Man, I gotta tell you guys about this whole Toonami thing I got into recently. So, I was just messing around online, you know, like you do, and I stumbled upon some news about Toonami. I used to watch it all the time as a kid, it was the best part of my evenings back in the day! Turns out, it was canned back in 2008. Can you believe it? September 20, 2008, to be exact. I dug a little deeper and found out they pulled the plug because of low ratings. They announced it at some anime convention, Anime Weekend Atlanta. The last show they aired was some repeat of Samurai Jack. I mean, come on, Samurai Jack was cool and all, but as the last show? That’s rough.
I did some more reading, and it seems like Cartoon Network was trying to change things up, go in a new direction. They thought Toonami didn’t fit their new vibe. There was something about a “CN Real” era that didn’t really work out, but that’s another story. It’s just a bummer because Toonami really got me into anime. They showed all these cool Japanese shows, and it felt like they made anime more accepted here. I guess all good things must come to an end, right?

But wait, there’s more!
So, I kept digging, and guess what? Toonami came back in 2012! It was some kind of April Fool’s joke that turned real. I couldn’t believe it! They brought it back on Adult Swim on May 26, 2012. I even found a message from one of the creators, Jason DeMarco, celebrating with the fans. It was like a dream come true for everyone who loved the block.
But, as usual, the story doesn’t end there. I found out that Adult Swim had this thing called “Toonami Rewind,” where they would show older stuff. Well, they decided to retire that too, at the end of last year. It’s like they can’t make up their minds! But they said that regular Toonami on Saturday nights isn’t going anywhere, so I guess that’s good news. Still, it’s been a rollercoaster of emotions finding out all this stuff. One minute Toonami’s gone, the next it’s back, then part of it’s gone again. It’s a wild ride being a Toonami fan, I can tell you that much.
So, yeah, that’s my Toonami story for now. I just had to share it with someone. It’s crazy how much history there is behind a simple programming block. It’s been a blast from the past, a return to form, and then another goodbye, all rolled into one. I’ll keep you guys updated if I find out anything else, but for now, stay gold, Toonami fans, stay gold.