Toonami Exec Reveals the Program's Most Important Rule

Toonami has spent decades becoming one of the biggest programming blocks wherein viewers in North America could experience brand new anime series, as well as a number of other original programs, thanks to the outlet created by Cartoon Network. Taking to social media, the co-creator of Toonami, Jason DeMarco, shared one of the biggest rules that the creative minds behind the programming block had when it came to how they interacted with viewers and how they managed to resonate with viewers over the decades thanks to not just the series that they brought to the West, but also their demeanor.

Toonami first arrived on Cartoon Network in 1997, initially hitting the ground floor running with classic series including the likes of Thundercats, Voltron, and The Real Adventures of Johnny Quest. As time went by, the programming block began introducing some major anime series to the West with the likes of Dragon Ball Z, Rurouni Kenshin, Tenchi Muyo, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, and countless others. Though Toonami had a brief hiatus on Cartoon Network following years of being on the network, it returned as a part of Adult Swim in 2012 and has continued for almost a decade to give viewers a chance to see some of the biggest anime series around.

Jason DeMarco, who is a co-creator of the beloved Toonami programming block, expressed his thoughts on how Toonami was able to relate more heavily with fans by never talking down to them while treating younger viewers with a level of respect that other channels might not have given them:

When talking to kids, our formula was simple: do not talk down to them. https://t.co/k2jFlSx3qP

— SPIRAL CURSE DEMARCO (@Clarknova1) August 28, 2021

Currently, Toonami is playing some of the biggest anime franchises around, with the programming block airing the likes of My Hero Academia, Attack On Titan, Dragon Ball Super, Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon, and a number of other major series. Luckily, Toonami is continuing to expand its popularity so it definitely doesn't seem as if it will be going on hiatus any time soon as it once did, especially as it has begun to branch out and create new anime series of its own, including Fena: Pirate Princess and the upcoming adaptation of Junji Ito's Uzumaki.

What do you think of this essential rule of Toonami's? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of Cartoon Network.