Anime might currently be more recognized in general pop culture these days as the last decade saw an increase in popularity due to being made more widely available through streaming, but for fans of a certain age, there was no better source for anime viewing than the Toonami programming block. Now under the wings of Adult Swim, Toonami remains one of the highlights of the week for many anime fans out there not only because there are new episodes of their favorite series but because of the extra love and attention the block pays to its offerings.
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Ever since Toonami first began, one of the coolest elements it introduced were these short promo videos that edited footage from its shows together in order to send a message. These were often messages of hope or perseverance, but overall helped to established a cool “anime club” kind of vibe that fans were drawn to.
It’s a feeling that’s most lost these days, but the most recent airing of the block kept this spirit alive with a brand new “Fear Not” promo that urged fans to push through their own strife in life with courage and heart much like their favorite anime heroes from series such as My Hero Academia, Black Clover, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind and more.
These specialty promos alongside game reviews, major events that shake up its aesthetics every few years, and an open back and forth communication with fans are the reasons the block still has an impact on the anime world today. Even with highly competitive offerings with original Japanese language broadcasts, the weekly block still brings in tons of fans each week that remain Toonami faithful after all this time.
If you wanted to jump back into the block, the current Toonami schedule for Saturday evenings on Adult Swim breaks down as such (in EST):
- 11:30 PM – My Hero Academia Season 4
- 12:00 AM – Sword Art Online: Alicization – War of Underworld
- 12:30 AM – Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
- 1:00 AM – Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma
- 1:30 AM – Black Clover
- 2:00 AM – JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind
- 2:30 AM – Naruto: Shippuden
Are you checking out Toonami on a weekly basis? What do you think of its current line up? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or talk to me directly about all things anime and other cool things @Valdezology on Twitter!