Confirmation! We finally have confirmation on the mixup during last week’s opening bump. While I’m sure some are disappointed that Toonami is doubling up on Naruto Shippuden (along with One Piece), at least that means we can move a bit faster out of this filler arc, right? And sadly, there wasn’t much news for us to report on involving all kinds of Toonami series, but a long-time Toonami veteran did publish his latest State of Toonami piece that we encourage everyone to read. While this will be short, check out all we have to say in this latest This Week From Toonami!
Late Saturday, Toonami confirmed that the opening bump they aired last week mistakenly stated that Naruto Shippuden’s power hour would last one week. That isn’t the case, as they took to Facebook saying that the current lineup will be what it is for the next few weeks. It leaves us wondering what led to the confusing bump that aired earlier.
During Toonami’s broadcast this week, fans were treated to a new video to promote the Shenmue: The Animation marathon for this Fourth of July weekend. It will be the first seven episodes that will air in a row after Primal kicks off the block at midnight. And if marathons aren’t your thing, definitely take the time to relax and do something fun with friends and family this Saturday to unwind and prepare for a new week!
Jason DeMarco had another Toonami-related Ask Me Anything on Twitter this weekend, giving some welcomed insight into the block and possible plans. Some of the big highlights from this thread are classic anime series that normally had no chance to air on the block might happen due to the changing landscape, anything owned by Sony is unlikely for the foreseeable future, the AMC merger with Sentai Filmworks as of now hasn’t changed the working relationship between them and Toonami, and that the chances of more Shenmue: The Animation seasons are looking positive. Toonami has also been asking to get some DC series at an affordable price. While nothing is imminent, DeMarco mentioned that there have been encouraging signs for that to happen possibly. And the most significant piece of information is that right now, the people in charge want Toonami to continue. I REPEAT! Those in charge of keeping Toonami going want it to continue. Right now, there’s a hold on things that have tied their hands in grabbing more stuff for the lineup. The budget is also limiting what they can do, but it would appear that there are some things in place for Toonami to go for when the time arrives.
It’s important to highlight these threads due to the spread of misinformation from fans about the block. If you are curious about what is going on in the world of Toonami, it’s best to go to the source when Jason DeMarco can share what he can. You’ll always have fansites like Toonami Faithful, Toonami Squad, and Swimpedia report on stuff from the block that you can always check. I still don’t know how the rumor of Sentai Filmworks not having a good relationship with Toonami started considering Made in Abyss joined the block previously. And while the current lineup isn’t what many fans would hope for, we don’t know what’s happening behind the scenes. Contrary to some, Toonami is still working on trying to give fans the type of content they expect. And while waiting can be a bother, patience is usually rewarded. Check out all the replies in this thread to get all the answers you want regarding Toonami.
The new film Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO has been a significant box office success in Japan. The movie has earned at least $9.43 million and has sold over 1 million tickets (as of June 19, so expect that number to be higher soon)! Because of these accomplishments, Toei Animation decided to stream the first five minutes on their official YouTube page to get more eyes on the project! And don’t worry, fans in the U.S. will get to see why this film has grabbed a ton of attention in August! It should be exciting, and who knows, maybe we will get to see a cool promo for the new movie on Toonami since it has happened before.
And that isn’t the only film that has anime fans interested. Crunchyroll announced that this fall, fans in the U.S. will be able to see One Piece Film Red. And you’ll be able to catch it in Japanese or English when it premieres. While there isn’t an exact date given, during Anime Expo, there will be a panel about the movie where more details will be announced with guests such as; anime producer Shinji Shimizu, actors Brandon Potter (Shanks) and Ian Sinclair (Brook), and ADR Director Anthony Bowling. We can assume details on when fans will be able to see it and possibly more backstory involving the characters in the film. Regardless, it should be a ton of fun and something One Piece fans should check out.
Were you able to enjoy your favorite knuckle-headed ninja dancing after winning a victory royale? Well, if you didn’t, you’ll have another chance as Fortnite announced that the game will have another Naruto Shippuden-themed event on their servers which started this week. The new event will include Hinata, Gaara, Itachi, and Orochimaru costumes where fans can get their emotes, making these characters look ridiculous and hilarious. It would appear that the Naruto Shippuden event went over well with fans, and now they will be rewarded with another crack to become the next Hokage at Tilted Towers.
While only being tangentially related to Toonami, Production I.G. (a studio that has worked with Adult Swim for many years) announced a recent change this week. Starting this August, George Wada will be promoted as President and CEO of the company, with the current president and CEO, Mitsuhisa Ishikawa becoming the studio’s chairman of the board. We aren’t sure if this changes a lot, but we felt it would be good to report about the change for Toonami fans since this could be a starting point for any significant change from the studio down the line.
The COO of Toonami Faithful, Andrew “Sketch” Hingson, wrote his (almost yearly) state of Toonami piece due to the less than ideal circumstances that have appeared. As many fans bemoan the lineup at the moment, Sketch dives deep with his thoughts about the changes Toonami has made due to how the landscape has changed. While he is hopeful for more premieres to arrive (along with originals), he’s ecstatic that One Piece has returned to air two episodes per week and feels that both fans of One Piece and Naruto Shippuden are pleased as punch at what Toonami is providing. Sketch does understand if the current broadcast isn’t your thing, that it’s ok to take a break and find some enjoyment elsewhere, but hopes that fans can be patient due to how many originals should be coming at some point.
Toonami is facing an identity crisis from what fans are accustomed to seeing. The block has always been known for bringing you the best action cartoons on the planet. But as of right now, they aren’t able to for whatever reasons you can think of (budget reasons, companies not willing to talk, you name it). So due to how quickly things turned, we understand that charting a course to have more content show up will be difficult. And while patience has never been a strong suit, it’s essential to realize that making contracts and deals are as instantaneous as Simul-Dubbing. Hopefully, Toonami can catch up and have more originals and other acquisitions when more are made, and companies are willing to talk. But don’t take our word for it. Check out what Sketch had to say in his piece to get a more tapered view of what’s going on with the block.
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CJ 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