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[[File:TOMnami_small_6037.png|frame|The many hosts of Toonami, in charge of [[Slogans|building you a better cartoon show]]. <ref> From left to right: [[Space Ghost|Moltar]] (C. Martin Croker, 1997-1999), TOM 1.0 ([[Sonny Strait]], 1999-2000), TOM 2.0 ([[Steve Blum]], 2000-2003), TOM 3.0 ([[Steve Blum]], 2003-2007, 2012), TOM 4.0 ([[Steve Blum]], 2007-2008), and TOM 3.5 ([[Steve Blum]], 2012-on).</ref>]]
{{quote|''"Welcome to the televised revolution,
''As we drift through outer space aboard [[Cool Starship|the Absolution]],
''With [[Steve Blum|TOM]] [[Back From the Dead|back]] [[He's Back|in active duty]] as [[The Host|captain]],
''In charge of bringing superior [[Anime]] action.
''Yeah…[[Uncanceled|Toonami’s back]], [[This Is for Emphasis, Bitch|bitches]],
''To celebrate TOM’s return to television."''
|'''Richie Branson'''<ref>"[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29MIkOROI0M #ToonamisBackBitches]", which was used as [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOnHfEP1Roc the intro to Toonami during its 2012 return premiere.]</ref>}}
'''''Toonami''''', an influential programming block consisting primarily of a mix of Western action-adventure cartoons and anime, aired on weekday afternoons (and, later, Saturdays) on [[Cartoon Network]] starting in 1997. The block featured ''incredibly'' high production values for its [[Framing Device|commercial bumpers, advertisements, and ARG campaigns]], which included high-end 3D graphics, a soundtrack consisting of then-uncharacteristic (for a children's block) drum-and-bass and ambient music, and a consistent setting and narrative. Toonami had a hand in [[Uncanceled|uncancelling]] several syndicated series (''[[Dragon Ball]] Z'', ''[[ReBoot]]'', and ''[[Sailor Moon]]''), and it premiered several series on its own, both anime (''[[Mobile Suit Gundam Wing|Gundam Wing]]'', ''[[Outlaw Star]]'', all three of the original ''[[Tenchi Muyo!|Tenchi Muyo]]'' series) and Western animation (the 2002 ''[[He-Man and the Masters of the Universe]]''). In regards to anime, fans and historians both credit Toonami for single-handedly ushering in the [[Japanese Invasion|mainstream Japanophilia boom]] of the early-to-mid 2000s.
Toonami began life as a spinoff of ''[[Space Ghost Coast to Coast]]'', with Moltar broadcasting action cartoons from the Ghost Planet. Cartoon Network later [[Retool|Retooled]] the block with an original host character, '''[[Robot Buddy|TOM]]''' ([[Fun with Acronyms|standing for Toonami Operations Module]]), broadcasting from the [[Cool Starship]] ''Absolution'' (with [[Spaceship Girl]] '''SARA''' joining the cast later). The network also created story-based events and online games associated with TOM and the ''Absolution'' (the first of those events, ''The Intruder'', resulted in [[The Nth Doctor|the upgrade of TOM to TOM II]]). The tenth anniversary of the block brought yet another [[Retool]], relocating the [[Framing Device]] to a jungle planet with a new incarnation of TOM and several other new Robot Buddies; fans widely think of this version's cast as [[Replacement Scrappy|Replacement Scrappies]].
Cartoon Network exported Toonami to other nations' versions of the network; it even became an entire network thanks to a revamp of the spinoff channel CNX (before [[Network Decay|degrading]] into "CN Too"). The ''[[Kids WB]]'' weekday afternoon block also tried to adopt Toonami's brand for about a year from 2001-2002, but the programming didn't fit the block's image, and the Toonami branding soon went away.
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Fans of Toonami recognize the block -- or, more accurately, Toonami's "Midnight Run" -- as the [[Spiritual Successor|Spiritual Ancestor]] of [[Adult Swim]]. Several anime series that aired on Toonami ended up airing on [as] during the latter block's first year.
Cartoon Network eventually cancelled Toonami due to flagging ratings (a direct result of [[Screwed
Toonami...[[Too Good to Last|was shut down.]]
''[[
On [[April Fools' Day]] 2012, [[Adult Swim]] "revived" Toonami for one night; while it mainly reused clips from the past -- and showed episodes of classic Toonami shows -- it also featured new lines recorded for a special ''[[
Currently, the new is set to run on a shoestring budget until ratings go up, but with new animated segments featuring a slightly revamped TOM 3 and airing [[Bleach
[[Catch Phrase|Stay gold.]]
=== [[Western Animation]] ===
* ''[[Batman: The Animated Series|Batman the Animated Series]]''
* ''[[Batman Beyond]]''
* ''[[
* ''[[
* ''[[
* ''[[
* ''[[Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes|Fantastic Four Worlds Greatest Heroes]]''
* ''[[
* ''[[G.I. Joe]]''
* ''[[He-Man and the Masters of the Universe]]'' (2002)
* ''[[
* ''[[
* ''[[
* ''[[Justice League (animation)|Justice League]] Unlimited''
* ''[[
* ''[[The Powerpuff Girls]]''
* ''[[
* ''[[Samurai Jack]]''
* ''[[Scooby Doo]], Where Are You?'' (Kids WB)
* ''[[
* ''[[Star Wars: Clone Wars
* ''[[
* ''[[
* ''[[Superman: The Animated Series
* ''[[Teen Titans (
* ''[[
* Early [[
=== [[Anime]] ===
* ''[[Astro Boy (anime)|Astro Boy]]'' (2003)
* ''[[The Big O]]'' (first season only; it would later move to [[Adult Swim]] to premiere the second season)
* ''[[Blue Dragon]]'' (14 episodes aired on Toonami, while most of the series aired online.)
* ''[[Blue Submarine No. 6]]''
* ''[[Bobobo-Bo Bo-bobo]]''
* ''[[Cardcaptor Sakura|Cardcaptors]]''
* ''[[Cyborg 009]]''
* ''[[Dai-Guard]]'' [[Giant Robot Week]]
* ''[[.hack//Sign]]'' [only the first four episodes before switching to SVES; ''[[.hack|.hack//Legend of the Twilight Bracelet]]'' was initially planned to air on Saturday Toonami but when [[Adult Swim]] took the 11 hour on Saturday it ended up premiering Friday nights/Saturday mornings at 1]
* ''[[Dragon Ball]]''
* ''[[Dragon Ball]] Z''
* ''[[Dragon Ball GT]]''
* ''[[Duel Masters (anime)|Duel Masters]]''
* ''[[Eyeshield 21]]'' [online-only]
* ''[[Science Ninja Team Gatchaman|G-Force]]''
* ''[[Gigantor]]'' [[Giant Robot Week]]
* ''[[Mobile Fighter G Gundam|G Gundam]]''
* ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket|Gundam 0080]]''
* ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam SEED|Gundam SEED]]''
* ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam Wing|Gundam Wing]]''
* ''[[Hamtaro]]'' ([[Executive Meddling|yes, really]])
* ''[[Hikaru no Go]]'' [online-only]
* ''[[IGPX: Immortal Grand Prix|IGPX]]''
* ''[[Interstella 5555]]'' [the first 4 videos in the project, including the premiere of "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger"]
* ''[[MAR]]'' [a very popular Jetstream show that briefly made it to the Toonami lineup]
* ''[[Martian Successor Nadesico]]'' [[Giant Robot Week]]
* ''[[Mega Man Star Force]]''
* ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]''
* ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team]]''
* ''[[Naruto]]''
* ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' [only the first two episodes, heavily censored, and only during the "Giant Robot Week" event]
* ''[[Pokémon (anime)|Pokémon]]''
* ''[[The Prince of Tennis]]'' [a popular Jetstream show that also briefly made it to the Toonami lineup]
* ''[[One Piece]]'' [All of the [[4Kids! Entertainment]] version with a [[Channel Hop]] to Toonami after [[Fox Kids|Fox Box]] went belly up. Eventually premiered the [[FUNimation]] dub in 2007.]
* ''[[Outlaw Star]]''
* ''[[Rave Master]]''
* ''[[Robotech]]''
* ''[[Ronin Warriors]]''
* ''[[Rurouni Kenshin]]''
* ''[[Sailor Moon]]''
* ''[[Saint Seiya]]'' [as ''Knights of the Zodiac'']
* ''[[Tenchi Muyo!|Tenchi Muyo]]'' [the original [[OVA|OVAs]], ''[[Tenchi Universe]]'' and ''[[Tenchi in Tokyo]]'']
* ''[[Transformers Armada]]''
* ''[[Voltron]]''
* ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh (anime)|Yu-Gi-Oh]]''
* ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! GX (anime)|Yu-Gi-Oh GX]]''
* ''[[Yu Yu Hakusho]]''
* ''[[Zatch Bell]]''
* ''[[Zoids: New Century Zero]]''
* ''[[Zoids: Chaotic Century]]''
=== [[Live Action Television]] ===
* ''[[Wulin Warriors]]'' (for all of 2 episodes)
== The [adult swim] version of ''Toonami'' has featured the following programs ==
=== 2012 April Fools' Block ===
* ''Astro Boy'' (1963)
* ''The Big O''
* ''Blue Submarine No. 6''
* ''Dragon Ball Z''
* ''Gigantor''
* ''Gundam Wing''
* ''Outlaw Star''
* ''Tenchi Muyo'' (The third OVA)
* ''Trigun''
* ''Yu Yu Hakusho''
== Shows shown starting on the May 26th Revival ==
* ''[[
* ''[[
* ''[[Cowboy Bebop]]''
* ''[[Deadman Wonderland]]''
* ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist (manga)|FullmetalAlchemist: Brotherhood]]''
* ''[[Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex|Ghost in The Shell Stand Alone Complex]]: 2nd Gig''
----
* [[Actor Allusion]]: TOM 4.0's final line closing out Toonami's initial run echoes that of [[Cowboy Bebop|another character voiced by]] [[Steve Blum|Steven Jay Blum]].
* [[April Fools' Day]]: As stated, the block was dusted off for a one night stand on April 1st 2012 on Adult Swim, [[And the Fandom Rejoiced]]!
** The fandom rejoiced so much, it's become known as [https://web.archive.org/web/20131029192824/http://p.twimg.com/ApYo1oyCEAAia-c.jpg the night no 90's kids slept], and the movement afterwards has come to be known as [https://web.archive.org/web/20131029172732/https://p.twimg.com/ApnUsPFCAAAUFzs.png:large The Toonami Renaissance].
* [[Ascended Fanboy]]: Richie Branson, whose raps celebrating Toonami's return played on [[Adult Swim]]'s bumpers and became the official theme for the return of Toonami.
* [[The Asteroid Thicket]]: One of these was seen in 2003.
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* [[Brother Chuck]]: Toonami was pretty good at averting this, and seeing as most blocks don't bother with continuity at all, that's fairly impressive. However, the 2007 season dropped all pretenses of keeping the plot straight - TOM v.4 replaced v.3, and SARA and the Absolution both disappeared entirely for no apparent reason.
** SARA's absence was due to her VA Sally Timms being unavailable. She also won't appear on the new Toonami soon, this time because they can't afford to rehire her as well as the cost of animating her ''far'' more realistic and detailed body.
* [[Broke the Rating Scale]] / [[Hilarity Ensues]]: When TOM did video game reviews (usually during commercial breaks) one game received a "?" rating, ''Dropship: United Peace Force'' for the [[
* [[Call Back]]: The new Toonami's "Building a Better Cartoon Show" promo is a direct update of several Moltar- and TOM 1.0/2.0-era promos. It even uses the same audio clip every similar promo shared, a line from the [[
* [[Cool Ship]]: Both ''Absolutions''.
* [[Deadpan Snarker]]: TOM and SARA were both very prone to snark during the story arcs.
* [[End of an Age]]: The block's cancellation is definitely considered this by fans, as well as a major sign of [[
* [[Fan Sequel]]: Several fan-run streaming sites exist or are in the works, some even doing original bumps. Not exactly legal, though, so no links for you.
* [[Fan Art]]: During the TOM 2.0 and TOM 3.0 years, there was a period during which you could mail it into Cartoon Network and it'd be showcased on-air.
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** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYUM7h4SVsA "A boy has the right to dream..."]
** [[Recycled in Space|In]] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a7clqqbHZI&playnext=1&list=PL36103FA919B7C863 Space!]
** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNFX9kCkfw0&feature=BF&list=PL36103FA919B7C863&index=2 Tom's speeches.]
*** Moltar did these when he was host as well including:
**** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgIQOUrtLIA Teamwork]
**** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXyBR3QHe3o Teaching]
**** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qigOyUBlmZo Heroes]
**** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DREPZvC-wKc ...and reruns]
** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hha9rEGO1XI&feature=BF&list=PL36103FA919B7C863&index=8 Pardon our dust...]
** And new to 2012? [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ5UB-rcwk0 Building you a better cartoon show.]
* [[Four-Fingered Hands]]: Tom's 2 and 4 both had four fingers on each hand. Tom 1 had only 3 fingers, while Tom 3 was the only one to have all five.
* [[Four Point Scale]]: Out of all the video game reviews done on the show, it was rare for anything to get a score below 7 out of 10. No games ever received a 5 or lower on that scale either.
* [[Hey, It's That Voice!]]: [[Peter Cullen|Optimus Prime]] was the voice for many a Toonami promo whenever TOM or SARA weren't speaking. That alone made you not want to skip the commercials.
** And, of course, [[Steve Blum]] as TOM v.2-4.
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* [[History Repeats]]: Toonami began its earliest days with a limited budget and lineup strictly limited to shows whose licenses were cheap to pick up. Over ten years later, in 2012 during the re-launch? Well....
* [[In Name Only]]: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2vOiqeJmvc Toonami on ''KidsWB''.]
* [[Killer App]]: ''[[
** ''[[Gundam Wing]]'' was also this during Toonami's heyday. It was one of the first "serious" anime to premiere largely uncut on a mainstream western network. ''[[Gundam Wing]]'' was so popular, its airing of the OVA special "Endless Waltz" is, to this day, the second highest rated program ''ever'' in the history of [[
** And then in 2005, a year after the block became Saturday-only, it was ''[[
* [[Marathon Running]]: One in 2000 called [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LrGYZNDMMo Full Cycle], and the second in 2006 called the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsfHPvh-Xak&feature=related Naruto Hundo].
* [[Never Say "Die"]]: Much of its programs thankfully averted this, which contributed to its edgy factor. ''[[Gundam Wing]]'' received this for its daytime airings, but was fortunately allowed to say "kill" and "die" during Toonami's Midnight Run block.
** One of the rare and unfortunate examples of this trope played straight, however, was ''[[Gundam Seed]]''. Granted, it was [[Bandai Entertainment]], NOT [[
* [[Noodle Incident]]: When Moltar hosted the show, he mentioned that he used to date Sailor Jupiter, but something happened that caused them to break up.
** As mentioned above, there's also no explanation for why TOM v3 was replaced with v4, or went back to v3 for the April 1st airing and subsequent relaunch (though [[Canon
* [[Nostalgia Ain't Like It Used to Be]]: If you grew up in the late [[The Nineties|1990s]]/early [[Turn of the Millennium|2000s]], this is probably how you feel about most of kids show programs today.
* [[The Nth Doctor]]: The Clydes are the most prevalent example--the 49 was a single statillite unit during Moltar's reign. Once TOM stepped in, Clyde 49 became Clyde 50s (floating security cameras around the Absolution). The DOKs, unoffically Clyde 51s, added limbs to the design (amongst other things). The Clyde 52s were basically floating, solar-powered emoticons. The Clyde 53s were complex beetle-like structures with elements from each of their predecessors. The singular Clyde 54 vaguely resembled the Clyde 50s, but with a humanoid face (much like TOM v.4).
** TOM was destroyed and rebuilt twice. The presence of the fourth version was never explained.
** SARA also changed from a face on a screen to a full-on hologram (to better defend the Absolution), and even the Absolution was replaced once.
* [[One of Us]]: In-universe wise, TOM is a huge fan of [[Super Mario Bros.|Mario]] games, LEGO's, and ''[[Star Wars]]''. His other game reviews also shed some light on everything he's a fan of.
* [[The Other Darrin]]: TOM was first voiced by [[Sonny Strait]] (Krillin in ''[[
* [[This Is for Emphasis, Bitch]]: TOM seems to have picked this up since the revival. It's part of the marketing campaign too, with the official hashtag being #ToonamiIsBackBitches.
* [[Precision F-Strike]]: TOM begins the full revival on 5/26/2012:
{{quote|
* [[The Renaissance Age of Animation]]
* [[Retraux]]: The 2012 April Fool's run recreated the TOM 3 era visually.
* [[Robot Buddy]]: The CLYDEs, TOM, and Flash & D.
** TOM is our robot buddy.
* [[Screwed
* [[Shout-Out]]: During the final intro, TOM psychs himself up by chanting "Pagua Sanpha, Pagua Sanpha!", the chant used by the Kei Pirates in ''[[Outlaw Star]]'', which TOM repeatedly mentioned was his favorite showcased series.
** The "Bang" quote above is also the last line uttered by TOM during the final broadcast.
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** ''The Intruder'': The first and considered a [[Wham! Episode]] by many fans. A red blob attaches itself to the Absolution and slowly eats at the engine. Tom goes to fight it {{spoiler|but ultimately fails and is his body devoured. However this releases his new body, Tom-2 and he manages to jettison the engine and the blob out into space. Viewers were then allowed to pick the new engine for the ship.}}
** ''Lockdown'': The Absolution comes upon distress signal that leads them to a spaceship graveyard. Their controls are locked down trapping them there. Tom and SARA find that the problem coming from a nearby ship and an entity whose signal is keeping the ships trapped. As TOM and SARA are stuck on the Absolution, they send their probes (controlled by their viewers) to destroy the entity and free them.
** ''Trapped in Hyperspace'': Tom tries out a new hyperspace function but a computer virus attacks the ship during so, leaving the Absolution stuck hurling through hyperspace. The only way to free themselves is for Tom to plug his mind into the computer grid and confront the virus directly. The confrontations were part of a flash game the Toonami site was holding.
* [[Totally Radical]]: [[Your Mileage May Vary|Arguably subverted]] in that while TOM says things like "Ride 'em Cowboy" and "Drop It Like It's Hot" when reviewing games, [[So Cool Its Awesome|he still sounds like a badass]].
* [[Trailers]]: Toonami was famous for putting together professionally well-made trailers for the programs it aired. The pre-debut trailer for ''[[Gundam Wing]]'' was so good that Bandai asked for--and received--permission to start using the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIa7bQfxiMQ Toonami trailer] instead of its own to advertise the show's DVD release.
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* [[With This Herring]]: TOM, after being rebuilt, was expected to (and proceeded to) destroy [[Space Pirate|Orcelot Rex.]] With a dinner fork.
----
{{quote|
'''LATER''' }}
{{reflist}}
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[[Category:The Renaissance Age of Animation]]
[[Category:Networks]]
[[Category:index]]
[[Category:Toonami]]
[[Category:Cartoon Network]]
[[Category:Programming Blocks]]
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