Toonami

Toonami ( too-NAH-mee) is an American late-night television programming block that broadcasts Japanese anime and action-oriented American animation on Cartoon Network's nighttime programming block, Adult Swim. It was co-created by producers Sean Akins and Jason DeMarco under the supervision of Cartoon Network executive Mike Lazzo, and programmed by Williams Street (formerly Cartoon Network Productions), a subsidiary of The Cartoon Network, Inc. The name is a portmanteau of the words "cartoon" and "tsunami". The block currently airs every Saturday night from 12:00 to 4:00 a.m. ET/PT. Toonami was launched on March 17, 1997, by Cartoon Network as a weekday afternoon block targeting children and teens, debuting with the series ThunderCats, Voltron, and The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest; it soon incorporated anime such as Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon. The block is distinguished by a science fiction-themed presentation featuring an animated host navigating a spaceship. The block's format includes interstital segments with the host delivering intros, video game reviews, and music videos amid the programming. Toonami was initially hosted by Space Ghost Coast to Coast character Moltar (voiced by C. Martin Croker), and later by the robot T.O.M. (voiced by Sonny Strait and Steve Blum). After transitioning to a Saturday night block in 2004, Toonami was discontinued on September 20, 2008, due to low ratings. It briefly returned as an April Fools' Day prank on April 1, 2012, before being revived on May 26, 2012, as a late-night block on Adult Swim. This iteration rebranded Adult Swim's Saturday night action block (originally inherited from Toonami's Midnight Run block), which primarily features anime deemed too mature for daytime programming. On May 31, 2024, a new Friday afternoon block called Toonami Rewind debuted. It aired from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. ET/PT and showcased classic anime series. Toonami Rewind complemented Checkered Past, a...