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Year One: 1997 (First Season Premiere Date: March 17, 1997)
The introduction of Toonami to America. Moltar and Clyde 49 transmitted Thundercats, Voltron, JQ, and Robotech to fans of old-school and introducing new fans to the anime show that their older brothers, sisters, and cousins watched every day in the 80s.
Year Two: 1998 (Second Season Premiered: March 16, 1998)
Despite a slow start to the year, Toonami was on a roll, starting with a brief appearance of Beast Wars on the block, ending the platinum age of the block with the final episodes of the 1997-98 season of the Transformers CGI series. Sure, it was a week, but it was definitely a harbinger that thing we call Toonami was going to make an impact before it was all over. And to be perfectly honest, the golden age of Toonami began on June 1, 1998 when a moon princess made her debut on the block. Sailor Moon's debut was probably the most significant debut on Toonami, marking the first time that an anime series that debuted in the 90s aired on the block, and to some current Toonami fans, the series that introduced them to the spirit of the Revolution that we call Toonami. It would have been the most significant debut on Toonami, but on August 31, Toonami saw the debut of Dragon Ball Z, a series that definitely upped the action quota on the block. Of course, the year ended on somewhat of a sour note. With the cancellation of the Saturday edition of Toonami, stalwarts like Thundercats and Voltron leaving the block, the unfair scapegoating of The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest as a reason why everything is wrong on the block, and a bastardized retread of the poorly-animated Filmation DC Comics shorts joining the block, things looked bleak. Almost immediately after the horrid changes, Cartoon Network began airing blipverts about whether or not Toonami is a failed experiment. Fortunately, things changed for the better, and Toonami was never the same again.
Year Three: 1999 (Third Season: March 15, 1999; Toonami Relaunch: July 10, 1999)
Change. Some embrace it. Some fear it. This was the word that had a profound significance for Toonami. First, Toonami Movies premiered on Fridays in January, including Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, a film that has never been seen on pay-TV. After Thundercats made a thunderous return for a couple of weeks, the first major computer-animated series, ReBoot, made its debut on the block during anniversary week (the first time the channel recognized the block's anniversary in March [remember the birthday cannon?]). Not only did Toonami air the original ABC run of the series (including the uncut second season finale), but they also aired the third season, which had a much darker edge than the rest of the series. Weeks after ReBoot's debut, Moltar, the block's host, gave a very significant speech to the fans of Toonami. The address, Reruns, addressed the endless reruns that plagued the flow of the block and created a very optimistic view of things to come. Toonami was becoming popular in the eyes of the fans. In fact, rumors swelled that a Toonami network was near. The network never came to be (it was a Boomerang-themed network instead), but the fact that Cartoon Network was expanding was a sign that anything can happen.
On Saturday, July 10, 1999, Toonami was relaunched from the ground up. A new sardonic, cynical host in the form of what the Wall Street Journal called "a bubbleheaded host" was born as TOM (Toonami Operations Module), and his spaceship, the Ghost Planet Spaceship Absolution, became the new satellite, transmitting Toonami to a worldwide audience. Midnight Run brought back classic Toonami show like Thundercats, Robotech, and Voltron as well as created a lot of insomniacs in the process. September brought new episodes of Dragon Ball Z as well as the end of Jonny Quest's reign on the block, being replaced by Ronin Warriors a week later. Rumors of acquisitions coming to Toonami sprang overnight in late 1999. Most of the rumors were false, which involved old-school show like G.I. Joe and Transformers and anime show like Escaflowne and Cowboy Bebop. Another one of those rumors involved a legendary Japanese franchise with a fanbase as large as Star Wars making their North American debut in the most unlikely place - - only on Toonami.
Year Four: 2000 (Season Four Premiere Date: March 6, 2000)
2000 may have been the year of the dragon in the Chinese calendar, but the year definitely belonged to Gundam Wing, the first series to have a dual premiere on the block. The first airing was already awe-inspiring, and looking very Japanese (a theme that was apparent by the new on-air logos on the block). The second "uncut" airing, which aired during a revamped Midnight Run, had profanity and a little more of the ultraviolence. To newcomers, this was THE definative show for Toonami. The block also had its first taste of a 24-hour format in the spring with Full Cycle, airing the first episodes of several Toonami show, the debut of the Garlic Jr. miniseries of Dragon Ball Z (which, in turn, launched the Rising Sun Saturday morning block and served as a prelude to the longest season of DBZ on Toonami, over 90 episodes!), and the airings of the Batman animated films. The summer of 2000 also brought the S and SuperS seasons of Sailor Moon as well as the Toonami debut of Tenchi Muyo/Universe/in Tokyo and the third hour of Toonami. In September, new episodes of Dragon Ball Z introduced the Androids, Cell, and the Saiyan from the future named Trunks. September also brought Toonami's first original CGI production that spanned for an entire week.
This special, The Intruder, was a mini-series featuring the block's mascot TOM in an adventure that had him defending the Absolution, his new companion Sara, and the Toonami block from this red, gelatinous being that devoured everything in site. Before it was over, TOM died an honorable death. Just like in comics, nobody stays dead forever and TOM was reborn into a new body and defeated the demonic intruder. The aftermath of The Intruder remained a part of the block throughout the fall leading up to the debut of the Blue Submarine No. 6 miniseries and the relaunch of Toonami Movies as In-Flight Movies.
As 2000 came to a close, the one thing that was on people's minds was what the merger of America Online and Time Warner Entertainment. This merger may have been the right thing at the time, but the effects of the merger were felt in 2001.
Year Five: 2001 (Season Five: March 12, 2001)
It should have been the best year for Toonami. Afterall, it's not every year that a total of nine show premiere on the block (Outlaw Star, The Big O, Mobile Suit Gundam, 08th MS Team, Dragon Ball, Cardcaptors, Gundam 0083, Zoids Neo, and Batman Beyond). It's also not every year that two show have new episodes (Dragon Ball Z and ReBoot) nor four show premiere online courtesy of a new interactive section of the official webpage known as Reactor (Star Blazers, The Harlock Saga, Patlabor, and Record of Lodoss Wars). It's also not every year that Toonami breaks from the mold and airs animated music videos from a techno band (Daft Punk) nor an animated band (Gorillaz). Let's face it. If 2001 was a typical year, this would have been the greatest year of the block's history, expanding beyond the spectrum of cable television and venturing into cyberspace. But 2001 wasn't a typical year.
Instead of celebrating the block's success, most of the attention was focused on what's been going behind the scenes of the block. The coup de'tat at Turner Broadcasting, led by AOL Time Warner's Bob Pittman, was just brutal, replacing just about every high-ranking TBS official and naming The WB Broadcasting Network's founder Jamie Kellner the new president and CEO of Turner Broadcasting. Kellner's first big mistake was pairing his Kids' WB broadcast block and Cartoon Network under one management umbrella, especially with his "cartoons are for kids" mentality. His second mistake was forcing the retirement of Cartoon Network's founder Betty Cohen, moving her to a new division which is supposed to create new outlets for the Turner brands (she hasn't been heard from in a long time, and this might actually be interesting). His third and fatal mistake was relaunching the Kids' WB weekday block as Toonami in July 2001. Now, don't get me wrong, a broadcast outlet for Toonami would have been wonderful if they actually stayed with the formula that made the Cartoon Network Toonami a hit, but the fact that show that wouldn't even be considered a Toonami-worthy series like Generation O, Detention, and Scooby-Doo has made the cut. The Kids' WB Toonami also made way for the removal of the 4 PM launch time, which had been a part of Toonami since day one in 1997. However, the takeover was minor compared to the events that took place on September 11, 2001.
Hell came to America that day, without any warning to the public. A strange air of patriotism, a sense of uncertainty, and foul taste of greed encased the country. Programmers had to be sensitive about what they showed in the weeks following 9/11, and Cartoon Network's Toonami was no exception. Almost immediately, they stopped airing Mobile Suit Gundam (a somewhat pacifistic series), skipped the "Gohan's First Date" episode of Dragon Ball Z, and aired double episodes of Dragon Ball for a number of weeks. On the Kids' WB side, they didn't air the last unaired Batman Beyond series, "Unmasked," though Cartoon Network aired it months later as well as the missing DBZ episode. September 11 had an effect on all of us, but in the midst of what may be considered dark days, we have to always remain optimistic about the future.
In-between the dilution of Toonami and 9/11, Williams Street, Toonami's producers, launched Adult Swim, an teen-oriented block on Cartoon Network which features show like Home Movies, Baby Blues, Sealab 2021, The Brak Show, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Aqua Teen Hungerforce (which was this close to becoming a Toonami series) and the popular anime series Cowboy Bebop, which was a drawing point to the block for many Toonami fans. In February 2002, Adult Swim Action took over the action-filled Saturday evening block, with new show like Yu Yu Hakusho, Pilot Candidate (two series that were originally Toonami bound), the fourth Gundam premiere on Cartoon Network, Gundam 0083, Cowboy Bebop, and a pair of Toonami favorites, Outlaw Star and Tenchi Muyo.
Year Six: 2002 (Season Six: June 2002)
For starters, the Kids' WB! version was all but forgotten by June. The biggest thing to happen was the return of the third hour on June 3 with the premiere of Hamtaro and the return of Powerpuff Girls to a Toonami block (the girls were on both the original Midnight Run and Rising Sun). The brand new Masters of the Universe series and the newest Transformer series, Armada, both will make their Toonami debut in August, but problems arose when Transformers turned out to be nothing more then a kid’s pokemon-esque show. Zoids Chaotic Century made its Toonami debut, but the last 4 episodes remained MIA (Missing in Action), and G Gundam made its debut too, along with some new Dragonball episodes.
Come September Trapped in Hyperspace came around, with an extremely scarce amount of promos. The event came and went, and practically nothing came of it, fans responded negatively…the event was merely a reason for Nintendo to promote itself…and for Cartoon Network to get more hits with the Toonami on-line game. Batman Beyond poked in and out, and Toonami reviewed more games then ever…but other then that and endless reruns, nothing else happened in 2002. Too much of the attention was focused on Adult Swim, which was dealing with its own establishment, taking New Years Eve away from Toonami for the first time in a while. 2003 definitely seemed like an upbeat year for Toonami, toward the end of 2002.
For the most part, 2002 was a pretty dull year for Toonami. Sure we got He-Man and Transformers, as well as Zoids, Batman Beyond, and G Gundam. However, we still got Hamtaro, endless repeats, and Trapped in Hyperspace. 2003 looked much better for Toonami fans, since 2002 seemed to be AS's year in the spotlight...and we were right!
In January we got the long anticipated final four episodes of Zoids: Guardian Force, which was met with much fan praise. Promos for the event hinted change and were eerily reminiscent of Tom v1.0 days. In February we got word of many things, a revamp of Toonami (new host Tom v3.0, new Absolution, and even a new Logo), the promise of the Final DBZ episodes, and even conformation on Kenshin joining the Toonami line-up!
We also got news of Giant Robot Week, in which Toonami and ADV Films teamed up to air a weeks worth of giant robot mayhem. Among the titles were Gigantor, Evangelon, Nadesco, Robotech, and even Dai-guard. The event was surrounded in controversy, based on he said/she said accusations that the show would be airing uncut and commercial free…but they weren’t.
Year Seven: 2003 (Season Seven: March 17, 2003)
In February, we got word of many things. A revamp of Toonami (new host Tom v3.0, new Absolution, and even a new Logo), the promise of the Final DBZ episodes, and even confirmation on Rurouni Kenshin joining the Toonami line-up!
Starting Monday March 17, Toonami’s sixth birthday, a new look will replace the Toonami format that has been in place for the past 2 years. New logos, new EVERYTHING, and no more pipes. Later on, Yu Yu Hakusho graced the block with its precence, and rumors of DBZ leaving to make room for Zoids were squashed. Justice League also made it's debut on the block, replacing G Gundam. At the same time, Adult swim was getting a fairly good amount of attention because of it's new look which consisted of Black and White cards. After airing Kikaider on Adult Swim, Cyborg 009 (created by the same man) was announced to come to the block and did so in June. The more mature programming that presented itself on the Toonami block made the family resemblance between its brother Adult Swim really stand out!
That is...for the time being. After a while Kenshin was moved to the new SVES block (Saturday Video Entertainment System) on Saturday due to the wrong demographic watching the show. September came around with the new and final batch of Dragonball episodes, DBZ Movies such as Return of cooler, Bardock Father of Goku, and the History of Trunks, a new cell shaded and twisted take on the Gundam universe called SD Gundam, and Toonami’s first 2d animated TIE titled IGPX. It was about this time that Toonami music videos from several various bands started to appear on the block.
IGPX came and went and left our appetites wanting more, with no more in sight. Meanwhile DragonBall and SD Gundam episodes slipped into perpetual reruns...after reruns...after reruns. The music videos faded away and haven’t been seen since and no new Toonami animation had been seen since the Sara opening which lasted a whole week.
We were temporarily relived of the rerun hell Toonami was stuck in with new episodes of Dragonball GT premiering on the block, but the new episodes on Friday just weren’t enough to fix the ailing mood of the Toonami faithful. The year ended uneventfully as Toonami fans watch the Adult Swim New Years Eve bash, remembering the days of old when Toonami held the special events for that particular evening.
Year Eight: 2004 (Season Eight: March 17, 2004)
2004 for started where 2003 left off. In January new episodes of dragonball GT continued to premiere on Toonami Fridays, along with various ‘movies for the masses’ starting off with the DBZ movies they aired in September, then adding several movies that had aired on SVES and the Pokemon movies that aired on Fridays. The overall mood was still low for the faithful Toonami fan. SVES seemed to be taking all the good shows that were thought to fit the Toonami block. A glimmer of light returned when Yu Yu Hakusho returned to the block with promise of new episodes in April, but times were still bad. Bad until we learned of the changes that would be taking place in the months ahead.
In Februaray the Cartoon Network Initiative promised big changes for the Toonami block. For one it would be moving to Saturdays, leaving its weekday spot vacant for a new block called Miguzi. Toonami’s demographic would also be left behind in the move, making way for a more Teen oriented Toonami. Late March 15 second promos started airing for the new block, as Toonami refocused. A new Sara and some new Clydes appeared in the promo, promising good things in the months ahead.
Year Nine: 2005 (Season Nine: March 17, 2005)
Year Ten: 2006 (Season Ten: March 17,2006)
Year Eleven: 2007 (Season Eleven: March 17th, 2007) Coming Soon
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Toonami History 101
Toonami started on Monday, March 17, 1997 at 4 PM EST on Cartoon Network. The block was the fourth incarnation of the Super Adventures action afternoon franchise. Similar to the most previous incarnation of Super Adventures known as Power Zone (which showcased a few acquired show like G-Force, Speed Racer, and James Bond, Jr.), Toonami was created to showcase the newly-acquired action show of the young animation station (Thundercats and Voltron: Defender of the Universe) and the network's original action drama, The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, with classic Hanna-Barbera action shorts, CGI interstills featuring the original host Moltar and his eyes to the world, Clyde 49, and extreme sports segments inbetween each series. Yeah, this was an ever-evolving format that has taken many forms over the years:Year One: 1997 (First Season Premiere Date: March 17, 1997)
The introduction of Toonami to America. Moltar and Clyde 49 transmitted Thundercats, Voltron, JQ, and Robotech to fans of old-school and introducing new fans to the anime show that their older brothers, sisters, and cousins watched every day in the 80s.
Year Two: 1998 (Second Season Premiered: March 16, 1998)
Despite a slow start to the year, Toonami was on a roll, starting with a brief appearance of Beast Wars on the block, ending the platinum age of the block with the final episodes of the 1997-98 season of the Transformers CGI series. Sure, it was a week, but it was definitely a harbinger that thing we call Toonami was going to make an impact before it was all over. And to be perfectly honest, the golden age of Toonami began on June 1, 1998 when a moon princess made her debut on the block. Sailor Moon's debut was probably the most significant debut on Toonami, marking the first time that an anime series that debuted in the 90s aired on the block, and to some current Toonami fans, the series that introduced them to the spirit of the Revolution that we call Toonami. It would have been the most significant debut on Toonami, but on August 31, Toonami saw the debut of Dragon Ball Z, a series that definitely upped the action quota on the block. Of course, the year ended on somewhat of a sour note. With the cancellation of the Saturday edition of Toonami, stalwarts like Thundercats and Voltron leaving the block, the unfair scapegoating of The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest as a reason why everything is wrong on the block, and a bastardized retread of the poorly-animated Filmation DC Comics shorts joining the block, things looked bleak. Almost immediately after the horrid changes, Cartoon Network began airing blipverts about whether or not Toonami is a failed experiment. Fortunately, things changed for the better, and Toonami was never the same again.
Year Three: 1999 (Third Season: March 15, 1999; Toonami Relaunch: July 10, 1999)
Change. Some embrace it. Some fear it. This was the word that had a profound significance for Toonami. First, Toonami Movies premiered on Fridays in January, including Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, a film that has never been seen on pay-TV. After Thundercats made a thunderous return for a couple of weeks, the first major computer-animated series, ReBoot, made its debut on the block during anniversary week (the first time the channel recognized the block's anniversary in March [remember the birthday cannon?]). Not only did Toonami air the original ABC run of the series (including the uncut second season finale), but they also aired the third season, which had a much darker edge than the rest of the series. Weeks after ReBoot's debut, Moltar, the block's host, gave a very significant speech to the fans of Toonami. The address, Reruns, addressed the endless reruns that plagued the flow of the block and created a very optimistic view of things to come. Toonami was becoming popular in the eyes of the fans. In fact, rumors swelled that a Toonami network was near. The network never came to be (it was a Boomerang-themed network instead), but the fact that Cartoon Network was expanding was a sign that anything can happen.
On Saturday, July 10, 1999, Toonami was relaunched from the ground up. A new sardonic, cynical host in the form of what the Wall Street Journal called "a bubbleheaded host" was born as TOM (Toonami Operations Module), and his spaceship, the Ghost Planet Spaceship Absolution, became the new satellite, transmitting Toonami to a worldwide audience. Midnight Run brought back classic Toonami show like Thundercats, Robotech, and Voltron as well as created a lot of insomniacs in the process. September brought new episodes of Dragon Ball Z as well as the end of Jonny Quest's reign on the block, being replaced by Ronin Warriors a week later. Rumors of acquisitions coming to Toonami sprang overnight in late 1999. Most of the rumors were false, which involved old-school show like G.I. Joe and Transformers and anime show like Escaflowne and Cowboy Bebop. Another one of those rumors involved a legendary Japanese franchise with a fanbase as large as Star Wars making their North American debut in the most unlikely place - - only on Toonami.
Year Four: 2000 (Season Four Premiere Date: March 6, 2000)
2000 may have been the year of the dragon in the Chinese calendar, but the year definitely belonged to Gundam Wing, the first series to have a dual premiere on the block. The first airing was already awe-inspiring, and looking very Japanese (a theme that was apparent by the new on-air logos on the block). The second "uncut" airing, which aired during a revamped Midnight Run, had profanity and a little more of the ultraviolence. To newcomers, this was THE definative show for Toonami. The block also had its first taste of a 24-hour format in the spring with Full Cycle, airing the first episodes of several Toonami show, the debut of the Garlic Jr. miniseries of Dragon Ball Z (which, in turn, launched the Rising Sun Saturday morning block and served as a prelude to the longest season of DBZ on Toonami, over 90 episodes!), and the airings of the Batman animated films. The summer of 2000 also brought the S and SuperS seasons of Sailor Moon as well as the Toonami debut of Tenchi Muyo/Universe/in Tokyo and the third hour of Toonami. In September, new episodes of Dragon Ball Z introduced the Androids, Cell, and the Saiyan from the future named Trunks. September also brought Toonami's first original CGI production that spanned for an entire week.
This special, The Intruder, was a mini-series featuring the block's mascot TOM in an adventure that had him defending the Absolution, his new companion Sara, and the Toonami block from this red, gelatinous being that devoured everything in site. Before it was over, TOM died an honorable death. Just like in comics, nobody stays dead forever and TOM was reborn into a new body and defeated the demonic intruder. The aftermath of The Intruder remained a part of the block throughout the fall leading up to the debut of the Blue Submarine No. 6 miniseries and the relaunch of Toonami Movies as In-Flight Movies.
As 2000 came to a close, the one thing that was on people's minds was what the merger of America Online and Time Warner Entertainment. This merger may have been the right thing at the time, but the effects of the merger were felt in 2001.
Year Five: 2001 (Season Five: March 12, 2001)
It should have been the best year for Toonami. Afterall, it's not every year that a total of nine show premiere on the block (Outlaw Star, The Big O, Mobile Suit Gundam, 08th MS Team, Dragon Ball, Cardcaptors, Gundam 0083, Zoids Neo, and Batman Beyond). It's also not every year that two show have new episodes (Dragon Ball Z and ReBoot) nor four show premiere online courtesy of a new interactive section of the official webpage known as Reactor (Star Blazers, The Harlock Saga, Patlabor, and Record of Lodoss Wars). It's also not every year that Toonami breaks from the mold and airs animated music videos from a techno band (Daft Punk) nor an animated band (Gorillaz). Let's face it. If 2001 was a typical year, this would have been the greatest year of the block's history, expanding beyond the spectrum of cable television and venturing into cyberspace. But 2001 wasn't a typical year.
Instead of celebrating the block's success, most of the attention was focused on what's been going behind the scenes of the block. The coup de'tat at Turner Broadcasting, led by AOL Time Warner's Bob Pittman, was just brutal, replacing just about every high-ranking TBS official and naming The WB Broadcasting Network's founder Jamie Kellner the new president and CEO of Turner Broadcasting. Kellner's first big mistake was pairing his Kids' WB broadcast block and Cartoon Network under one management umbrella, especially with his "cartoons are for kids" mentality. His second mistake was forcing the retirement of Cartoon Network's founder Betty Cohen, moving her to a new division which is supposed to create new outlets for the Turner brands (she hasn't been heard from in a long time, and this might actually be interesting). His third and fatal mistake was relaunching the Kids' WB weekday block as Toonami in July 2001. Now, don't get me wrong, a broadcast outlet for Toonami would have been wonderful if they actually stayed with the formula that made the Cartoon Network Toonami a hit, but the fact that show that wouldn't even be considered a Toonami-worthy series like Generation O, Detention, and Scooby-Doo has made the cut. The Kids' WB Toonami also made way for the removal of the 4 PM launch time, which had been a part of Toonami since day one in 1997. However, the takeover was minor compared to the events that took place on September 11, 2001.
Hell came to America that day, without any warning to the public. A strange air of patriotism, a sense of uncertainty, and foul taste of greed encased the country. Programmers had to be sensitive about what they showed in the weeks following 9/11, and Cartoon Network's Toonami was no exception. Almost immediately, they stopped airing Mobile Suit Gundam (a somewhat pacifistic series), skipped the "Gohan's First Date" episode of Dragon Ball Z, and aired double episodes of Dragon Ball for a number of weeks. On the Kids' WB side, they didn't air the last unaired Batman Beyond series, "Unmasked," though Cartoon Network aired it months later as well as the missing DBZ episode. September 11 had an effect on all of us, but in the midst of what may be considered dark days, we have to always remain optimistic about the future.
In-between the dilution of Toonami and 9/11, Williams Street, Toonami's producers, launched Adult Swim, an teen-oriented block on Cartoon Network which features show like Home Movies, Baby Blues, Sealab 2021, The Brak Show, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Aqua Teen Hungerforce (which was this close to becoming a Toonami series) and the popular anime series Cowboy Bebop, which was a drawing point to the block for many Toonami fans. In February 2002, Adult Swim Action took over the action-filled Saturday evening block, with new show like Yu Yu Hakusho, Pilot Candidate (two series that were originally Toonami bound), the fourth Gundam premiere on Cartoon Network, Gundam 0083, Cowboy Bebop, and a pair of Toonami favorites, Outlaw Star and Tenchi Muyo.
Year Six: 2002 (Season Six: June 2002)
For starters, the Kids' WB! version was all but forgotten by June. The biggest thing to happen was the return of the third hour on June 3 with the premiere of Hamtaro and the return of Powerpuff Girls to a Toonami block (the girls were on both the original Midnight Run and Rising Sun). The brand new Masters of the Universe series and the newest Transformer series, Armada, both will make their Toonami debut in August, but problems arose when Transformers turned out to be nothing more then a kid’s pokemon-esque show. Zoids Chaotic Century made its Toonami debut, but the last 4 episodes remained MIA (Missing in Action), and G Gundam made its debut too, along with some new Dragonball episodes.
Come September Trapped in Hyperspace came around, with an extremely scarce amount of promos. The event came and went, and practically nothing came of it, fans responded negatively…the event was merely a reason for Nintendo to promote itself…and for Cartoon Network to get more hits with the Toonami on-line game. Batman Beyond poked in and out, and Toonami reviewed more games then ever…but other then that and endless reruns, nothing else happened in 2002. Too much of the attention was focused on Adult Swim, which was dealing with its own establishment, taking New Years Eve away from Toonami for the first time in a while. 2003 definitely seemed like an upbeat year for Toonami, toward the end of 2002.
For the most part, 2002 was a pretty dull year for Toonami. Sure we got He-Man and Transformers, as well as Zoids, Batman Beyond, and G Gundam. However, we still got Hamtaro, endless repeats, and Trapped in Hyperspace. 2003 looked much better for Toonami fans, since 2002 seemed to be AS's year in the spotlight...and we were right!
In January we got the long anticipated final four episodes of Zoids: Guardian Force, which was met with much fan praise. Promos for the event hinted change and were eerily reminiscent of Tom v1.0 days. In February we got word of many things, a revamp of Toonami (new host Tom v3.0, new Absolution, and even a new Logo), the promise of the Final DBZ episodes, and even conformation on Kenshin joining the Toonami line-up!
We also got news of Giant Robot Week, in which Toonami and ADV Films teamed up to air a weeks worth of giant robot mayhem. Among the titles were Gigantor, Evangelon, Nadesco, Robotech, and even Dai-guard. The event was surrounded in controversy, based on he said/she said accusations that the show would be airing uncut and commercial free…but they weren’t.
Year Seven: 2003 (Season Seven: March 17, 2003)
In February, we got word of many things. A revamp of Toonami (new host Tom v3.0, new Absolution, and even a new Logo), the promise of the Final DBZ episodes, and even confirmation on Rurouni Kenshin joining the Toonami line-up!
Starting Monday March 17, Toonami’s sixth birthday, a new look will replace the Toonami format that has been in place for the past 2 years. New logos, new EVERYTHING, and no more pipes. Later on, Yu Yu Hakusho graced the block with its precence, and rumors of DBZ leaving to make room for Zoids were squashed. Justice League also made it's debut on the block, replacing G Gundam. At the same time, Adult swim was getting a fairly good amount of attention because of it's new look which consisted of Black and White cards. After airing Kikaider on Adult Swim, Cyborg 009 (created by the same man) was announced to come to the block and did so in June. The more mature programming that presented itself on the Toonami block made the family resemblance between its brother Adult Swim really stand out!
That is...for the time being. After a while Kenshin was moved to the new SVES block (Saturday Video Entertainment System) on Saturday due to the wrong demographic watching the show. September came around with the new and final batch of Dragonball episodes, DBZ Movies such as Return of cooler, Bardock Father of Goku, and the History of Trunks, a new cell shaded and twisted take on the Gundam universe called SD Gundam, and Toonami’s first 2d animated TIE titled IGPX. It was about this time that Toonami music videos from several various bands started to appear on the block.
IGPX came and went and left our appetites wanting more, with no more in sight. Meanwhile DragonBall and SD Gundam episodes slipped into perpetual reruns...after reruns...after reruns. The music videos faded away and haven’t been seen since and no new Toonami animation had been seen since the Sara opening which lasted a whole week.
We were temporarily relived of the rerun hell Toonami was stuck in with new episodes of Dragonball GT premiering on the block, but the new episodes on Friday just weren’t enough to fix the ailing mood of the Toonami faithful. The year ended uneventfully as Toonami fans watch the Adult Swim New Years Eve bash, remembering the days of old when Toonami held the special events for that particular evening.
Year Eight: 2004 (Season Eight: March 17, 2004)
2004 for started where 2003 left off. In January new episodes of dragonball GT continued to premiere on Toonami Fridays, along with various ‘movies for the masses’ starting off with the DBZ movies they aired in September, then adding several movies that had aired on SVES and the Pokemon movies that aired on Fridays. The overall mood was still low for the faithful Toonami fan. SVES seemed to be taking all the good shows that were thought to fit the Toonami block. A glimmer of light returned when Yu Yu Hakusho returned to the block with promise of new episodes in April, but times were still bad. Bad until we learned of the changes that would be taking place in the months ahead.
In Februaray the Cartoon Network Initiative promised big changes for the Toonami block. For one it would be moving to Saturdays, leaving its weekday spot vacant for a new block called Miguzi. Toonami’s demographic would also be left behind in the move, making way for a more Teen oriented Toonami. Late March 15 second promos started airing for the new block, as Toonami refocused. A new Sara and some new Clydes appeared in the promo, promising good things in the months ahead.
Year Nine: 2005 (Season Nine: March 17, 2005)
Year Ten: 2006 (Season Ten: March 17,2006)
Year Eleven: 2007 (Season Eleven: March 17th, 2007) Coming Soon
