Top Gun

I was just in Kohl's and saw both an Avatar AND a Naruto shirt in their graphic tees section, soooooo...🤷‍♂️

The only case he would possibly have is if he were limiting the scope of his argument strictly to movies, because of course no domestic theatrical anime release is going to touch the numbers of a big Disney/Pixar opening (at least not in non-pandemic times). But as for series...again, what series? There's no question that anime absolutely trounces America's animated output there.

I think this person is pretty wrong on most of the points they're making here, given just how much anime fandom has permeated the general Western consciousness. What they're describing sounds more like the situation around 2005 or so than that in 2021. I'd also challenge the assertion that Avatar is more "mainstream" (however we even define that) than Naruto is. I've certainly seen far, far more merch of the latter being worn publicly than the former. I think the biggest issue they have is that they're trying to compare the block as it exists today to what was airing after school in 2001. Today's Toonami shares essentially nothing in common with that television block other than the name and visual trappings, especially not its purpose and intended audience. I have nothing at all against seeing American content on the block, but what content exactly? There is precious little American action animation out there, and almost all of it is produced by Netflix. Like Sketch said, your best options are older series, and as much as I'd be super-down for a Batman:TAS run, I don't think relying on reruns more than 15 or 20 years old is a good move for the block. At the end of the day anime offers a far broader selection of content than American animation ever could. That being said, the occasional DC movie night works well as a special event (Corporate Synergy and all that), and I think it would be a good idea to tap into that catalog more if they can. I'm not sure if I'll bother tuning in for the Harley Quinn marathon, maybe just a bit to see what it's like and give it a shot.

On the contrary, I'm pulling for the hilariously wooden OG dialog.

Fucking lol at Jingo attempting a gotcha.

Alita says hi.

...Inuyasha literally ran in Weekly Shonen Sunday.

Replacing the biggest trainwreck of the past year with the second-biggest trainwreck of the past year. Wheeeeeeee.

All of my yes.

HOOOOOT POCKETS!

God I love the hell-cursed corporate speak in those press releases. Take a shot every time someone says "synergy" !

Could someone tell the Xfinity guide that the Saturday episodes are honest-to-God premieres now so I can just set the goddamn thing to record those?

Me last night: "Why the fuck do I have 6 episodes of Shippuden on my DVR--ooohhhhhhhhh..."

Between that and BNA and Carrot in One Piece, I'm broken. They got me.

Bring booze.

I've wondered for years why some of you guys still bother giving them any notice. Just watch and enjoy the block for as long as it lasts.

Sheer force of habit, for one. I've watched every single piece of anime that [as] has aired--good, bad, and godawful--for over 15 years now, and I'll keep watching them as long as the block still exists. There's still something great about knowing that I have a whole lineup of new episodes to watch every Saturday night. The social aspect is definitely a part of it too, since I know I have a chat full of people who are watching the same thing at the same time and are riffing on what's being shown. Beyond that, the main thing it provides for me is an external motivator. I'm terrible at watching shows I own physically on my own time, and streaming is right out since for whatever reason it's never clicked with me as a way to consume media, and I don't subscribe to any services. (We technically got a freebie Netflix subscription with Xfinity, but I haven't even bothered logging into it yet.) Knowing that these shows are airing at a set time each week means that I'm forced to tune in so that I don't fall behind. And the variety of shows appearing on the block over the years has meant that I've been exposed to many that I knew little to nothing about beforehand. I know it seems to be a dying entity, but the linear TV model just works for me.

I mean it's a fun show, and I enjoyed it well enough, but I don't think it did anything particularly groundbreaking in the shonen realm, and I definitely don't think it warrants the stratospheric hype train it's created. The ANN review of the movie from a few months back is about what I expect I'll think of it: fine for what it is, but not much beyond an arc of the series put on the big screen. (Also Zenitsu needs to die in a goddamn fire.)

I'm not going to bother with seeing this in theaters, but I feel like whenever I do get around to seeing it, my main reaction is going to be "...that was it?"

No words...should have sent a poet...

And nothing of value was lost?

You know what, fuck it, I am coming for their guns. Anyone who has the desire to own something like an AR-15 that is solely designed to kill things easily and quickly is a motherfucking sociopath and should be institutionalized. Come at me, sister-fuckers.

All righty then.