Toonami: Anime for Insomniacs

[Lantern7]

Judging by the farewell tribute, it might be a long time before One Piece comes back to Toonami. I don't think it would fill the first available hole. Here's the breakdown:

Samurai Jack: It's limited, but I think Toonami would go back to starting at 11:30. The other option would be dragging the Dragonball block from 11-midnight.

Dragonball Z Kai/Dragonball Super: I'm thinking the former will take a while to wrap up, even with the Buu arc filler cut out. I don't think we'd get Dragonball GT Kai. I think DBS is still running in Japan, so that would still run here.

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Man, I hope this sticks around. From what I can gather, the background and characters change with each incarnation. With One Piece going away, I think this is the jewel of the lineup.

Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn 69 Or Whatever: This won't last long, but I'm guess another hit-or-miss version would replace it.

Hunter x Hunter: I like it. I hope it stays around, though I reserve the right to change my mind if more antagonists emerge acting like Hisoka. "SCHWEEEEN!!"

Naruto: Shippuden: Nice anime, but so much filler. Really, if this had been taken off the board instead of One Piece, would there have been a huge shitstorm?

Tokyo Ghoul: Read the manga, though I'm not inclined to go back. I'll give this a chance.

ETA: If anything gets added, I'll be pulling for Assassination Classroom. I've read thirteen volumes of the manga.

ETA2: Forgot about Ghost In The Shell, which is no doubt running because of the movie that probably won't do well in the box office. Wouldn't be surprised or sore if Toonami aired the second season. Also, I found this on the Tumblr. How the heck do I not recall a punch as epic as that?!?

[Lantern7]

Saw a bump while watching DBS. "The Definitive List Of All-Time Greatest Anime Themes."

1. Macross
2. Cowboy Bebop
3. Gigantor
4. Big O
5. Trigun
6. Blue Submarine No 6
7. Paranoia Agent
8. One-Punch Man
9. Elfen Lied
10. Lupin the Third

Any thoughts?

[Sandman87]

First of all, what do they mean by "theme?" Are they talking about the music, and if so do they mean opening or closing? Or are they talking about themes in the literary sense?

Their new micro series, ungrammatically titled The Sand Whale and Me, is about as interesting as watching someone else play a video game. Which is oddly enough what it's supposed to be. Bleh.

Edited March 19, 2017 by Sandman87

[Lantern7]

I believe they meant opening credits. No way can two lists be alike, and it's folly to try. Paranoia Agent does stick in your head, as does One-Punch Man. Now . . . Neon Genesis Evangelion not being there at all? Bit of a fail.

I didn't see the short. I take it it's not worth Toonami screwing up the DVR scheduling?

[Sandman87]

The short is basically roughly five minutes of what you saw in the promos for it. The protagonist, whose name may be KFC, crashes on an alien planet and dies repeatedly in odd ways while trying to eat various things. Most of the time there's a video game HUD and "responses" to the "player's" controls.

Great. They might mean opening credits, or musical theme, or literary theme in that bump. I'll just assume that they meant opening credits music. In that case, their list sucks. Cowboy Bebop and Elfin Lied are good, but the rest aren't all that. Blue Submarine #6 doesn't even have an opening theme. Big O's opening theme, which they don't show when they run the program on [as], most likely for legal reasons, is just a rip-off of a Queen song. The list needs some GitS:SAC, Higurashi, Vandread, Detroit Metal City, and Bleach on it, plus every single opening theme in the Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei franchise, among others.

[lathspel]

I love Big O, but its opening title wasn't much to speak of.  I'd put several openings from FMA or Bleach ahead of it - I think I could still rap along with Asterisk, the first Bleach opener. 

Edited March 22, 2017 by lathspel

[Lantern7]

As far as FMA is concerned, "Rewrite" is at the top. Especially with Mustang and Armstrong taking out beasts. I also liked the first credits from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

[Lantern7]

Anybody else watch Tokyo Ghoul? I think stuff is squeezed in harder than in the manga, establishing the existence of ghouls and how sinister they are. Then we meet Keneki the putz, who meets a girl with similar interests. And then she tries to eat him. One accident later, Keneki has her organs transplanted into him, and now he's turning into a ghoul. That means a. He can't eat "normal" food anymore (though there will be a work-around in his future), and b. he has a hankering for human flesh. Then he meets a ghoul, who gets killed by a ghoul, and he gets killed by another ghoul. She will be a main character. And after seeing Keneki sob about how wrecked his life is, she gives him a hand. Literally. In his mouth. Awesome?

I'll give this a few more episodes before I'll think up thread titles. You can submit your own if you're familiar with the property.

[Sandman87]

I put in a forum request for TG, so suggest thread titles there.

[Matt K]

On 3/26/2017 at 1:53 AM, Lantern7 said:

Anybody else watch Tokyo Ghoul? I think stuff is squeezed in harder than in the manga, establishing the existence of ghouls and how sinister they are. Then we meet Keneki the putz, who meets a girl with similar interests. And then she tries to eat him. One accident later, Keneki has her organs transplanted into him, and now he's turning into a ghoul. That means a. He can't eat "normal" food anymore (though there will be a work-around in his future), and b. he has a hankering for human flesh. Then he meets a ghoul, who gets killed by a ghoul, and he gets killed by another ghoul. She will be a main character. And after seeing Keneki sob about how wrecked his life is, she gives him a hand. Literally. In his mouth. Awesome?

I'll give this a few more episodes before I'll think up thread titles. You can submit your own if you're familiar with the property.

I watched it since it's between JoJo (which I've really warmed up to once they switched protagonists) and Hunter X Hunter.  Didn't really care for it much.  I also tend not to like characters like Keneki (they are so prevalent in Anime for some reason).  It might get better but my first impression wasn't great.

[Sandman87]

We now have a Tokyo Ghoul forum.

[Lantern7]

Saw a commercial. Second season of Attack on Titan starts on April 29.

ETA: For anybody confused and/or not giving a crap about Rick and Morty: Adult Swim ran a new episode and repeated it through midnight. Then the Toonami block started, and Tom said that Samurai Jack and Dragon Ball Super will be back next week. Dragon Ball Z Kai is airing now, followed by Sand Whale and Me. Presumably, Jojo's Bizarre Adventures comes next, followed by the rest of the lineup. I'm thinking DVRs are going to be a little dinged up. With SWAM, I've been setting the end of the episode past five minutes.

[Vermicious Knid]

Yeah, this Sandwhale thing is totally fucking up my DVR recordings. 

[lathspel]

I've watched one ep of SWAM, not sure what the deal is.  Super excited about AoT season 2 though!

[Sandman87]

I think we're supposed to be impressed that Mamoru Oshii directed it.

[Lantern7]

Checked Wikipedia. There are only three more episodes of the "Battle Tendency" season from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. And Attack on Titan starts up again the following week. Looks like we won't be getting "Stardust Crusaders." Dang. I mean, yay Titans and thoroughly depressed people, but I want more Japanese-tinged melodrama with lots of muscles and no ceiling. And "Roundabout."

ETA: Checked Wikipedia. The only anime that is scheduled to air that hasn't done so already is Tokyo Ghoul √A. How do you pronounce the square root symbol? Still hoping for Assassination Classroom down the line. Hey, they did bring in One-Punch Man, right?

[Lantern7]

Heads up: CN/AS will run a Samurai Jack marathon on the Saturday before Memorial Day.

[Sandman87]

In answer to your earlier question, √A is pronounced Root A, which is coincidentally how we used to do it in physics and math classes. The "square" part of "square root" was understood , since we'd specify otherwise if we meant any other degree of root.

I wonder what the "A" in the title refers to. Also wonder if "√A" refers to both roots or just the primary one, because I'm a nerd.

[Lantern7]

I know that's a square root sign. "Tokyo Ghoul: Root A" makes sense, as opposed to "Tokyo Ghoul: Square Root of A," which where my mind went.

I've been DVRing Ghost In The Shell, and I'll try to keep the latest episode. I know that the Tachikomas are supposed to be annoying, and I get why the Major might roll her eyes, but they're cute when discussing high-end philosophy. Also, when they break a robot through a logic paradox.

[Sandman87]

GitS: You've got to love a show that devotes most of an episode to a bunch of robot tanks standing around in their hanger and discussing the nature of their existence, or devotes all of an episode to a VR chat-room discussion.

[InDueTime]

It looks like Lupin The Third: Part 4 will premiere on June 17.  It's going in Hunter X Hunter's slot. I hope that doesn't mean that Hunter X Hunter is being taken off of the line-up.

http://www.animeherald.com/2017/05/18/lupin-3rd-part-4-hit-toonami-6172017/

[Lantern7]

Perhaps it will replace the current Gundam series. I like HxH, even though I take my time commenting on it. And maybe AS can run the old episodes. They were funny . . . like the time Lupin and pals smacked helicopters with the Christ statue in Rio.

[Sandman87]

Unicorn is scheduled to run through the beginning of June, so it seems likely that they'll replace an underwhelming series with one that I have no particular desire to watch. So...yay?

[Sandman87]

Just a reminder that Toonami is doing their usual holiday weekend marathon crap tonight, this time with Samurai Jack.

[Lantern7]

Looked at next week's schedule. Samurai Jack will still run at the 11 p.m. slot, starting from the beginning of the final season.

[Lantern7]

It's confirmed . . . Lupin the 3rd is replacing Gundam Unicorn at 2 a.m. next week. I know, Lupin is hit-or-miss, but I know it won't make me drowsy as heck.

[Sandman87]

The pronunciation, "Lu-pon", is already pissing me off.

[Terrafamilia]

Is it just me or did the sound on Lupin III seem weird? It was as if the sound/dialogue was layed over the top rather than existing within the show (if that makes any sense).

[Lantern7]

Heads up: Toonami will be running an Attack on Titan marathon next week. If you haven't watched any of the second season, that's a good way to catch up.

[Sandman87]

Guess they're celebrating Canada Day.

[Lantern7]

There are only two more Attack on Titan episodes left. Is Toonami going to keep it in the 12:30 slot? I wouldn't be that surprised. Ditto if they plug the second season at 3 a.m. once Ghost In The Shell wraps up, even if it means skipping that anime's second season.

[Lantern7]

Heads up: teaser trailer for FLCL was released at Anime Expo. Dunno when it'll air. Might be a new story, might be a continuation, might be a retelling. I still think the story was good at six episodes, but I guess we'll see.

[Sandman87]

2 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Might be a new story, might be a continuation, might be a retelling.

According to Wikipedia it's a continuation. It takes place after a time-skip, and there's a new protagonist.

Nice to see that The Pillows are doing the score again.

[Lantern7]

Coming on July 29 . . .

Needless to say, I am fucking stoked. Now I have to learn the words to "Roundabout."

[Vermicious Knid]

Yes, the new season looks just as insanely over the top. I do wonder though, if hamon kept Lisa Lisa looking in her 20s, why Jojo 2.0 looks like his actual age?

Roundabout live in 1972.  They look a lot like the character designs.

[Lantern7]

Just looked up the Toonami schedule for tonight, and changes have been made.

1. No more Samurai Jack repeats at 11 p.m.

2. All shows in the lineup get dragged back by thirty minutes. Dragon Ball Super airs at 11, Kai at 11:30, and so on.

2a. Also, the "new" Super episode airs at 8:30 p.m., preceded by last week's episode.

3. Jojo's Bizarre Adventures kicks off the "Stardust Crusaders" season tonight at midnight.

4. Following Ghost In The Shell at 2:30, the second season of Attack on Titan starts up again at 3.

5. Anybody catching up with Samurai Jack can see "XCVI" at 3:30

[Matt K]

I'm so glad they moved up the showtimes.  Now I get to watch HunterXHunter live.

[Sandman87]

If they're going to move the showtimes around like that, they need to update the schedules that go to cable and satellite dish providers far enough ahead of time to push the information out for the program guides. The Dish listings were all screwed up, and the shows that I recorded on the DVR all have the wrong titles. My DB Super recording came out titled Family Guy, Hunter x Hunter claims to be Tokyo Ghoul, and so on.

[InDueTime]

Outlaw Star is returning to Toonami on August 19 at 2:30 a.m., Eastern time.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-08-03/toonami-to-air-outlaw-star-anime/.119717

I didn't get around to watching it the first time, so maybe I'll watch it this time.

[Sandman87]

Reasonably entertaining, although the animation wasn't particularly impressive. Then again, the music was good.

I wonder if they'll be showing the Hotsprings Planet episode now that Toonami is part of the [as] programming block. There was some actual plot stuff there that got skipped over when they cut the episode from the original run.

[Lantern7]

Vaguely remember this anime. Surprised they opted not to show the second GITS. I'm guessing the studio behind the recent movie asked Toonami not to indirectly shame them further. I don't think Outlaw Star is forum-worthy, though.

ETA for anybody who's interested: here are the opening credits.

[Matt K]

I watched this a decade ago (oh my god, it's really been that long) when my college library had the whole collection.  All I remember is hating it.  I wrote a long post on TWoP but that's gone now.  I think my issue was with the poncho lady and how she was treated later in the series.  From what I remember, it wasn't a bad series, but her treatment kind of ruined the show for me.

[Vermicious Knid]

It was mediocre all around. Story, writing, animation. Pretty much a nothing, typical 90s show.

[Lantern7]

This popped up on my Facebook. And now I feel old.

[Sandman87]

3 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

This popped up on my Facebook. And now I feel old.

I hesitate to admit what clips it would take to make me feel old.

[Sandman87]

Outlaw Star notes:

Aaaagh! I had forgotten what a raging rocking ear-worm "Through the Night" is, and now I can't get it out of my head: "semeNAI de, kesaNAI de, makeNAI de..."

Something different for Mary Elizabeth McGlynn...playing a blue-haired cyborg. No wonder they're putting this show in the GitS:SAC time slot.

[Vermicious Knid]

This Lupin the III series is dreadful. Boring and poorly written. I've just read through the episode descriptions and cancelled it on my DVR.

[Sandman87]

Yeah. I watched several episodes, but now just leave it on with the volume down while I do something else for a half-hour.

It's particularly annoying when the main protagonist constantly blathers about how he "keeps a low profile", yet leaves calling cards and sends warning notes about how he's going to steal peoples' fabulous headline-worthy treasures while marrying/divorcing/on-and-off-dating an internationally famous celebrity. 

Doesn't help any that none of the regular characters appeals to me in any way.

[Lantern7]

Heads up: next weekend's lineup is a DBZ Kai marathon because it's close to Labor Day. Double heel turns and a villain with an IQ in the mid-double digits!!

[Sandman87]

I caught a few minutes of Lupin last night last night. If samurai dude's voice actor were any more wooden, he'd be a tree.