August 15, 2024 : Cartoon Network’s Site Is No More
In a move that is equal parts bizarre, cheap, and ridiculous; Warner Bros. Discovery has abandoned CartoonNetwork.com. If you try to go to the site, you get a popup directing users to sign up for Max (the streaming service). It does mention that cable subscribers can still watch CN through the linear channel and connected apps.
Adult Swim hasn’t had the same fate, nor has other sites for other WBD’s cable channels – such as TNT, TBS, HGTV, and Discovery; but this does come on the heels of WBD announcing that Boomerang will cease operations on September 30, folding the streaming service subscribers and some of its content into Max.
All of this is a cost cutting move, which WBD needs badly given its recent financial woes. Paramount apparently made a similar move in June with Comedy Central. In either case, it’s another example of the fluidity in IP associated with streaming platforms’ uncertainty.
posted by Pi Visuals at 10:26 pm
Tags: Adult Swim , Cartoon NetworkComment
August 10, 2021 : Adult Swim and Crunchyroll… and Cartoon Network and Original Anime
I recently heard about Adult Swim’s upcoming show, Blade Runner: Black Lotus. The trailer is below; and while it doesn’t blow me out of the water, I find it intriguing:
First, I know nothing about Blade Runner, having never watched any of the films so I have zero attachment to franchise. However, the environment shots and action sequences look pretty cool. That said, the character design seems lackluster, and the show doesn’t seem to fit with the rest of the Toonami’s anime block. The interesting tidbit is that this is a co-production between Adult Swim and Crunchyroll.
To add a little extra spice to the pepper, it was just announced that Toonami co-creator Jason Demarco will lead a new division in charge of producing anime at Warner Bros. and Cartoon Network. On his Twitter feed, he goes as far to say it won’t be ‘anime inspired,’ but created and produced in Japan.
Personally, I don’t think the former is worse than the latter, as long as it tells a good story. However, I am curious what types of shows get made. Demarco is currently overseeing production on Black Lotus, but I assume this doesn’t fall under the ‘genuine anime’ label.
posted by Pi Visuals at 10:54 pm
Tags: Adult Swim , Anime , Cartoon Network , ToonamiComment
May 16, 2016 : Gundam Back On Toonami
I remember when I was first introduced to the Gundam franchise. It was Gundam Wing, via Toonami… when it was still on Monday through Friday. It was a captivating series, but sadly was followed up with some lackluster iterations – the last one being Mobile Suit Gundam SEED in 2004. There hasn’t been a Gundam franchise on Toonami (or Cartoon Network) since… until now.
A few weeks ago during their upfronts, Cartoon Network announced Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans will start up on Toonami in June. This entails all 25 episodes of the series, which has been decently reviewed.
The character design looks on par with a Gundam product. If anything, it looks modernized. I am curious to see if the Gundams were done with 3D software. Nowadays, one would think that that would be the direction. Yet again, when it comes to the highly successful Gundam franchise, perhaps it’s best not to try and fix something that isn’t broken.
posted by Pi Visuals at 11:50 pm
Tags: Cartoon Network , Gundam , ToonamiComment
December 31, 2013 : New Powerpuff Girls Special
A new Powerpuff Girls special, “Dance Pantsed”, premieres January 20 on Cartoon Network. The original voice actors will all reprise their roles. Not sure why it hasn’t been widely publicized, but the trailer is below.
Supposedly, there has been a lot of negative feedback with the new design. Personally, I’m open to it. If anything, I would be more concerned that Craig McCracken (the show’s creator) was not involved. Still, I will probably give the special a watch. As a side note, how scary is it that the show first aired 15 years ago?
posted by Pi Visuals at 1:15 pm
Tags: Cartoon Network0 Comments | Post a comment
May 22, 2012 : Toonami’s Return
This Saturday is Toonami’s official return… on Adult Swim, and it is no longer just an April Fool’s joke. Not much of the schedule has been revealed until recently, but two new anime that will be airing are Casshern Sins and Deadman Wonderland. Sadly, I’ve had the displeasure of watching the former, but I do not know much about the latter. Casshern had promise but was incredibly slow. It’s cool color design couldn’t make up for going absolutely nowhere with the story.
Adult Swim has stated they will not be able to air shows like DBZ or Naruto because they are no longer properties of Cartoon Network, but Toonami is supposedly looking at several other shows to air in the future. Most notably, Inuyasha: The Final Act – which will be awesome and will justify the return of Toonami in and of itself.
posted by Pi Visuals at 11:12 pm
Tags: Cartoon Network , DBZ , Inuyasha , Toonami0 Comments | Post a comment
December 2, 2011 : We Are… DC Nation
It’s not hot off the presses, but a few weeks ago Cartoon Network aired a trailer for its new Friday programming block set to start in 2012 – DC Nation.
The block will possess a mix of series and shorts, all supposedly DC Comics related. The three initial series are ThunderCats (is that DC related?), the new Green Lantern Series, and Young Justice. The shorts seem cool, but I’m more interested in seeing what other TV shows develop out of the programming block. If it’s succes sful, hopefully it will spawn some cool new shows – maybe a new Kevin Conroy voiced Batman series?
posted by Pi Visuals at 1:34 pm
Tags: Batman , Cartoon Network , DC Nation , Kevin Conroy , ThunderCats0 Comments | Post a comment