Toonami to be seen as the dumping ground for all cancelled CN action shows.

 

[Light Lucario]

While I wouldn't mind either YJ or GL joining Toonami, at the same time I don't want Toonami to be seen as the dumping ground for all cancelled CN action shows.

I can understand that. With having three or four of Cartoon Network's cancelled action series, Toonami would kind of look like that to some people. I think I'd prefer seeing them get either new shows or older animated series that haven't been on the air in a long time, even though I'd be okay with either show joining the lineup.

 

[Sketch]

There are some DC Nation shorts that could "fit" the Batman of Shanghai stands out but they're going to cycle on the DC Nation block so no need to port them to Toonami as well.

On one hand I don't think it's a bad thing for Toonami to be a dumping ground for shows that CN aired which did better with adults. Why is that such a bad thing? If they got an adult audience there's no reason not to air them. It's just more content to cycle into Toonami when they don't have more anime to play and a good way to make ratings revenue without spending more money.

That said only shows that actually fit with the rest of Toonami should air. Generator Rex, Secret Saturdays and Brave and the Bold just aren't that. I think Green Lantern narrowly is and most agree Young Justice is but if Young Justice is the last CN left-over to air on Toonami, that's fine by me. Young Justice is worth it and it's not about what Toonami can do for Young Justice it is all about what Young Justice can do for Toonami to improve the block's ratings even more.

 

[RabidInuyashaFan]

There's also the possibility that the version that airs on TOONAMI might be longer than the version that aired/airs on CN. In otherwords the real reason why there is space for DC shorts is because of how much material hit the floor on account of CN S&P. That was always a bone of contention with Naruto on CN & DeMarco made sure that wouldn't be for TOONAMI. The longer versions of GL & YJ would never make it to Boomerang but they would feel right at home on TOONAMI. [line]2[/line] The "Young" in Young Justice applies to the fact they are young adults & late teens. That fits perfectly with TOONAMI's prime demog of 18-24.

 

[ChildHood90s]

Was there finished content cut out of Young Justice? I had no idea that was a common occurrence with Television shows. I would figure most of the bad stuff would get cut at the story-boarding stages...

I would like to catch YJ on toonami at some point, even if it's just the same old show I saw before. The "Invasion" arc is killer.

 

[macattack]

That could be part of what got Naruto ultimately cancelled on CN, because Viz wouldn't let CN S&P cut the show for time any more than it already was. I don't think it was the deciding factor but just a little thing that piled onto whatever got Naruto yanked off the air despite being a ratings winner even in a death slot.

Young Justice is cut for time. It always has been for the on-air version. It would be nice if the version Toonami aired would be the version released on DVD with all of the time cuts restored. But this is assuming Toonami lands Young Justice. At this point I am expecting it to happen eventually, either after Titan's second run or after this run of Thundercats concludes. I am also expecting Green Lantern to get a shot, while it's not as dark as YJ normally is it does fit Adult Swim . . . barely.

But I'm not against it. It helps save money and helps Toonami as well and balances out the anime/Western equation. Toonami should never be "just" an anime block, it's where the best action cartoons air, period. GL and YJ are both worthy of the block and its mission, even though its mission has been altered a bit with the move to AS. I hate to say it but Secret Saturdays and Brave and the Bold are too light for the block and while Generator Rex has darker moments it is a relentlessly immature show with a character who does not grow or change at all over the course of the show's run and the 2nd and 3rd seasons suffer from some truly atrocious episodes.

If Toonami was still on Cartoon Network (and it likely would've been if Jim Semples was still in charge right now, he was committed to the block), Secret Saturdays, Brave and the Bold, and Generator Rex all likely would've run on the block and this would be a non-issue right now. XD Oh, what could have been.

 

[RabidInuyashaFan]

The real line between Action & Comedy in the past was drama. Shows like Gits, Blood+, Witch Hunter Robin, Trinity Blood, E7, S7, etc have long stretches of serious tone. Shows like InuYasha & Bebop have their comical stretches but they have their long stretches of seriousness as well. That line is a lot thinner now. Bleach doesn't hesitate to jump to a toon style to incite a comical side within in a serious battle. That was made obvious in the fight against the Decay King. Soul Eater is the same way. TCats is more serious than S-BT which probably sits on that line itself. GXP no doubt belongs in Comedy because it rarely ever has a serious moment. The most serious shows in the block right now are Naruto (2005/6) & E7 (2006/7). With the line that thin now, Boondocks fits right in. I've seen Baccano, & Black Lagoon & they all have their Tarantino moments of comedy within a heavy drama. Boondocks is similar to that & in fact some scenes are even reminiscent of Pulp Fiction itself. [line]2[/line] That's my real fear for the direction TOONAMI's heading. When you head down a path of being a more general cartoon action-rich block you risk losing your edge. S-BT's 2nd run vs Basilisk? I'm choosing Basilisk & I can't imagine it would cost that much to get it. GXP was mentioned in this weeks Turner report. Think about that. When has a 3a premiere on any night got mentioned in these reports? It shines new light on the importance of the slot then & the likelihood Geminar will follow it. But if Sat 3a is important enough to include in a press report, then would the lead into be? E7 is a terrible lead for this show. If you disagree fine, but I think Boondocks as it's lead helps restore TOONAMI's edge rather than dilute it. Boondocks is the most Tarantino like show [as] has right now.

 

[Light Lucario]

Young Justice is cut for time. It always has been for the on-air version. It would be nice if the version Toonami aired would be the version released on DVD with all of the time cuts restored. But this is assuming Toonami lands Young Justice. At this point I am expecting it to happen eventually, either after Titan's second run or after this run of Thundercats concludes. I am also expecting Green Lantern to get a shot, while it's not as dark as YJ normally is it does fit Adult Swim . . . barely.

I didn't know that Young Justice was cut for time. That's interesting. I never bought any of the DVDs, so I didn't know that there was a different version than what airs on DC Nation.

But I'm not against it. It helps save money and helps Toonami as well and balances out the anime/Western equation. Toonami should never be "just" an anime block, it's where the best action cartoons air, period. GL and YJ are both worthy of the block and its mission, even though its mission has been altered a bit with the move to AS. I hate to say it but Secret Saturdays and Brave and the Bold are too light for the block and while Generator Rex has darker moments it is a relentlessly immature show with a character who does not grow or change at all over the course of the show's run and the 2nd and 3rd seasons suffer from some truly atrocious episodes.

If Toonami was still on Cartoon Network (and it likely would've been if Jim Semples was still in charge right now, he was committed to the block), Secret Saturdays, Brave and the Bold, and Generator Rex all likely would've run on the block and this would be a non-issue right now. XD Oh, what could have been.

If Toonami was still on Cartoon Network, I think that Secret Saturdays and Batman: The Brave and the Bold could have worked as more light hearted action series in the early hours of the block. Generator Rex really wouldn't have worked at all, but it's easily the worst out of the three shows in my opinion.

That's my real fear for the direction TOONAMI's heading. When you head down a path of being a more general cartoon action-rich block you risk losing your edge. S-BT's 2nd run vs Basilisk? I'm choosing Basilisk & I can't imagine it would cost that much to get it. GXP was mentioned in this weeks Turner report. Think about that. When has a 3a premiere on any night got mentioned in these reports? It shines new light on the importance of the slot then & the likelihood Geminar will follow it. But if Sat 3a is important enough to include in a press report, then would the lead into be? E7 is a terrible lead for this show. If you disagree fine, but I think Boondocks as it's lead helps restore TOONAMI's edge rather than dilute it. Boondocks is the most Tarantino like show [as] has right now.

I don't know anything about Basilisk, but price isn't the only issue. The people in charge need to like the show and maybe they either don't like it or have other shows available that they like more. Plus, Sym-Bionic Titan, even though it didn't get impressive ratings during its first run, still doesn't cost them anything to air and that probably gave them more of a reason to keep it on instead of trying to find something new. I'm still hoping that the show airing after GXP won't be Geminar. I'd like to see a different series instead of another Tenchi series.

 

[Ishtar]

Considering how much Soul Eater might have cost, Toonami likely couldn't afford a replacement for Sym-Bionic Titan at the same time. Also, as stated before, Titan is there to maintain the mix of western animation and it costs nothing to air.

 

[Divinenega]

Considering how much Soul Eater might have cost, Toonami likely couldn't afford a replacement for Sym-Bionic Titan at the same time. Also, as stated before, Titan is there to maintain the mix of western animation and it costs nothing to air.

Eh not to sound cynical but I sincerly doubt Soul Eater cost them all that much, sure it's a fairly long show, but it's old enough at this point that they probably didn't have to bargin much with Funi to get it, I do agree that Sym Bionic Titan is just there because it doesn't cost anything to keep it there though, and frankly that's fine. Let them save and use the extra cash to get titles whose dubs are just coming out.

 

[RabidInuyashaFan]

That's where we have different agendas for TOONAMI. I'm not all that interested in recent dubs beyond IY:FA. I would prefer older dubs of JP shows that aired in LN there vs recent dubs of shows that air in a family hr PT or Sun mornings there. I recognize the need for the family hr shows in the block but I would hope that DeMarco would seek a middleground between that & true LN offerings from JP. I was enthused with the selection of DW last summer along those grounds but right now I think Bebop is probably the only show that aired in LN in JP in TOONAMI's block. [line]2[/line] Soul Eater aired in Japan at 6p, FairyTail at 10:30a, & GXP in PT. None of them would be considered LN shows, but In Soul Eater's case they did create a Late Show version but I don't think TOONAMI has that. [line]2[/line] LN [as] weeknight avg's for last week: 11:30-12:30a 2.1m tv's, 1.0 18-49. 12:30-1:30a 1.5m tv's, 0.7. The first hr ticked down a bit & the 2nd gained a tick.

 

[ChibiGoku]

[line]2[/line] Soul Eater aired in Japan at 6p, FairyTail at 10:30a, & GXP in PT. None of them would be considered LN shows, but In Soul Eater's case they did create a Late Show version but I don't think TOONAMI has that

Regarding the late night version of Soul Eater, it's identical to the regular TV show airing, in terms of censorship. The only real changes is the added skits (and text) during the eyecatchers, inbetween the episodes, and after the ending sequence. The previews also have been modified to be different than the originals.