The Packed Story of Toonami & How It Helped Make Anime Mainstream
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ส.ค. 2024
- Thank you to ExpressVPN for sponsoring this video. To find out how you can get 3 months free go to www.expressvpn.com/toygalaxy
Toonami is an American late night television programming block that primarily broadcasts Japanese anime and occasionally American action animation. It was created by Sean Akins and Jason DeMarco and produced by Williams Street, a division of Warner Bros. Entertainment.
Toonami is credited with pushing the popularity of Japanese anime to new heights for shows such as Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon and Mobile Suit Gundam Wing.
Help the channel continue to grow by checking out our Patreon: / toygalaxy
Follow Dan on Instagram:
/ toygalaxy
Toy Galaxy
P.O. box 3976
Manchester, NH 03105-3976
Business Inquiries:
toygalaxytv@gmail.com
/ toygalaxytv
/ toygalaxytv
teespring.com/... - บันเทิง
Back when you could get Ronin Warriors, Gundam Wing, DBZ, and Cowboy Bebop at least twice if you stayed up long enough 👍🏻
Stayin' up late and falling asleep and waking up to Toonami was the best weekend a grown man-child could hope for.
Factz lol
Don’t forget case closed and lupin the 3rd at 5 am
Toonami/Midnight Run/Adult Swim, 90s Nickelodeon, and Fox Kids/Kids WB were my entire life as a child and teenager.
Absolutely nothing has achieved higher than these on television since then for kids and teens in my 32 years of life.
I'm 38, and I agree, I just turned on Adult Swim via Hulu Live before watching this video, and was like WTF?!?! American Dad reruns most of the nite?!?!
@31 Kuroshiro XII We are talking the 90's NOT TODAY!! 🤦
I one hundred percent agree but also for me 90s Cartoon Network the checkerboard era and Hanna Barbera we're major parts of my childhood
@Dragon Ball Z and Tom and Jerry fan 2006 Yes, but all the rest was from the 90's
I'm 37 and I absolutely agree.
Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z, the one two punch that blew the doors off and brought Japanese Anime to the mainstream masses thanks to Toonami!
You are so right, but sad how badly they decided to edit Sailor Moon though.
"This one goes out to all the ladies" I still every once in a while revisit that Moltar lead-in to every new Sailor Moon episode right here on TH-cam in HD to boot! c: I can pretty much quote that entire intro verbatim, including the countdown, "time to go to work!" Hehe. 😁
@Commodorefan64 That's true, but you can't blame DiC for that, like so many people like to do. It was more the era than the company. I mean, back then the 'F' word for gay people was still very openly and publicly used as a derogatory term, including on television and movies. Heck I remember hearing loud chants of it at sporting events back then and no one batted an eye. Given the environment, it's kind of silly to have expected a children's entertainment company to be trailblazers and take the bold stance of showing lesbian characters on a "cartoon show" that aired just as kids were coming home from school.
As much as I love both those classic animes what truly brought anime to the masses was Pokemon on the WB everyone knew what Pokemon was even parents. It wasn't until Pokemon came to America that the word Anime even began to be used in American lexicon.
@@QwyattStorm I agree 100% but would Pokemon have been the success it was or even been made into an Anime or shown in America if Sailor Moon and DBZ hadn't paved the way? I'll agree Pokemon was and is a phenomenon and likely did more for Anime then almost any other property but I maintain Sailor Moon and DBZ moved the needle on Anime from something weird kids watch on pirated VHS tapes to Datleline NBC having a primetime special dedicated to the impact of Sailor Moon in the 90s. Everyone should look that up, its weird lol
Damn, this is making me choke up with nostalgia. I remember watching Toonami back in the day when Moltar was the host. It doesn't seem like it was over 20 years ago, jeez. I was the first generation of kids in the US to witness DBZ and Gundam, it was an amazing time to be a kid. I still love Gundam to this day thanks to Toonami.
Then you've watched longer than I di, I always remember TOM as the host. Not having cable I haven't seen the entire run, but it definitely introduced me to DBZ, MSGW, Sailor Moon, and Reboot
I still love Toonami. Thank you for covering this legendary program
Thank you for the ❤️
Yeah I still watch it every Saturday night too. I'm old school I dont have any streaming service and the only anime I watch on line is gundam from there official TH-cam site. I get impatient waiting for them to release the new seasons on cartoon network and in theaters.
TOONAMI when cartoons were cartoons! and life was still ahead of us
You missed a key element from Toonami's beginnings.... Peter Cullen narrated the commercial bumpers when Voltron and Thundercats hit.
@@rainydayman2k It was that voice alone that got me to watch everyday! #OnlyToonami
@@rainydayman2k "Those who oppose them... die." *gunshot*
One of the best trailers Toonami ever produced.
@@Tai_Jitu "The only hope for the colonies are five elite soldiers and their legendary MobileSuits called Gundam!!!!!!!!"
And the MOTU reboot!
@@Tai_Jitu Gundam Wing, weekdays at five-thirty.
You could argue DBZ made Toonami. I mean it was far and away the highest rated show in the history of Toonami.
I wouldnt doubt if it still is with Super on there now.
No, I would agree it helped but I think toonami owes its success to
Gundam wing
Dragon ball
Ronin warriors
Big o
Outlaw star
Megas xlr
Maybe a few other shows that really took off in the early 00s
@@lockonstratos7787 you also forgot about .hack/sign. That was so so good because it also bridged more adult anime to games.
Nothing will ever top when I was 8 years old and I snuck out of bed to watch adult swim and toonami. Hid in my basement with the volume really low and felt like I was on an adventure as I tried not to get caught by my parents.
Same bro
Yep. Toonami sucked me into the wonderful world of Gundam.
I'm still watching Dragon Ball super the same way did as a kid on Toonami every Saturday night
“We won’t be intimidated by criminal threats.”
-Toonami, tougher than the best, stronger than the rest.
Kids Love It!
"Except NO Substitutes". - A Diss to Kids' WB's Toonami.
"Still better than the rest, and always the best" - Toonami
@@kwame31 Best there was. Best there is. And Best there ever will be.
I think dr.dre's song still dre suits toonami as well
If you have no memory of the 80s it's always kind of tough to explain that shows like Thundercats and Voltron were just gone. Shows that we grew up watching were lost to time no VHS no reruns. Then toonami appeared and brought some things back and it was awesome. Although I will say some shows didn't hold up over time (Voltron), it was still nice to see them again. I'd go so far as to say as far as "nerd" culture is concerned Toonami may just be the genesis, it is the first thing I can remember leaning heavily on nostalgia and then taking it further. Definitely inspiring the nerds after me and bringing it to the mainstream.
Toonami was (and is) a trend setter. When the "Anime Boom" finally officially hit in 2000, with a BALANCE of Anime and Animated Series... Kids' WB AND Fox Kids soon/quickly & Hastily (in Fox Kids' case) followed suit.
@@BrianAwesome Dont forget about the SciFy Channel and Anime TechTv late night anime line ups.
@@QwyattStorm Yup. And those have to be applauded as well, for giving us shows..
When Fox, Wb, and others were falling off not long after the early 2000s.
G4 was a decent alternative, that gave us anime that wasn't on Toonami in the mid 2000s.
Weird when I was young I remember watching thundercat during the middle of the day. Late 90's and early 2000's. Don't remember the network though.
I was there on Day 1 with Moltar back in '97... watched the original runs of DBZ and Gundam Wing despite being out of the core age range; Hell, I even watched Tenchi Muyo a few times out of boredom!
Tenchi fire 🔥
thanks for the recap - it’s crazy how long it took Gundam to come to the states.
Biggest problem was that it was a show about humans fighting and killing other humans, not robots or aliens.
Welcome to the television business
@@kevinkinne7119 I'm so grateful for getting to be a kid during that brief time when Gundam Wing was allowed on TV _right after school!_ Those days are never coming back.
@@kravenraven3986 so good I'll never forget how cinematic that last fight was to a young kid mind blown
I was going to link would get a reanimation the Ceres is amazing but the animation is even for them low
Love Toonami! Was there from day 1! Introduced me to some greats! Bleach, Dragonball Z, & the almighty Cowboy Bebop 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
@Dragon Ball Z and Tom and Jerry fan 2006 technically yes but for a few years toonami had a block of shows on adult swim late night after toonami was canceled
@Dragon Ball Z and Tom and Jerry fan 2006 It was still all on the cartoon network so relax.
Love Toonami. Love Toy Galaxy. Thank you for this. I still watch old school bumpers on TH-cam for the classic Toonami line ups.
I think I first discovered Toonami around 2000 or so, basically when I was in high school. I've been watching ever since, including the current Adult Swim iteration.
Man this was a great episode. I have such fond memories of when Toonami first aired. I took me about 5 attempts watching Gundam Wing until I got hooked.
Toonami/Midnight Run introduced me to Ghost In The Shell
I knew of Ghost in the Shell well before Toonami, thanks to my local comic shop having the original movie for rent via VHS, which I later bought, but it introduced me to the series.
@Dragon Ball Z and Tom and Jerry fan 2006 It was all on the Cartoon Network stop nit picking over semantics.
I first saw it on HBO probably two or three years prior.
No love for Ronin Warriors, it was one of the early anime on there before Dragonball Z. And the toy line for that show was great with all the armor clicking in place like a Centurion.
In Canada, we had Bionix, a block of programming on Friday nights from 9pm to 2am that aired on YTV from 2004 to 2010.
It basically served the same function as Toonami.
Toonami is always gonna be a part of my childhood
Man I freaked out on that April Fools thing they did.
Thanks for covering it. I still having the Toonami Deep Space Bass CD I bought at BORDERS books.
I regret not buying that
I bought Daft Punk's "Discovery" after seeing the music video bumpers they did.
I've had that on every music playing device I've ever owned, it's still a hell of an album
Their original bumper and commercial music was amazing.
@@kevinthomas4239 I remember that night they did the music videos. was my aunt's birthday.
Oh hey, you even included my boy Luffy in your thumbnail. Thanks for that and another awesome video.
one piece is the best!! except the 4kids dub haha
I got goosebumps every time I heard Tom's voice, Steve Blume is awesome as Tom and now I just want to go watch some anime
Toonami was what jump started my love for Anime. Cowboy Bebop, Dragon Ball Z, Gundam Wing, Yu Yu Hakusho (GOAT imo), Naruto, Gundam SEED, and in more recent years One Piece and Hunter X Hunter…all my first watches came from this TV block of gold.
The “Total Immersion” events were amazing and the look and feel was so cool. Most definitely a corner stone of Childhood.
LONG LIVE TOONAMI.
Toonami meant a lot to me as a High School kid in Georgia. It's how I made friends in high school populated by golf playing yuppies. Used to rush home from school to catch all of it and talk about it the next morning waiting for school to start. I still have a love for Toonami and all of the programs they would air.
I still vividly remember my high school days, watching Saturday night Anime with my take out pizza and my 2 liter bottle of Surge. I was introduced to so many good shows/movies. DBZ, Robotech/Macross, Akira, Vampire Hunter D, just to name a small few.
I still watch toonami to this day, Thanks For Covering Toonami
Hey, Producer Greg, I nearly choked on a peanut butter pretzel with the picture you used for Sailor Moon. Good work!
That was hilarious, I had to pause the video just to see the Thornberry/SM mash-up. It took me a few seconds to realize it was Sailor Moon with the Nigel Thornberry face
As a fan of Anime and animation, it pleases me to know I was part of a generation of folks that grow up with this type of programming. So to see it still going even now in 2019 is a blessing in disguise and a joy to my heart that something back in the late 90s basically gave birth to main stream anime as a whole... So from the bottom of my heart and soul.... Thanks toonami for making my childhood awesome ❤️
Man this take me back. I got turned on to Toonami in '99 when I was in middle school. I remember making a point to stay up for the Midnight Run music event. And that run of Sailor Moon, Dragonball Z, and Gundam Wing got me hooked on both Dragonball and Gundam for the next 20 years...
Toonami and Kids WB will always be cornerstones of my childhood, great video!
Toonami introduced me to so many different series, but it wasnt my first exposure. Disney introduced me with My Neighbor Totoro, and then there was the ocean dub of Dragon Ball Z that used to air on USA back in the early 90s.
The Peter Cullen promos are some of my favorite promos from toonami. Perfect balance of pitch and exposition with excellent music and video editing. Having the voice of Optimus Prime was just icing on the cake.
Toonami not only got me into anime but also drum and bass. Seriously I love the music they used.
I Will always love The 2000s anime toonami era! So many amazing shows! I was a huge fan of DBZ, Gundam Wing, Yugioh, Pokémon, Naruto, and many others. Tom was a fantastic host too! Thank you for posting this! One of your best classic history videos!
I LOVED Toonami! It was my introduction to both Sailor Moon & Dragon Ball Z. AND I was so happy when they started airing episodes of Robotech and Ronin Warriors, two of my all-time favorites.
DBZ at the neighbors house after we got out of school.
When I was in high school, I’d spend the night at my older sister’s house so I could watch Adult Swim.
I got turned out when Toonami introduced me to Dragon Ball Z. I got hooked on that series to the point where I was recording episodes onto VHS cassettes.
Rurouni kenshin, naruto, inuyasha, bleach, dragon ball, and yugioh was what I grew up with I remember when toonami came back I watched bleach naruto uncut and inuyasha man Saturday nights were awesome
Thank God for Toonami. It introduced me to DBZ. I series that I still love to this day. And enjoy watching it on every Saturday night.
Toonami was a huge part of my childhood and early teen years. Thank-you Dan for Covering this when the memories started coming back I was almost in tears.
I loved running home after middle school to watch sailor Moon and dbz, then Gundam wing in freshman year. There was something special about waiting the entire school day to catch that one episode of the scant few anime run on TV. Thanks for including the commercial for the Toonami Midnight Run Special Edition, it turned me into a lifelong Gorillaz and Daft Punk fan 😍❤
Gundam Wing is still my most loved mech anime to this day.
Toy Galaxy's existence is imperative to the betterment of our world.
Me and the Mrs watch toonami every Sat while we eat Mexican food. So so many great shows over the years. Its become one of my favorite parts of the week.
The Toonami soundtrack CD was one of my favorites for years
I wish they made more. Sure there’s the Digital Soundtracks, but the actual CD was amazing.
Toonami was my childhood. Listening to those old Steve Blum as Tom recordings got me right in the nostalgia feels.
Toonami for me = Gundam, Ronin Warriors, Dragon Ball Z (aware of it before, but wasn't able to watch it), and others I can't think of right now! Such great programming!
Loved Toonami. I got hooked on Gundam Wing at the time and loved the old school stuff like Thundercats and G.I. Joe back on the tv. The Cartoon Network had a great idea and glad its still around even to this day! Great job again Toy Galaxy! I can't wait for the next video!
I remember the first Toonami in 1997. I was in college and recorded Voltron, Thundercats and the New Jonny Quest. I also recorded the various Gundam until the mid 2000s when it went to garbage. I know it's come back, but I haven't had cable in a decade, and haven't looked back
It was such a fun time. I dont think life has ever been as exciting as it was back then. I loved the fact there was so much new stuff coming out back then and a whole world I didnt know about
I came up on Speed Racer, Star Blazers, Robotech, and Voltron. Toonami came about when I was an adult and introduced me to Trigun, Paranoia Agent, and my all time favorite anime, Cowboy Bebop.
Toomami started so many people on anime and it deserves more credit.
Toonami had a lot of golden years
Toonami got me into Gundams big. I had most of the Gundam Wing models. Death Scythe Hell is still my favorite. I remember when they had that music video block, I recorded all of it on VHS. I might still have it somewhere. Thanks for reminding me of that.
Toonami was where i first saw an interesting OVA i had previously only heard of in passing, a little show called Tenchi Muyo!, and i am forevermore grateful 😙
funny how you do takes but then keep the take in the final video. hehe. love it!
HazardsofEverything I literally clapped when he nailed “cultural acceptance” lol
I started watching Toonami back in 1999 when I bought my first Direct TV. I was hooked because I love anime. From old school like Speed Racer and Robotech to Fire Force and Dr. Stone. I watched a lot of anime. I recorded dozens of shows before buying them on dvd. Thanks for the information on why some shows were chopped off for kids and un cut for adults. I even love the holiday marathons that ran shows like Sailor Moon, Tenchi Muyo, etc. I even remember that Toonami once aired Studio Ghibili movies like Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away. It's a line up that Cartoon Network made that I will never forget.
You guys never let me down. What an awesome episode! One I would have never anticipated in you guys covering. Love the channel, keep'em coming.
In Mexico in the 90's we had our own Anime bar Saturday mornings. All uncensored, with the best dub of the world.
I hate when they say “it went mainstream”..... it’s more like “they got popular in the US”.... anime had been “mainstream” in Latin America since the 70’s..... all untouched, full of violence....
Saturday Morning? I used to watch Ranma 1/2 everyday in a Mexican Channel on Cable before it made it to my country.....
@@alejandromolinac maybe late 90's? Ranma was a thing in the 95-96 if i recall correctly, in the early 90's we watched saint seiya at 8 AM (last week episode) and the new at 9 or 10, i dont remember exactlly. and before that in the middle 80's, mazinger Z!!!
Toonami was a mainstay on my TV when it was first airing - especially since it was on the rise while Sci-Fi / SyFy was dropping the ball on their Saturday Anime block. That one was also fascinating, since it would air one part of a multi-part OVA like Record of Lodoss War, giving you a tiny slice of a larger story that they never followed up on. Both channels introduced me to some long beloved shows, though I knew of anime long before either arrived.
Toonami introduced me to my love of Anime when watched my first anime show Sailor Moon.
I had watched a few mechas before toonami, but it was my introduction to gundam. Been a lifelong fan ever since.
It's funny. Here in Mexico anime series have been airing since I can recall. Actually, almost uncut versions of Saint Seiya, Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball were part of regular afternoon programming through the early and mid 90's and were watched by almost every kid in Elementary School age.
Another awesome video from Toy Galaxy! :)
They say Dragon Ball Z made anime mainstream. I say, anime has been with us for a very long time, but due to the edits, most people did not and many still do not know that the likes of Voltron, Robotec, Speed Racer, etc., are all anime. It was Toonami that popularized the idea that these great shows came from Japan and started to break the old world view that animation was only for kids.
I owe Toonami for my love of all things Gundam and letting me see awesome shows like Cowboy Beebop and Outlaw Star.
gwgux Ronin Warriors were not edtied nor censor.
My childhood! Also since 2012, my adulthood.
toonami literally made my childhood, i remember watching fmab,bleach,inuyasha
Midnight Run was originally run Monday-Friday and was created to show Gundam Wing Uncut
1997: The year Toonami and me were born.
In the UK we had CNX, which showed anime such as Dragon ball Z, Cowboy Bebop, Outlaw Star as well as films like Shaft and Demolition Man. CNX only lasted from 2002 to 2003, and eventually it changed to Toonami.
I could watch this 1000x.... it hits me so hard in the nostalgia it gives me flash backs to a wide timeline in my life. You've invoked many loving memories from my childhood and thoughts friends. Thank you a lil extra for this one, guys.
Although Toonami helped, Scify when it was SciFi in the mid 90s deff pushed anime into homes with is Anime Saturday mornings. Showing Akira, Robot Carnival, Dominion Tank Police and other more classic anime films
Rip kids WB, what a fucking amazing Programing block.
This is my teenage genesis that made me fall in love with the genre
Toonami (and Adult Swim) introduced me to so many great series & movies.
The original music was amazing. Their commercials often felt like AMVs. You all should look up Deep Space Bass and Black Hole Megamix and have a listen.
I was there at the end in 2008.
I'm still salty about missing the April Fools.
I'm still watching the revival to this day.
Probably my favorite video that you made
I remember that music video special they did! Gorillaz's "Clint Eastwood" and "19-2000" and I also remember Matthew Sweet's "Girlfriend" as one of the videos. Don't remember the rest....
...and the Linkin Park's Point of Authority cg vid, in the time where I was balls deep into starcraft
According to wiki; Hellbend by Kenna, which used an edited version of Mark Osborne's short film MORE.
Big-O was one of my favorites!
I remember being in 8th grade or high school and rushing home to watch Toonami. When it started. It introduced me to Gundam Wing and strengthened my love for DBZ. I still watch it. I'll always have fond memories of it. Tom's the man!
Excellently done!!! 👍I remember being a college kid, and when I saw Silverhawks and G-Force etc..were "back", I almost lost it! Hahaha And to this DAY, even though I was already very familiar with anime (e.g. Starblazers), Dragonball Z, Gundam Wing, and yes, even SAILOR MOON are my "Eternal Anime Triad". They are STILL a part of my very everyday consciousness! All because of Toonami! So I think it is absolutely ADORABLE, when fifteen to twenty year olds think that "Attack On Titan is what revolutionized anime in the U.S." Like I said....adorable!😂 Anyway, once again, GREAT job!
Great Stuff! The Toonami block (and bumpers) is itself a feedback loop of nostalgia.
I purchased so many songs from the soundtrack!
So many good memories.
Thank you for the heart! Keep up the great content, as always!
I was there practically from day one in 97 through the original "sign off" in 08. There was a magical combination of music, visual aesthetics, and enough compelling content to keep an entire generation afloat. The new "midnight run" seems fine, but I'm usually asleep by then. I could catch up on demand, but I'd rather have it be on a streaming service. One with Toonami branding, that is.
Cowboy Bebop and Gundam... thank you Toonami! Other fun stuff too. I watched Voltron, Speed, Star Blazers, and Robotech. So Toonami stroked that love for Anime to a new level. DBZ, Wing, G Gundam, etc ahhhh good times. Especially Bebop. Greatest of them all to me.
Toonami was my exposure to pretty much everything during the golden age. Even the American cartoons since I wasn't born when they aired.
I loved Toonami and VCR'd ThunderCats and Voltron every day afterschool. I would miss the first bit since it started at 3pm. I rediscovered the cartoons from the 80s then thanks to that new Internet thing and wrote to Toonami as much as I could to pick up Transformers, G.I. Joe and He-Man. They eventually did get G.I. Joe and the new Transformers and He-Man toons, so I was sorta of successful.
I remember for just a week or so in the late 90s, Moltar was running a marathon of Beast Wars on Toonami. For years the rest of my family didn't believe me. Saying "Beast Wars was never on Cartoon Network". Of course, now that I'm old enough to look it up and prove them wrong, nobody cares.
When I was in middle school I heavily watched the rebranded midnight runs of anime.
It's where I found one of my favorite shows Casshern Sins. Which is shown slightly here. As well as Ghost in the Shell.
THOSE BEATS THO.
Anyone else buy “Deep Space Bass” back in the day?
Toonami gave me the greatest gift of all, not only did I connect to my Love of the Big O but Trigun as well and whew how I feel in love. I was already Japanimation fan from bk in the day but this lil easter egg was dropped in my lap...my love for the anime had all but burnt out over the loss of BubbleGum crisis but I found myself once again renewed much like Tom once my eyes were set upon Trigun!
Thanks Toonami for my Gundam model habit! Looking forward to the eventual release of HG Shenlong Gundam to complete my Wing bois
Talking of animation for mature audiences, in Latinamerica an animation channel called Locomotion brought content dedicated exclusively to late teen and young adults without the restraints that cartoon network had to deal with, it was for a while, Toonami's fiercest competitor in the region.
Locomotion gave latam's audiences their first taste of anime's of the likes of Evangenlion, Cowboy Bebop, HunterXHunter, Saber Marionette X, Ghost in a Shell, Akira, Love Hina, Blue Seed, Arjuna, Gasaraki and the list goes on.
Also the channel became the haven for MTV's early 90s animation, Aeon Flux, The Head, The Maxx and other western made animation like Duckman, The Critic, Bob & Margaret, etc.
It might escape the reach of this channel but its an interesting topic to explore.
I loved to stay up late just for the DBZ rock the dragon intro. Also sleepy eyed every Monday because I had to see cowboy bebop!
I normally save these videos for Saturday mornings, but I never heard of toonami, now I know, thanks Dan!
I love IGPX! Can't get enough of that show dubbed or subbed.
Robotech, Ronin Warriors, Gundam Wing, Tenchi, and Outlaw Star ❤️❤️❤️
Man o man, I really do love the out takes being in the video. I would honestly watch a whole video of just line flubs leading to bleeped cursing. Also toonami was my favorite part of my early teens through my early twenties when i got too busy. Reshowing me thundercats was huge to me.