A discussion that I had with the editor and chief of Toonami Faithful (Sketch) comes to mind amid the recent news between Adult Swim and Crunchyroll. We talked about how things have been stable on Toonami and didn’t leave much for folks like us to discuss. What’s wrong with the block that we haven’t said already? Yes, the diversity of shows, whether it be genre or licensing company, would be incredible. Plus I’m sure there are a plethora of series that Toonami hasn’t aired that would be great to have (and vice versa). But I began to think, that this could be the most stable I’ve ever felt the block has been for a long time. I probably didn’t feel this secure about Toonami since it was airing five days a week, dominating the Nielsen Ratings with Dragon Ball Z, which leads me to ponder how we got here, and what supports my claim that the inevitable end won’t happen for a long time.

As many of you might have heard, both Crunchyroll and Toonami will be expanding their partnership, bringing in a lot of promise to the block. Some predicted that the two sides joining forces could be the catalyst to Mob Psycho 100 joining the block earlier. Now it seems that the two sides aren’t done working together. Crunchyroll sees value in traditional media (who’d guess that?) and looks to help Toonami acquire more premier content. That could entail things like dub premieres as well as more original content. I couldn’t be happier that a huge influencer in the anime community wants to put more resources into Toonami, knowing that it can reach a lot a people (just like their streaming platform can). More doors could be opened with Crunchyroll and Toonami working together. This latest announcement means that more Crunchyroll dubs might find their way on the block, such as Re:Zero or The Ancient Magus’ Bride and that Crunchyroll looks to become even more prominent players in dubbing anime (which is music to my ears).

But probably the biggest takeaway out of the recent news is that the two sides want to continue to bring in additional original content on the block. There was already an announcement about the Blade Runner anime, which took many people by surprise. It was a positive sign that yet another original project would find its home on Toonami. This continuing partnership could yield even more original content on Toonami down the line, which is the best hypothetical for a Toonami fan to hear. Instead of airing things that will either ultimately be streamed elsewhere (or streaming before it can air on the block), Toonami can become home to new content that you won’t be able to see elsewhere — making it a desirable destination for those craving new series. Original content will be imperative for the block’s survival, and since Toonami has a partner who feels the same way, it makes me think Toonami has become even stronger than I thought was possible.

I already believe Toonami and Adult Swim are doing well, despite what some doomsday people might say when looking at traditional ratings. Not only have media executives mentioned how they view the success of television differently (compared to what experts have looked at before), but it certainly seems that more money is being used to keep Toonami going instead of letting it fend by itself. That wouldn’t happen if the block were failing. Instead, Toonami will get its hands on yet another series they can call their own. Other original content like Samurai Jack Season Five and FLCL Progressive and Alternative are co-produced by Adult Swim, showing that people with deep pockets want a place to air their series that isn’t exclusively on a streaming service— adding more original content that you can only see there. Both are popular enough for Adult Swim to continue to allocate funds toward the block. Which paints a picture that Toonami knows what it’s doing when creating a project on their own.

You could even add the recent immersion events as another indicator that resources are being used to help Toonami. Adding lore for T.O.M and SARA was a massive reason for what made the block special to its fans. Getting more makes me believe that Toonami continues to have a budget to add more immersion events for their fans. These aren’t cheap, and the fact that money is being used to make more should tell you how well the business is going.

It’s funny, because if you asked me two or three years ago, I wouldn’t have felt this kind of confidence in Toonami that I do now. While I wouldn’t be panicking, I’d be cautiously optimistic about the block’s future. Things seemed to change when Dragon Ball joined. It was dominating television and people couldn’t get enough, even though Dragon Ball Z Kai is a glorified rerun (with the actors feeling more at ease with their roles). The casual audience couldn’t get enough and paved the way for Toonami to become more stable than it’s ever been since its revival. Even if people are only coming for Dragon Ball Z Kai, they still show up, and that is more than enough for me. The newest story in Dragon Ball (Dragon Ball Super), has kept the casual fans sticking around longer than die-hard fans might have anticipated. Add on three more movies in the franchise, and the Dragon Ball franchise looks as strong as it did when Dragon Ball Z first premiered which Toonami has benefitted from.

After that, the more popular shōnen series found a home on the block. Hunter x Hunter, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventures, Black Clover and My Hero Academia all have become staples for Toonami. The influx of newer shōnen series mixed in with some cult classics has turned this block into a self-sufficient one. So while some might lament that Toonami hasn’t diversified their lineup much, I argue that if they did, things might have turned out differently (of course, it might have turned out the same anyway, but we will never know). I’m just glad that Toonami decided to stick with genres they were comfortable with airing.

Toonami’s fanbase is loyal. Devoted might be a better term, to which I think Adult Swim and others are thankful. Fans continue to tweet and go nuts over all the series that wind up on the block. They still get tons and tons of suggestions for what the next series should be. And while that doesn’t show up in the traditional ratings, it makes me believe that the block is as stable as it has been since the glory days of Cartoon Network. Higher ups continue to put money into the block and value it as much as the fans do. If they keep bringing in original content and acquire the broadcast rights of highly touted series, Toonami will endure for a lot longer than I originally thought. I was worried about how it would look once Dragon Ball Super ends, but now it feels silly of me to worry. Original content and popular series will continue to arrive. The block doesn’t feel like it’s dying, despite the loss of earlier time slots, and seems to have found a dominant partner to help keep things going. With all of that going on, I can’t help but smile seeing how many people who can decide the fate of Toonami want to keep it going for a long time as well.

C.J Maffris is the senior staff writer for Toonamifaithful.com. Feel free to follow C.J on Twitter @SeaJayMaffris