Will Toonami's return inject life into Anime on TV?

[old hat]

I didn't know there was an episode removed. It's not because I couldn't have found out. I just didn't think about it and didn't look. It's not the sort of thing I think about while watching a show.

[MechaFan]

Originally Posted by old hat

I didn't know there was an episode removed. It's not because I couldn't have found out. I just didn't think about it and didn't look. It's not the sort of thing I think about while watching a show.

Yeah I never noticed either until I re-watched the series on DVD and was like "wtf is this episode?" But im sure if you wanted to figure it out at the time a simple google search would've done it.

[Meson]

Adult Swim is considered a seperate channel than Cartoon Network, and thus have different broadcasting standards and practices. Adult Swim's current content ratings are TV-M and TV-14. If you want to know what shows can air and how much they will be edited, you can use these two ratings as your guide.


With that said, I doubt the new Toonami will do anything for anime directly. ANime needs lots more than just a TV network to rebound. The anime industry may need a rebranding.

[Lemina]

It won't directly affect the anime industry right away, but I think it will gradually affect it depending on what programming Cartoon Network decides to show on Adult Swim and at what time they will air programming. If Cartoon Network does what it used to do with Toonami back in the late 90's early 2000's then the industry will be better off than airing programming after midnight. Like I said, it would take some time but I think it would certainly affect the industry in a positive way.

[HSaabedra]

Hi kids, I'm back. Time to kick in my $200.

The sudden renaissance of Toonami has very little to do with giving anime another shot on network TV and has everything to do with milking nostalgia for its own sake. The very idea that Toonami will lead to another golden age of anime on TV is rooted in the same idealism that makes Funi think Shangri-La was a smart license.

If anyone can't see how transparent AS is being by pandering to those kids that watched Toonami by renaming/rebranding the block, then I really have to question their ability to think critically. The fact that the newly rebranded block is also airing shows that are outside of the scope of the original block also serves to underscore this fact, as Casshern Sins and Deadman Wonderland would have been censored beyond recognition on the old block, if they were to be considered at all.

By the time Toonami was supposed to be relevant to me, I was buying Animerica magazine and buying anime on a regular basis outside of what was being broadcast. All Toonami did was convince Cartoon Network that there was a captive audience after school and up on weeknights that wanted to watch cartoons that just happened to be from Japan. Those kids are grown up with jobs now and much like Nickelodeon is/was doing with The 90's Are All That, they want that audience since they're presumably willing to buy DVDs and merchandise.

Don't think its a coincidence that the majority of the new block is Funi shows being shored up by long-term licenses, because the company was working with Williams Street in order to help get it off the ground again. Nostalgia can be a powerful thing, but in this case it's just an attempt at viral marketing being dressed up in a familiar brand.

I still don't understand how people fell for the Bring Back Toonami campaign, since the rebrand was going to happen anyway, campaign or no campaign. The problem is that people are expecting the old block they remember and the audience hasn't shown themselves to be particularly loyal or even happy with the new lineup, especially as the block is relying on people repeating the same behavior as demonstrated during the "prank".

Unfortunately, Adult Swim is going to hit a massive brick wall with that since nostalgia can only carry something so far before people get bored and move onto something else. It will happen and the cycle will repeat itself anew. What the fans fail to understand is that a loud minority really isn't capable of sustaining a movement long-term without constant reinforcement, it also has to have enough support and interest outside of that group in order to truly succeed.

If the first night of the block produces a noticeable increase in ratings to justify the rebrand, then I'll give it an honest chance for success. If all that effort within the past few weeks leads to the same or lower ratings, then all the cynics will be proven right. It's up to the fans of the block to prove that the April Fool's prank wasn't fueled entirely by nostalgia and rose-colored memories.

[Leader Desslock]

^ Ah, Axl... I miss your ability to bring the Hammer Of Perspective back the the fanbase...

[JoeHigarashi]

Originally Posted by HSaabedra

Hi kids, I'm back. Time to kick in my $200.

The sudden renaissance of Toonami has very little to do with giving anime another shot on network TV and has everything to do with milking nostalgia for its own sake. The very idea that Toonami will lead to another golden age of anime on TV is rooted in the same idealism that makes Funi think Shangri-La was a smart license.

If anyone can't see how transparent AS is being by pandering to those kids that watched Toonami by renaming/rebranding the block, then I really have to question their ability to think critically. The fact that the newly rebranded block is also airing shows that are outside of the scope of the original block also serves to underscore this fact, as Casshern Sins and Deadman Wonderland would have been censored beyond recognition on the old block, if they were to be considered at all.

By the time Toonami was supposed to be relevant to me, I was buying Animerica magazine and buying anime on a regular basis outside of what was being broadcast. All Toonami did was convince Cartoon Network that there was a captive audience after school and up on weeknights that wanted to watch cartoons that just happened to be from Japan. Those kids are grown up with jobs now and much like Nickelodeon is/was doing with The 90's Are All That, they want that audience since they're presumably willing to buy DVDs and merchandise.

Don't think its a coincidence that the majority of the new block is Funi shows being shored up by long-term licenses, because the company was working with Williams Street in order to help get it off the ground again. Nostalgia can be a powerful thing, but in this case it's just an attempt at viral marketing being dressed up in a familiar brand.

I still don't understand how people fell for the Bring Back Toonami campaign, since the rebrand was going to happen anyway, campaign or no campaign. The problem is that people are expecting the old block they remember and the audience hasn't shown themselves to be particularly loyal or even happy with the new lineup, especially as the block is relying on people repeating the same behavior as demonstrated during the "prank".

Unfortunately, Adult Swim is going to hit a massive brick wall with that since nostalgia can only carry something so far before people get bored and move onto something else. It will happen and the cycle will repeat itself anew. What the fans fail to understand is that a loud minority really isn't capable of sustaining a movement long-term without constant reinforcement, it also has to have enough support and interest outside of that group in order to truly succeed.

If the first night of the block produces a noticeable increase in ratings to justify the rebrand, then I'll give it an honest chance for success. If all that effort within the past few weeks leads to the same or lower ratings, then all the cynics will be proven right. It's up to the fans of the block to prove that the April Fool's prank wasn't fueled entirely by nostalgia and rose-colored memories.

Fair and good points made.


I'm not entirely optimistic about the return of Toonami. I'm most cautiously optimistic.

Though it is made or break time for Toonami's return and re-branding. It HAS to work well, not just for nostalgic purposes but to show that Anime still has life on Cable TV.

[JoeHigarashi]

Originally Posted by Lemina

It won't directly affect the anime industry right away, but I think it will gradually affect it depending on what programming Cartoon Network decides to show on Adult Swim and at what time they will air programming. If Cartoon Network does what it used to do with Toonami back in the late 90's early 2000's then the industry will be better off than airing programming after midnight. Like I said, it would take some time but I think it would certainly affect the industry in a positive way.

I hope it works out. The success of Toonami's rebirth and expanding Anime on Cable TV would give life to the California R1 labels NIS America and Aniplex USA. It would also give the ADR studios like NGP,Bang Zoom, and Coastal Carolina some work.

[goddessofanime]

The only thing it might do is bring fan interest to Casshern and Deadman Wonderland.

[JoeHigarashi]

Originally Posted by goddessofanime

The only thing it might do is bring fan interest to Casshern and Deadman Wonderland.

The fan interest would allow Cartoon Network more options of half season anime series' to air and would lead to another Schedule switch in late August and then yet another one in late November.

[RedSwirl]

Originally Posted by goddessofanime

The only thing it might do is bring fan interest to Casshern and Deadman Wonderland.

That's what I think they're banking on. They already said they don't have much money to work with and are hoping this opens up some more options. There are several shows that I think would be a nice fit for the new Toonami.

Ideally, they'd have grabbed Gundam 00 and Unicorn or something and thrown them onto a prime-time slot where tweens and teens could be first exposed to them, but I know that ain't gonna happen.

Maybe if the slot went digital, but I don't know...

[MechaFan]

As Levon said Gundam 00 already aired on SyFy (thats how I first watched it) so it wouldn't be too hard for them to get it to aire I assume.. But I'd much rather see them grab Turn-A-Gundam or even Gundam AGE.

I don't see how Unicorn would work since its 60+ minutes each episode and only like 7 episodes long.

[Arch-Defender]

I always got the impression Gundam Unicorn was aimed at the older crowd who are hooked on UC, I just don't see it working for teens and kids who will basically say "Lol, Gundam what?" As for AGE, isn't that bombing pretty bad in Japan right now I don't know I have this feeling the Gundam era is over.

[MechaFan]

Originally Posted by Arch-Defender

I always got the impression Gundam Unicorn was aimed at the older crowd who are hooked on UC, I just don't see it working for teens and kids who will basically say "Lol, Gundam what?" As for AGE, isn't that bombing pretty bad in Japan right now I don't know I have this feeling the Gundam era is over.

Gundam Unicorn is aimed at those who are hooked to UC, but it dosn't mean those who havn't seen UC won't get anything out of it.. It takes very little UC knowledge (if any) to get into Unicorn.. But still, I don't see Unicorn being fit into a 30min or even 1hour time-slot.

As for AGE idk I havn't been following it I wasn't too excited for it in the first place but I'd still rather see it get aired then 00 because I've already seen 00 and it had a run on SyFy..

I'd rather see Turn-A-Gundam get brought over then any other one tbh.. It jus' seems like the least-Gundam of the Gundams, and that just might work in Gundams favor right now.

[Arch-Defender]

Originally Posted by MechaFan

I'd rather see Turn-A-Gundam get brought over then any other one tbh.. It jus' seems like the least-Gundam of the Gundams, and that just might work in Gundams favor right now.

Hey I'm with you on that one, I really want to see Turn A and airing on Toonami would mean automatic dub. I think this one and Victory Gundam are the ones I want to see the most when it comes to unlicensed Gundams.