February 27th, 2008: Jetstream: Toonami's Saving Grace?

"The Revolution will be televised."

It's a phrase that many Toonami fans know quite well. But now we're looking at a world where Toonami is on the brink of death - struck down to two hours every Saturday night, our favorite action block is a sad, crippled version of its former self. What's worse is that early sources are saying the show Bakugan will be replacing FUNimation's dub of One Piece. You even have Naruto in its decapitated state, running filler episodes which are as equally unwatchable as Bakugan. So with our favorite televised action block seemingly at its final breaths, where is there to turn?

Yes, my friends, the online-streaming site that appeared on our computer screens back in 2006 might be the only glimmer of hope the Toonami brand has left. It lacks the actual essence of the brand (TOM, etc.), but ignoring Pokemon and 4Kids reruns of One Piece, Jetsteam has quality shows - Naruto, Dragonball, DBZ, MÄR, Hikaru no Go, Zatch Bell!, and now Transformers Animated. Let's roll down the list and take a closer look.

Naruto - Toonami's current golden boy. It still holds true in the Jetstream reruns, with our favorite knucklehead doing what he does best - being a wacky screwball with a heart of gold and the strength of a...nine-tailed fox demon? Yep. Otherwise, you know what to expect.

Dragonball - "The OG" itself, the show that wrote the book on Shonen Jump action. It really takes you back to 2001, seeing a young Goku and Krillin duke it out, not to mention the villians, ranging from obscene and quirky (Emeperor Pilaf) to very realistic (Red Ribbon Army). When it premiered on Jetstream, and to this day, it's that glimmer of hope that more past Toonami series will make their way online.

Dragonball Z - The show that kickstarted Toonami's popularity. Not much can be mentioned that hasn't already been said, even with the Saban reruns. It's still one of the best shows to air on Jetstream, or the block itself for that matter.

Hikaru no Go - Well now we get to one of my favorites. A show that would never air on Toonami or even get a chance. Nope, Jetstream is definitely its home. It's one those series that is addicting, even with out a barrage of fistfights every five minutes. It's artistically excellent and has a charm all its own. Forget Yu-Gi-Oh!, Beyblade, or - forbid it - Bakugan. It's an anime series with the "boy meets a spirit" premise, something Shonen Jump shows are known for (Yu-Gi-Oh!, Shaman King, etc), but with a plot that's easily believable. With a equal male and female appeal, its one of those great coming-of-age stories. (And you can almost see Hikaru walking his path with Joe Boyd Vigil's Broken Promise playing in the background.)

MÄR - Next to Naruto and Pokemon; it's the third most streamed show on the site, according to Viz. The show itself is a great fantasy offering, reminscent of older anime series such as Escaflowne and InuYasha - minus the the demons, mechs and such. It's more of a Jump show than anything, and it's quite enjoyable. (Or, as Ginta would say, it's "Awesome!") MÄR (and The Prince of Tennis, another Jetstream show which is currently assumed to be on hiatus) originally aired on Toonami early last year. Partly due to episode skipping and advertising debacles, the shows' broadcasts are considered to be a failure. Yet the Jetstream airings of MÄR seem to be doing well - well enough to earn reruns, at least.

Zatch Bell! - Cast away from Toonami, Zatch has found a new home in the Jetstream. The saga of the little Mammado is a great kids show. It's Pokemon (minus the Pokemon) with explosive DBZ-style battles. If you're a fan from its run on Toonami, or maybe just enjoy mysterious plotlines, anti-heroes, crazy antics, and those gosh-darn energy blasts, then you'll be happy.

Transformers Animated - Most likely created to captialize on the blockbuster 2007 live-action film, Cartoon Network comissioned a Teen Titans-esque Transformers series. Honestly, it's much better than Hasbro's adaption of the first installment of the Unicron Trilogy (a.k.a Transformers: Armada.) Obviously it will appeal to the Transformers diehards, but also to fans of great Saturday-morning type cartoons in general. Overall it's pretty action-packed and probably one of the most story-driven Transformer series we've ever seen. I'd highly suggest that you check it out.

See? Now it's more clear where the Revolution will go down: the 'Net. At the moment, and especially if the Jetstream continues to increase in popularity, you might even say that "The Revolution will be streamed." With the actual block on its last legs, Jetstream is currently the only thing that holds true to Toonami's original style. Better yet, with Dragonball's appearance, it's very possible that we will see other older shows appear on the Jetstream, such as Yu Yu Hakusho - another FUNimation property - or Rurouni Kenshin.

So is the Jetstream serving up some of the best action cartoons and anime on the planet? Well, it's getting there. And remember, you get head over to Jetstream anytime, day or night...

...but what if you take it in another direction, with Jetstream running from 7AM to around 2AM? Imagine shows rotating their streaming slots, repeating different series and episodes through out the day, with premieres running on Mondays or Fridays? Seriously, since CN still has licenses for Samurai Jack, Megas XLR, Justice League, and The Batman, who's to say it's impossible? Better still, what if the distinctive features of Toonami - TOM, Sara, the Absolution - were integrated into the stream? Not to mention interviews, convention coverage, music videos and other bonuses? The potential is all there; we could be looking at an Online Revolution.

It can happen. Stay true, Toonami faithful.

Later.

 

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