RIP Toonami, 1997-2008

[MKTerra]

"Bang." (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCAX4cgszCU) :frown:

[arp2008]

It will be missed.

[blackphoenix]

This is one of the many reasons I barely watch that bum ass network anymore, except for Family Guy and the non-retarded segments of Adult Swim(i.e. the anime).

[Robotech Master]

Naruto is apparently still going to air on the network. I don't know where though. Supposedly they have Live Action Spiderman and Batman Gotham Knight taking up the next two saturdays, and 1 episode of Naruto will premiere the Saturday after that. My guess is that it will probably be moved into the new Friday night action block, where Clone Wars will be airing on October 3rd.

[FroFroYo]

:(

bang indeed.

[Lonewolf 5]

Nooooooooooooooo!

[master of read]

i use to watch toonami when moltar was hosting. it took me a while to get use to tom but i liked him.




your gonna carry that load.

[Kevin M.]

Ah Toonami, you will always live in our hearts. The hours of joy, and kick ass cartoons will serve as a reminder on how a cartoon block is suppose to look like.

[tipo4thesoul]

this is officially the death of my childhood. (I'm 20) I started watching that block when I was a kid.

[Len Ikari145]

Why is it the good cartoon blocks keep getting cancelled while the wretched evil that is 4kids TV remains?!

I mean, first Kids WB and now this? Just what are they going to do about Naruto and One Piece?

[Dr Maeno]

I feel utter disgust to CN once Code Geass and Morobito finish their only run I'm only going to watch Sci-fi and Warriors basketball on the dish. Maybe Viz should sell Shippuden to Sci-fi because I don't trust CN showing it.

[Dark Soul # 7]

I didn't watched it that much because it wasn't all that big of a deal here in Sweden.

But it did introduce me to X-men: Evolution and Justice League.

That is more than enough for me to pay my respects to this lost awesomeness.

[jesse_custer]

Honestly, most of the anime on Toonami was not that good. No big loss.

[Kevin M.]

Honestly, most of the anime on Toonami was not that good. No big loss.


Still, it was the original action block on CN. It is more of a sentimental thing, really.

[AllisterH]

Wow.

Toonami's off the air? Is it hyperbole to state that 75-90% of the US anime fanbase trace their first taste/love of anime with Toonami?

Have to raise a glass to Toonami since without it, I seriously doubt the anime/manga market in North America would be like it is. While you may never have liked the shows, the success of Toonami meant that other properties were more readily available....

We should raise a glass to Toonami :smile:

[jesse_custer]

Toonami's off the air? Is it hyperbole to state that 75-90% of the US anime fanbase trace their first taste/love of anime with Toonami?

Yes, given that Akira and Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon popularized anime in the United States long before Toonami.

[MKTerra]

Yes, given that Akira and Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon popularized anime in the United States long before Toonami.Anecdotally, I myself first watched Sailor Moon and DBZ on Toonami, along with Voltron, parts of Robotech, Gundam Wing, etc.

In fact, it was my primary source of anime, because it aired on TV between the end of school and the end of work. Other avenues would've required validation and funds from my parents on a per-series basis. What didn't air on TV, I could only read about on the internet (after learning the word "japanimation" from a friend). I became a fan of Rayearth, Evangelion, El Hazard, and other series without ever actually watching them. (After I found it, Anime Web Turnpike was very useful (http://classic.anipike.com/) for picking out titles at random to read about.)

Oh, and I still haven't watched Akira :tongue:

[Resplendent]

Wow...I haven't watched a TV since mid-2007, I thought toonami would stay for the existence of the network. If Adult Swim ever fell, I would imagine that the entire network would start feeling heavy blows to ratings.

[Robotech Master]

Animeondvd.com just reported their update, alongside an Icv2 article, which said that numerous people who have worked with the network, including voice actors, have seen people from Cartoon Network have a really bad view of anime, and its not even just because they have to license its airtime vs. original programming either. To quote:

"commentary and observations from those that have worked with the network have long talked about the disdain that the company had for anime. Cartoon Network has long been much more focused on original properties that they could merchandise and market themselves rather than relying on other properties so it's not exactly a surprise, but the vehemence talked about by various voice actors and insiders from the anime industry in regards to how anime was viewed wasn't always apparent to the end viewer."

That's really too bad.

[Kevin M.]

Animeondvd.com just reported their update, alongside an Icv2 article, which said that numerous people who have worked with the network, including voice actors, have seen people from Cartoon Network have a really bad view of anime, and its not even just because they have to license its airtime vs. original programming either. To quote:

"commentary and observations from those that have worked with the network have long talked about the disdain that the company had for anime. Cartoon Network has long been much more focused on original properties that they could merchandise and market themselves rather than relying on other properties so it's not exactly a surprise, but the vehemence talked about by various voice actors and insiders from the anime industry in regards to how anime was viewed wasn't always apparent to the end viewer."

That's really too bad.


Ironic seeing that a number of their most successful shows have been anime.

[AllisterH]

Yes, given that Akira and Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon popularized anime in the United States long before Toonami.


Um, given that DBZ and Sailor Moon were watched THROUGH Cartoon Network, you're kind of proving my point.

In Canada of course, it was Sailor Moon (anyone remember when there was a time that you literally had a Sailor Moon episode on the Canadian stations once every 6-8 hours? It used to show on both Ytv and Global)

As for Akira, Akira I consider part of my age group of anime fans "block" of shows a.k.a, the rec.arts.anime (pre misc) crowd. I fully admit that the pre-CN block of anime fans is a minority of the current day anime fans.

[KYJtheLegend]

I can't believe Toonami is gone :(

The only thing I really watched on cable growing up. I loved anime when I was little, but it was thanks to Toonami that reconnected my passion for anime in my teens.

[jesse_custer]

Um, given that DBZ and Sailor Moon were watched THROUGH Cartoon Network, you're kind of proving my point.

They were shown on other stations because I didn't have Cartoon Network growing up. Also, a lot of people knew about Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon before Toonami even existed.

[MKTerra]

They were shown on other stations because I didn't have Cartoon Network growing up. Also, a lot of people knew about Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon before Toonami even existed.But Toonami was where they hit it big. Going by Wikipedia, both DBZ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonball_z#Dragon_Ball_Z) and Sailor Moon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailor_Moon_(English_adaptations)#Broadcasting_his tory) had trouble finding permanent homes before then. DBZ was on the WB for a year or two ('96-'98) before low ratings killed it, while Sailor Moon was relegated to dead timeslots in syndication ('96), and then carried a few months by USA Networks before being dropped ('97). Cartoon Network was the one who picked both up and ran with them to the end.

[Len Ikari145]

Ironic seeing that a number of their most successful shows have been anime.

Or have been influenced by anime (Teen Titans and to a less substantial extent, JLU).

[The Once And Forever]

Sigh.

I say now what I said when I first found out, Toonami had been dead, this was just the broadcast.

Still...I'm going to miss mah robot buddies.

They always could (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aBDbeK1igc) make me feel something. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCryu3OK_xM&feature=related)

[Nightstar1441]

Anyone know why it got the axe?

I've always enjoyed Toonami - had some really good shows - really sad to see it go off the air but then again, this was the network that cancelled JLU so this is not much of a suprise.

[Young Avenger]

Animeondvd.com just reported their update, alongside an Icv2 article, which said that numerous people who have worked with the network, including voice actors, have seen people from Cartoon Network have a really bad view of anime, and its not even just because they have to license its airtime vs. original programming either. To quote:

"commentary and observations from those that have worked with the network have long talked about the disdain that the company had for anime. Cartoon Network has long been much more focused on original properties that they could merchandise and market themselves rather than relying on other properties so it's not exactly a surprise, but the vehemence talked about by various voice actors and insiders from the anime industry in regards to how anime was viewed wasn't always apparent to the end viewer."

That's really too bad.

That comes as a shock. Like Kevin said, some of there most successful shows have been anime. Also, they been pimping Naruto to whenever they can.

[jesse_custer]

But Toonami was where they hit it big. Going by Wikipedia, both DBZ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonball_z#Dragon_Ball_Z) and Sailor Moon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailor_Moon_(English_adaptations)#Broadcasting_his tory) had trouble finding permanent homes before then. DBZ was on the WB for a year or two ('96-'98) before low ratings killed it, while Sailor Moon was relegated to dead timeslots in syndication ('96), and then carried a few months by USA Networks before being dropped ('97). Cartoon Network was the one who picked both up and ran with them to the end.

But you don't know what percentage of the Toonami ratings were new people or people who had watched anime before. Even if I were to assume that only 10 or 20 percent of the current anime fanbase in America existed before Toonami, it's still presumptuous to say Toonami gave 75 to 90 percent of the fanbase their first taste/love for anime. People have friends, other stations show anime, some of Miyazaki's films have made it into theaters, the Internet, etc. The argument you have presented overlooks these numerous factors.

[AllisterH]

But you don't know what percentage of the Toonami ratings were new people or people who had watched anime before. Even if I were to assume that only 10 or 20 percent of the current anime fanbase in America existed before Toonami, it's still presumptuous to say Toonami gave 75 to 90 percent of the fanbase their first taste/love for anime. People have friends, other stations show anime, some of Miyazaki's films have made it into theaters, the Internet, etc. The argument you have presented overlooks these numerous factors.

No it doesn't. 11 years ago puts Toonami at a point in time when you couldn't download anime over the net (95% of the people didn't have the Bandwidth) and all of the Miyazaki films came AFTER Disney saw the success of Toonami.

Seriously, look on youtube the number of replies the Toonami's demise is racking up. Toonami in its heyday was huge, sure, at the end, it wimpered oit and died but there was a HUGE fandom thanks to it.

I'm a pre-DBZ anime fan (when Blockbuster used to put Devil Hunter Yohko next to Donald duck cartoons) and I've been to AnimeExpo.

When I say 75-90% of the anime fans trace their lineage via Toonami and the effect it had (the only reason for example the Slayers novels even were translated was because how popular manga has become and THAT is directly due to Toonami)

[jesse_custer]

No it doesn't. 11 years ago puts Toonami at a point in time when you couldn't download anime over the net (95% of the people didn't have the Bandwidth) and all of the Miyazaki films came AFTER Disney saw the success of Toonami.

But that doesn't mean all people downloading and watching Miyazaki films in theaters had been introduced to anime by Toonami.

[arp2008]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNa6yhUaC74&feature=related

[Elegance Liberty]

RIP, Toonami.

I may not like anime much any more (the only new shows I like are Lucky Star, Gurren Lagann and Soul Eater), but Toonami gave me the first taste of it.

[Lester C.]

I'm 30 so it wasn't Toonami that introducted me to anime. That honor belongs to Saturday morning watching the Scifi Channel as well as other cartoons on Satrrday morning. Still Toonami did introduce me to Trigun, Cowboy Bebop, Fooley Cooley, Big O, various Gundam shows, and they finished off Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball as those shows had been canceled on other networks. I will always be greatful for that even though the network had been unwatchable for years.

[Devil_LeonX]

I will be honest I loved Toonami but it had fallen quite far from what it once was.it had Naruto going for it but aside from mayeb that it jsut wasnt the same.They took out all their animes and the only thing left is adult swims small segment.I really dont get cartoonetwork. I am almost certain that alot of people that got into anime was becasue of Toonam and that drew more viewers in.But no its gone and all it has is naruto WHEN THEY FEEL LIKE SHOWING IT.......I miss the good old days when they used to show and seemingly be proud of anime not this crap where they can relie solely on orginal creations and Starwars( well its not original but eh).

[DoubleWide]

I would hazard a guess that Toonami attracted the wrong demographic. Every network is slavishly trying to attract the 18-35 audience that the rest of the audience cal go to hell, even though our money is just as green and we tend to have more of then the youngsters. Samurai Jack is a prime example, its viewership was too old for CNs liking.

Question: does anyone know why Naruto, one of Cartoon Network's highest rated programs, has been reduced from two a week to one every two weeks? Unless its the way they plan to kill it.

[Devil_LeonX]

now that Toomani bit the dust, many of the animes that cartoonetwork used to show are gone.(though signs of it already begin back when toomani cut pretty much all the animes they had except for Naruto) I have heard that Adult swims anime line will also be removed after Code geass and Morbito finish their run with Bleach being up in the air.

Would anyone know if any of this is true? I heard from other people on the net but i cant find an OFFICIAL sources though and if by chacne would anyone know if cartoonetwork is gonna bring any more animes?