Toonami

From The TV IV

Toonami

Started	March 17, 1997
Ended	September 20, 2008
Network	Cartoon Network
Notable Series	Dragon Ball Z Gundam Wing

Toonami was a programming block on Cartoon Network consisting of action series and movies. Unlike the rest of Cartoon Network proper, Toonami skews slightly older, targeting age groups of kids 6-11 and tweens 9-14, primarily boys. Miguzi was created as a younger-skewing, gender-neutral compliment to Toonami in 2004.

Toonami was originally a weekday animation block hosted by Moltar of Space Ghost. In 1999 Moltar was replaced by TOM, a small robot aboard a spacecraft called the Absolution. TOM and the ship's artificial intelligence SARA continue to be the block's hosts to this day, having undergone several revamps. The block's initial programming consisted of mostly old American animated action shows, but gradually became home to mostly anime programs, notably Dragon Ball Z.

Toonami's main timeslot for most of its run was weekdays from 4 to 7pm. This was occasionally shortened to 5 to 7pm. Toonami blocks were also placed at other points on the schedule, for the "Midnight Run" (weekdays, 12–1am), "Rising Sun" (Saturday mornings 10am–1pm or Saturday nights 12–2am), and "Super Saturdays" (Sat 2–4pm, Dragon Ball Z encores). "Midnight Run" is famous for showing Gundam Wing uncut, and is considered a precursor to Adult Swim.

In 2004 Toonami was moved to Saturday nights, with its weekday spot being taken up by Miguzi. The block was expanded to four hours. After three years running in this format, in October 2007 Toonami was shortened to two hours.

Cartoon Network cancelled Toonami on September 20, 2008, with its final broadcast airing on the same day. Employees who were charged with maintaining the block will be shuffled into other departments. It is believed that Adult Swim will pick up the slack with anime on the channel, but the block itself had severely cut its own "action" Saturday schedule only two weeks before Toonami was ended. "Toonami Jetstream" will also continue, with "Toonami" dropped from the name.

The block is slated to be replaced with another "action cartoon" block on Friday nights. The September 20 block ended on the word "Bang," as said by the host of Toonami, voiced by Steven Blum. The word is closely associated with Cowboy Bebop and Blum's portrayal of Spike Spiegel in the series. The series never aired on Toonami, but was a critical part of popularizing anime on Adult Swim.

[edit] Toonami Jetstream

As of 7/17/06, Cartoon Network offers select series, including new anime from VIZ Media, as streaming video online. Some of these series are Cartoon Network repeats, others are programs never-before-seen on US television.

This is not the first streaming video Toonami has offered on its site. Toonami Reactor, launched in 2001, also offered a mixture of anime programming and music videos for about a year until it was replaced by Adult Swim Pipeline.

[edit] Soundtrack Releases

One of the more distinctive features of Toonami in the past was the custom openings, which consisted of clips from the programs edited over a jungle track composed specially for the block. Several music videos combining clips from various programs were also created.