Toonami is dead. RIP.
It’s official. Cartoon Network announced today that they are ending their Toonami cartoon block. After tonight, September 20th, 2008, it’s gone. Employees who worked on the block will be going to other parts of the channel. Anime will be mostly handled by Adult Swim (which, as I wrote earlier, is also dying), and there will be another action block replacing Toonami on Friday nights afterwards. Toonami Jetstream will remain without the Toonami name.
This is another sad day for American fans of anime. Toonami was one of the programming blocks that brought decent anime to U.S. airwaves. Now it’s gone, and it looks like anime on Cartoon Network is doomed to extinction.
Started in 1997, Toonami was the first real cable option action anime. It brought us shows like Outlaw Star, Yu Yu Hakusho, Gundam Wing, and most importantly, Dragon Ball Z. In its later days, Toonami aired more generic shows like Naruto and One Piece while Adult Swim handled the more “mature” series like Death Note, Ghost in the Shell: SAC, and Blood+. But recently, most anime fans had given up on the block since its selection of shows had been rather…poor. Some stalwart fans still held out hope that the execs at Cartoon Network would bring in exciting new shows again, but it seems like they’ve decided to give up. No word on exactly what shows they plan to replace the Toonami lineup with.
There’s also no official word yet on whether Toonami’s biggest current series, Naruto, will be continued past the remaining episodes they have the broadcast rights to. The show is in the middle of a big set of “filler” episodes, and ratings have apparently tanked. Lots of fans were still looking forward to seeing Naruto: Shippuden air, but there’s no word on whether that will happen now.
Tonight there will be a special on-air announcement for the final airing of the block. Tune in and say goodbye.
Technorati Tags: anime, Toonami, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim
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bang
Comment made on September 20, 2008 @ 8:06 pm
Wow. I remember when Toonami began, and now to see it end tells me how old I have become. Another little piece of me just died. Sayonara, Toonami.
Comment made on September 20, 2008 @ 8:10 pm
goodbye toonami u will be missed
Comment made on September 20, 2008 @ 8:20 pm
why did they have to cancel it why couldn’t they just add some of the old shows instead
Comment made on September 20, 2008 @ 8:22 pm
:sob Here’s to dead parts of self! I couldn’t believe my eyes… I had always thought Toonami would go one for years to come in one shape or another, even if it moved to another channel… I hope comcast will pickup the Funimation Channel, or maybe ADV will bring back Anime Network 24/7… I guess Toonami has been fated for some time though… As I recall they never really had their own web community like AS has (had?). I really hope the next title to take the block sticks with anime… I shall return to sobbing now
Comment made on September 20, 2008 @ 8:43 pm
Toonami in Australia’s been dead for a long time, but Death Note gets played on ABC2, and Naruto gets played on Adult Swim. However the Australian Cartoon Network as far as I know never plays Full Metal Alchemist like it does in America when I visited.
This might be something to do with people getting DVDs in Australia, downloading Anime, and watching it on YouTube. Most Australians either have to download a fansub or wait for the DVD to view a new series, because a lot of Anime never sees broadcasting, but frequently sees DVD release.
Comment made on September 20, 2008 @ 11:04 pm
such a sad day since i was 7(now 18)i havve watched it i still cling to the hope that it will be brought back..if they would only air some decent shows the only decent ones they were airing were naruto and samurai jack but those alone werent enough to keep it afloat(not to mention if i were them i would just have skipped to the shippuden and started showing one ep a week..soo many things could have saved toonami if CN would only have listened my childhood it seems is officially dead for toonami is what made my childhood great..great homage to cowboy bebop in the end tho..like i said b4..CN bring it back and let it show some good programs like in the good ole days!!!
R.I.P toonami hopefully someone will use a pheonix down on ya.
Comment made on September 21, 2008 @ 4:44 pm
So long, Tom. Hope to see you again, if CN ever comes to their senses. But if not, thanks for all the good times.
Comment made on September 21, 2008 @ 6:25 pm
Man…. i remeber Gettin off the bus and Just Ready for it to be 5:oo to watch DBZ Man CN Just Wow u realy messed up man
Comment made on September 22, 2008 @ 3:07 pm
Thank. God.
This will be the end of part of the Weeaboo’s television block.
If Adult Swim kills off the crappy Anime block and shows, then all Weeaboos will have is the internet and G4!
And who watches G4?
The cleansing is BEGINNING.
Comment made on September 23, 2008 @ 8:28 pm
I was with Toonami from the very start. I loved its lineups and the way it presented them to you. I am very sad to say farewell…But it was their own fault. They should of known about the naruto fillers and the impact it would of had on the American viewers.
Well a part of me will truly miss toonami and its awesome broadcasting. I hope we will see another line up like toonami.
Comment made on September 23, 2008 @ 8:58 pm
You realize “Otaku” is actually a negative term, right?
Comment made on September 26, 2008 @ 4:57 pm
In the words of Darth Vader:
“NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!”
Comment made on October 7, 2008 @ 12:42 am
Bang…….
The end of anime in the US was with a wimper and not a bang…. really sad.
Comment made on October 24, 2008 @ 5:34 pm