Toonami is serving up some new shows for fans to enjoy, with Food Wars set to rejoin the lineup in the middle of March. The news created a ton of buzz from fans and industry folks alike, which was a pleasant sight to see on social media. And while that was going on, a huge announcement was made for one of the most beloved anime to ever air on the block, and we are excited to learn what more content will be made to help celebrate an anniversary like no other! Keep reading this installment of This Week From Toonami to learn everything you need to know about the past week!
Fans have been wondering what Toonami will do, considering how the lineup has looked the past few weeks doubling up on My Hero Academia and One Piece. However, starting March 18, things are about to change, with the fifth and final season of Food Wars set to be on the menu at 1 a.m. Toonami fans will see how the series finishes on the beloved block adding some much-needed content to their airwaves. My Hero Academia will continue to double up for the time being, which we hope can change soon when another deal is struck for the block to return to six unique series on Toonami. And while this final season of Food Wars has its pitfalls, it is nice to see not only a new show but one where fans can finish with T.O.M, S.A.R.A, and the Toonami Faithfuls on social media!
On Toonami’s most recent broadcast, the block had the chance to air an exclusive clip for the upcoming film Shazam! Fury of the Gods, which will come to theaters this Friday. In it, Shazam is fighting off a magical dragon and giggles that not only can his suit be burned or damaged but that he got to throw a car at the dragon. Giving the clip the Toonami treated was a nice little extra that is always fun to see during their broadcast.
You better believe it! Fans of Naruto are getting four new episodes in honor of the 20th anniversary of the iconic franchise. The official Twitter account also released three new visuals for the upcoming event to get fans pumped about what’s coming. Last year Studio Pierrot published a ten-minute video highlighting all the significant moments from the series. It can only serve as a preview of what fans can expect with these four new episodes set to debut in September of this year. We are patiently waiting to see what is in store for this series and cannot wait to report on what to expect as it premieres!
But that wasn’t the only shocking news from the Naruto world. The official Boruto: Naruto Next Generations website announced that the anime’s 293rd episode would be the series finale. Typically, you’d think, “wow, that’s a tremendous accomplishment to hit that many episodes.” However, this announcement confirmed that these 293 episodes were only “Part I” of the franchise and that “Part II” of the anime has been green-lit and will become a reality. So far, there isn’t any information on when that will begin, but interestingly, Boruto will be here to stay around a bit longer. While it has a maligned history on Toonami, we are happy to hear that the franchise is still thriving to continue making more episodes. And maybe when Naruto Shippuden ends, we could see a return?
Crunchyroll announced this week that they would stream the third season of the hit Dr. Stone anime, which will debut on April 6, according to Anime News Network. Crunchyroll will have the returning cast for the English dub, which will premiere on their website on April 20. Could a Toonami airing is in the works? One would hope since the first two seasons could air on the block. We will keep a close eye on this to see if or when the series can call Adult Swim home again.
My Hero Academia will take a two-week break due to Kōhei Horikoshi’s poor health. Hopefully, he will be able to recover soon and continue finishing up the series for his fans all across the world. Of course, this isn’t new with mangakas due to their schedules, which have been increasingly well-known as news like this always comes to light, especially with how connected everyone is due to social media. We hope for a swift recovery for Horikoshi and wish him nothing but the best while he takes a break.
On its opening weekend in the U.S., the theatrical release of the Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village Arc earned over $10 million, according to Anime News Network, reported by Deadline. The Demon Slayer bus isn’t stopping anytime soon, and fans cannot wait to see the latest installment for the franchise, mainly if you listened to the recent Demon Slayer Podcast, which highlighted how fun it was to see it!
This week, the Overwatch x One-Punch Man crossover began, where players can get all kinds of skins, sprays, and charms revolving around the massively popular property. Highlighted by the skins for Doomfist (Saitama), Kiriko (Terrible Tornado), Genji (Genos), and Soldier 76 (Mumen Rider), fans will be able to play and pay (for the first three skins if you can afford them) to get whatever they want to showcase their love for One-Punch Man in Overwatch. It’s the game’s first major crossover event, which Fortnite has been doing to colossal success. Blizzard hints that this will hopefully open the door for more collaborations like this in the future.
You’re in luck for those waiting on a release date for the latest Sword Art Online video game. This week Bandai Namco announced that Sword Art Online: Last Recollection will launch on Oct. 6 of this year on Playstation, Xbox, and Steam. In the tweet below, fans can hear the game’s theme and prepare to “Link, Start” in a new adventure in Sword Art Online. According to Anime News Network, the game will tell its version of the War of Underworld Arc, different from the original light novel series or anime. The staff promises the game will feature the franchise’s most extensive character roster and several story episodes.
Dragon Ball and fighting game fans were thrown a curve ball where it would appear that Bandai Namco announced a new fighting game of the popular franchise. It would appear to be the latest installment of the Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi, making it the fourth of the series (or fifth if you also count the Dragon Ball Z: Tenkaichi Tag Team released on the PSP in 2010). However, Bandai Namco has yet to release the date or official name since the debut of the short trailer (but one can assume it will be another Budokai Tenkaichi game due to the presentation). The news has shot fans into a frenzy, patiently waiting when the new release will become available.
And while we aren’t sure if many of our readers play this game, there is a fun crossover between Duel Masters PLAY’S and Pop Team Epic, which started on Feb. 22. The smartphone game will give players a Hellshake Yano skin if you can beat the sensation in a duel. Adding to the joke, the company released the same trailer for Hellshake Yano, much like Pop Team Epic replays the same half episode with a few differences for people to notice. And it culminated with Pipimi pausing to think about Hellshake Yano midway. Hellshake Yano enters the scene where Pipimi says, “sorry, I was thinking about Hellshake Yano,” much like how it happened in the anime that created the meme in the first place. The promotion will continue until March 22, so if you are a player, you’ll want to take a chance to take on the legendary Hellshake Yano!
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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