Unlike last week’s edition of This Week From Toonami, a lot of news dropped this time. And while the current schedule plans for the block aren’t the most ideal, hopefully, adding a couple of DC movies can help give Toonami more time to finalize deals to broadcast more of the best anime fans love. But suppose you’re here for more than strictly Toonami news. In that case, you’re in luck, and we recommend you continue reading to see what else was going on in the world of anime for series that are currently airing or previously in our latest article!
This week, Toonami announced their schedule plans for the rest of February, adding more anticipation for what’s to come. Two new DC films will debut, and a special episode for Ballmastrz on the last two weeks of the month. On Feb. 18, the film Injustice will premiere at 12:30 a.m. after My Hero Academia. Primal, along with a Rick and Morty short, will end the night for that Saturday. On Feb. 25, the film Justice League vs. The Fatal Five will begin at 1 a.m. with My Hero Academia kicking the night off, followed by the special Ballmastrz:Rubicon at 12:30 a.m. And for timing purposes, another Rick and Morty short will conclude the broadcast for that night. It isn’t the best news to share since many are waiting for the two new series to show up, with both Made in Abyss and Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon finished. We will be able to update everyone when the official announcement is made!
VIZ Media is widely known for its manga library and is considered one of the best places to purchase comics for anyone who loves manga. On Twitter, the company tweeted out some new books that fans will be able to buy soon, which had many in a frenzy. Some headlines were JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu Academy, and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba—Corps Record. However, the most significant announcement that caught our eyes was the 20th Anniversary book for the hit property Fullmetal Alchemist! In it, fans will see a complete collection of the short manga, a new prose story, and much more that is a must-get for anyone who loves Fullmetal Alchemist. From the tweet, the cover of this new book looks slick, and we hope that everyone will be able to get it at some point to grab a piece of history of a beloved title!
That was fast. After two volumes, the new spin-off Naruto Shippuden manga (Naruto: Sasuke’s Story–The Uchiha and the Heavenly Stardust: The Manga) will conclude during the summer in Shonen Jump+. First adapted as a novel series, it was fun to see it transformed into a manga for others who prefer that format to check out this popular side story. Hopefully, readers enjoyed the content and await the latest Naruto Shippuden story to consume when it’s available.
While many fans are getting excited about the latest story arc of My Hero Academia getting adapted soon, the property reached a huge milestone. The manga has over 85 million copies in circulation worldwide, according to the author Kōhei Horikoshi. According to Anime News Network, the manga hit 65 million in January of 2022, meaning the comic has sold over 20 million in just one year. That’s incredible and speaks to how popular the series has become through the years as it has continued to stay at the top of anime and manga fans’ minds for some time! We cannot express how happy we are to learn of this accomplishment and pleased how the latest season has been able to air on the block, considering who licensed it.
But that wasn’t the only thing Kōhei Horikoshi mentioned on their Twitter page. Sadly, the author will take a two-week break from writing My Hero Academia due to Horikoshi’s poor health. Something fans have grown accustomed to, we hope that Horikoshi can rest up and take all the time needed to return healthy and energetic. And considering how close My Hero Academia is to finishing, a little break to savor the entire series isn’t bad, either.
That isn’t the only author taking a break from their regular series, as Kazue Kato will take a two-month break from drawing the popular series Blue Exorcist. On her Twitter account, she mentions how the workload exceeded what she expected and needed extra time to continue making the fantastic series many love. However, Kato did say that her health is fine, which is great to hear, considering what fans are used to hearing when hiatuses are mentioned in manga. So there won’t be a new chapter for Blue Exorcist for March and April, and return in May.
The latest Sword Art Online film is now premiering in the U.S.! We wanted to spotlight the fact that you can now check out Sword Art Online the Movie -Progressive- Scherzo of Deep Night. If you’ve seen it, feel free to comment in this article with your thoughts about the film!
It finally happened as One Piece Film Red reached a few noteworthy milestones. Breaking it all down, One Piece Film Red has surpassed Howl’s Moving Castle as the fifth highest-grossing anime film in Japan. Adding on to what One Piece Film Red has earned globally, it has now beaten Howl’s Moving Castle as the fourth highest-grossing anime film globally. One Piece Film Red is also now number eight in highest grossing film (of any type) in Japan. To celebrate, author Eiichiro Oda drew Luffy with a new wanted poster, but instead of his bounty, he had the total grossing numbers of the film. But for those not caught up in the manga, be aware that the picture is a spoiler for what is to come with everyone’s favorite pirate.
And that isn’t the only news involving One Piece, as a new visual for the live-action adaptation was released by Netflix. The series is set to debut this year, and another visual shows the main cast around the Going Merry, which has to have many curious about how this production will look.
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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