The Toonami crew has once again graced us with the opportunity to ask them questions on their Tumblr. There were not any major announcements but instead the promise of new content in the near future and updates on things that we already know are coming down the pipe. Here we’ve compiled the questions that stood out to us but feel free to pop over to the Toonami Tumblr to read the any of the questions and answers we missed.
Cowboy Bebop is leaving the line-up because they’re losing the broadcast rights but they are confident they’ll be able to bring it back with the remastered HD tapes.
FLCL will only air once and last 6 weeks. Be sure to watch it because it wont be back on the line-up for a while. They are looking into getting the HD tapes and there will be making a promo for the series.
The Big O is leaving the line-up to avoid immediately re-airing it but it will definitely be back and the ratings have been satisfactory.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars is airing at 3AM because they felt it made sense at 3AM. Due to slim pickings among American action cartoons that could air on Toonami, if they did not have The Clone Wars they would not currently have any American action cartoon on the block but Sym-Bionic Titan will be back “when it’s good and ready”.
According to them, One Piece is doing great and they are considering doing a promo for the Water 7 story arc.
Soul Eater and Sword Art Online will be replaced by new shows but they said shows can come back.
There are plans for November and December which will be announced in November along with news about what Toonami will be doing in 2014.
They have plans for the extra hour on the night day light savings time re-adjusts but they’re not offering any hints.
Kick-Heart had a very mixed reaction. Some folks loved it, some hated it but regardless they are looking into acquiring more unique independant shorts.
A great show with just a little action may be considered for Toonami.
At the moment Attack on Titan, Fairy Tail, Dragon Ball Z, Naruto Shippuden, and Toriko are the most requested shows.
They would like to acquire Attack on Titan but “it remains to be seen” if they will be able to get it.
The Toonami crew makes speeches out of a desire engage with their audience in a meaningful way to let people know they aren’t alone.
They have not determined whether or not they will rerun Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood again but the broadcast rights will not expire before this current run ends.
Ghost in the Shell will start over from the beginning rather than start where the previous run stopped.
They thinking about getting Ghost in the Shell: Arise.
They are not opposed to airing hour long episodes and OVAs with varying run times and it is a possibility that they’ll play the Deadman Wonderland OVA.
There is hope for expansion if the ratings stay high but they don’t believe the ratings would be much better if they started earlier on Saturday night.
Trending shows on Twitter will factor into Toonami’s success starting this week but they’re not really sure about the specifics.
Watching episodes on Adult Swim’s website does counts towards the ratings but supposedly not the live stream yet.
Toonami is not sweating competition from FOX’s Animation Domination High-Def block or Saturday Night Live, the most notable factor affecting their ratings is people are back in school but they’re doing still doing fine.
The Toonami comic is almost done being written talented people will begin illustrating it soon. They have not decided if it will be split up as monthly issues or released all at the same time.
There were never any plans for a third season of IGPX. Season two ended the series where they way they wanted to end it. They’d like to make more original series but that would require a lot of money.
More methods of fan interaction and social media is coming in 2014.
They hope to make a Toonami game in the future but back in the day they had little to no say in what Toonami related games were made.
Toonami is considering doing a podcast of some kind, don’t worry the Toonami Faithful Podcast isn’t going anywhere. Also they’re willing to do more interviews, all anyone has to do is ask.
TOM and SARA will answer questions posted on the tumblr on air soon!
As previously noted, exciting announcements are coming around November so stay tuned!
You can read a transcription of the questions and answers below.
—————————————————————————-
Q: Did you lose the rights to Cowboy Bebop or will it return? – Anonymous
A: Good question! We did indeed lose the rights to Cowboy Bebop, sadly. HOWEVER- we’re confident it will return, and when it does, it will be the remastered version! Stay tuned.
Q: Why are you taking off Big O season 2 so soon? Is it because of its lackluster ratings? – Anonymous
A: To be clear, the ratings for Big O at that time are NOT lackluster. We’re taking it off so that we don’t immediately re-run it. It will definitely be back!
Q: Some of us Faithful have been wondering why Star Wars is at 3 and not 2:30 since it’s “new to the block.” Is this because ultimately a new show is going in the 2:30 time slot after FLCL’s 6 week run? – ToonamiFaithfulOfficial
A: We just thought it made more sense at 3.
Q: If clone wars wasn’t available then you would not have anymore American cartoons to air correct? – Anonymous
A: At the moment, that’s true.
Q: In relation to all the other shows at the moment, how is One Piece preforming? – Anonymous
A: One Piece is doing great!
Q: Will there a promo for the One piece water 7 arc? – Anonymous
A: We’re thinking about it!
Q: Is there any hope for an expansion anytime soon? – Anonymous
A: If the ratings stay high, yes!
Q: Do you think Toonami would have more viewers if it started an hour or two earlier? – NorbertJr
A: Not really, no.
Q: Twitter trends are officially suppose to start next month. There seems to be some confusion on whether or not they will be included or separate from the tv ratings. Can you guys clarify? – ToonamiFaithfulOfficial
A:We’ve been told they will factor in in some way but it hasn’t been clarified just HOW. It’s a mystery for now.
Q: Are the online streams and mobile apps counted towards the ratings for Toonami and AS in general? – Anonymous
A: Online streams are, yes.
Q: Any updates on the Toonami comic? – Jeargumedo
A: We have been writing it and we’re FINALLY about done with that! Soon enough talented people will start illustrating it.
Q: Will the Toonami comic be a traditional comic series (split up into monthly issues) or will it be a one-issue comic? – Anonymous
A: Still deciding that!
Q: Did you guys ever have ideas for a season 3 of IGPX? If so would you ever discuss them? – TheAwestruckKid
A: We didn’t, actually. We always planned to wrap up the story at the end of season two.
Q: Have you guys considered doing more original series like IGPX? I loved that one and hope to see what else you guys could do! – Kalvar
A: We’d love too, someone just has to give us the money!
Q: Will you guys ever do an official Toonami podcast? – Anonymous
A: Maybe! We’re thinking about what it might be!
Q: Will you guys be doing more interviews on podcasts and stuff? – Anonymous
A: All anyone has to do is ask!
Q: Will Soul Eater and/or Sword Art Online air more than once through? Will they be replaced by fresh shows from the licensors who provided them or could either be replaced by a show from another licensor? – Sketch1984
A: We can’t get into those sorts of specifics about our deals, but we will say that Soul Eater and Sword Art will be replaced with new shows when they finish their runs….
Q: On Soul Eater, is it one and done, or will we see it re-air sometime later? – Anonymous
A: It may come back, but it’s one and done for now!
Q: When FLCL returns, do you intend to play it more than once consecutively or is it only intended to fill a slot for 6 weeks this time around? – Sketch1984
A: It’s only intended to fill a slot for 6 weeks. Watch it, it’ll be gone for a while after that!
Q: Will FLCL be HD this time? – Jeargumedo
A: We are TRYING to get the HD masters of FLCL but we don’t know if it will happen yet!
Q: Will you make a FLCL promo? – Inu-San87
A: Yes! We certainly will.
Q: Do you guys have anything planned for November and December this year or will you announce that in November as well?
A: That will all be announced in November.
Q: Will we have one more movie night before years end? – Anonymous
A: Hmmmmmmmmmaybe
Q: What do you have planned for the extra hour this year? – Anonymous
A: Hm, what DO we have planned?? Guess you’ll have to tune in and find out!
Q: How did people feel about Kick-Heart? – Wheatless
A: Very mixed reaction! Some folks loved it, some hated it.
Q: I didn’t *love* Kickheart, but I definitely liked it! Any plans to do more weird independent shorts in the future? – Anonymous
A: Yes!
Q: How about Off-The-Air the Toonami edition? – Sketch1984
A: Ha! Not a bad idea, but given how many people were angry with us about Kick-Heart, it would sure be a gamble!
Q: Who decided to make the Char’s Counterattack Adult Swim Action promo Toonami style with Peter Cullen narrating it? – radiospringy
A: That was us!
Q: Do you consider a show that is filled with suspense, like Death Note, to be in Toonami or do you want shows that are filled with action to be in Toonami. Because I’ve seen three shows that could fit into Toonami: Future Diary, High School of the Dead, and Danganronpa – Anonymous
A: We gravitate towards action shows, but a GREAT show with a LITTLE action could be considered…
Q: Given that its aired on Adult Swim before is there a possibility that TRIGUN could make it onto TOONAMI? – Anonymous
A: It’s always a possibility!
Q: Will Sym-Bionic Titan return some day? – Anonymous
A: Yep
Q: When FMA ends, do you plan on re-airing it? – Anonymous
A: We’re still figuring that out.
Q: Do you think FMA will be able to finish it’s current run before the rights expire? – TheAwestruckKid
A: Yes.
Q: I heard that Bleach is going on hiatus soon is that correct? – Inu-San87
A: Not as far as we know!
Q: Are shows like One Piece harder to get than shows like Soul Eater? – Anonymous
A: The more popular a show is, the more money it costs to license.
Q: What are the most requested shows for the block? – Anonymous
A: Attack on Titan, Fairy Tail, Dragon Ball Z, Naruto Shippuden, and Toriko
Q: Any hopes on getting the rights to air Attack On Titan/Shingeki No Kyojin’s dub? – TheAzureMidnight
A: Hopes? Yes! Reality? Remains to be seen…
Q: Kind of an obvious question with GITS back on the lineup: Any thought to aquiring the new series “GITS: Arise” when it gets dubbed?
A: Thought? Yes, we’re thinking about it.
Q: Are you willing to air hour long shows and OVA series with varying run times? – Sketch1984
A: Yes
Q: Is it a possibility of the Deadman Wonderland OVA ever airing? – TheAwestruckKid
A: It’s possible!
Q: I remember back in the original Toonami’s run you guys did a Robot Week where you showed old and new mecha anime and cartoons. Any chance we might get a Robot Night one day for fun?
A: Maybe!
Q: Is there a cut-off year for an anime to be considered too old to air on Toonami? -TheEnchantedChris
A: It’s not an exact science.
Q: How hard is it to create a Toonami for a new generation while at the same time trying not to become ‘The Toonami: Nostalgia block’? – Anonymous
A: Sometimes it’s very hard to please everyone at the same time. We’re lucky enough to have been around a long time, so we have a huge variety of fans. You can never please everyone, so we try to at least find a good balance!
Q: What do you guys think of Rainmaker Entertainment trying to #BringBackReboot? – ToonamiFaithfulOfficial
A: We wish them luck!
Q: Are you guys going get some underrated or not known shows like Deadman Wonderland? – Anonymous
A: At some point, for sure.
Q: What drives you to do the motivational quotes, like the one you did about bullying? Also, will you be doing any more of them in the future? – Anonymous
A: We will certainly be doing more of those! What drives us to write those is a desire to address topics people grapple with in their everyday lives, and engage our audience in a meaningful way. Basically, we want to let people know that they aren’t alone.
Q: I just saw From Up on Poppy Hill and it made me wonder if you guys would do a day of Miyazaki? – Anonymous
A: Right now, with the rights to various Ghibli movies all over the place, it’s not possible. One day… we’ll see!
Q: Are you guys gonna do some kind of fan-interactive thing like you did in the past? Like you made games and had fans help Tom? – AskTheHellPuppy
More will be coming in the new year.
Q: What’s the most frustrating part of the licensing process for you (besides fans asking questions you can’t answer)? – Anonymous
A: Ha! Finding out a show that shouldn’t be expensive is really expensive and we can never get it!
Q: Is there a possibility you guys can reair older bumps/music videos/reviews from weeks ago on the same night again? – WelcomeToCMCorner
A: We don’t like to do that, so probably not.
Q: How is Toonami doing now that the new season of Saturday Night Live premiered last night and ADHD still airing? – Anonymous
A: ADHD has been a non factor so far. SNL is a minor one. The bigger factor is kids are in school now, which means a ratings drop for everyone for a while. But we’re still doing fine!
Q: When you guys do a game review, do you get permission from the company that made the game or are you allowed to review it without permission? – ToonamiFaithfulOfficial
A: We don’t need to ask permission. If you’re reviewing something editorially you don’t need permission from a company.
Q: Before Toonami returned, AS aired their own animes like Durarara, Kekkaishi, and Code Geass. I always wanted to know if these anime were aired because AS liked them or were they just kept to keep the spirit of Toonami alive in some way. – Anonymous
A: They were aired because Adult Swim has always been committed to running anime.
Q: Will GITS be restarting from the first episode or continuing from where it left off? – ECW28
A: It’s restarting from the beginning.
Q: Does Adult Swim have the rights to both Stand Alone Complex and 2nd Gig? – Anonymous
A: Yes
Q: Any chances that you guys replace Bleach as the lead in show? Bleach can be very hit or miss these days. – Anonymous
A: No, sorry.
Q: How is Toonami doing now that the new season of Saturday Night Live premiered last night and with ADHD still airing? – Anonymous
A: ADHD has been a non factor so far. SNL is a minor one. The bigger factor is kids are in school now, which means a ratings drop for everyone for a while. But we’re still doing fine!
Q: Before Toonami returned, AS aired their own animes like Durarara, Kekkaishi and Code Geass. I always wanted to know if these anime were aired because AS liked them or were they just kept to keep the spirit of Toonami alive in some way? – Anonymous
A: They were aired because Adult Swim has always been committed to running anime.
Q: I read that Glen Murakami (guy who worked on Teen Titans and works on Beware of the Batman) said he thinks action cartoons are a dying breed. Do you guys agree? Have any thoughts or opinions on that? – Anonymous
A: We agree with him, and we think it’s sad.
Q: If the Adult Swim Shop was still around today, you think Toonami merchandise would have been a sweet idea? – WelcomeToCMCorner
A: YES
Q: How are you guys doing? Does the future of Toonami seem good? Do you guys have a Facebook fan page or a instagram? When toonami left years ago I was really upset. Now that it’s back I wanna make sure you guys stay. Tom is so cool!!!!!!! – GTSimeon
A: Thanks! we’re doing GREAT. The future looks good. We don’t have an official FB or Instagram but we may very soon!
Q: Will you guys and Adult Swim Games ever team up to do any games based off of Toonami or the shows? Also back in the day did you guys have any say in the flash games on Cartoon Network’s site? – Anonymous
A: We hope to make a Toonami game in the future, and back in the day we had little to no say in those old flash games.
Q: Since adult swim teamed up with Valve, will that ever add anything to the Toonami side of things? – Smidgeonnn
A: It might!
Q: I was wondering why you cut the openings and endings of some of the anime? (The openings and endings of SAO and Soul Eater are the best and I hate that they get cut!) I understand that you’ve gotta cut time for commercials for funding and such. Is that the only reason? – SilentConventionalWeapon
A: Commercial time is the reason. We get why it bothers people, but it’s either cut the opens/endings shorter or cut the actual episode…
Q: Could we see any of the TOM 5, Sara 3, and The Absolution Mk. III design drafts? – CBKAsk
A: Hm we’ll see if we can pull some of that together!
Q: Will we see more of the Absoultion? – Anonymous
A: Yes!
Q: Any Clyde’s in the near future? – CBKAsk
A: Hmmmmmmmayyybe
Q: When are those Toonami wallpapers gonna get released? – CabooseJr
A: Man, we know. We have big plans, it’s just taking a while to make them happen on a small budget with limited resources.
Q: If I ever want to write a letter to the crew, what should the address be? – Anonymous
A: Toonami Crew c/o Jason DeMarco
1065 Williams Street
Atlanta, GA 30309