Quest, your time has come... and gone by Blkcloak

Jeff Harris thought about this one, and I thought about this one.  We never talked about it to eachother at first, but then if finally came out.  There has been one constant in the Toonami universe, and that constant has been The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest.  I know I should have to much favor to one show or the other, but this has gotten way out of hand.  For the umpteenth schedule rotation, JQ:TRA will be there.  And frankly, it has lost it's support.  To any/all fans of Jonny Quest, I apologize, but enough is enough.  Jonny Quest: The Real Adventures must go, and go quickly.  The revolution known as Toonami has been going nicely, but JQ holds it back.  It's time for someone else to step in and not only rescue Toonami, but Jonny Quest.

I know what some of you JQ supporters might be thinking, so I'll try to cover the bases here.  As I have noticed, Sailor Moon has been through several schedule rotations as well.  However, because there are more episodes available, it takes much longer for the series to be shown the whole way through.  Since it's debut in Summer '98, Sailor Moon has been shown through only two times, it's second time through had new episodes.  Only now is it winding down it's third run.  Next, I am not totally bashing Jonny Quest.  It is just that after the same 52-53 episodes have been shown again and again and again, a change must be made.  There is support to bring Robotech back to the lineup, and it certainly has been awhile since gracing Toonami's hallowed halls.

This is not a petition, this is not playing favorites, but this is enough.  Cartoon Network, for one reason or another, has continued again and again to stay with it's own generic show for too long.  For Toonami to become even stronger, there must be variety, and from 4 to 5:30, there has been. It's that one spot, at 5:30 to 6 (all times Eastern) that has been the achilles heel of the programming block.  So write to Cartoon Network, let them know how sick we are of seeing Quest over and over.  The time has come for his reign to end.
 
 

Courage by TOM

There's no substitute for guts!  I'm talkin' about gumption, bravery,...courage.  Courage means having the strength to resist opposition, danger, or hardship.  It can mean alot of things.  Sticking by your friends takes courage.  Being yourself takes courage.  Think of your favorite heroes.  They've got courage in spades.  Even some of the bad guys have it, but most don't.  Size isn't a factor, neither is strength.  It can't be measured except in actions, so you've gotta let your actions speak for you.  Take it easy for now.  Store up that courage, you never know when you're gonna need it.
 
 

Anger by TOM

We've all been angry before.  Some of us let it go, some of us don't.  There's nothing wrong with being angry, it's all in how you deal with it.  Anger can be a motivational tool.  Rage can hold you back.  Vegita is a perfect example of a rageaholic.  He can't let go, so he stays angry for a long time.  Piccolo deals with his anger.  It helps him focus, that's what makes him so dangerous.  The trick is to not let your anger fester, you have to turn it into something positive.  Otherwise you'll never learn from your mistakes and you'll be angry forever.
 
 

Parenting by TOM

It's time to talk about an unpleasant subject.  Most parents have a hard time keeping the way clean, but some parents responsibilities are alittle bit more involved.  Think of it as field training a child.  It's not what they're eating, it's what's eating them.  Evil warlords, desperate criminals, and the occasional booby trap.  The Quest's have it down to a science.  Goku's approach isn't as cerebral, but it still works though.  It takes a special person to let their child go into harms way, a special kid too.  So let your parents know how tough it could be, just don't tell em I told you.
 
 

Experience by TOM

Have you ever been... experienced?  Experience is something you can only learn from time.  There are no shortcuts.  It means learning lessons and applying them.  It's something alot of people overlook, but they shouldn't.  Master Roshi is a good example.  He's a little old, so his enemies underestimate him, but he's got experience on his side.  That makes him tougher than they think.  With time all things come to fruition.  New talents are revealed, new skills are learned, old ones mastered.  A true master lets time teach the lessons and never forgets what they learned.  Those who don't are doomed to failure.  So keep it real.
 
 

Individuality by TOM

Heads up!!!  There's a new millennium on the way and you've got a decision to make.  Are you gonna be like everyone else or are you gonna forge your own path, be your own person...an individual.  Websters says that individuality is a total character distinguishing an individual from others.  Y'know, someone who stands out from the crowd, is alittle different.  Could be hair, clothes, or just a different outlook.  An individual takes responsibility for their actions and refuses to let anyone tell them what to do.  Being yourself isn't always easy, sometimes you have to take some licks.  But in the long run it's the only thing that makes you who you are, so never give it up.  I'm outta here.

I just can't give it up by Blkcloak

No matter what some of you might think of me now, I just can't do it.  I mean I can't give up Toonami.  I've done it the past year, and I didn't think I would care too much if I let it go.  Though, these past two days have been pure hell.  I have tried to write it off, trying to say that I'm bored with it, that there is nothing left, but the more I try, the more I say to myself 'This just ain't right.'  I'm gonna try again.  But I think this time, there are gonna be some changes.  I am not the source for information anymore.  You want info, go to the CNX Toonami: The Inner Circle.  Nemalki has his finger on the pulse of Toonami.  You want anything else to do with Toonami, I'm trying.  I said some things to Nemalki that he will probably question when he sees my site back up.  I am gonna stay.  Why???

A year ago, I think Toonami was just a small little blot in the television set.  Nemalki was one of the first real Toonami sites that came up on the internet.  When I saw it, I thought 'why not give it a shot too?  I like Sailor Moon, I like Thundercats, and there aren't many sites out there for it ).  So I started Toonami: The Unofficial.  Look at this banner that used to open my site:

I kept up at it, and as Toonami grew on Cartoon Network, I tried to keep with it.  Dragonball Z was added to the lineup, then Reboot, and then Ronin Warrriors.  Toonami has grown too much, and I want to keep growing with it.  If it eats up my time, so be it.  If it kills my life, so be it.  If it keeps me from finding a woman, well,...so be it.  Something Moltar said in one of the commercials caught my attention some months ago.  It was a simple phrase.  It ended the commercial.  He said 'The Revolution will be Televised.'  I enforced it, and now it is Toonami.  Nemalki is doing it, and so will I.  We will Televise the Revolution, because it will never end.  And now, nor will I.  Sorry to all of you, but don't worry.  Until Toonami goes off the air for 10 years, I will still be here.

Oh yeah, and Yahoo..... you're next >:-)
 
 

THE TOONAMI CHAT WITH TOM
What was asked, what was confirmed:
What's up with the Toonami channel?
It's in the air
AND TOM LIKES MY SITE, HE SAID IT IN FRONT OF EVERYONE OUT THERE
Will there be a Toonami music CD
Up in the air, not confirmed or denied
How many episodes of Dragonball Z have been done?
Keep watching
Will there be new episodes of Sailor Moon in the future?
Yes, Dic might be at work on the Sailor Moon S series right now
Will the Sailor Moon movies be aired on Toonami?
Eventually, yes
Rumors of Gundam Wing coming to Toonami?
No more rumors, it's coming
Will Tenchi Muyo be coming to Toonami?
Yes
Is there a possibility of a japanimation/anime marathon on Cartoon Network
It's in the realm of possibility
Will Johny Quest come back to Toonami?
NOOO!!!
What does TOM stand for?
ThOMas
What computer does the Absolution use?
Mac
What's with the gut?
It's not a gut, it's a nuclear reactor, gives him power
 

It's been a big year since my first State of Anime article went out when The Unofficial first opened.  That's right, the big T ( Toonami) celebrated it's third birthday.  Moltar was there for that, but several months later, a new figurehead took control to lead Toonami to the new millennium.  Toonami itself is slowly becoming a showcase of anime, with Sailor Moon, Dragonball Z, and the Ronin Warriors as their main titles.  The future sees Gundam Wing making it's way to Toonami and there is a possibility that the very anime Tenchi Universe will find a home on the Absolution.  Let's look at how we got to this point, though.

You start at the beginning of the decade.  Anime was in it's usual place.  Several shows might get some playing time to the North American audience, but never anything so outstandingly popular that it cause people to stand and notice.  Anime was on it's video shelves at the stores, selling in few cases as classified 'anime.'  If it wasn't that or 'japanimation,' it was most likely classified as other.  Anime was it's  own genre, a cult type thing, where people who liked it were somewhat crucified for it.  It was considered sometimes perverted, too violent, or just not right.  Now, granted, La Blue Girl is the #1 anime in my opinion as perverted, and there is a good deal of anime that is very violent.  What those critics didn't realize was that even though anime seemed so violent, so sexual, so this, so that, it was slightly different from anything you would see in the movie theaters, or even a stronger case, off of your own television set.  Anime was segregated because of one thing... it was an animation.

Ahhh, yes, the word that holds entirely different meanings in Japan and North America.  In Japan, anime is an artform.  Live action shows couldn't do half of what was done in most given anime features.  The odd, the bizarre, the intriguing now had a place to be expressed.  It is a far cry from North America.  Here, animation was looked at as one thing and one thing only... a cartoon.  Many who were raised on the Looney Tunes, Peanuts, Tom and Jerry will still consider today's animation as nothing more than a cartoon, no matter how serious or intense they get.  That is a major roadblock.

Now, let's forward to the mid 90's.  Several shows made it to television that have made a major impact, some more than you really expect.  They, in fact, are being paid homage right now in Toonami.  Ronin Warriors, Sailor Moon, and, the big one, Dragonball Z.  First, I believe, was the Ronin Warriors.  Their brand of action had kids on the edge of their seats.  A short series with a quick story-line caught everyone's attention.  Still, the Ronin is considered the best translated series today, by that, I mean in way of keeping true to original language content.

Then came the exact mid 90's and the major casualty there, Sailor Moon.  Looked to be a girlish series, it was translated that way.  Though it made no major impact at first, Sailor Moon grew a following, and not the 'girlish' type.  It grew a male and female base, from children to young adults.  Despite it's butchered editing, it's still managed to capture an outstanding audience.  This is mostly thanks to the power of the Internet.

Dragonball Z is the second biggest anime for North America, made even more popular by it's current third season of episodes.  Despite the fact that most of the actual hard violence was edited in the beginning ( holes through chests, blood dripping down arms and faces, and the HFIL being the translation of what we all know as Hell ).  Fast action, incredible fighting scenes, and evil characters have made Dragonball Z what it is and helped push the cause that anime is worth looking at. There is no way this could be done in any Jackie Chan movie.

It is unfortunate to say that the most major impact to anime now has to be Pokemon.  A series that is loved by kids the world around, literally, has opened up the doors to the world of anime.  Pokemon has helped to bring over three two more anime/monster series, Digimon and Monster Ranchers.  It's still anime, even if everyone doesn't like it.  What is fortunate about Pokemon's influence is that it is, technically, a stepping stone.  Children who outgrow Pokemon, looking for more intense programming, will most likely remember the type of animation that they had been watching.  Moreso, the fact that Pokemon is realized as an anime series by the majority of the public will infuse the notion of the power of anime into the little darlin heads.

Selections of anime are incredible now.  Most likely, if it's a series in Japan, it's been released in North America as well.  Those stores that had anime in small little selections at the beginning of the decade, well, now they've got them in their own 'anime/japanimation' section that is starting to rival the sports tape selections.  It is a definite... if you walk into any place that sells videos, you will see a section for anime, and more likely will you see one of those series highlighted in the front of that store or in a showcase.

Finally, to finish, Toonami is unwittingly helping in the anime influence in America.  Right now, it's a show comprised of three animes, soon to be more.  What started as a showcase of action cartoons is now becoming a showcase of hard hitting anime.  Gundam Wing's success will make a major impact, because, know it or not, that means that Cartoon Network will be the major holder of anime series in the country, and with the kind of exposure it's already getting, the floodgates will open for even more anime series to be recognized.  Then, if Cartoon Network should get the rights to show Tenchi Muyo, there quite possibly will no longer be any boundaries to the world of anime.

Of course, this is just my opinion.  I could be wrong.