Adult Swim Executive Addresses My Hero Academia’s Toonami Re-Scheduling

Toonami’s lineup of shows is the strongest it has ever been in 2019, and the schedule is jam […]

June 29, 2019, 4:28pm

Toonami’s lineup of shows is the strongest it has ever been in 2019, and the schedule is jam packed with all sorts of anime vying for fans’ attention. This makes it a tough for Adult Swim, who must manage the schedule to highlight shows that are getting attention while still supporting the others. Not all of their schedule changes are met with universal praise, as some series shifts have rubbed fans of certain anime. One recent case is My Hero Academia.

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Going from starting the Toonami block at 10:30 PM EST to ending it at 3:30 AM EST on July 6th, fans were notably upset about this dramatic change. But the Co-Creator of Toonami, Jason DeMarco, addressed fans about the situation and laid it all out there. The fact of the matter is that My Hero Academia simply wasn’t being watched in its old, earlier timeslot.

Answering an inquiry from a fan on ask.fm, DeMarco said the following about the move, “People weren’t watching it where it was. If everyone who is mad about the move had watched the show when it was in its earlier slot, it wouldn’t have been moved. It really is that simple. And don’t worry, I’m sure it will move back up at some point. We have a lot of lineup changes happening this year!”

My Hero Academia isn’t the first popular series to see such a dramatic timeslot shift on Toonami, and as DeMarco states this probably won’t be the final timeslot for the series as the block continues to evolve throughout the year. But it’s surely going to be helpful for fans to get such a clear and concise answer. My Hero Academia wasn’t being watched, so they had to move it.

But as Toonami faithful are well aware by now, there is a potential for My Hero Academia to get more of a “primetime” spot in the future if fans make their voices heard. As DeMarco noted on Twitter, “Last I’ll say on this: if you have a problem with [My Hero Academia] being last beyond ‘well I don’t really watch it on Toonami but HOW COULD THEY AIR IT LAST!,’ please make your feelings known (politely) by comment on the Toonami FB, or my ask, or emailing [Adult Swim]. Change can happen!”

Toonami has been pretty open with fans in the past, and has adjusted their schedule with series like Hunter x Hunter before. So there is a precedent that Adult Swim could take another look at My Hero Academia should there be a notable amount of support for it. But with the third season winding down, it could even be taking a break from the block entirely in just a few weeks. So support it while you can if this major shift bothered you!

The new schedule Toonami lineup (as announced on its official Facebook page) officially begins July 6th and plays out as follows (in EST):