Toonami Executive Confirms Plans to Continue Until 2021

Cartoon Network’s Toonami block helped shape a lot of anime fans, so it is great to hear it’s going to continue into the near future.

Jason DeMarco, Creative Director for on-air at Adult Swim and Senior Writer and Producer for the currently running Toonami block, has confirmed Adult Swim has plans to extend the block into 2021:

Despite the expansion of streaming services like Crunchyroll, Funimation NOW, and Amazon’s Anime Strike, the Toonami block is still home for anime for lots of fans. It changed the landscape of anime fandom back in its heyday, introducing numerous fans to shows like Dragon Ball Z, Gundam Wing, and Ghost in the Shell. Even after its cancellation in 2008, it had managed to become such a fixture in fans’ homes they clamored for years for it to return.

Thankfully, as part of an April Fools Day joke in 2012 – a few weeks after Toonami‘s 15th anniversary – the block premiered on Adult Swim rather than their traditional joke airing of Tommy Wiseau’s The Room. Airing classic Toonami bumps between episodes of Bleach, Gundam Wing, and The Big O, this special airing was a test to see whether or not fans would embrace its return.

Adult Swim then posted a message on Twitter with “Want it back? Let us know. #BringBackToonami” and thus launched a major campaign online where fans loudly proclaimed they wished for the block to return. A few days later, Adult Swim responded with “#BringBackToonami We’ve heard you. Thank you for your passion and interest – stay tuned.”

Toonami officially returned to screens as part of Adult Swim a few weeks later in May 2012, and has since been going strong with the English broadcasts of shows like Dragon Ball Super, Attack on Titan, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and potential new favorites like Black Clover.

Adult Swim’sToonami block is currently in the middle of Countdown – its seventh Total Immersion Event -which will air its final episode November 25. This Tom and SARA focused mini-series sees Tom struggling to survive on his ship, Vindication, as a countdown clock ticks away. Toonami airs on Adult Swim Saturday evenings starting at 10:00PM CST.

How do you feel about Toonami sticking around until 2021? Talk to me @Valdezology.