April 06th, 2008: Changes and Legacies

Cartoon Network's most recent Upfront was, in short, a bombshell. While not outright announcing the cancellation of Toonami, the Upfront laid out an entirely new approach for the channel. New shows, initiatives, programming blocks, schedules, and so forth. The Network is clearly in an upheaval, and it sounds as if it might be for the better. Over one hundred new original properties getting rolled out? A focus on fantasy and action? Sign me up, right? Well, the tiny problem - the one that has the Toonami community currently in a state of panic - is that this new picture of CN's future doesn't seem to reserve a place for Toonami. In fact, it's looking like CN isn't going to have a place for it at all. What does this mean for us?

Please take note that I'm not making predictions here or trying to blow the whistle prematurely. There are a lot of details yet to be fleshed out and questions waiting to be answered. The point is to consider the ramifications of Toonami's possible cancellation, including the factors that have guided the block to this point and will determine the manner of its passing in the future. Hopefully we can all reorient ourselves and glimpse the grander picture in the process.

Now hear me out.

CHANGE

We knew it wouldn't last forever. There's no way it could - change is the way of things. Nothing in this world is sure or truly permanent. I mean come on, look at us.

I know that I'm nothing like the wide-eyed kid who first saw Gundam Wing on Toonami eight years ago. Back then, it was like my brain had a hard-wired connection to the television set. When the heroes got hurt, I felt it. When they won, I got all hyped. When they were sad, I'll be damned if I didn't tear up. What I saw made a big impact on me emotionally, and I'm not just referring to teary-eyed sentiment. I'm talking about the whole spectrum, from inspiration to empowerment to conviction.

Nowadays it's much harder for anything to impact me, especially on the scale that Toonami and its programming used to. I seem to merely watch things instead of experiencing them. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, really - this is just a process of maturing. Everybody experiences it, but one of the unfortunate side effects is 'losing the magic'.

In the same way, my tastes have changed radically. Instead of The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, I watch Ghost in the Shell and Vampire Hunter D. I think I could hardly stand to sit through an episode of Sailor Moon anymore. It's just too hard to enjoy shows these days without critiquing them. My older eyes see through flimsy plots and shallow characterization that would have fascinated me years ago. My guess is you're all pretty much the same. It's a fact of life - you grow up, you change. End of story.

The problem is that nostalgia tricks us into fighting this natural course. Toonami is the perfect example. No matter what, we want it back at full strength. Three hours every afternoon, plus the Rising Sun and Midnight Run. The whole nine yards. What I'm starting to realize, though, is that even if we get our wish and Toonami miraculously reclaims its spot as darling of Cartoon Network, with all the priviledges and glamour that entails, it won't be the same.

We've changed.

Now I have a job, plus papers and homework for classes. I have a thousand responsibilities and things to do, and 90% of them would be vying for my attention during the hours of 4-6PM CST. Even if Toonami was on all afternoon, odds are I wouldn't have time to watch even half of it every day. That's just part of the problem. The other part is that, thanks to changing interests and perceptions, I know deep down that Toonami wouldn't move me the same way. I wouldn't be paralyzed during Dreams, I wouldn't swell with pride when Goku gets up yet again, and I wouldn't throw my snacks across the room when Yusuke gets beaten down.

If there's anything to be sad about, it should be the loss of the magic, and not Toonami's potential cancellation.

LEGACY

Besides, I for one won't be depressed at all when Toonami goes. In fact, I'm sure I'll feel an overwhelming sense of satisfaction and fullfillment. That sounds rather traitorous, but I assure you that its not. In fact, I truly hope you feel the same way if and when the time comes. Why? Think about it: satisfaction, because we were able to experience such an amazing thing when it was around; and fullfillment, because the block served its purpose so well, and for so long.

We were really lucky, guys. We got in on the ground floor (or within walking distance, for some - including myself) of one of the most special eras in all of animation history. In all aspects, Toonami has been an unqualified success...the dedicated fan community stands as testament to its power. And the other thing is this: Toonami's been around for eleven years. Eleven years!!! That's a long, long, long time in the world of television. In comparison, Seinfeld ran for what, nine seasons?

Toonami brought us kickin' action cartoons for over a decade, complete with an unparalleled presentation dynamic. Look around and you can see all the people the block impacted. I read comments all the time from art majors who got their start in Toonami, fledgling writers who were inspired by the stories Toonami showcased, and sound design students who were originally wowed by Toonami's powerful mix of beats and visuals. The list goes on. To call Toonami a failure seems narrow-minded and almost disrespectful to me. Sure, it had its ups and downs. Everything does. But the net performance was dazzling, rich and exciting.

The other question is this: what will happen to the Revolution if Toonami gets axed? Will it lose all momentum and peter out? Maybe, maybe not. As I said at the beginning of the article, we don't know all the details yet. This foggy new 'fantasy action' block has potential, judging from the tentative schedules we've seen. Could it be Toonami? Will it be a new property? I suggest that it doesn't really matter in the grand scale of things.

Toonami got the ball rolling in a big way. It shattered conceptions and hoisted new standards, and nothing that happens in the coming months can erase that legacy. Just look at the continued mainstreaming and legitimizing of animation. Whatever this new block is, and whatever success Cartoon Network has in the future - it's largely owed to Toonami's innovation. Often the ones who worked so hard to break new ground never get to see the full effect of what they began. It's sort of sad, but true. Toonami may fade from the memory of the larger animation world, but we know better. When we see animated franchises hitting it big in the mainstream, and vibrant original properties rolling out the doors by the truckload, we know where the credit is due: Toonami. That's the block's legacy.

 

I realize that my tone and phrasing in this article will lead some to believe that I've a) already given up or b) actually want to see Toonami go. You'll have to take my word for it that neither could be further from the truth. I want to see Toonami at full strength just like everyone else. I want to see a return to glory. At the same time, I understand that Toonami's eventual cancellation isn't the end of the world. It isn't even the end of my appreciation or my fandom. It's merely the end of one era the beginning of the next.

An era I will always remember fondly.

 

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