Sadly, it looks like Toonami fans will have to be patient once again. Now with Assassination Classroom over, the block will have to get creative in filling a time slot since nothing new will be joining. Instead, another series will have an hour for itself, making some wonder if Adult Swim will be able to license anime from other companies with how much the anime landscape has changed. We wouldn’t pull out any doomsday talk (it isn’t healthy anyway), but we are keeping our eyes peeled as to what will happen while we wait for originals to make their way to the block. So if you are curious about what is going on with Toonami and Toonami-related series, check out the latest issue of This Week From Toonami!
Toonami announced what their schedule would look like now that Assassination Classroom had finished its run. Sadly, fans didn’t get the kind of news they were hoping to hear as no new series will be joining now. Starting June 18, Toonami will double up on Naruto Shippuden episodes beginning at 2 a.m. That means Lupin the Third Part Six will move to 12:30 a.m., with the One Piece hour securing the 1 o’clock hour (Shenmue: the Animation and Attack on Titan will stay where they are). Fans aren’t obviously pleased with this latest development as more fear about Adult Swim being able to license anime from other companies looks grim. But maybe something could be coming in the future (that’s not an original) to help quell those concerns. For now, fans will have to wait and see what the block can do moving forward.
Toonami released a new game review during the broadcast this Saturday, as they took a look into FAR: Changing Tides. The game is the successor to the previous one, FAR: Lone Sails which many people enjoyed playing when it first came out (and probably still do now). Much like the last game, you’re a lone pilot with a large vessel in a post-apocalyptic world. You need to collect resources, push forward to unknown areas, and solve puzzles to clear, all in the name of discovering why you are on this journey. Sadly, just as TOM and SARA were getting into the game, they completed it, and it isn’t as groundbreaking as the original game. But submerging and figuring out what you have to do made it a fun time for the Toonami crew, giving it a solid score of 8.5 out of ten.
Did you enjoy the music from Shenmue: the Animation? If so, you’ll have a chance to own it as the anime series will have a soundtrack release on Aug 3. Right now, there aren’t many details about this, but Toonami Faithful will keep you up to date if you are interested in having the music from the series at your fingertips.
Toei Animation streamed a new trailer for the upcoming film Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero as we inch closer to the premiere! The company also began streaming 30-second and 15-second ads that will play on television to get fans pumped about what’s to come. However, there still hasn’t been confirmed when this film will make its way to the U.S. after a poster was spotted saying it would be Aug. 19.
There was a ton of One Piece news this week, but the biggest to be reported is that author Eiichiro Oda will take a one-month hiatus from drawing. It’s not something that Oda does, leading many to wonder what was up. It was then confirmed that he is taking the time to get his mind fresh as he begins to take his legendary story to its final act. Oda hinted in 2020 how his story is close to finishing and could see One Piece continuing for another four to five years. It looks like he is staying true to his word, with this final act possibly taking around two to three years to conclude. It’s wild to think about, considering how long One Piece has been going on, and it will be interesting to see how Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats fair as they inch close to the “one piece.”
But it wasn’t just about the manga that caught fans’ attention. The Summer Game Fest released a new trailer for the upcoming video game One Piece Odyssey. The new JRGP looks pretty exciting, and the fact that it’s an original story makes it more interesting to look into compared to previous games that followed the story. However, not much gameplay was shown in the video, meaning we will have to wait for more to see how it will look when we play it. And if you are interested in the upcoming One Piece Film Red, the official YouTube channel dropped a couple of videos to get fans excited. On Wednesday, during a live stream, the account revealed the Japanese cast members for the two new characters Uta and Gordon, debuted a new trailer for the movie, and gave plans about a bunch of music surrounding the project to be released before, during, and after the film premieres. Fans were also able to see character designs for the illustrious Red Hair Pirates, which should easily create some excitement for the movie!
Toonami Faithful is sad to report the tragic passing of beloved voice actor Billy Kametz. Best known for his role as Josuke Higashikata (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable), Kametz was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer which ultimately took his life on June 9. He was 35. Kametz was a man who brightened everyone’s mood as soon as he walked into the building, as we were able to see firsthand in 2019 at Anime Boston and loved seeing his passion and enthusiasm toward anime be expressed by him. When Kametz announced his diagnosis, a GoFundMe page was started to help him with any medical expenses, insurance payments, etc., that could come up as he fought. The organizers of that page will be donating the funds to his family for his funeral and possibly contributed to the Colon Cancer Coalition, which his family stated would be appreciated if fans did so in his honor. We are devastated by this news and offer our condolences to his family, friends, colleagues, and loved ones during this difficult time.
We would also like to extend our condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of Jim White, who passed away on June 4 after his battle with lung cancer. He was 73. While White is probably more well-known being the narrator in Fairy Tail (starting during the second season) and his radio work in Dallas, White also played Lao G in One Piece and Zeke’s grandfather in Attack on Titan.
On the latest episode of the Toonami Faithful Podcast, host Andrew “Sketch” Hingson is joined by staff writer Bryan “Laser Kid” Johnson alongside Celia Rose and Karl Olson to talk about the history of Adult Swim Action. We are close to the anniversary of its creation, and many fans often confuse shows that were on Adult Swim Action to have been on Toonami. Still, we felt it would be fun to talk about the history of Adult Swim Action and why it was so important to have at the time. The legacy of Adult Swim Action is still felt today (since Toonami returned to television), and many anime fans still applaud the overall vibe that the block accomplished. Plus, our panelists dive into memory lane where they were up late watching anime that they probably shouldn’t have at the time. It’s an episode (and history lesson) you will have to listen to and will easily find it as enjoyable as this group did.
This week Toonami Faithful was approached to review a podcast series titled Xeno Realms: Sky Brother Force. Created by voice actor Ray Chase, he brought in a highly talented team to produce an anime-inspired production in the form of a podcast reminiscent of old-time radio entertainment. Editor-in-Chief CJ Maffris jumped at the chance to take a listen and was blown away by the project. He loved the technical aspects and length making it an easy listen for anyone interested in checking this out. He loved the Outlaw Star meets Space Balls combination, bringing in a ton of laughs that fans of anime voice actors would want to hear. Maffris gives an in-depth look at what made this podcast project special and why he cannot wait for more seasons; if that’s a thing, in his latest review!
A new Demon Slayer Podcast episode debuted this week with Varun “VLordGTZ” Gupta is joined by fellow fan Laser Kid to talk about the final four episodes of the Entertainment District Arc from the anime. The two discuss their thoughts about the adaptation (what they liked and didn’t like) and how well the English dub has been for the series! Of course, many ponder when the next season arrives. Still, it’s a shame that it couldn’t find a way on Toonami, but our experts continue showing their love and breaking down everything you’ll want to know from the latest season.
Last week our colleagues VLordGTZ, staff writers Sakaki, and Marion “microwaevy” Peña released a new episode of Over Soul: Shaman King Podcast. In it, our panelist discusses volumes 16 and 17 of the manga and what they like about each one. VLordGTZ enjoyed a lot of the character moments in the two volumes. At the same time, Peña has a hard time taking the character Marco seriously due to how extra and campy he can be (which VLordGTZ and Sakaki find enjoyable). And we found the conversation about how fewer fights are shown in these volumes and how that allows for more character development while also changing the outlook on how someone can write a more traditional battle-shōnen series. But if you want to know everything they had to say, make sure you check out this latest episode!
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C.J Maffris is the Editor-in-Chief at Toonamifaithful.com. He also produced and directed the Toonami documentary, What Toonami Means To Me. Feel free to follow CJ on Twitter @SeaJayMaffris