So as I was ending my previous post about Xenogears, I was tempted to write "See you Space Cowboy..." for my last sentence. And in that moment, my brain came to a blinding halt, freezing my fingers and leaving me half-dead in front of my computer. To understand why my brain decided to go all Helen Keller on me, I'll explain the process it went through:
1. End Sentence
2. Nerd Archive: Subj. Cowboy Bebop
3. Nerd Archive: Subj. Cowboy Bebop: Ending Sequence "See you Space Cowboy..."
4. Toonami
5. BGHAHHHH! ToonamI!?!?!?
6. David Carradine
So...the reason I had a mental collapse around step 5 is because I recently discovered
this.
I was at a lost for words (re: vomiting blood) when I first saw that. I loved Toonami when I was a kid. I used to watch it everyday it was available, which meant everyday except Sunday. From its normal midday broadcast to the Midnight Run and the Rising Sun. After a while though, it just lost its appeal. It was right around the time Dragonball Z became Dragonball GT. That's when One Piece and Bo-bobo came on and it just wasn't the same. I missed Reboot and Ronin Warriors and Tenchi and Outlaw Star and Thundercats and Big O and The Real Adventures of Johnny Quest and Gundam Wing and Zoids and Rurouni Kenshin and Blue Sub. No. 6 and so many others.
But that...well, I don't know when that happened. I know Toonami has gone through many different iterations over the years. It started out with Moltar hosting and then we had the 3 different versions of Tom, the host with the most. First we had Bomberman Tom, then we had Megaman-Villain Tom, and finally we had Jacked-Roider Tom. Personally, I like the first version the best. But that...that was not Tom. I don't know what the hell that is. It looks like something out of a Dreamworks movie. And then, to go back to my previous point, he ends the broadcast with a quote from Cowboy BeboP!?(Sacreligious)?!? I mean I know the Steven Blum did the voice for both Spike and Tom...but still. Damn it man.
I agree Toonami should have been canceled for the simple reason that kids today don't deserve the awesomeness I grew up with. But to morph it into some kid-friendly animated movie knock-off is just deplorable. The best part about Toonami was it's adultness. It was because of Toonami that Cartoon Network has things like Adult Swim today. Toonami started all that with the Midnight Run. To see that happen to something I still cherish to this day...that's just the death of a childhood
dream.
OK, maybe I went to heavy at the end there, but I love that movie and I had to tie it in somehow. Fuck you, it's my blog.
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Now we have Naruto (which is nothing more than a bad DBZ clone), these 'new' TMNT cartoons (which suck), and so many Gundam series that we'd need a third hand to count them all. Oh childhood, where have you gone?
Moltar and Tom were the shit.
Also, half naked Melphina in Outlaw Star ;)
One of the most visually striking cartoons ever made. Not to mention it's narrative was awesome and it's dialouge (when used) to a high standard.
I think why I love it is because it blended 'adult' and 'kids' themes beautifully into one coherent program.
At times, it was somewhat too heavy for a child's mind to understand, yet at other times, wondefully simple to understand.
Afro Samurai>Samurai Jack
It that is the case, I will most likely start watching Afro Samurai, but I do hope it is orginal enough to sustain my interest, blood and gore can only hold one's attention for so long. Though Afro Samurai use of it is awesome.
The best part was Samurai Jack kinda circumvented all that, and made sure the audience focused on the events happening, rather than waiting for the next super violent scence. :)
I loved Toonami, going back to the Moltar days. My favorite was when they would have some time-filling "roulette" show, where a random Hanna-Barbera action cartoon would play - Herculoids, Thundarr the Barbarian, Birdman, Jonny Quest, etc. Good shit.
I really wouldn't have minded Tom 4.fail if they at least tied him in with the Absolution landing or something. His personality and look also took him down several pegs. I hate the 'street' talk in kids shows, they always end up sounding so dumb.
But yeah, to address your problems with the new art style, you can kind of blame it on the higher ups. Apparently even waaay back during the high times, Toonami was getting great ratings but not the "right" ones. That is to say the execs wanted the block to skew younger than the 13-18 demographic it was pulling in. I assume for advertising purposes since it's hard to sell toys to 13-18 year olds.
I figure this is why they started trying to split the more adult stuff out of the main block with midnight run, though a lot of that can be attributed to the fact that the people in charge of Toonami just wanted cool shows that skewed older than even they were allowed to get away with. Then you get the redesign which is more kid friendly, and I assume they just gave up after that and created the Mugazi block for the younger people.
But yeah, that's why. Long live Toonami.
Anyways, yes it's a shame; Gundam Wing, Blue Sub 6, Cyborg 009, Zoids, Dragonball Z, Sailor Moon, and so many other great shows came and went. Toonami, I'll miss ya.
EVERY.
SINGLE.
DAY.
Oh ya, forums.
I miss Mortar on Toonami as well.
Awesome banner btw.