Don't have an account yet? You can create one. As a registered user you have some advantages like theme manager, comments configuration and post comments with your name.
Toonami Turner Cartoon Network Thundercats Voltron Space Ghost Birdman Herculoids Dino Boy Galaxy Trio Mighty Mightor Moby Dick
Shazzan The
Impossibles Max Fleisher's Superman (a.k.a. Roulette) The Real Adventures of Johnny Quest Robotech Sailor Moon DragonBall Z Filmation Superman Batman Superfriends ReBoot
Ronin Warriors G-Force Powerpuff Girls Batman: The Animated Series Gundam Wing Tenchi Muyo! Universe in Tokyo Superman Outlaw Star Big O CardCaptors Mobile Suit Gundam O8th
MS Team DragonBall Batman Beyond Gundam 0080 Zoids: Zero Hamtaro Zoids: Chaotic Century Guardian Force G Gundam He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Transformers: Armada
G.I. Joe .hack//Sign Yu Yu Hakusho Rurouni Kenshin QuickTime .mov MOV AVI .avi MPEG .mpg Movies movie Videos Clips Sounds articles rants essays images files CNX inner circle
cn2 revolution Japan japanese multimedia saban funimation toei graz harmony gold mainframe Tyler Zogg TylerLToonami Turner Cartoon Network Thundercats Voltron Space
Ghost Birdman Herculoids Dino Boy Galaxy Trio Mighty Mightor Moby Dick
Shazzan The
Impossibles Max Fleisher's Superman (a.k.a. Roulette) The Real Adventures of Johnny Quest Robotech Sailor Moon DragonBall Z Filmation Superman Batman Superfriends
ReBoot
Ronin Warriors G-Force Powerpuff Girls Batman: The Animated Series Gundam Wing Tenchi Muyo! Universe in Tokyo Superman Outlaw Star Big O CardCaptors Mobile Suit Gundam
O8th
MS Team DragonBall Batman Beyond Gundam 0080 Zoids: Zero Hamtaro Zoids: Chaotic Century Guardian Force G Gundam He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Transformers:
Armada
G.I. Joe .hack//Sign Yu Yu Hakusho Rurouni Kenshin QuickTime .mov MOV AVI .avi MPEG .mpg Movies movie Videos Clips Sounds articles rants essays images files CNX inner
circle
cn2 revolution Japan japanese multimedia saban funimation toei graz harmony gold mainframe Tyler Zogg TylerL
Post subject: TI Presents: Toonami Retrospective [Part 1]
In honor of this month being Toonami's 10th anniversary. JJc and I would like to do something a little special. We want your opinions on every show Toonami has aired. Be they possitive or negative. We want your opinion.
Below is a list of every show, write a paragraph or two summery of your opinions and post it in this thread. I will do my best to keep the main list updated with your reviews. This will not include movies Toonami has aired, only series.
Now if you see a show already has a review that is just as glowing or glowering as you would have wrote then select a show that doesn't. There are plenty of shows to go around and I know all of you has strong opinions of several shows.
If you really want your review included the best way is to write your review(s) for a show that people have overlooked. Have fun with this.
Oh, and if a show isn't listed or one is that shouldn't be let me know.
1997
Thundercats - I was never a big fan of it honestly but much like my old favorite 1987 TMNT cartoon it was loaded with cheeze and entertaining characters that helped it develop the following it has today. But the voice acting... my word. I'd say the best part was the theme song. I can definently appreciate that aspect of the show. --Sketch
Cartoon Roulette -
Voltron - Sentai is usually entertaining to me and Voltron is no exception. It's definently what one might call a "bad dub" but it's still pretty entertaining in it's own way. Having recently re-watched some of it on Adult Swim, I'd say it wasn't really worth bringing back but for Toonami back in 1997 it was pretty good choice. --Sketch
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest - My only regret for this show was that it was only a season. They gave it a somewhat rough send off in my opinion and one it did not really deserve but it wasn't a show I'd reguard all that highly. I would however like to see it again some day and for a remake of a classic franchise it was very well made. --Sketch
1998
Robotech -
Transformers: Beast Wars - I can't tell you enough how much I wish this series got an entire run on Toonami. It definently deserved it. It's easily my favorite Transformers series of all time. I would wake up early in the morning to catch it during it's syndicated run. I loved the characters and their designs and the evolving plot. Too bad it's wasting away on G4 now. At least it got to run on Toonami... in Japan. --Sketch
Sailor Moon - That one really did go out to all the ladies. It remains to this day one of the only shows to air on Toonami which was intentionaly made for girls and that's one of the reasons why it was so special. Boys and girls could both enjoy Sailor Moon. Yeah the dub wasn't stellar but the action was good and the drama was very endearing. This is why shoujo works, unfortunately shoujo still can't catch a break here. --Sketch
Dragon Ball Z - It's not my favorite anymore but it will always have a place in my heart. Epic battles, beefy heroes, crazy screaming, insane power levels (like over 9000!), ruthless aliens and some of the best fights in animation history. DBZ remains one of the best action shows ever made and I don't see that changing despite it's predecessors One Piece, Bleach and Naruto taking what it did best and taking it to new levels. It is without question the most important show in Toonami history. All the good, all the bad and all the awesome are represented by Dragonball Z and had it never joined Toonami there probably wouldn't be a Toonami today. --Sketch
Superfriends - Oh look more cheeze but I had a harder time watching Superfriends than I did watching Thundercats. Honestly it just isn't an endearing show and at this point in Toonami's lifetime they probably didn't need to air it but it does have it's fans so it served it's purpose. --Sketch
1999
ReBoot - I love Reboot. It had a lot of character and the video game homages and parodies were priceless. Megabyte has to be one of the best villians of all time and Bob and Enzo Matrix were very interesting heroes. Great casting, great story, great animation (for it's time) and some wonderfully quirky humor. I'm so glad Toonami saved Reboot from ending prematurely in the US. --Sketch
The Powerpuff Girls - I'm sure at the time I didn't really want PPG on Toonami but it's definently a good show and very memorable. It's also one of Cartoon Network's best original productions in my opinion. The fights could be downright brutal too so there was no lack in the action department. --Sketch
Ronin Warriors - I remember the promo more than I remember the show but what I remember I like. It was Saint Seiya years before that series came to America and apparently it was one of the least modified shows to air on Toonami. It had good action and an interesting story with characters you could care about. I'd like to see it again some day. --Sketch
2000
G-Force - Welcome back to bad dub territory. Though I don't remember much of it I hear it was actually considerably worse than the other Gatachaman dub (Battle of the Planets). It was nice that it finally got a shot on Toonami though. It probably should have been a part of the first line-up seeing as it was on CN back then but oh well... Unfortunately I don't have anything else to say about it. --Sketch
Gundam Wing - This is the show that made Toonami for me. This is the show that got me hooked and never let me go. Now I own the entire series on DVD and I love it to this day. It remains my favorite mecha series and easily my favorite Gundam series. 5 young terrorists shook American airwaves when they appeared in 2000 and they brought a whole new feel to Toonami along with the very first PG show for Toonami (TMR anyway). The action was intense, the drama was even more so, the comedy was fitting but not overbearing and the mech designs were freak'n sweet. Those boys sure were screwed up but I can't help enjoy watching them blow things up in their giant robots. --Sketch
Tenchi Muyo! - This was the only Toonami show I ever got my sister to watch with me and the quality speaks for itself. To think such a show could air on Toonami is almost baffleing. WS did their best to make it safe for the afternoon viewership but even with that it definently felt like it was the "oldest kid" in the pool and eventually got a shot on Adult Swim's first Saturday block. It had it all, action, drama, comedy and desirable anime girls. What more could you want out of a cartoon? --Sketch
Batman: The Animated Series - It's easily one of the greatest cartoons of all time and the blue print for action cartoons ever since it's premiere along with the beging of a continuity that reaches even great heights than this legendary show did by itself. Besides that, Batman is cool, dark, suspenceful and action packed. I pitty the fool that never watched this show. Unfortunately Toonami didn't really give it the props it deserved. I guess they didn't know what they had. --Sketch
Tenchi Universe - It's Tenchi with a lot more plot. Which is good in its own way but I think I prefer the original. However, since Toonami is an action block it was nice to see Tenchi get into more actiony stories. --Sketch
Tenchi in Tokyo - It had it's moments but it's definently the ugly step sister in the Tenchi trio. I didn't hate the new girl (whose name escapes me at this time) but the plot just wasn't very good. It was great to see Ayeka and Ryoko freaking out about Tenchi's social life even more than usual though. --Sketch
Superman: The Animated Series - This has got to be one of the most criminaly underrated cartoons from the 90s. A lot of folks say it's even better than Batman. I'm not exactly sure honestly, I guess I overlooked it as well but I recognize it as one of the finest animated series ever made. --Sketch
Blue Submarine No. 6 - This is another one of those unexpected choices for Toonami but it was an interesting addition. I remember liking the plot and the characters but it's been so long since I've seen it that I dont' think it would be fair to judge it beyond that. --Sketch
2001
Outlaw Star -
The Big O -
Cardcaptors -
Mobile Suit Gundam -
08th MS Team -
Dragon Ball -
Gundam 0080 -
Batman Beyond -
Zoids: New Century Zero -
2002
Hamtaro -
Zoids: Chaotic Century -
G Gundam -
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe -
Transformers: Armada -
G.I. Joe -
Samurai Jack -
Last edited by Andromaton on Wed Mar 07, 2007 5:44 pm; edited 4 times in total
Thu Mar 01, 2007 6:06 pm
JJc14
Joined: Nov 07, 2002
Post subject:
As AndroSpook mentioned above, the goal of this project is to get the Infolink community, both new and old, to participate. We all have fond memories of classic Toonami shows as well as some not so favorable thoughts on others. We're hoping to compile both arguments for each show and create a tome of sorts - something we can all look back on years from now. This was the goal for "The Infolink Recommends" back in 2004, but since there were no limits for submissions on that project, it became somewhat unwieldy. By focusing on Toonami shows, something that we all have been a part of and what is primarily responsible for all of us being here, I'd like to think this as being more accessible...
Of course, there's been a ton of shows over the past decade. We don't expect any one person to review them all. Take a couple you feel strongly about from the list and write a few sentences to a paragraph about each. How we're going put this together is still up in the air, but you'll have a better chance of getting published if you comment on a lesser-known show as opposed to something like Dragonball Z, for example...
The other thing I'd like to ask is if anyone is still in contact with any of our original members, to please direct them over here or at least let them know about this. I would love to see events like The World We Know commenting on Tenchi or dillpops saying a few words about Sailor Moon. As I said before, the ideal result would be almost a time capsule of sorts, both of Toonami's last ten years as well as the Digital Arsenal/Infolink community over that time...
We'll leave things open for the month of March and see where we're at in a few weeks. Thanks for reading, and my advanced extended thanks to those who participate!
(I should also extend a very special thanks to Sketch, whose gigantic Toonami 10th Anniversary project served as an inspiration for this. If you haven't already, go over there and help him out!) _________________ "Life's a journey, not a destination..." -Aerosmith ('Amazing')
Current RPG(s): (None)
Fri Mar 02, 2007 12:44 am
Daikun
Joined: Nov 02, 2002
Post subject:
You should add Transformers: Energon under 2004 (it aired in a marathon before Toonami moved to Saturdays). _________________ Toonami visual schedule - UPDATED AUGUST 2, 2015
Fri Mar 02, 2007 3:17 am
Sketch
Joined: Jan 20, 2004
Post subject:
Thanks for the plug. So far so good but collecting the data for this recent week and the current week will be a huge pain. As people will describe things differently than I might. I may have to enlist some help. Anyway...
1997 - and so it all began
Thundercats
- I was never a big fan of it honestly but much like my old favorite 1987 TMNT cartoon it was loaded with cheeze and entertaining characters that helped it develop the following it has today. But the voice acting... my word. I'd say the best part was the theme song. I can definently appreciate that aspect of the show.
Voltron
- Sentai is usually entertaining to me and Voltron is no exception. It's definently what one might call a "bad dub" but it's still pretty entertaining in it's own way. Having recently re-watched some of it on Adult Swim, I'd say it wasn't really worth bringing back but for Toonami back in 1997 it was pretty good choice.
The Roulete
- I really haven't seen many if any HB action cartoons and I really should. The idea on it's own is a good would I'd say. I would have enjoyed seeing it executed but I didn't have CN when Toonami aired it.
The Real Adventures of Johnny Quest
- My only regret for this show was that it was only a season. They gave it a somewhat rough send off in my opinion and one it did not really deserve but it wasn't a show I'd reguard all that highly. I would however like to see it again some day and for a remake of a classic franchise it was very well made.
1998 - everyting is about to change
Robotech
- Definently another one that slipped by my radar. I probably would have liked it if I had seen it but all I really got to see was the 3 episodes that aired on Giant Robot week.
Transfomers: Beast Wars
- I can't tell you enough how much I wish this series got an entire run on Toonami. It definently deserved it. It's easily my favorite Transformers series of all time. I would wake up early in the morning to catch it during it's syndicated run. I loved the characters and their designs and the evolving plot. Too bad it's wasting away on G4 now. At least it got to run on Toonami... in Japan.
Sailor Moon
- That one really did go out to all the ladies. It remains to this day one of the only shows to air on Toonami which was intentionaly made for girls and that's one of the reasons why it was so special. Boys and girls could both enjoy Sailor Moon. Yeah the dub wasn't stellar but the action was good and the drama was very endearing. This is why shoujo works, unfortunately shoujo still can't catch a break here.
Dragonball Z
- It's not my favorite anymore but it will always have a place in my heart. Epic battles, beefy heroes, crazy screaming, insane power levels (like over 9000!), ruthless aliens and some of the best fights in animation history. DBZ remains one of the best action shows ever made and I don't see that changing despite it's predecessors One Piece, Bleach and Naruto taking what it did best and taking it to new levels. It is without question the most important show in Toonami history. All the good, all the bad and all the awesome are represented by Dragonball Z and had it never joined Toonami there probably wouldn't be a Toonami today.
Superfriends
- Oh look more cheeze but I had a harder time watching Superfriends than I did watching Thundercats. Honestly it just isn't an endearing show and at this point in Toonami's lifetime they probably didn't need to air it but it does have it's fans so it served it's purpose.
1999 - TOM shakes things up
Reboot
- I love Reboot. It had a lot of character and the video game homages and parodies were priceless. Megabyte has to be one of the best villians of all time and Bob and Enzo Matrix were very interesting heroes. Great casting, great story, great animation (for it's time) and some wonderfully quirky humor. I'm so glad Toonami saved Reboot from ending prematurely in the US.
The Power Puff Girls
- I'm sure at the time I didn't really want PPG on Toonami but it's definently a good show and very memorable. It's also one of Cartoon Network's best original productions in my opinion. The fights could be downright brutal too so there was no lack in the action department.
Ronin Warriors
- I remember the promo more than I remember the show but what I remember I like. It was Saint Seiya years before that series came to America and apparently it was one of the least modified shows to air on Toonami. It had good action and an interesting story with characters you could care about. I'd like to see it again some day.
2000 - The Revolution begins televisng
G-Force
- Welcome back to bad dub territory. Though I don't remember much of it I hear it was actually considerably worse than the other Gatachaman dub (Battle of the Planets). It was nice that it finally got a shot on Toonami though. It probably should have been a part of the first line-up seeing as it was on CN back then but oh well... Unfortunately I don't have anything else to say about it.
Gundam Wing
- This is the show that made Toonami for me. This is the show that got me hooked and never let me go. Now I own the entire series on DVD and I love it to this day. It remains my favorite mecha series and easily my favorite Gundam series. 5 young terrorists shook American airwaves when they appeared in 2000 and they brought a whole new feel to Toonami along with the very first PG show for Toonami (TMR anyway). The action was intense, the drama was even more so, the comedy was fitting but not overbearing and the mech designs were freak'n sweet. Those boys sure were screwed up but I can't help enjoy watching them blow things up in their giant robots.
Tenchi Muyo!
- This was the only Toonami show I ever got my sister to watch with me and the quality speaks for itself. To think such a show could air on Toonami is almost baffleing. WS did their best to make it safe for the afternoon viewership but even with that it definently felt like it was the "oldest kid" in the pool and eventually got a shot on Adult Swim's first Saturday block. It had it all, action, drama, comedy and desirable anime girls. What more could you want out of a cartoon?
Batman: The Animated Series
- It's easily one of the greatest cartoons of all time and the blue print for action cartoons ever since it's premiere along with the beging of a continuity that reaches even great heights than this legendary show did by itself. Besides that, Batman is cool, dark, suspenceful and action packed. I pitty the fool that never watched this show. Unfortunately Toonami didn't really give it the props it deserved. I guess they didn't know what they had.
Tenchi Universe
- It's Tenchi with a lot more plot. Which is good in its own way but I think I prefer the original. However, since Toonami is an action block it was nice to see Tenchi get into more actiony stories.
Tenchi in Tokyo
- It had it's moments but it's definently the ugly step sister in the Tenchi trio. I didn't hate the new girl (whose name escapes me at this time) but the plot just wasn't very good. It was great to see Ayeka and Ryoko freaking out about Tenchi's social life even more than usual though.
Superman: The Animated Series
- This has got to be one of the most criminaly underrated cartoons from the 90s. A lot of folks say it's even better than Batman. I'm not exactly sure honestly, I guess I overlooked it as well but I recognize it as one of the finest animated series ever made.
Blue Submarine No. 6
- This is another one of those unexpected choices for Toonami but it was an interesting addition. I remember liking the plot and the characters but it's been so long since I've seen it that I dont' think it would be fair to judge it beyond that.
More to come in the next post. _________________ Toonami > sliced cheese (and I really like chees)
Sat Mar 03, 2007 1:19 am
Sketch
Joined: Jan 20, 2004
Post subject:
2001 - Proving to the world, they mean business
Outlaw Star
- Too hot for Toonami also comes to mind when I think of this show. Though I think today they might have been able to play the hot spring episode just fine. Though I'm sure today it would air on Adult Swim instead. Melfina was my first anime girl crush of sorts so she's very endearing to me but the rest of the cast was also great and their adventures were well worth watching.
The Big O
- It did so well with older folks that AS got the rest of the series but while it was on Toonami it really spruced the place up with it's stylish look and mature feel. It enjoyed a long run on TMR which did well enough to get 13 more episodes produced by CN and Sunrise. Saving one show at a time is what Toonami does best I guess. It's a shame they couldn't enjoy the fruits of their labor but AS is a good home Big O so I can't complain. Though a third season would have been nice...
Cardcaptors
- The last hurrah for shoujo on Toonami and it didn't last long. The dub is notorious among fans so I guess that's just as well. I didn't think it was a bad addition at the time though, something had to fill the gap Sailor Moon left.
Mobile Suit Gundam
- Honestly I didn't get into it. I'm not sure why but I guess I never gave it a chance. Toonami did their best to make a oldie work in 2001 but circumstances made them push it off to AS with some other Gundam series. I wish I had watched it when I could. I hear it really is a good show and deeper than you might expect.
08th MS Team
- Gundam at it's finest I'd say though I still like Wing best. It was good on TMR and even better in the afternoon. I'd like to say it proved Toonami still meant business and unlike several others it didn't get pushed to Adult Swim.
Dragon Ball
- If there's one thing that can be said of Dragonball, it's that it was treated a lot better than DBZ was. Despite this I like DBZ better but I can certainly enjoy the adventures of young Goku and his pals. It was great that CN got it back on the air with the help of FUNimation otherwise all the air time DB would have got in the US was in poorly scheduled syndication.
Gundam 0080
- I didn't like it that much but it was good show. The plot was quite mature so it's no surprise it ended up on Adult Swim but Toonami's Midnight Run served as a good home for it for a while. I didn't see it until it was on SVES a few years later though.
Batman Beyond
- There's no question that Batman Beyond is a great show. I wouldn't rank it as high as Superman, Batman or Justice League/JLU but it's an excellent cartoon by all respects. The young Batman Terry McGinnis made this series a lot more like Spider-Man (my favorite super hero) so I really enjoyed his constant struggle of keeping his double life. I have not seen it in a while but I'm sure it's just as good as ever.
Zoids: New Century Zero
- A rather quirky show but I liked the characters and the mech designs. It didn't have a whole lot going for it but it was still an enjoyable romp with a bit of replay value.
2002 - there as a whole lot of DB/DBZ and...
Hamtaro
- Hamtaro was a great show but it REALLY did not belong on Toonami. Gotta wonder if however made that call got fired. The promos were pretty entertaining though. You could tell the Toonami crew found it to be an odd choice for the block. It was a fun show though and the dub was quite entertaining.
Zoids: Chaotic Century
- This is another show I unfortunately overlooked for quite some time but what little I did see I enjoyed. It was a lot heavier in the plot department than ZERO and that was a very good thing. Van was a cool character as was his Zoid Zeke and I wish I could remember more of their adventures but I'm afraid I'm at a loss.
G Gundam
- You can't find anything this hotblood today. It was an adrenline pumping action-fest from the get go. Which was a very intertesting change of pace for Gundam in America and it seems to be the second most successful here next to Gundam Wing. The plot was a little strange but it had some good twists and turns and the characters were fun to watch. A little more romance was nice as well. Hadn't seen something worth while in that department on Toonami for a while when G Gundam showed up.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
- From what I've seen of OG He-Man, it was terrible but this remake is fantastic and the premiere movie was very epic. I'm still dissapointed Mattel's toyline failure got it cancelled and I'd love to see it again. Great action, great animation, great characters and some pretty interesting plots here and there. It's the 2nd best revival toon I've seen (the first being TMNT 2003) and I was glad Toonami gave it to us first.
Transformers: Armada
- The finals episodes were really great but overall I did not like Transformers: Armada. It's best qualites were decent animation and good voice acting but those darn kids just ruined it for me.
G.I. Joe
- A nice bit of old skool this far into Toonami's lifespan. More of that classic 80's cheeze and plenty of it. The villians and heroes are quite memorable and have seen their fair share of revivals (none of which I cared for) along with parodies and homages in various other series. But I'd take Shredder over Cobra any day.
Samurai Jack
- It's a masterpiece. The animation, design, scripting and story boarding were all top notch and the quality speaks volumes. Unfortunately Toonami did not get to air much of it (though now they can with Jetstream) and allas it has no real ending. Which is a crime to animation fans everywhere.
2003 - how to revive and slaughter a block all in the same year
.hack//SIGN
- It didn't stay long and it was only on Super Saturdays but hey... at least we got a fun promo. As for the show itself, it was a bit boring but I liked it and the soundtrack was great.
Martian Successor Nadesico (Giant Robot Week)
- I would have liked to see more of this show. They really should have given it a shot on Toonami proper but I'm glad I got to see what little I did and maybe I'll see the rest some day.
Gigantor (Giant Robot Week)
- Now this is old school. It was kinda fun for intersiduals but I have no qualms with CN not buying it in full until years later for Adult Swim.
Neon Genesis Evangelion (Giant Robot Week)
- They said it couldn't be done. They said hell would freeze over. Well early in 2003 the temperature in Hell (as Jeff said it) was absolute zero. Evangelion aired surprisingly intact for 2 episodes. Not very good episodes though. I wonder how it might have faired on TMR back when it first came to the US but eventually it got it's run on Adult Swim so I guess it doesn't matter.
Dai-Guard (Giant Robot Week)
- I liked this quirky show so much that I eventually bought the series box set and don't regret it for a moment. It's a shame Toonami didn't give it a full run because it was right up their alley. I'm glad they showed those few episodes though or I may have missed out on this great series entirely. Remember kids, giant robots and office politics equate to great fun. Gotta respect a show that goes as far as to show who has to pay for all the damages done by giant robots and monsters.
Rurouni Kenshin
- When Adult Swim was proving it's maturity Toonami told them they're not backing down by bringing in this wandering samurai. He stole our hearts and then kept wandering but for it's time on Toonami in 2003 (and in 2004/2005) it was a show I couldn't wait to watch every day it was on and the reason I will always remember 2003 as a good year for Toonami.
Yu Yu Hakusho
- It did so well with the youngens they moved it to Toonami and I'm very glad they did because it (and some other shows that AS also picked up over the years) simply does not belong on Adult Swim. Yu Yu Hakusho was DBZ with substance but it was also so much more. The beat downs were brutal and the heroes were a lot more sarcastic than the likes of the Z Warriors. It should have been the successor to DBZ but unfortunately it fell from grace. Despite this, I believe Toonami was and still is a good home for it.
Justice League
- Toonami had to wait a while to get Justice League but it was worth the wait. Replacing the 5PM slot it made the strong foundation of Toonami in summer of 2003 even stronger. The show itself isn't quite as good as it's sequel JLU but it's definently on par with the rest of the continuity spanning from Batman and the adventures are still quite epic.
Cyborg 009
- It was quite a surprise to see this end up on Toonami only about a week after I saw a few episodes in my Japanese class. The characters were great and the drama was some of the strongest seen on Toonami over the years. You could really care for the cyborgs and their plights because they fleshed them out quite well along with their foes and allies. I'm dissapointed Toonami did not air the rest of the series because the 2nd half was even better I'd say but I guess if it wasn't a winner then it couldn't be helped.
SD Gundam
- 26 episodes overplayed to death (6 times in a row I believe) and for little to no pay off. It wasn't a bad show but I definently don't think much of it. This isn't what I come to expect out of Gundam. Even so it had it's moments and I might have liked to see the second season which CN never aired.
Dragon Ball GT
- I wish this show was never made... I REALLY do. For whatever reason FUNimation decided to give the dub rap and metal music which really didn't help things and on top of that they started playing it 16 episodes into the story (but they played the rest later). The plot was terribly rehashed as well but I watched it anyway... hey man it's Dragonball. The payoff was decent though. The best episodes came toward the end with Android 17's return and the Shadow Dragon's finale along with a fitting conclusion that brought the continuity together rather nicely. Even so, I still with Toei Animation had just left Dragonball alone after DBZ. DBZ had a nice ending afterall.
Star Wars: Clone Wars
- Another masterpiece and Star Wars done right at that. For mini-sodes they sure were epic and presented as a movie they were even better. The 2 seasons were fantastic and showed the Star Wars universe in a very fitting way.
Last 3 years coming up. _________________ Toonami > sliced cheese (and I really like chees)
Sat Mar 03, 2007 2:15 am
Sketch
Joined: Jan 20, 2004
Post subject:
2004 - the rebirth of a legend
Duel Masters
- Gotta love a show that doesn't take itself seriously. This is exactly what the monster/battle genre needed and while it reigned at 7PM it kicked off Toonami just right.
Astro Boy
- Astro didn't get enough love from the Network and I guess I didn't give it much love either. The promos were really neat and it was a welcome change from SD Gundam adnausim but it just never clicked with me. I should give it another chance but I don't think I'll ever get around to doing that.
Jackie Chan Adventures
- A solid action show, no doubt about it but I'm glad it's stay was short. JCA is fun, has good action and comedy and pretty interesting plot but by the time Toonami got it was definently old news. Now Jetix has it and it's even more old news but still quite entertaining. I'd watch it just for uncle in fact. You don't mess with that old man.
Gundam SEED
- Japan loves Gundam SEED. Canada likes it a lot. The US... well I think you know. I liked Gundam SEED for bringing back Gundam proper but the first half of the series was far too boring and the pace was terrible. The later part (which Toonami didn't air) was very good so it's a shame they gave up on it (and a greater shame they wont play the sequel which is far better) but it was just another ratings victim. And because it was replaced by Rurouni Kenshin, I had no qualms what-so-ever.
Megas XLR
- This show was made for me. Seriously it was. For any anime and action cartoon loving video gaming slacker this show was a wet dream come true. It wasn't perfect by any means and the writing could be pretty bad but the visual comedy and homages were top notch and its my favorite CN original production even topping Samurai Jack. Not because it's "better" but because it just suits me so well.
Transformers: Energon
- Toonami didn't air much of it but I didn't like it much anyway. Kicker was a lot better than the Armada kids and I liked the continuity between this series and Armada but the 3D animation was incredibly ugly and while I'm not an animation or graphics fiend it made the show even hard to enjoy.
Teen Titans
- I'll be the first to say I did not want Toonami to air this show. It was afterall the Miguzi flag ship. But it more than earned its place and became one of the best cartoons CN ever aired.
Justice League Unlimited
- I'd say it's second only to Batman: TAS in the DCAU and it was the best American cartoon in years (next to TMNT 2003). Super hero overload never felt so good. The battles were epic and the adventures brought the DCAU continuty to new heights. It's a new legend all on it's own and the best show to air on Toonami since it's move to Saturday night.
Rave Master
- I think a lot of people gave Rave Master a worse rep than it deserved. It wasn't great but it wasn't terrible either. At the very least I enjoyed the cast. Haru was an interesting hero and his powers were really quite amazing by the end of the series and Elie was just fun to watch... wooh bath scene! It would have been great for Toonami in 2002 or even Fall of 2003 but I guess when you're the "weakest" show on the block at the time you're going to get a bad rep. It's a shame it had to finish it's run at 6AM on a Sunday morning though. Now THAT is a death slot.
2005 - hard times ahead but a new hopes shall come
D.I.C.E.
- From the moment I saw the character designs I knew I'd hate this show. Sure enough... I did and so did a lot of other people. I'll never understand why CN bought another season so quickly only to find out the show would bomb. When it was occupying 7:30PM, I was litterally begging for Rave to come back and eventually it did and DICE finish it's run at 6AM on a Saturday (a bit nice than Rave's Sunday slot).
Zatch Bell
- It was hearbreaking when YYH was removed from Toonami but Zatch Bell brough some flesh flavor and a dub that said... "it's a little modified but with some teen flavor for ya". Zatch and Kiyo along with their friends are some endearing characters and in 2005 from Spring until Fall it was the show that kept me coming back when everything else was in reruns or was otherwise no worth watching to me. So I'd like to personally thank Zatch Bell for keeping my faith and I await it's return to the block.
The Batman
- More recent episodes have been great but the first season of The Batman was overall a huge drag. It was bad enough I lost Megas for it but I just couldn't bring myself to watch this show regularly on KWB or Toonami until just recently. Season 2 saw some improvements but nothing that grabbed me. Seasons 3 and 4 however have really upped the series' potential so it should at least finish strong.
One Piece
- Oh One Piece, how I wish your dub did not suck. If the dub was good then One Piece would be my favorite show on Toonami (as it's my favorite show in Japanese) but that dub prevents me from truely enjoying my favorite show and I'll curse 4kids for days to come for ruining the most beautiful of opportunities. The day I learned 4kids would get One Piece I was in shock and in turn I did rather bad on my exam that day (yeah I'll blame it on that). There was a point when I thought they wouldn't treat it too badly but my dreams were shattered the minute I heard that rap opening rather than the dubbed version of the first Japanese opening that fateful Saturday morning. When Toonami annouced they were picking it up I far from happy. I didn't want such an atrocity mucking up my favorite action block. On top of that they put it on for an hour at 10PM (where GT was but a spot that previously was occupied by Kenshin and Gundam SEED). What a waste... Later they put it after Naruto which was even more irritating.
It's clear that Sean and Jason love One Piece and to their credit, they tried to get it long before 4kids ruined it but they should have known better than to pick up that garbage when they did. They treated it like it was a first class show even when the rest of us knew better. However now that 4kids does not own the license anymore and we're coming toward the end of their dreadful episodes there is a light at the end of the tunnel and as long as CN stays interested I may very well be able to enjoy a good dub of One Piece on Toonami in the future. And that's a dream worth suffering for!
Transformers: Cybertron
- I really ignored Cybertron and still do but I liked the improved animation over Energon at the very least. However Optimus Prime's face still weirds me out... Those lips... ew.
Yu-Gi-Oh!
- I wanted to break something when I found out YGO would be joining Toonami. This was even worse than One Piece and on top The Batman and that I had almost no reason to watch Toonami (thanks again Zatch Bell... and JLU). Luckily its stay was short and relatively forgetable.
Naruto
- For as long as I can remember seeing Naruto or even hearing out it I wanted it on Toonami. They called me crazy, and I'm still crazy but I got my Naruto on Toonami! I can't express now the joy I had learning that Toonami would be the home of the series that was my favorite anime at the time (before I realized how great Japanese One Piece was). There was a moment when I was concerned about it's handling but on the day it premiered all my fears were put to rest. The dub is now one of my favorites and I'd watch it over the Japanese version any day. Naruto is the current cornerstone of Toonami and will remain so for quite some time. I wish One Piece (with a good dub) was in that position but I'll certainly settle for Naruto as it proves a great Japanese show can air just as it was intended to be without having to go to Adult Swim.
Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo
- How Akins and Demarco got this show is still something I ponder but eh... who really cares? You gotta love it reguardless. It's non-sense humor at it's finest that keeps me coming back for more and probably some of the best dialogue spoken on Toonami came out of this show. Sure there's a bit of a plot but I don't think anyone really cares about that. Bring on the madness!
IGPX
- The show that embodies everything Akins and Demarco want Toonami to be brought back the feelings I got when I watched Outlaw Star, Gundam, Tenchi and The Big O. Unfortunately not even it could keep it's ratings strong enough to air all it's episodes on Toonami but it's at least nice to know that what we want from Toonami is what the Toonami crew would like to give us even if CN sees fit to do otherwise.
2006 - there's a lot of good here but it's not gonna be pretty...
Wulin Warriors
- What on earth were they thinking? This show was terrible and terribly suited for the block. Luckily it got canned after just two episodes and was never seen again.
Pokemon Chronicles
- I'll admit to enjoying a few episodes but I hate this show for bringing Pokemon to Toonami full time and even giving DBZ the boot in the 7:30 slot just so it could air two episodes each week. Now it's on Jetstream and I hate it even more. Heck, even Pokemon fandom hates this show (the dub at least, it's considered the worst dub of Pokemon thus far).
Fantastic Four
- Having only seen a few episodes I guess I can't say much about it but it sure did look pretty. I wasn't impressed by what I saw other than that though.
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
- Could there be something worse suited for Toonami than Pokemon? Yeah... it's this. This is even worse than YGO proper and though the characters are supposedly teenagers the show definently feels like it's aiming for the lowest common denominator. The sooner it's gone the better.
MÄR
- This show caught me off guard. I watched the first episode on Jetstream and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Now I like it a lot and I'm not going to miss an episode on Jetstream or Toonami.
The Prince of Tennis
- It was a pipe dream that Prince of Tennis would air on Toonami but when it was annouced for Jetstream with Hikaru no Go (another long shot at best) I finally considered it a possibility. Now it's finally on Toonami and I'm thrilled that it is. There's a reason why Japan loves this show and unlike with Gundam I think its actually going to work out on the current Toonami. _________________ Toonami > sliced cheese (and I really like chees)
Sat Mar 03, 2007 3:03 am
Daikun
Joined: Nov 02, 2002
Post subject: Re: TI Presents: Toonami Retrospective
Last edited by Daikun on Sat Mar 17, 2007 4:31 am; edited 1 time in total
Sat Mar 03, 2007 3:22 am
Andromaton
Joined: Nov 17, 2003
Post subject:
Well, my first bout of updating is done, there's still alot more to do (obviously).
Wed Mar 07, 2007 5:20 pm
504
Joined: Aug 05, 2015
Post subject:
Been thinking about posting to this thread for years, oh well better late than never...
1997
Thundercats -- Saw this show a few years later, in '02 I think...really hated it
1998
My sister was into Toonami way before I was, and she would come home from school every day and watch TV til M&D got home. She'd probably have more to say about the early years but I caught a few of these shows later on
Sailor Moon - remember being pretty interested in this show when it was first on but was way too embarrassed at first to really give it a chance. My sister was hooked on the show...had a backpack, the wand, and a few other toys. I remember she needed the TV for the whole day while the VCR was recording the Sailor Moon R marathon episodes, but I think those came later ('99?) Anyways I got into the show myself a few years later, when I was in high school and finally had my own TV, so I could watch and no one would bug me about it. I remember having unreasonably high expectations for the plot / story ("What will happen when all the moon crystals are gathered?" Answer: nothing), but I still enjoyed it in secret (Sailor Mars was my favorite)...cartoon girls in short skirts...hey give me a break I was in high school
And I actually liked the dub -- a lot -- and still do. Can't understand for the life of me why the new dub is so popular, or why the old one is routinely bashed by anime fans.
DBZ -- Actually watched a good deal of this show back in the day. I remember the early episodes pretty well (Raditz/Vegeta), so I probably stopped watching sometime after those episodes aired. Of course I got to rewatch them over and over again as Toonami aired DBZ to death in the coming years. I thought the early episodes were the best and the battle with Freeza would've been a great way for the show to go out on a high note. Cell was good too I guess (the Cell games were a second high point of the series for me after Freeza) but after that the show went downhill in a hurry as the villain-of-the-week formula started to wear thin. By the time Majin Buu showed up I just didn't care anymore
1999
ReBoot - IIRC this was my sister's all-time favorite Toonami show. I tried to get into it but eh. I just couldn't
PPG -- Didn't like it at first but it grew on me. I thought it had a good sense of humor (Mojo Jojo; "the city of Townsville") but other than the girls to me most of the characters (especially the villains) were pretty ugly.
Ronin Warriors -- read somewhere this was "Sailor Moon for guys." Watched this show a lot and bought of few of the DVDs not too far back. This was one of my favorite shows on early Toonami. Wish it stuck around longer.
2000
Didn't have access to a TV for most of the year so I missed a really good year for Toonami. A few of these shows (Tenchi, Batman, and Superman) were still on a few years later.
Batman: TAS -- actually watched this show way before Toonami, back when it was new in the early 90s. I like the show's dark deco aesthetic and its "black on black" look, love the voice cast, the script-writing, and characters especially the effort that went into humanizing Batman/Bruce Wayne. A great show that deserves its reputation. I've heard people complain that it got ditched too early but it was still on Toonami's Rising Sun 2.0 and on the SVES after that, so we still got to see it plenty.
Superman -- eh honestly I thought this was following in the footsteps of Batman and not really as good, but I didn't watch a whole lot of it so who knows
Tenchi in Tokyo -- I saw this first before any other Tenchi series and I just thought it was weird with the girls following him around in Tokyo and everything...the original Muyo is so much better
Tenchi Muyo -- didn't see THIS until it aired on Adult Swim a few years later. Ryoko...what else needs to be said
2001
Didn't watch much TV this year either, but many of these shows were re-aired on Adult Swim 1.0 (still the best, coolest looking animation block on Cartoon Network ever IMO).
Outlaw Star -- loved everything about this show, watching Gene, Jim, and Melfina on their quest for the Galactic Leyline.
Big O - this one took me a while to get into. Back when it was on AS in '03/'04 or so there were a lot of really weird discussions trying to probe the depths of Big O and drawing out/searching for all kinds of hidden meaning etc... I just enjoyed it on a more superficial level, loved the action, giant mechs, and its very stylish look.
Gundam - Yeah! The one that started it all. Was hooked on this from Day 1 (actually way before, when I first saw the epic 1:30 promo for it). Probably what I like the most, and what gives me the most respect for it looking back, was that it actually had the balls to kill off a good chunk of its characters, and the good sense to know who to kill off (and who NOT TO -- hint hint NADESICO) and they usually did it at the right time. Added a layer of realism that I really liked and really helped to develop Amuro's personality/character
Dragon Ball -- this show was stuck on endless repeat for about...eh what 10 years? We just got to watch the first half of the show over and over and over... By the time Toonami finally aired Piccolo I had stopped caring. Liked younger Bulma, Yamcha and the rest of the gang searching for the Dragon Balls and I actually like the DB saga better than DBZ, which came next. Plenty of highlights... Goku taking down the Red Ribbon Army's heavily-guarded tower, the martial-arts tournaments, Oolong stealing the wish from Pilaf...
Batman Beyond -- a really good sequel/continuation of Batman TAS. My favorite episode was the first one, where Batman just gets beat up. He was long overdue for a beatdown
Ok tired of writing, will finish this one tomorrow...
Wed Aug 05, 2015 1:00 pm
504
Joined: Aug 05, 2015
Post subject:
Zoids/ZERO -- loved this show...what I remember most is laughing my ass off. This show had a really great sense of humor.
2002
Hamtaro -- the most un-toonami-like show ever to air on Toonami. I've read they tried to pull this one off because after they ditched Sailor Moon (big mistake) they tried to re-capture the target audience that Sailor Moon gave them (I think the 6-11 crowd and girls). This was the first of a few such attempts to capture that group; Miguzi came later. Anyway, I have to admit I liked this show a lot when it was on and mostly watched it in the mornings...I think it came on right before or after Zoids. Not much to say about it. At the time I thought that the hamster group was pretty cool and enjoyed watching the hamsters' epic trips to...the museum. Stargazing and near-death experiences with cats and waterfalls are the action highlights of the show. I used to sing-along with the ending song...don't tell anyone
Zoids Chaotic Century -- THIS was it for me. This is my favorite TV show of all time and hands-down my favorite Toonami show. I have no shortage of great things to say about it and though I don't really watch it anymore it was an obsession for about 10 years of my life. The soundtrack was amazing with a diverse score from Robert Etoll and his colleagues at Q-Factory. The theme song (by Ramar) was great and the instrumental version might be the show's signature song though the two remixes by Etoll give it a run for its money. Van was a great lead character and though he mellowed out (far too much for my taste) in GF as a young person he stole the show especially with Matthew Erickson's performance, though just about every actor at Blue Water shined in this one (the dub blows the original Japanese cast out of the water -- I've heard both). There was a great supporting cast too -- especially Moonbay and Irvine as well as the interesting characters scattered throughout the Imperial/Republican armies with whom Van crossed paths at various points. The script (borrowing liberally from the original manga) is fantastic as the show slowly builds from small-scale conflicts to encompass the war between the empire and the republic to the fate of the planet when our hero, of course, saves the day.
I first saw it randomly when I looked at the tv guide and saw "Zoids" -- figuring NC0 but it wasn't -- instead I caught Van being chewed out by Irvine. I was immediately entranced -- I literally stared at the tv and could not look away. Because the timeslot was so screwy I actually missed a lot of episodes in the early going and had the pleasure of watching basically the entire first half of the series with no idea what was happening -- which was also amazing because (as PD said) it means I looked forward to every episode with a sense of excitement and anticipation that I've never really had since - I always wondered what was going to happen and was never disappointed.
A great show and the fact that it got the send-off it did (its own special block on Toonami that aired the torturously delayed final four episodes) just made it that much sweeter. After Giant Robot Week Zoids never came back & in the days before YouTube etc that just meant you were out of luck. The DVDs weren't released until a year later and the show had such a cult following that there was no way to meet up with fellow fans and really no way to know if there ever would be a DVD release. Which there was (I actually first heard of the Australian DVDs first, and bought myself a few. Yes I was that big of a fan and yes I was that desperate) but until then I had my VHS tapes to keep my company which I watched over and over and over again. When they finally came out I was first in line over to Suncoast on the day of its release. I think some people slacked off and waited forever to buy them and now they are out of luck because those DVDs are worth hundreds of dollars (most I ever saw was a Vol 5 on Amazon for $300...yikes). Fortunately there was not that much merchandise or I would've had a closet full of the stuff...so having a complete collection was easy, VHS tapes, DVDs, soundtrack, maybe a copy of Zoids Saga.
Will probably never get that much fun out of a TV show ever, but I consider myself pretty fortunate that I was able to LOVE TO DEATH a tv show like that at least once in my life.
G Gundam - loved this one back in the day. I thought the Gundam battles were epic and the show was stuffed full of them. Looked forward to the Shuffle Alliance gradually form over the course of the series before the final confrontation with Master Asia. The second half of the series was really special as the tournament kicked into high gear and you got to see all the neat (well some of them sucked) Gundam designs. Domon was a great character and was great to watch his heart soften over the course of the series and eventually ride off into the sunset with his girl.
These days I think the show is lacking in a lot of areas... the "faceless evil" angle that the show tries to work just isn't executed very well. The dialogue is cheezy. There is a narrator who looks like a pirate and holds your hand and tries to heighten your interest in the story, while he tells you exactly what is going to happen while he sits under a spotlight, and he really should not be there. Plenty of the action sequences fall flat on their faces.
But Domon is still cool, the gundams look great, there is plenty of action, and when the narrator jumps up and yells GUNDAM FIGHT ALL SET, READY -- GO! I will still want to watch.
Much-needed breath of fresh air in a VERY slow and stale second half of the year that for the most part consisted of DBZ/DB reruns.
...But this was still 2002, and Toonami had plenty of gas left in the tank. Sailor Moon was still around for most of the year. We got the Intruder (?) event. The Midnight Run had its last hurrah, airing plenty of G Gundam, DB, GI Joe, and other goodness. Rising Sun 2.0 was around. You even had Adult Swim 1.0, the coolest looking block on Cartoon Network ever, and rivaling its precursor Rising Sun 1.0 for the title of BEST BLOCK EVER...tho AS would reach high points in terms of content later on, in '03 and to a certain extent in '04.
And later on in Feb '03, we got GIANT ROBOT WEEK when cool events like this still felt like the norm. Sadly it was really the last of its kind as stuff like Month of Miyazaki didn't happen til after the jump and doesn't really compare. It was Nadesico and Evangelion (unfortunately edited to death). It was Dai-Guard. It was new bumps and a cool new look and Gigantor during the commercial breaks. My favorite of the bunch was NADESICO. I saw the first episode and had absolutely NO CLUE what was going on...and I LOVED IT. Unfortunately Toonami basically aired 3 random episodes and I didn't get to see the whole thing until years later. When I finally did I started later (ep 6 or 7) and I have to confess it is the reason I was able to get through the series because after I circled back around and saw that Gai died I just couldn't watch anymore. I still had favorite moments but the show just wasn't the same without him. It really sucks that they killed off a character like that, first thing, for absolutely no reason. What were they thinking?
Ok will wrap this up tomorrow with Part 3!!
Fri Aug 07, 2015 12:54 pm
504
Joined: Aug 05, 2015
Post subject:
Alright!
2003
Honestly 2003 was for me the beginning of the end for Toonami. The last really great lineup they had that I remember was something like... G Gundam/DBZ/YuYu/Kenshin. After that the best shows made the jump to the SVES which I have to say (after thinking about it...I've changed my mind about this with each post) is up there with AS & Midnight Run for best block ever. A good deal of the Toonami classics made their way onto the block, including some that I assumed were long gone, like Zoids/ZERO. Pok‚mon and Yugioh (both of which I really enjoyed at the time) made appearances and we even got a few totally new shows as well, like Saint Seiya (horribly edited but here again I loved the routinely-bashed voice cast a lot more than the fandom-approved ADV version...the KoZ version had more character in my book).
Then of course you had classic, from-the-vault selections like Popeye to go along with shows like Kenshin that were still in the middle of their run. Kenshin of course was in full swing by this point and many of the best episodes aired on SVES. I've read that someone at Toonami (Akins? DeMarco?) said it really should've been aired on AS because it was so violent, and I agree. But as is it was a great addition to a great block, that also featured G Gundam, He-Man Universe, and .hack//SIGN
As for Toonami proper, the lineup got weaker and weaker as they started airing crap like SD Gundam, JL (which I never liked), and yet another Transformers series (energon?). I stopped paying attention after a while because the SVES block was so good but there were still signs of trouble to come
Onto the reviews...
Kenshin -- This is hands-down the best show to appear on Toonami that year, and I'd say the last really great acquisition they made. I remember thinking at the time that it was a great show but it really seemed to be more of a crapshoot as to whether you'd get a good episode (like Jin-E) or a bad one (like the sumo wrestler episode)...I think this had to do with the fact that the script for the anime followed the manga (which was excellent) but a huge chunk of the story pre-Kyoto was devoted to Raijuta, so they had to fill space. The result was pretty uneven and you got some good filler like the thwarted train robbery and the pirate gang alongside junk like the sumo wrestler episode that I just mentioned.
A lot of people praise the Kyoto arc endlessly but towards the end it was just tournament-style pacing with Kenshin/Sanosuke progressing through Shishio's lair...at the time I thought it was pretty exciting but looking back it seems boring and repetitive and judging from Watsuki's author notes in the manga it seems he felt a little bit of that too.
I'd say the show's absolute high point was the departure and aftermath...so like around vol. 7-8 of the manga, when Saito appears (his battle w Kenshin is one of the best in the series), Kenshin leaves and everyone comes to grips w his departure, regroups and follows him to Kyoto.
I thought the portrayal of Kaoru's depression following Kenshin's departure was pretty brilliant.
Shishio was a cool villain but it bothered me that he never scored a victory against Kenshin's crew - ever - so looking back it has the effect of making him seem a little delusional, especially when Saito revealed the gov't had plans of his lair...so basically they were going to move against him at some point. His days were numbered regardless of whether Kenshin won or not. You couldn't kill Kenshin at that juncture, but it was cool that at least for a short time Watsuki allowed you to think that Shishio won, with Kenshin, Aoshi, and Saito being down for the count for a long time during the final confrontation.
And it was never officially part of the anime but I thought the last third of the series (Jinchu/Revenge arc) was a letdown, especially because of what happened with Kaoru (killed and then being brought back to life). To me this sounds like a case of the author knowing what he had to do but not having the courage to do it. Kaoru's death would've probably lended itself to a much stronger sense of thematic closure but he took the easy way out and (IMO) really forced his will on the situation by writing the happy ending he thought he had to have...and then by the end of the series he was kicking himself for all the third-rate supporting characters that showed up as a result of the direction the story had taken. Then again, after Kaoru died ("died") I didn't really like Kenshin's reaction; he just sat around like a zombie and really didn't do anything...so maybe it wouldn't have been as clean as I think it would have. Who knows
Last thing I want to say is that my favorite character was Kenshin's master. He was a real badass and a lot wiser and more accepting of his path as the swordsman: "I thought that I taught you. The way of swords is the way to kill. Killing is your truth." For those reasons and others he is the better swordsman. Kenshin on the other hand never really embraced this -- becoming the sort of person who turned his pain inside-out and smiled all the time.
YuYu Hakusho -- First saw this one during its original run on AS and honestly I liked it a lot better there. It's a damn shame that most of the early stories pre-revival never made it into the anime because there were some gems there in the early going; this is a series that started out great and (pretty much after the Saint Beasts) went steadily downhill. So I guess I can't feel too bad because AS just aired the first 20 or so episodes -- which were the best -- over and over again. Yusuke's fight w Suzaku was easily the high point of the series for me and a million times better than any of the fights w Toguro, Sensui, etc.
.hack//SIGN -- this show was originally on Super Saturdays at 3 PM or something. At the time I was relentlessly open-minded and would check out any new acquisition Toonami made...usually I wasn't disappointed but for whatever reason this show just didn't do it for me at first.
I forgot exactly when I started liking it, but I think I just kept watching it and eventually I got really into it. I was confused as hell the first time I saw it through but didn't really care too much...eventually it got cleared up for me...sort of
I remember it mostly as a late-night staple on the SVES block...one more reason I was crushed when SVES got the axe though by the end it consisted almost entirely of Teen Titans marathons (with the exception of a 12:30 KoZ) which pissed me off because Teen Titans was to me little more than imitation-anime trash and I have no idea why it got the spotlight like that. It was one of those shows along with G Gundam and Kenshin that I really looked forward to during the late-night hours of that block
Anyway, I enjoyed watching Mimiru, Bear, Tsukasa, etc searching for the Key of the Twilight while taking in the occasionally breathtaking visuals and the epic soundtrack. This is another show I wished stuck around longer but oh well I have the DVD box which is pretty rare nowadays
=======
When I heard that SVES was getting the axe in April '04 and that Toonami was making the jump to Saturday nights I was crushed because SVES had all my favorite shows and Toonami by this point was already a piece of crap...Miguzi I believe at this point started doing the weekday-night thing in yet another ill-fated attempt to get the tweens to watch Cartoon Network (itself well on its way to becoming "CN"). But I still held out hope that Toonami would pick up most of the SVES shows...didn't happen but of course as I said SVES by Apr '04 was mostly Teen Titans.
When Toonami finally took over Saturday nights it really was the end of an era for me. I still watched Toonami occasionally but it just wasn't the same and as Toonami added one new show after another that I had no interest in, and as Adult Swim also began its decline into mediocrity around this time, it gradually dawned on me that the 'good old days' were gone forever and were never coming back. When I heard that Toonami itself got the axe in 2008, for me it was disappointing but mostly just felt like a formality, and the revival hasn't really done much for me either.
But I just wanted to stop by and give myself (and maybe a few others) one last chance to blast through some old glorious memories, and thank Toonami Infolink for all the good times they gave us.
Good luck to the TI crew -- I'm sure we'll be seeing you guys again somewhere on the 'Net
Sat Aug 08, 2015 2:05 pm
JJc14
Joined: Nov 07, 2002
Post subject:
Great stuff 504! Thanks for the walk down memory lane! _________________ "Life's a journey, not a destination..." -Aerosmith ('Amazing')
Current RPG(s): (None)
Sat Aug 08, 2015 7:25 pm
504
Joined: Aug 05, 2015
Post subject:
Thanks!
And thank YOU for all those AS tapes you donated to the Arsenal. God knows I spent plenty of hours watching those...
Will miss the site when it's gone. Been a fun 15 years or so though.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
