Toonami facts for kids
| Network | Adult Swim |
|---|---|
| Launched | May 26, 2012 |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Headquarters | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Format | Anime and action animation |
| Running time | 4 hours |
| Voices of |
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| Official website | Toonami.com |
Toonami (pronounced too-NAH-mee) is a special TV block in the United States. It mostly shows Japanese animated shows, called anime, and sometimes American action cartoons. Sean Akins and Jason DeMarco created it. The name "Toonami" mixes the words "cartoon" and "tsunami" (a giant wave).
Toonami first started on Cartoon Network in 1997. It was on weekday afternoons and was for kids aged 9–14. It became famous for showing action-packed cartoons, especially Japanese anime, which became very popular in America. Toonami was known for its cool space background, music videos, and its robot host named T.O.M. (which stands for Toonami Operations Module).
In 2004, Toonami moved to Saturday evenings. It stopped airing in 2008. But good news! On May 26, 2012, Toonami came back! It now airs late at night on Adult Swim. This new version mostly shows anime for older teens and adults. It broadcasts every Saturday night from 12 a.m. to 4 a.m. Eastern Time.
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Toonami Online Services
Toonami has also had cool ways for fans to watch shows online.
Toonami Reactor
On March 26, 2001, Cartoon Network launched Toonami Reactor. This was their first online video streaming service. For three months, you could watch episodes of shows like Dragon Ball Z and Star Blazers online. Star Blazers was even an online-only show!
Later in 2001, Toonami Reactor came back. It had more online-only shows like Patlabor: The TV Series and Record of Lodoss War. It also featured music videos and Toonami games.
Toonami Jetstream
On April 25, 2006, Cartoon Network and VIZ Media announced a new streaming service called Toonami Jetstream. This service was free and supported by ads. It showed popular Toonami series like Naruto and Samurai Jack. It also premiered new shows online, such as Hikaru no Go and MÄR.
Toonami Jetstream officially launched on July 17, 2006. It offered episodes of many shows, including Naruto, Zatch Bell!, and Pokémon. The service stopped on January 31, 2009.
Toonami Pre-Flight
On February 27, 2015, a new online show called Toonami: Pre-Flight started on adultswim.com. Toonami producers Jason DeMarco and Gill Austin hosted it. Each episode shares highlights about a series, discusses a weekly topic, and gives sneak peeks at upcoming promos. Voice actors Steve Blum and Dana Swanson also appear. Toonami also streams panels from big events like San Diego Comic-Con as part of Pre-Flight.
Toonami and Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is a popular streaming service for anime. It became connected to Adult Swim. In 2019, they announced they would work together. They have already created new anime series together. These include Blade Runner: Black Lotus, Fena: Pirate Princess, and Shenmue.
Toonami Shows Over Time
Toonami has shown many exciting animated series over the years. Here are some of the shows that have aired on the block.
Cartoon Network (1997–2008)
- ThunderCats
- Voltron
- The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
- Robotech
- Beast Wars: Transformers
- Sailor Moon
- Dragon Ball Z
- ReBoot
- The Powerpuff Girls
- Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
- Batman: The Animated Series
- Outlaw Star
- The Big O
- Cardcaptors
- Dragon Ball
- Batman Beyond
- Zoids: New Century
- Samurai Jack
- Yu Yu Hakusho
- Rurouni Kenshin
- Justice League
- Dragon Ball GT
- Star Wars: Clone Wars
- Astro Boy
- Teen Titans
- One Piece
- Naruto
- IGPX: Immortal Grand Prix
- Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes
- MÄR
- The Prince of Tennis
- Storm Hawks
- Bakugan Battle Brawlers
- Blue Dragon
- Ben 10: Alien Force
Adult Swim (2012–present)
- Bleach
- Deadman Wonderland
- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
- Cowboy Bebop
- Eureka Seven
- ThunderCats
- Inuyasha
- Naruto (uncut)
- Soul Eater
- One Piece (uncut)
- Sword Art Online
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars
- FLCL
- Space Dandy
- Naruto: Shippuden (uncut)
- Samurai Jack (original series)
- Attack on Titan
- Dragon Ball Z Kai (uncut)
- Kill la Kill
- Akame ga Kill!
- Parasyte -the maxim-
- Samurai Champloo
- Hunter × Hunter (2011 series)
- One-Punch Man
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: The Animation
- Dragon Ball Super
- My Hero Academia
- Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
- Mob Psycho 100
- Sword Art Online: Alicization
- The Promised Neverland
- Fire Force
- Dr. Stone
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
- Primal
- Fena: Pirate Princess
- Blade Runner: Black Lotus
- Shenmue
Toonami Around the World
Toonami has also been popular in many other countries.
Australia
Toonami started in Australia in 2001 as a weekend block on Cartoon Network. It later became a weekday block. It stopped airing there in August 2006.
France
A French version of the Toonami TV channel launched on February 11, 2016. It is available in France, Switzerland, Morocco, Madagascar, and Mauritius.
India
Toonami first launched as a block in India in 2001. Then, it became a full channel in 2015. It stopped broadcasting on May 15, 2018.
Latin America
On December 2, 2002, Cartoon Network in Latin America started a Toonami block. It stopped in 2007. However, Toonami came back to Cartoon Network in Latin America on August 31, 2020. It now airs every weeknight.
Pakistan
Toonami was a programming block on Cartoon Network in Pakistan from 2004 to 2013.
Southeast Asia
A Toonami channel launched in Southeast Asia on December 1, 2012. It was the longest-running Toonami channel outside the US, lasting for six years until it shut down on March 31, 2018.
Sub-Saharan Africa
A Toonami TV channel launched in sub-Saharan Africa on June 1, 2017. It was relaunched as a permanent channel on March 27, 2020.
UK & Ireland
Toonami started as a block on Cartoon Network in the UK and Ireland in 2001. In 2003, it became its own channel. This channel closed on May 24, 2007.
Images for kids
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A robot like T.O.M., Toonami's host.
See also
In Spanish: Toonami para niños
