Over 11 Years - Your Top 5 Shows that aired on Toonami

[Katsumara]

Hrm. I don't have a Top 5 really, so I'm just gonna list a few I love in no particular order.

Gundam: Uh.. can I just say Gundam? I mean... I'm a huge fan of all things Gundam, and while I was already introduced to it BEFORE Toonami, I loved it over here too. Also, I remember watching Wing during the day, and instead of "kill", they'd say destroy. Then on the midnight run, it'd be "kill." Loved that so much. 08th MS Team and G Gundam were great too obviously, along witH MSG.

Dragon Ball Z: When this started (I was in 7th or 8th grade), I remember going to school and talking about it the next day. Especially during the Frieza saga, we were all on pins and needles waiting for what was to come. Then when it got to the Cell saga, I remember exactly where I was the first time I saw Gohan kill Cell. It was one of those introductions to anime I got.

Yu Yu Hakusho: Like DBZ, YYH was a big time action anime that I loved and got addicted to quickly. I mean.. not many anime out there at the time that I remember where the main character DIES in the first episode.

Ruroni Kenshin: Loved the series itself. I read the manga afterwards. I wasn't a fan of the OVAs however, but I do love the series as a whole.

Zoids <insert here>: Much like Gundam stuff, I loved the Zoids sagas. I especially loved I believe Zoids: Chaotic Century. I loved how it had a time skip in between the series (Guardian Force). I also loved the characters and how they meshed. I especially loved VanxFiona. <3 One of the cuter (it's a manly word!) couples to date, and the fact that they did that in a mecha series was great. They had a nice dynamic. Zoids: New Century Zero was awesome also, and obviously I saw it first, but CC was more awesome in my opinion. Zoids: NCZ, however, did get me into the Zoids models. I collected those and have quite a few laying around here somewhere. Also, I love Zoids NCZ's theme song. It's called "NO FUTURE" by Nanase Aikawa.

Hrm. That was 5 I guess.

Honorable mentions:
Sailor Moon: One of the other first animes I ever saw. Fighting evil by the moonlight~ La la. Addicting song. D:
Real Adventures of Johnny Quest: Come on, QuestWorld was awesome.
ReBoot: Win.
Outlaw Star: Gene, Melphina, and all of those guys. I loved it during midnight run, even if it was edited to all heck.

And really a ton of other stuff on the many blocks. Toonami will indeed be missed.

 

[Zero Kagayaki]

1. Dragon Ball
2. Rurouni Kenshin
3.Outlaw star
4. Yu Yu Hakusho
5. Sailor moon

 

[Mr. Anime]

1. Dragonball/Z
2. Yu Yu Hukusho and Rurouni Kenshin (tie)
3. Gundam (Wing, MSG, 0080, 08th Team, G and Seed)
4. Sailor Moon
5. The DCAU

Honorable Mentions: Outlaw Star, Tenchi Series, Big O, ReBoot, Zoids: Chaotic Century / Guardian Force, Samurai Jack and One Piece.

 

[Chuquita]

Dragon Ball Z
Sailor Moon
Tenchi Muyo
Yu Yu Hakusho
Rurouni Kenshin

 

[Majin_Megabyte]

I'll just name my top 10, since it a lot easier for me.

1. Yu Yu Hakusho - YYH have to be one of the most interesting that ever came on Toonami with a lot of likeable characters, and a lot of badasses.

2. Megas XLR - Megas came right at the right time, Toonami came to Saturday nights, and that they need new type of Action show with Comedy, and Insanity.

3. Rurouni Kenshin - Kenshin, I can say is one really great shows that ever came on Toonami, it was like the prefect replacement of DBZ. When its was ending its run with YYH.

4. Tenchi Muyo! OVA/Tenchi Universe/Tenchi in Tokyo - What can say about the Ulimate love storyline? Love Stinks

5 Dragon Ball Trilogy (inculding DB, DBZ, and DBGT) - The Dragon Ball Trilogy pretty much a big part of Toonami from 1998 - 2008. Its the one show that you have keep coming back to see what will happen next.

6. Thundercats - This was the show that originally started Toonami back in 1997. Great artwork, great villians, and great heros with a catchy theme song.

7. One Piece - One Piece is like a mordon days verison of the Dragon Ball series, but with Pirates. One Piece also help me during the same time, when Bobobo did as well, when I was going through a rough time.

8. Outlaw Star - Outlaw Star, what I can say is its one of the shows, that everyone needs to see. It have action, comedy, and Romance. And I reccomend anyone to see it, inculding the infamous banned episode.

9. Moblie Suit Gundam Wing - Gundam Wing came to Toonami around an interesting time, as came on around the time of Tenchi, Sailor Moon, and DBZ were on the block. It had a lot of things on Toonami had before. Uncut run of the entire series, which was first for any Toonami series.

10. Bobobobobobobo - Bobobo, there is a lot I can say about it. Bobobo help me a lot during a rough time in my life, when my parents got divorce. The comedy of the show really hit me at right spot. So want to thank the series, for helping me out through that time period.

Honarable Mentions: Naruto, Cyborg 009, Real Adventure of Johnny Quest, Sailor Moon, ReBoot, The DCAU Shows, Zoids Zero/Zoids: CC, Samurai Jack, and Big O.

 

[creativerealms]

No order

Reboot; I did not get into the show when it aired on Saturday Mornings so to me the toonami airing was my first experiance with the show.

Dragon Ball: while Z is good I love the original much more.

Mobile Suit Gundam: This show was very different for Toonami, probably one of many reason s it did not have a full run. but I realize there were too many reasons to count.

Tenchi Muyo!: probably the only anime on Toonami I would have never watched had it not been on Toonami. Most of the other shows I would have watched at other times.

One Piece: Not much to say there i just like One Piece.

 

[konohamaru]

You only asked for 5 ...LOL i could be here all day
DBZ
Gundam Wing
Kenshin
Cowboy Bebop
Naruto

 

[RPG KING]

Outlaw star- it was like the best mix of the old west with the futer space technology

Tenchi muyo- it had comedy action and beatiful girls fighting over one dude

yuyu Hakusho- it was like DBZ but more super natural. a street punk being the hero was such aintersting choice. no goody goody hero like other shows

one piece (funi dub) when i first heard that funi was getting it then i knew the dub was going to be great. My favorite anime right now

Edit: i had to add Megas XLR-best giant robot smashing funny actionseries ever
sorry zatch

 

[Darklordavaitor]

You only asked for 5 ...LOL i could be here all day
DBZ
Gundam Wing
Kenshin
Cowboy Bebop
Naruto

Not a Toonami show.

 

[konohamaru]

Not a Toonami show.

The Midnight RUN part of Toonami

Long before Adult Swim

 

[DBZNarutoWarrior]

Pretty much all of the core Toonami shows.

1. DBZ
2. Naruto
3. Yu Yu Hakusho
4. Dragonball
5. One Piece

 

[email2003]

1. ThunderCats
2. Tenchi Muyo and etc.
3. Outlaw Star
4. Gundam Wing
5. G Gundam

Other mentions:

1. Kenshin
2. BoBoBoo
3. Naruto - starting to get bored of this series now
4. Big O
5. DragonBall & DragonBall Z

 

[Mek]

My picks:

Thundercats
Voltron
^ These two for the sentimental value. It was escapist fantasy during the beginning of what would become the hardest years of my life.

Dragon Ball Z
^ For bringing my family together during said hard times. While I may not like it as much anymore, it's still a classic.

Reboot
^ 'Nuff said.

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
^ An odd choice, but this being on Toonami helped me escape the hurt, sadness and depression I'd been going through during the '02-'03 years. I caught every single episode on its first airing and I looked forward to new episodes every Friday too.

 

[macattack]

My choices are limited because I was a viewer from 2003 on (otherwise Outlaw Star would be on the list for certain) but I think I can still construct a very competent list.

5. Megas XLR: When it was good, it was GOOD. This show had some of the best writing ever, and some well-constructed characters and a near-perfect blend of comedy and action. Nice.

4. Gundam SEED: A lot of people hate on this show but for me, a fresh-faced Toonami viewer who was starting to lose interest in the block after a lackluster early 2004, this show was wondrous. Positively wondrous. It fit the concept of Toonami being the "teen block" so well, and I found myself immersed in the Cosmic Era like Toonami viewers of 2000 were immersed in the whatever era of Gundam Wing. However, my show got canceled and I missed five, six episodes before I figured out it was on Friday nights. Go figure.

3. IGPX: I actually prefer Oban Star-Racers to this, but IGPX was custom-built for Toonami and it showed. Awe-aspiring animation by I.G. and Bee Train showed off the energy of the races perfectly, and some of the best voiceovers ever heard on Toonami came out of this show. Something that can make Michelle Rodriguez sound good in voice-over deserves major props indeed.

2. Yuyu Hakusho: Bang. Enough said.

1. Rurouni Kenshin. This was the show that converted me to a Toonami faithful for life. Toonami had been a passing curiousity for me when the novelty wore off about a month after we finally got Cartoon Network. This show transformed Toonami into a must-watch block every day of the week. Excellent character interaction, great storytelling, awesome sword duels, great music, gorgeous backgrounds . . . this show had everything that makes a show great. Perhaps it seems all the more special because it was yanked off before its time.

Honorable mentions:

Naruto
Samurai Jack
Justice League/Justice League Unlimited
One Piece

 

[BackLash]

Honorable Mentions
10. Outlaw Star - The storyline with the Kay Pirates is kinda confusing, but the action and main cast were oozing with cool. Gene Starwind is action hero and he had a great crew. Most importantly, I love Aisha, she was the best.

9. Bobobo-bo-bobo - Absolutley nothing but action and absurdity, when Bobobo faced Captain Battleship, it was so freaking epic. I wish cartoons knew to have mindless, comedic fun nowadays (Animaniacs and Eek excelled at it. Also, nose hair based fighting style and Bobob's afro rocked.

8. Naruto - Okay, I admit it, the Number One Hyperactive Knucklehead Ninja and his emo and damsel in distress teammates are guilty pleasure. The action is stylish and the battles can be clever. Mainly, I love Naruto for its great ensemble cast any time I see the jonin or Shikamaru, I know its gonna get awesome (the current filler, the chunin exam, the sound five etc.) And it still has some ways to go in Shippuden, and I can't wait.

7. Gundam Wing - The first anime I ever saw where the heavy drama just was important as the action. It was my gateway Gundam and set me up for all others Toonami, showed. It really tugged at the emotions, all the implied English Dubbed deaths, all the explosions, Heero threatening to initially kill Relena. It was like watching Power Rangers, meets DBZ, meets the Young and the Restless. Greatness man, just greatness.

6. Yu Yu Hakusho - IMHO, it should have never left Adult Swim, but for it's time it was on Toonami, I looked forward each and every afternoon, then each and every Saturday to watch it. Great action and great villains, the Toguros and the Sensui 7 were just wicked cool. A great underrated show.

The Top 5
5. G Gundam - Action , action and more action. It was way too awesome that they made a Gundam show, more or less a fighting game I loved it for it. It had it's cheesy moments (the ending for one) but the wall to wall action just drug me in and I loved it.

4. Justice League/JLU - Sadly, the only non-anime on my list. Justice League , pushed the envelope more than any DCAU show before it and man did it pay off. Like Gundam Wing, the drama and the action worked hand in hand and it made for great storytelling. The Cadmus Storyline, will always stick out in my mind. Finally, the Flash was the greatest, period.

3. Dragonball Z - They dogged the humans pretty bad in the show, and the loooooooooooonnnggggggg drawn out episodes without too much action are ridiculous. However, DBZ was a gateway anime, DBZ was and arguably is the greatest action show of all time, DBZ is a worldwide phenomena. This show still lives through the many video games and toys that still get released to this day. I loved this anime when Ocean Group dubbed it and I still love it now.

2. Ruroni Kenshin - A great story of redemption of a murderer who turned his who life (along with the blade of his sword) around. When I watched Ruroni Kenshin, it was never boring, I laughed when Kenshin acted goofy and I was sad when the Oniwaban Group was gunned down. Mainly, it was Kenshin, he has every opportunity to kill again to save the day, but he find another way, I never got to see the end of it and man do I miss it.

1. Dragon Ball - Not as action packed as DBZ, but I got to see the origins of many DBZ characters and many cutthroat villains. More importantly it was the Ocean Group dub of Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon, that really got me into anime (though the first one I saw was Voltron...man I'm old). I loved DBZ but felt gipped out of the rest of the series until Toonami picked it up. I watched every minute of it, and it brought back a lot of memories.

 

[Ishtar]

1. DB/Z- Does this even need an explanation? It is what defined Toonami, and it is what snatched many of Toonami's viewers.
2. Sailor Moon- It was the first big Shojo series to air over here, and definitely the most well known on Toonami. It is responsible for attracting many of Toonami's female viewers to watch the block.
3. Yu Yu Hakusho- Has to be one of the best Shonen Jump shows of all time, and it was really enjoyable to watch when it aired.
4. One Piece- One of the best current anime shows out there, and highly underrated and underappreciated treatment from CN, at least when it was airing the FUNi dub. It is a show that should have been a big hit on Toonami, but wasn't.
4. Batman The Animated Series- I am shocked to not see anybody mention it. Honestly, it was one of the best or even the best DCAU show to air on the block. Also, it deserves a spot so the whole list isn't all anime.

 

[Daxdiv]

1. One Piece- FUNi Dub, one of my favorite series getting a proper treatment.
2. Megas XLR- One of my favorite CN originals. I liked the jokes, the delivery and such, sure it could be from me being a New York/New Jersey person.
3. Dragon Ball- I liked the dub that aired, and it being a more accurate dub from FUNi from the entire DB series.
4. Dragon Ball Z- The main reason why I watched Toonami.
5. Outlaw Star- An awesome anime from Toonami Hey day.

 

[Kitschensyngk]

Tenchi Muyo! and spinoffs
My first anime.

Outlaw Star
My second. I still love Aisha.

Rurouni Kenshin
It rocked so hard.

.hack//SIGN
Awesome all around. Sure it was an SVES staple, but it premiered on Toonami first.

Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo
Made no sense, but man was it a fun ride.

Megas XLR, Justice League Unlimited
Some of the best action shows on this side of the Pacific.

The Batman
Yes. I liked it. Shut up.

 

[Anarky]

I'm going to restrict myself to programs that were produced exclusively for Toonami:

5. He-Man (2K2)- I loved the reboot, especially the chemistry between Skeletor & Evil-Lyn. I need to quit sleepin' and buy Vol 2 & 3 (did someone say deepdiscount megasale in November? )

4. Megas XLR- when CN "changed" the SVES to Toonami, Megas was one of their flagship titles. The first few eps were rocky but by the time they got to the R.E.G.I.S. I was hooked.

3. Samurai Jack*- originally airing new eps on Mondays, I believe Jack moved to the SVES, and later frequented Toonami's afternoon block. And of course, the series Final 4 epsas part of Genndy Night on Toonami (Clone Wars, Birth of Evil, and the Final 4 eps)

2. Teen Titans- a lot of us ate crow on this show. Premiering the series #3 was a dumb move but by th time we got to The Apprentice finale, most of us were hooked, if only by the sheer bad assery of Ron Perlman's Slade.

1. JLU- Really? Must I go on? Didn't think so.

honorable mention: CN had no love for F4 but I did, I'll need to get the dvd soon.

 

[KarlOlson]

1, Tenchi Muyo - The show literally changed my life, and it still holds up, even though it's over 15 years old itself. It's still funny, it's still poignent, and if anything, I connect more personally to it now than ever.

2. Big O - If only for Winter Night Phantom, one of the single finest episodes of any animated series. Of course, in general, it's just a damn excellent show. Rarely do anime come out of the gate swinging as strong as Big O.

3. 08th MS Team - Still my favorite Gundam. It's got the most human story, the most realistic tactics and some of the best animation. If Gundam had stayed closer to this style, I'd probably be more into it.

4. IGPX - Glorious animation, great characters and the finest soundtrack any Toonami program has ever recieved. You don't get better than Ninja Tune. Besides, how many other shows get IG doing the main animation and Ghibli doing tweens? None.

5. Outlaw Star - If Tenchi was what hooked me, Outlaw Star is what kept the claws in deep enough to stick. To this very day, I find myself humming first the end theme.