"Toonami" News & Discussion Thread

Yojimbo

Yes, have some.
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 13, 2003
Messages
54,913
Location
Shahdaroba
Of those 6 shows, how many are truly "must watch" for you guys?
I like variety so I watch them all live when I can except Naruto. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Depends on if it's filler or not. I'm losing interest because of the meandering storytelling. And there's like a little over 200 episodes left, right?
 

TheCartoonRailfan

Where's my senior discount?
Joined
Aug 12, 2019
Messages
259
Location
Florida
I usually watch MHA and Demon Slayer, and I never stay up past 1:00am to watch the rest of the block. I would like to see the other shows provided that they started airing earlier.
 

veemonjosh

Stone free, do what I please
Joined
Sep 30, 2005
Messages
28,860
Location
The Grid
I like variety so I watch them all live when I can except Naruto. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Depends on if it's filler or not. I'm losing interest because of the meandering storytelling. And there's like a little over 200 episodes left, right?

Yeah, and hoo boy, the filler ramps up more and more as it goes on. We have 209 episodes left, and 98 of those are filler.
 

Yojimbo

Yes, have some.
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 13, 2003
Messages
54,913
Location
Shahdaroba
Yeah, and hoo boy, the filler ramps up more and more as it goes on. We have 209 episodes left, and 98 of those are filler.
<reads post> Oh the humanity!
giphy.gif
 

Dan's Revenge

List keeper
Joined
Apr 17, 2011
Messages
5,282
Location
Wherever You Are ;)
Of those 6 shows, how many are truly "must watch" for you guys?

Right now for me is Demon Slayer, Jojo, and a while ago, Shippuden.

Loosely on topic, I'll have the DBZ Kai marathon DVRd which checking in advance already is since I have it set for the weekly hourly showings, but will withhold watching those until I've caught up to the two weekly showings.
 

PicardMan

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Reporter
Joined
Nov 9, 2016
Messages
4,406
My commentary on the state of Toonami. I admit that the slot cut is one of those pieces of bad news I was relieved to hear in fear of worse news. It beats having no new content and a month or possibly two months of marathons like some doomsayers on Reddit said. A slot cut is much better than that. Still, Toonami feels so much less exciting with so little content and the vast majority of it being streamable. JoJo is way at the end, but it is the highest profile show not streaming (as well as the almost done Demon Slayer). I don't know what the new show is as Toonami feels like it's trying to reach the new zoomer audience rather than the Gen Y fanbase of classic Toonami and it seems like zoomers don't care for seinen. I think an isekai is probably more mainstream and likely to be the new show than a seinen, with the undubbed Vinland Saga being an incredibly rare seinen from the past few years to acheive large popularity. Maybe a dub was secretly made and will air on Toonami.

As for the Toonami originals, we have a home run in Samurai Jack and a strikout in FLCL sequels. Hard to say what Uzamaki will be. Even with streaming, shows like MHA still have a pull because you don't have to worry about the paywall like on Funimation's site, so that's probably a factor. MHA has been the Naruto of nu Toonami just as Super is the Dragonball Z of nu Toonami. It is the torchbearer to lead the block. Toonami thrived because of its anchor (DBZ, Naruto, Bleach, Attack on Titan, or Super), and that anchor seems to be in trouble. They survived Attack on Titan's three year season gap, but not painlessly. We are seeing history repeat as the block is weakening and shortening again after a huge boom period. The second half of 2019 had lots of new stuff, but 2020 has been pretty barren. It's a cycle of boom periods and busts. Maybe just as Kill La Kill saved Toonami in 2015, Demon Slayer's mysterious replacement will also repeat history. It could actually replace MHA until the dub is back on track, and MHA could retake 11:30. Demarco never said the mysterious new show was necessarily Demon Slayer's replacement. Toonami has had many shows that rejuvenated the block's popularity and that cycle will probably continue. Let's hope it's sooner rather than later.
 

wonderfly

Brand New Day on Toonzone
Staff member
Administrator
Reporter
Joined
Mar 22, 2002
Messages
21,702
Location
Springfield, MO
My commentary on the state of Toonami. I admit that the slot cut is one of those pieces of bad news I was relieved to hear in fear of worse news. It beats having no new content and a month or possibly two months of marathons like some doomsayers on Reddit said. A slot cut is much better than that. Still, Toonami feels so much less exciting with so little content and the vast majority of it being streamable. JoJo is way at the end, but it is the highest profile show not streaming (as well as the almost done Demon Slayer). I don't know what the new show is as Toonami feels like it's trying to reach the new zoomer audience rather than the Gen Y fanbase of classic Toonami and it seems like zoomers don't care for seinen. I think an isekai is probably more mainstream and likely to be the new show than a seinen, with the undubbed Vinland Saga being an incredibly rare seinen from the past few years to acheive large popularity. Maybe a dub was secretly made and will air on Toonami.

As for the Toonami originals, we have a home run in Samurai Jack and a strikout in FLCL sequels. Hard to say what Uzamaki will be. Even with streaming, shows like MHA still have a pull because you don't have to worry about the paywall like on Funimation's site, so that's probably a factor. MHA has been the Naruto of nu Toonami just as Super is the Dragonball Z of nu Toonami. It is the torchbearer to lead the block. Toonami thrived because of its anchor (DBZ, Naruto, Bleach, Attack on Titan, or Super), and that anchor seems to be in trouble. They survived Attack on Titan's three year season gap, but not painlessly. We are seeing history repeat as the block is weakening and shortening again after a huge boom period. The second half of 2019 had lots of new stuff, but 2020 has been pretty barren. It's a cycle of boom periods and busts. Maybe just as Kill La Kill saved Toonami in 2015, Demon Slayer's mysterious replacement will also repeat history. It could actually replace MHA until the dub is back on track, and MHA could retake 11:30. Demarco never said the mysterious new show was necessarily Demon Slayer's replacement. Toonami has had many shows that rejuvenated the block's popularity and that cycle will probably continue. Let's hope it's sooner rather than later.


"Bleach" felt more like the last big hit for Adult Swim Action, and the first year of "Nu-Toonami" in 2012 was just finishing up that ride.

Either way, "My Hero Academia" has failed to be the next "Attack on Titan". I mean, it's popular, and it is the big title for Toonami right now, but...maybe too many people watched it elsewhere first.

So you maintain "Kill La Kill" saved Toonami in 2015? I thought it was DBZ Kai? (along with "The Intruder II").

.....and you hit on some big ideas with "Toonami was always a Millennial (Gen Y) cartoon block, so can it make the transition to gaining an audience for Gen Z?" Well, arguably it was a "Gen X" cartoon block from 1997 to 1999 (remember, it mainly broadcast 80's cartoons, and Moltar was originally on "Space Ghost: Coast to Coast", which was very much a "Gen X" cartoon).

I'd say "No", it can't transition to Gen Y. But it can carry the flame for Millennials as they get older. I mean, is anyone born from 1997 to 2010 even watching Toonami?

EDIT: Wait, just a thought: is "My Hero Academia" the first true "Gen Z" anime? (and it's just that Gen Z is watching it elsewhere besides on Toonami?).

EDIT 2: More random thoughts on "Gen X" (my generation): Toonami still had some ties to Gen X in 2000 to 2002/2003 (with airing shows like "Batman the Animated Series", arguably the He-Man reboot, and the older Gundam anime...and I would maintain "Tenchi Muyo" was more of a "Gen X" cartoon, with it being from the early 90's). But by 2004 (the transition to Saturdays, the rise of Naruto), it was definitely a full "Millennial" cartoon block.
 
Last edited:

Gold Guy

Two is always better than one
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Dec 14, 2008
Messages
22,085
Location
New York City
I mean, is anyone born from 1997 to 2010 even watching Toonami?

I know I've seen some teenagers live tweeting the block on Twitter. But yeah, most of the people I know who watch it or older, which is why it's always been ironic that Shonen tend to do the best. But I guess a lot of anime fans grew up with Shonen.

But to an extent, almost all TV has trouble gaining younger followers nowadays. Streaming is just getting too much of a stronghold.
 

PicardMan

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Reporter
Joined
Nov 9, 2016
Messages
4,406
EDIT: Wait, just a thought: is "My Hero Academia" the first true "Gen Z" anime? (and it's just that Gen Z is watching it elsewhere besides on Toonami?).

Zoomers love MHA and cons are dominated by teens cosplaying from the show. The demo for anime cons became dramatically younger upon the advent of it. Also, Black Clover seems to be a show that zoomers seem to love while the older generation isn't too fond of. Toonami probably isn't succeeding in reaching the zoomer audience who streams and doesn't mind watching subs, but I think they are attempting to reach that demo as many born in 2000 are over 18 now and in Adult Swim's demo. Streaming has taken a huge bite out of Toonami and MHA is letting it survive, but it's definitely not thriving. As mentioned earlier, anime fans are getting more impatient and the act of dub waiting is almost extinct where there are only a few left. Even if Demon Slayer's dub is exclusive to Toonami, way more fans seem to watch the subs. Recently, Toonami also has aired shows loved by hardcore anime fans, but dismissed by casuals, JoJo and HunterXHunter. Toonami has a loyal audience for those who want to see those kinds of shows in English, but that's a very tiny audience that keeps the block a niche block. It's way behind Crunchyroll and Funimation, but it has a very specific niche to fill for fans of Viz/Aniplex dubs.
 

Darklordavaitor

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Apr 23, 2007
Messages
14,668
Location
In the now, man
Of those 6 shows, how many are truly "must watch" for you guys?
I watch 4/6, myself. Don't care for Naruto, and I gave up on Black Clover pretty early.

If there's one thing I like about the block being condensed, it's that I finally have an hour and a half that I can watch back to back, as I'm also not a SAO fan. That hasn't been applicable to me since earlier this year with MHA, One Punch Man, and Dr. Stone.

I will say that I'm surprised that I'm sticking around with Food Wars though, since it's pretty dumb, but I have fun with it anyway.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Aug 1, 2007
Messages
2,360
Location
US
I think the Stardust Crusaders dub got on Netflix almost the exact same moment that it disappeared from Adult Swim. Will the same happen with the second half of HunterXHunter? This leads credence to the idea that Toonami is preventing Viz from streaming dubs anywhere besides the AS site. Funimation apparently can still stream stuff on their own site so the deal probably applies just to Viz and Aniplex.

You might be right since Netflix just added season four of the HunterxHunter dub one month ago. Since Boruto won't be airing on Toonami again anytime soon I'm curious if VIZ will make a deal with Hulu or Netflix to stream the dub.

Of those 6 shows, how many are truly "must watch" for you guys?

Only ones I consider must watch are Food Wars, Black Clover and Demon Slayer. Food Wars is one of the funniest anime to air on Toonami and has a lot more backstory and character development than one would expect for a series about cooking. Black Clover has actually managed to get better with each season which I have always found to be rarity with the shows I watch. It takes from a lot of other Jump series but still manages to differentiate itself enough to be entertaining. Demon Slayer is a mid tier Shonen Jump series but still enjoyable. It reminds me of Inuyasha a lot but with better pacing.

My Hero Academia is one of the worst superhero anime I've seen and I stopped watching during season 2. It suffers from all the flaws of a yearly 52 episode anime despite each season being shorter. Golden Wind seems better than the first three JoJo seasons but that's not saying much. The series feels very much like a product of its time despite the modern day sheen. Naruto Shippuden has been available on dvd for years and is better suited for binge watching. It has its moments but is nowhere near as good as Boruto or the original series.

The current lineup could be better but its not as bad as some of the past ones. I'm hoping Aniplex is able get the new cour of SAO ready for Toonami in the next few months but that seems more and more unlikely with the virus spreading. Boruto should have never left the block and it's removal is easily one of the worst decisions the Toonami crew has made. I have low expectations for their original series like Uzumaki and Blade Runner and any future Funimation or Crunchyroll acquisitions but I'll still be willing to give them a shot when they air.
 

Yojimbo

Yes, have some.
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 13, 2003
Messages
54,913
Location
Shahdaroba
Demon Slayer's Mugen Train movie looks cool. Again, I wish Toonami still played movies. lol. sigh.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RDG

Light Lucario

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
May 11, 2007
Messages
49,197
Location
In a Dream World

That's awesome news. I was considering watching the subbed version of the last few episodes since I didn't know when they'd be able to dub them, but this is pretty great. Dubbing the episodes at home does take more time, but that's completely understandable. The health and safety of the people working at Funimation is obviously more important and should be the main priority here. It still might have an impact on Toonami. They may have to air reruns of My Hero Academia for awhile until Funimation finishes the season, but maybe it won't take as long for Toonami to finish the season as I initially expected.

This also makes me wonder how Funimation will handle their other simulcast dubs for this season. They already had the first episode of Fruits Basket season two available in English, so maybe they were either able to record that episode before having to work from their homes or they were able to plan in advance for the episode given the current situation. It still might be too tricky for Toonami to pick up any other simuldub series for the time being though.
 

Gold Guy

Two is always better than one
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Dec 14, 2008
Messages
22,085
Location
New York City
It still might be too tricky for Toonami to pick up any other simuldub series for the time being though.


I completely agree with this. If Toonami tries to acquire more shows soon, it should only be anime that are completely dubbed. Anyway, there should be enough recent action anime where that shouldn't be too difficult.
 

veemonjosh

Stone free, do what I please
Joined
Sep 30, 2005
Messages
28,860
Location
The Grid
I swear, if we don't get Mob Psycho 100 season 2 now, we're never getting it. Actually, that goes for Crunchyroll licenses in general, this is THE time to flex those AT&T connections.

And yeah, there's several recent series they could get. For continuations of past series, we never got the second season of Blue Exorcist or (*shudders*) the most recent Tokyo Ghoul, plus the Gun Gale Online spinoff of SAO. Assassination Classroom is also a series I'm surprised Toonami hasn't aired, being another Shonen Jump title. Durarara would also be nice to see, especially since ASA only ran the first season (all that existed at the time), with a 36 episode second season that was made a few years ago. And just some other series off the top of my head: Ushio & Tora, Infini-T Force, and Overlord.

I get why they doubled down on simuldubs and very recent shows in the past year, but it would be nice for them to take an opportunity to step back and run some newer titles that probably flew under the radar of the general public.
 
Last edited:

LinusFan303

Squeak
Joined
Mar 26, 2018
Messages
4,608
Location
Colorado
Was kind of hoping the could pick up Demon School, but it's one the series that has been paused in dubbing since episode 15, a couple weeks ago. That's a Crunchyroll dub too. Weird they haven't showed signs of not picking up Mob Psycho 100 II , doesn't seem a lot has come from their announced Crunchyroll - Toonami partnership, since it was announced last year ; they seem to have a better relationship with the non-co owned Funimation vs. Co-owned Crunchyroll.
 

Spotlight

Staff online

Who's on Discord?

Latest profile posts

How about Mike Pollock as the ideal voice of Bruce Wayne/Batman?
Remember back when people were saying that "Streaming is the (bright) future"?
"I can't wait to eat this baby" - Paramount, presumably looking for tax write-offs
Happy Baseball Opening Day

Featured Posts

Top