ratings Toonami Unevenedge Ratings Discussion 3.0: Let The Good Times Roll!!!!!

[OwlChemist81]

Well, Toonami's ratings misery continues in the 2nd week of February...

https://showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-saturday-2-11-2023-top-150-cable-originals-network-finals.html

No Toonami shows made the Top 50, which isn't that strange and in fact happened, but what IS bizarre is that One Piece won the night of Toonami with a 0.08 in 18-49, and all the other shows only got a 0.07:

Spoiler   60 ONE PIECE ADULT SWIM 1:30 AM 30 0.08 173 61 NARUTO: SHIPPUDEN ADULT SWIM 2:00 AM 30 0.07 164 62 CAVUTO LIVE FOX NEWS CHANNEL 10:00 AM 60 0.07 1,557 63 CNN NEWSROOM CNN 8:00 PM 60 0.07 638 64 CNN NEWSROOM CNN 6:00 PM 60 0.07 719 65 CNN NEWSROOM CNN 11:00 AM 60 0.07 644 66 MY HERO ACADEMIA ADULT SWIM 12:00 AM 30 0.07 148 67 FOX & FRIENDS SATURDAY FOX NEWS CHANNEL 7:00 AM 60 0.07 1,162 68 FF MOVIE: ANT-MAN AND THE WASP FREEFORM 6:35 PM 160 0.07 247 69 FOX REPORT WITH JON SCOTT FOX NEWS CHANNEL 6:00 PM 60 0.07 1,364 70 MADE IN ABYSS ADULT SWIM 12:30 AM 60 0.07 151

[Toonamiguy321]

2 hours ago, OwlChemist81 said:

Well, Toonami's ratings misery continues in the 2nd week of February...

https://showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-saturday-2-11-2023-top-150-cable-originals-network-finals.html

No Toonami shows made the Top 50, which isn't that strange and in fact happened, but what IS bizarre is that One Piece won the night of Toonami with a 0.08 in 18-49, and all the other shows only got a 0.07:

Reveal hidden contents   60 ONE PIECE ADULT SWIM 1:30 AM 30 0.08 173 61 NARUTO: SHIPPUDEN ADULT SWIM 2:00 AM 30 0.07 164 62 CAVUTO LIVE FOX NEWS CHANNEL 10:00 AM 60 0.07 1,557 63 CNN NEWSROOM CNN 8:00 PM 60 0.07 638 64 CNN NEWSROOM CNN 6:00 PM 60 0.07 719 65 CNN NEWSROOM CNN 11:00 AM 60 0.07 644 66 MY HERO ACADEMIA ADULT SWIM 12:00 AM 30 0.07 148 67 FOX & FRIENDS SATURDAY FOX NEWS CHANNEL 7:00 AM 60 0.07 1,162 68 FF MOVIE: ANT-MAN AND THE WASP FREEFORM 6:35 PM 160 0.07 247 69 FOX REPORT WITH JON SCOTT FOX NEWS CHANNEL 6:00 PM 60 0.07 1,364 70 MADE IN ABYSS ADULT SWIM 12:30 AM 60 0.07 151

What a strange upside down night for the block. It’s not often we see the first show do terrible then everything after it do better. 
 

I know I have said it before but Demarco really needs to drop two slam dunks for March. MHA has been volatile as the lead, but it’s not gonna get better if we get two stinkers after waiting this long for news. And since FLCL has a good chance at getting one of those slots, the other show is going to have to carry pretty hard. 

[Jman]

11 minutes ago, Toonamiguy321 said:

What a strange upside down night for the block. It’s not often we see the first show do terrible then everything after it do better. 
 

I know I have said it before but Demarco really needs to drop two slam dunks for March. MHA has been volatile as the lead, but it’s not gonna get better if we get two stinkers after waiting this long for news. And since FLCL has a good chance at getting one of those slots, the other show is going to have to carry pretty hard. 

“Hey everyone!  We got a show on loan from HBO Max!”

 

[Toonamiguy321]

3 hours ago, Jman said:

“Hey everyone!  We got a show on loan from HBO Max!”

 

I try to be a trooper with the block, if they pick up something shitty I just use it as my poop break. But if it came down to this I think I’d just be signing off for good. Not interested in a block that is a trash can for failed Max projects. I don’t think we are at this stage yet, but I don’t consider it out of the realm of reality either. 

[Jman]

2 hours ago, Toonamiguy321 said:

I try to be a trooper with the block, if they pick up something shitty I just use it as my poop break. But if it came down to this I think I’d just be signing off for good. Not interested in a block that is a trash can for failed Max projects. I don’t think we are at this stage yet, but I don’t consider it out of the realm of reality either. 

A lot of what they're getting are cast-offs, or at the very least, second hand, but in the case of DC movies and Primal it fits with the block.

I...guess Velma fits that role technically, it's a comedy/horror...

Oh who the fuck am I kidding?  If Velma is on the block, it's because they have no other options, Zaslav forced DeMarco to air it, and the block is not long for the world.  I don't think it will air, it and its 1.4 on IMDB, one of the lowest rated things of all time (lower rated than Annoying Orange, Problem Solverz, and Toddlers and Tiaras) but this is the same block that is going to give us more King Star King.

[Toonamiguy321]

2 hours ago, Jman said:

A lot of what they're getting are cast-offs, or at the very least, second hand, but in the case of DC movies and Primal it fits with the block.

I...guess Velma fits that role technically, it's a comedy/horror...

Oh who the fuck am I kidding?  If Velma is on the block, it's because they have no other options, Zaslav forced DeMarco to air it, and the block is not long for the world.  I don't think it will air, it and its 1.4 on IMDB, one of the lowest rated things of all time (lower rated than Annoying Orange, Problem Solverz, and Toddlers and Tiaras) but this is the same block that is going to give us more King Star King.

For the moment, our cast off content has been limited to things AS was airing on their regular schedule. We haven’t crossed the line of Max exclusives on Toonami (nor AS) and I hope it stays that way. 
 

DC movies have been less about Toonami content and more about using Toonami as a commercial for something vaguely related on Max. Personally I hope it never goes beyond the occasional movie.

[Jman]

6 hours ago, Toonamiguy321 said:

For the moment, our cast off content has been limited to things AS was airing on their regular schedule. We haven’t crossed the line of Max exclusives on Toonami (nor AS) and I hope it stays that way. 
 

DC movies have been less about Toonami content and more about using Toonami as a commercial for something vaguely related on Max. Personally I hope it never goes beyond the occasional movie.

I'm of the belief that the block, as of right now, is at the point where beggars can't be choosers.  If we got Ushio and Tora, fine.  Older shows aren’t bad if they’re good and affordable.  If we have to air DC movies once a month as a "DC movie night", cool.  

But Velma is the point where they literally have nothing else and are running on fumes.  Every other acquisition has failed, and it's time to panic because we have a show with 7% on Rotten Tomatoes on the block.

Edited February 15, 2023 by Jman

[Daos]

4 hours ago, Jman said:

I'm of the belief that the block, as of right now, is at the point where beggars can't be choosers.  If we got Ushio and Tora, fine.  Older shows aren’t bad if they’re good and affordable.  If we have to air DC movies once a month as a "DC movie night", cool.  

But Velma is the point where they literally have nothing else and are running on fumes.  Every other acquisition has failed, and it's time to panic because we have a show with 7% on Rotten Tomatoes on the block.

I always thought the block would be best served by airing older anime that's actually considered good. I have to believe someone would be happy to have one of their older products get renewed attention. Instead of chasing pointless cash grabs like Yashahime and Boruto.

It's almost malpractice that this block has never aired Stein's Gate, Haruhi Suzumiya or Toradora. Instead we get FLCL sequels and Fena Pirate Princess.

[OwlChemist81]

5 hours ago, Jman said:

I'm of the belief that the block, as of right now, is at the point where beggars can't be choosers.  If we got Ushio and Tora, fine.  Older shows aren’t bad if they’re good and affordable.  If we have to air DC movies once a month as a "DC movie night", cool.  

But Velma is the point where they literally have nothing else and are running on fumes.  Every other acquisition has failed, and it's time to panic because we have a show with 7% on Rotten Tomatoes on the block.

It's actually a 41% as of today.

Still rotten, but not 70%.

BTW, here are Rotten Tomatoes scores for the current block and recent alumni:

My Hero Academia - 100% 🍅

Made In Abyss (Journey's Dawn) - 88% 🍅

YashaHime - N/A 🤷‍♂️

One Piece - N/A 🤷‍♂️

Naruto Shippuden (Latest Movie) 63% 🍿

PRIMAL - 96% 🍿

[Toonamiguy321]

7 hours ago, Jman said:

I'm of the belief that the block, as of right now, is at the point where beggars can't be choosers.  If we got Ushio and Tora, fine.  Older shows aren’t bad if they’re good and affordable.  If we have to air DC movies once a month as a "DC movie night", cool.  

I’m right there with you on that. At this point, I’m of the believe they need to just go all in on the Sentai and Viz catalog of shows and stop chasing the hot titles like Witch from Mercury that are now unobtainable to the block with meager budget and relevance. I think the problem is they just don’t want to accept that’s the reality of their situation. We have been seeing a lot of examples of perfect being the enemy of good enough. 
 

If they would just start working through the “action” tag in the Sentai and Viz catalog, the block wouldn’t need to consider DC movie stalling for years. The flow of content would make the block not look so dire, even if it isn’t the top shelf shows. And they probably could get their tiny budget to go further by not constantly chasing the most expensive options on the market. 

[PokeNirvash]

That's Demarco for ya, unwilling to admit that sometimes it is his fault, especially when the alternative is alienating the fanbase.

[atomicinumatt]

4 hours ago, Daos said:

I always thought the block would be best served by airing older anime that's actually considered good. I have to believe someone would be happy to have one of their older products get renewed attention. Instead of chasing pointless cash grabs like Yashahime and Boruto.

It's almost malpractice that this block has never aired Stein's Gate, Haruhi Suzumiya or Toradora. Instead we get FLCL sequels and Fena Pirate Princess.

I definitely would love for them to go after older anime, even if I have seen them already. Most of what comes to Toonami I have already viewed. 

[Toonamiguy321]

1 hour ago, atomicinumatt said:

I definitely would love for them to go after older anime, even if I have seen them already. Most of what comes to Toonami I have already viewed. 

I think the topic of “older” anime gets a little confusing to discuss in Toonami communities. Most hardcore Toonami fans are late 20s to early 30s who grew up with the original block. When I hear “older anime” my brain immediately goes to 90s shows (the type of stuff Toonami should NOT be looking at), but that’s just not the reality anymore. A show that came out in 2012, when Toonami came back on the air, is ELEVEN years old now. That’s damn old by anime standards. Even when we got AssClass, which was roughly 5-6 years old when it ran on the block, it was considered to be pretty well passed it’s prime. And despite that, fans still turned out for AssClass most weeks that it was on the block. I don’t know why Demarco thinks the block can’t subsist on shows from a few years prior. 
 

With 3 rotating slots, if I set the Hidive catalog filter to Action - 2012 to 2023 - Dubbed, the block would be comfortably programmed for the next 3-4 years. Is it all quality content? No, there are definitely some stinkers in there I wouldn’t recommend to my enemies, but there is plenty of good to at worst, mediocre stuff in there that we could avoid the bad stuff for some time. And hey, you never know what the audience is going to take to. Akame ga Kill still holds the premier viewer record despite being panned by everyone when it was announced for the block. 
 

The Viz catalog is unfortunately not as well stocked. They could fill in some gaps here and there, but Toonami would burn through their action catalog pretty quick with the same filter as above. 

[atomicinumatt]

2 hours ago, Toonamiguy321 said:

I think the topic of “older” anime gets a little confusing to discuss in Toonami communities. Most hardcore Toonami fans are late 20s to early 30s who grew up with the original block. When I hear “older anime” my brain immediately goes to 90s shows (the type of stuff Toonami should NOT be looking at), but that’s just not the reality anymore. A show that came out in 2012, when Toonami came back on the air, is ELEVEN years old now. That’s damn old by anime standards. Even when we got AssClass, which was roughly 5-6 years old when it ran on the block, it was considered to be pretty well passed it’s prime. And despite that, fans still turned out for AssClass most weeks that it was on the block. I don’t know why Demarco thinks the block can’t subsist on shows from a few years prior. 

Indeed, this has been what I have meant in the past when I have mentioned Toonami getting "older anime". 

There are a plethora of shows that have come out in the last 10 or so years, especially with anime coming into more of a golden era after the 2000's. I would love for them to get nearly brand new shows, but given the environment that is probably not possible. So it makes me wonder why they have not tried getting shows that are out of their prime. Is it all down to bad judgment on Demarco's, etc. part? Is there something else we are missing here? Maybe they have tried and no one is playing ball?

Does [as]/Toonami just think that people are tuning in to watch an anime for the first time? I am sure that some are but I doubt that the majority of viewers are watching their anime exclusively on Toonami. And if that were the case then it would not make sense for them to keep showing reruns. They are probably having trouble with funding and acquiring. But again, it makes me wonder why they do not go after older stuff. Is older stuff simply too expensive as well?  

You would think that with Sentai and Viz, that they would probably be able to keep the line up lively without having to rely on DC movie nights or worse. Maybe this is the overlords wishes? 

I have no clue but I can only stay hopeful. Really wondering what the lineup for the Block is going to be after the next two weeks and leading into Spring.

As always, I will hope for the best while expecting the worst!

[Toonamiguy321]

13 minutes ago, atomicinumatt said:

Is it all down to bad judgment on Demarco's, etc. part? Is there something else we are missing here? Maybe they have tried and no one is playing ball?

I feel like a big part of it is Demarco is just incapable of getting out of his own way. In 2019, Toonami was riding at its peak height. We had simuldubs on top of simuldubs and every popular seasonal show fell into the blocks lap with a snap of their fingers. Then they started dialing things back in 2020, and then Covid followed that, and then Crunchyroll started devouring the market, and then Discovery came in and told everyone to stop wasting money. They went being treated like royalty in the market to being seen as a dog turd to avoid stepping on. The fans for the most part have accepted this, it sucks, but things change as time goes on. Demarco though, really doesn’t seem to want to let that royalty feeling go. It really shows when he goes to twitter to complain about not being allowed to air stuff like Demon Slayer or Witch from Mercury. He is trapped in an outdated mindset where Toonami is entitled to popular shows and it’s madness distributors won’t give them to him. 
 

There’s no telling what goes on in the background. Demarco did shaft Sentai pretty hard after Parasyte ended, so perhaps they just don’t feel a need to help out more than one show at a time. Or maybe they just pinch their pennies in a foolish hope of being able to land one premium show down the road. Maybe a little of both. You may be right as well, the overlords may want Toonami entering a conclusion phase. In the Zaslav era, nothing should be considered 100% safe. 
 

The time for an announcement is closing in pretty quickly. Two weeks ago, it felt like they were buying time for FLCL. If that’s not announced in the next two days, maybe not. If it’s not FLCL I certainly hope there is something else on deck. 

[atomicinumatt]

1 minute ago, Toonamiguy321 said:

I feel like a big part of it is Demarco is just incapable of getting out of his own way. In 2019, Toonami was riding at its peak height. We had simuldubs on top of simuldubs and every popular seasonal show fell into the blocks lap with a snap of their fingers. Then they started dialing things back in 2020, and then Covid followed that, and then Crunchyroll started devouring the market, and then Discovery came in and told everyone to stop wasting money. They went being treated like royalty in the market to being seen as a dog turd to avoid stepping on. The fans for the most part have accepted this, it sucks, but things change as time goes on. Demarco though, really doesn’t seem to want to let that royalty feeling go. It really shows when he goes to twitter to complain about not being allowed to air stuff like Demon Slayer or Witch from Mercury. He is trapped in an outdated mindset where Toonami is entitled to popular shows and it’s madness distributors won’t give them to him. 

Is Demarco in charge anymore? I thought he was mostly just the twitter lightning rod now. 

But either way you are right, this trend started years before now. 

[Daos]

It always seems like the only way something gets on Demarco's radar is if it's absolutely everywhere, like One Punch Man. MHA and Assclass took years and years and years. Great pickups, but if we're picking up anime that are 5 years old, why not 10? 

Instead of say.... follow ups to legacy series that already ran for 700 episodes. And Gundam.

[CountFrylock]

2 hours ago, atomicinumatt said:

Is Demarco in charge anymore? I thought he was mostly just the twitter lightning rod now. 

But either way you are right, this trend started years before now. 

Nope He Really Isn't...numerous times on twitter  Demarco has stated the block is more Gill Austin's project than his own right now

He's Merely acting as a background advisor these days....Gill Austin doesn't use social media whatsoever so Demarco is the toonami PR Person

 

[Jman]

Toonami WISHES it could get Witch from Mercury given the amount of chatter that show has made.  Too late now.

I believe DeMarco once said that getting older anime was pointless because companies charged just as much or didn't even bother putting those older licenses up for sale.  Then we have companies like Discotek that dub and release on video, but don't bother acquiring the streaming/terrestrial distribution rights.  Now add in Sony not wanting to share and you have a narrow stretch of time to get material from, with most of it off limits, and suddenly you're stuck making more King Star King and thinking about airing Velma, which is what happens when HBO Max says "Hey, what if we made our own version of Redo of Healer, but worse so Mindy Kailing can vicariously live through high school as the snarky teen that outsmarted her bullies that she never got to be?"

I'd say best case scenario, they can only actively acquire stuff from the past three to five years.

 

[Toonamiguy321]

3 hours ago, atomicinumatt said:

Is Demarco in charge anymore? I thought he was mostly just the twitter lightning rod now. 

 

18 minutes ago, CountFrylock said:

Nope He Really Isn't...numerous times on twitter  Demarco has stated the block is more Gill Austin's project than his own right now

He's Merely acting as a background advisor these days....Gill Austin doesn't use social media whatsoever so Demarco is the toonami PR Person

Demarco is hands off in regards to the blocks day to day maintenance. He still has full involvement in major changes and show acquisitions. 
 

Fanart event went south? - Not Demarco 

Show pickups not happening? - Demarco 

32 minutes ago, Daos said:

It always seems like the only way something gets on Demarco's radar is if it's absolutely everywhere, like One Punch Man. MHA and Assclass took years and years and years. Great pickups, but if we're picking up anime that are 5 years old, why not 10? 

Instead of say.... follow ups to legacy series that already ran for 700 episodes. And Gundam.

That’s been a problem for a long time. He really isn’t the anime pro he wants people to believe he is. If it’s from the 80s-90s (his own generation for anime) or is trending on Twitter, he is an expert. Beyond that, he knows nothing. Which is why we so often fall back on cheap nostalgia cash grabs and Gundam. He goes to what he knows. 
 

6 minutes ago, Jman said:

I believe DeMarco once said that getting older anime was pointless because companies charged just as much or didn't even bother putting those older licenses up for sale. 

His logic for old shows made sense a few years ago when they could seemingly pick any show. Why pick something old when you can pick something 2 weeks behind it’s dub release? These days, they don’t have the room to be picky. 
 

Annoyingly, despite those comments about old shows, they would still go after stuff like Outlaw Star. IMO that was more just an easy excuse to justify not picking up stuff people were requesting. 

[atomicinumatt]

9 minutes ago, Jman said:

I believe DeMarco once said that getting older anime was pointless because companies charged just as much or didn't even bother putting those older licenses up for sale. 

 

Yea I guess I had not really considered that.

It would kind of make sense that older stuff would still be expensive. Given how studios seem to think that they cannot get enough material out, owners would not be willing to distribute older projects for cheap just because they are old. 

Oh well. Here is to hoping we can get something decent. 

Edited February 16, 2023 by atomicinumatt

[OwlChemist81]

It's easy to look at the block now under Austin's direction and say it feels kinda like Ani-Monday on a Saturday, when the main shows would take breaks for movies for no other apparent reason, like for example how Strait Jacket made Gurren Lagann take a break with no real warning on 10/20/2008, but this weekend IS actually kind of a holiday weekend: it's the last weekend of Mardi Gras. It makes sense for a block that's on at midnight on a Saturday night to take breaks in most of its regular shows then, and it isn't a TOTAL break because we still get MHA Season 6.

True, the following week makes less sense, but the arguably better DC movie plays on that day, so that helps. Ballmastrz: Rubicon getting a rerun at 12:30 is a questionable decision though. I would have put it after the movie, especially since Season 2 never finished its 2020 2AM Toonami run. Hell, we could have had that and THEN Rubicon at 2:45, expanding Toonami to 3:15 for all I care.

[OwlChemist81]

Get a load of this:

https://www.spoilertv.com/2023/02/top-200-cable-reruns-week-ending-12th.html

It's true that this was just one week, but Family Guy on FXX is kicking Toonami's lead-in's ass.

[Blatch]

A few general responses:

• Why the heck would Velma air on Toonami? I do think there's a non-zero chance it shows up on [as] proper or even TBS, because WBD is all about that sweet cross-promotion. Bottom line, Jman needs some new material already. Too bad Netflix isn't going to give it to him.
  • Interestingly, I do think that some Max cross-promotion could help with Toonami. It would be cool if Scavengers Reign could air on the block as sloppy seconds. I mean, if that means getting Velma on linear TV, it's a compromise I'm willing to make, so long as Toonami doesn't get the latter.
  • (Also, saying the latter is like Redo of Healer but for HBO Max is... a take. But I haven't seen either, so for all I know it's accurate.)
• Totally agree with Toonamiguy321 in that all Toonami needs to do is rely on Sentai's back catalog, and maybe Viz's. This made me think of all the shows Viz licensed in Toonami's golden years that people wanted on the block. But the ones I can think of (Blood Lad, Lagrange, etc.) came out long enough ago that Viz might not have the rights to 'em anymore.
• Made in Abyss wasn't exactly everywhere prior to airing on Toonami, though the series is kinda mainstream in spite of its... yeah. I'm still surprised Toonami actually went for it, even moreso Season 2 since they couldn't air the movie.
• Now this is the kind of discussion in the ratings thread I can get behind! Too bad it doesn't really have to do with the numbers.

[Jman]

Eh, one could argue that the future shows for the block influence ratings, but I digress.  
 

On a similar topic, I won’t bore all of you with the Redo of Healer/Velma comparisons (simply put, both are astonishingly mean-spirited with weird sexual hang ups and expect us to root for a character that is a horrible human being because they are author avatars).  But it speaks to the limited options (Velma is arguably comparable to Harley Quinn as an action/comedy, and the latter did air on Toonami, even if it was just to promote The Suicide Squad).  Not to mention DeMarco has apparently been actively pursuing the rights to the Lum remake, if they ever dub the thing.

Made in Abyss is probably the best example of DeMarco’s vision of a bespoke, off the beaten path action block, even if it wasn’t completely an unknown quantity (Columbia is currently sitting, key word, sitting on the rights to a LA adaptation they got before Toonami picked the show).  I know it’s way easier said than done, but the whole idea that DeMarco and Gill seemed to push was that Toonami was going to show you things you wouldn’t seek out on your own, even if you could.  Not every anime gets a watch deal, but plenty can attract an audience unaware.

https://www.swatch.com/en-us/swatch-x-dragonballz.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiAxbefBhDfARIsAL4XLRpvCr4qtNJBUNM-ACRZnHcXJ1PT8X39Dhq_PPG0lpTXr-8DVCzB5TAaApFFEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
 

(Yes that is real).

Speaking of bespoke and Netflix since the topic was bought up, Pluto would have been perfect for that vision.  Hell, Mike Lazzo would have probably forced Jason and Gill to get it if he was still around given his own affection for Astro Boy (Lazzo admitted he unilaterally put 60s Astro on at 5am as a birthday present to himself on the AS boards once upon a time).

It’s not like this is just a Toonami problem.  Comedy ratings have been steadily declining ever since Family Guy left, with the one saving grace for the block now a major question mark thanks to all the controversy.  I’m hopeful the Venture Bros and Metalocalypse movies will be made and not written off since we got Aqua Teen Plantasm, but that’s a stopgap.  It feels like we’re waiting on that next big hit, the anime that takes over the internet, the comedy that’s so popular the late night talk shows are begging to interview its creator, etc.

[Toonamiguy321]

3 hours ago, OwlChemist81 said:

It's easy to look at the block now under Austin's direction

Stop making me tap the sign 

3 hours ago, OwlChemist81 said:

but this weekend IS actually kind of a holiday weekend: it's the last weekend of Mardi Gras. It makes sense for a block that's on at midnight on a Saturday night to take breaks in most of its regular shows then, and it isn't a TOTAL break because we still get MHA Season 6.

Toonami is not significant enough to take time off for every single holiday on the calendar. We have seen time and again that the weeks they do take off besides Christmas and New Years have very little shift in their ratings. Marathons and delays are entirely pointless and serve no other purpose than to waste time and make it take longer to finish shows. As you say, MHA is still airing, so even if you did want to take a vacation, you still gotta tune in for at least 30 minutes. 

 

1 hour ago, Blatch said:

Also, saying the latter is like Redo of Healer but for HBO Max is... a take. But I haven't seen either, so for all I know it's accurate.)

It really isn’t. I haven’t watched one second of Velma, but I have seen Redo of Healer, and I HIGHLY doubt Velma has a 5 ish minute long, well detailed rape scene. And that’s just the tip of the Redo peni- iceberg.

[atomicinumatt]

1 hour ago, Jman said:

Speaking of bespoke and Netflix since the topic was bought up, Pluto would have been perfect for that vision.  Hell, Mike Lazzo would have probably forced Jason and Gill to get it if he was still around given his own affection for Astro Boy (Lazzo admitted he unilaterally put 60s Astro on at 5am as a birthday present to himself on the AS boards once upon a time).

I have actually recently finished the PLUTO manga and my god, I thought it was really good. 

I have never really cared for Astro Boy, or more like I just never really checked it out (I know, it is a classic and I live under a rock), but after reading this reinterpretation, I have to say that I will be going back and checking out AB in full!

Sucks that the PLUTO anime will end up in Netflix jail. It would have been perfect for the Block.. 

[PokeNirvash]

Well I have seen Redo of Healer, and directly comparing it to Velma is practically an insult. For as controversial as it is, at least Healer sorta kinda pretends to like its target audience.

Edited February 17, 2023 by PokeNirvash

[OwlChemist81]

Oddly enough, Toonami actually did BETTER relatively speaking this week, according to the SpoilerTV Cable Shows Top 400, where One Piece and Shippuden cracked the Top 100, but MHA and MiA did not.

https://www.spoilertv.com/2023/02/top-400-cable-shows-week-ending-12th.html

Just goes to show you casual fans don't know quality. Made in Abyss is a masterpiece.

[Jman]

4 minutes ago, OwlChemist81 said:

Oddly enough, Toonami actually did BETTER relatively speaking this week, according to the SpoilerTV Cable Shows Top 400, where One Piece and Shippuden cracked the Top 100, but MHA and MiA did not.

https://www.spoilertv.com/2023/02/top-400-cable-shows-week-ending-12th.html

Just goes to show you casual fans don't know quality. Made in Abyss is a masterpiece.

Made in Abyss is a great, great show, but this is a classic case of bringing a horse to water.  You can’t make him drink.

Admittedly it not doing great is why I’m “Eh” on Lum showing up.  I feel like it would be a similar situation where casual audiences dismiss it.

[OwlChemist81]

This isn't Toonami, but this show DID air on Toonami, though most see that as a terrible mistake...

https://showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-monday-2-13-2023-top-150-cable-originals-network-finals.html

If you think Toonami's ratings are bad, King Star King apparently didn't even make the Top 150 on Monday night. That doesn't bode well for Ballmastrz: Rubicon...

[Sketch]

6 hours ago, Toonamiguy321 said:

Stop making me tap the sign 

Toonami is not significant enough to take time off for every single holiday on the calendar. We have seen time and again that the weeks they do take off besides Christmas and New Years have very little shift in their ratings. Marathons and delays are entirely pointless and serve no other purpose than to waste time and make it take longer to finish shows. As you say, MHA is still airing, so even if you did want to take a vacation, you still gotta tune in for at least 30 minutes. 

 

It really isn’t. I haven’t watched one second of Velma, but I have seen Redo of Healer, and I HIGHLY doubt Velma has a 5 ish minute long, well detailed rape scene. And that’s just the tip of the Redo peni- iceberg.

“Involved with major decisions and help with programming”

What we don’t know is what defines “help” in this case. What we do know is he spends most of his day to day developing anime co-pros and non-DC American action animation for WBD and no longer works at Adult Swim directly beyond being “involved” with Toonami.

I don’t think he is as much of the guiding force for the acquisitions as he was.

[Toonamiguy321]

2 hours ago, OwlChemist81 said:

Just goes to show you casual fans don't know quality. Made in Abyss is a masterpiece.

 

2 hours ago, Jman said:

Made in Abyss is a great, great show, but this is a classic case of bringing a horse to water.  You can’t make him drink

Made in Abyss did a lot better than I would expect from it most weeks of S2. Especially as a transition show from MHA, they are night and day difference, but it still managed to hold MHA well. Shit, this week it actually had a couple thousand extra viewers. We can’t expect too much from its finale when MHA started us off at a near record low. 

 

2 hours ago, Sketch said:

What we don’t know is what defines “help” in this case. What we do know is he spends most of his day to day developing anime co-pros and non-DC American action animation for WBD and no longer works at Adult Swim directly beyond being “involved” with Toonami.

Steering show choices isn’t something that takes much time. If Gill brings him a list of potential shows, he can circle his picks in 30 seconds. Where he is likely off the wagon is the actual legwork of trying to secure those shows. 
 

My main point being, I don’t believe he has completely handed the reigns to Gill in regards to what airs, and it will still very much be programmed to his personal tastes. If Gill wants to make a statement that this is “his” block now, he is going to have to do that with programming choices that break away from Demarco’s normal fare.

[Sketch]

They like a lot of the same kinds of shows (based on conversations from PreFlight) so I don’t think it’ll ever be dramatically different regardless.

But I don’t think it’s like this:

Jason: Get this show.

Gill: We can’t. I’ve tried.

Jason: Then get nothing else until we can get that show.

[Toonamiguy321]

9 hours ago, Sketch said:

They like a lot of the same kinds of shows (based on conversations from PreFlight) so I don’t think it’ll ever be dramatically different regardless.

But I don’t think it’s like this:

Jason: Get this show.

Gill: We can’t. I’ve tried.

Jason: Then get nothing else until we can get that show.

Because it’s probably more like this

Gill: Hey Jason, here is a list of shows I’m going to look into for the upcoming schedule gaps, any preferences?

Jason: Yea I like the sound of X, Y and Z

Gill: Ok, I’ll see if any of those are available to us and get back to you

I do agree that they do have pretty similar tastes though 

[OwlChemist81]

Thanks to the Presidents' Day holiday yesterday, it's going to be a little while until we see how well Toonami did last Saturday.

[OwlChemist81]

Good news, everyone!!

https://showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-saturday-2-18-2023-top-150-cable-originals-network-finals.html

Spoiler

That's right, Toonami's BACK in the Top 50!

MHA got 203K and a 0.08 in 18-49. See the chart for more.

Injustice got 157K and a 0.06 in 18-49.

[OwlChemist81]

https://www.spoilertv.com/2023/02/top-400-cable-shows-week-ending-19th.html?m=1

MHA and Injustice both in the Top 200 for the week's shows, but NOT the Top 100!

[OwlChemist81]

Toonami finishes off February 2023 with a decent performance:

https://showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-saturday-2-25-2023-top-150-cable-originals-network-finals.html

Spoiler

MHA back in the Top 25, and Justice League vs. the Fatal Five also made the Top 50!

[OwlChemist81]

Pretty clear that no one really gives a damn about the ratings anymore, but just in case you're curious...

https://showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-saturday-3-4-2023-top-150-cable-originals-network-finals.html

Spoiler

MHA hanging on for dear life at #50!

[OwlChemist81]

MHA at 12 AM way up but still the only Toonami show that made the Top 50:

https://showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-saturday-3-11-2023-top-150-cable-originals-network-finals.html

Spoiler

I am utterly mind-boggled as to how the first episode of a double-header can do so well and then the second can shed like 30% of its audience!

[Sketch]

My only guess is people don’t stick around to the end of the credits to see the bump that says MHA is on next. There is no other on air notice after all.

[OwlChemist81]

This is the first week it's happened, however. Viewership was down across the board last week.

[PokeNirvash]

3 hours ago, OwlChemist81 said:

I am utterly mind-boggled as to how the first episode of a double-header can do so well and then the second can shed like 30% of its audience!

Spoiler

Maybe Midnight's death convinced them to drop it too.

 

[Toonamiguy321]

10 hours ago, OwlChemist81 said:

MHA at 12 AM way up but still the only Toonami show that made the Top 50:

https://showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-saturday-3-11-2023-top-150-cable-originals-network-finals.html

  Reveal hidden contents

I am utterly mind-boggled as to how the first episode of a double-header can do so well and then the second can shed like 30% of its audience!

I had expected the first episode to tank the entire night since it was a partial recap. I think Sketch is right though, double MHA has been kind of a quiet change to the schedule. If you are here for just one show, you probably turn the TV off before the credits finish. 

They never even made this weeks schedule official, so no doubt some people assumed MHA doubled up was a one time deal and just didn’t follow up on it’s replacement.

[OwlChemist81]

Way to go, Toonami!!

https://showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-saturday-3-18-2023-top-150-cable-originals-network-finals.html

Spoiler

A 0.13 in 18-49 is almost unheard-of in this modern era for [as] at midnight, and then the rest of the block did better than that timeslot does sometime.

Food Wars with its boob-jiggling antics brought up the rear, but that's OK, as its 5th Plate debut might have been the rising tide that lifted the other boats. Not to mention it still triumphantly returned to the Top 50.

The lineup will be fairly stable for a couple more weeks now at least, so let's hope it can keep it up!

[Sketch]

Fifth Plate might very well be the reason Toonami was up across the board this week unless there was suddenly less sports or other things. Even so it amuses me that One Piece beat it. Food Wars will probably do better in the weeks to come, at least I hope so.

[OwlChemist81]

Led by the double-shot of surprisingly grimdark MHA, Toonami shrugs off the NCAA Tournament and does decent numbers for the 2nd week in a row:

Spoiler

 

[OwlChemist81]

The 3rd and final week of the NCAA tournament had an interesting effect on this week's Toonami ratings:

https://showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-saturday-4-1-2023-top-150-cable-originals-network-finals.html

Spoiler

4 out of the 5 show premieres made the Top 50 (and Shippuden just barely missed at #51), but the shows look like they did better than they actually did due to the relatively low ceiling across the board caused by the absence of College Basketball, which aired on CBS instead.

In other news, one episode of Royal Crackers beat Succession, but MHA did much better than its 12 AM episode, which missed the Top 50:

 https://showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-sunday-4-2-2023-top-150-cable-originals-network-finals.html

MHA averaged 0.11 in Adults 18-49, which was good enough to beat the Crackerthon, averaging about 0.09. It also beat it in total viewers, as both episodes of MHA cracked 200K, and only one of the 3 Crackers episodes did.

[Toonamiguy321]

2 hours ago, OwlChemist81 said:

The 3rd and final week of the NCAA tournament had an interesting effect on this week's Toonami ratings:

https://showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-saturday-4-1-2023-top-150-cable-originals-network-finals.html

  Reveal hidden contents

4 out of the 5 show premieres made the Top 50 (and Shippuden just barely missed at #51), but the shows look like they did better than they actually did due to the relatively low ceiling across the board caused by the absence of College Basketball, which aired on CBS instead.

In other news, one episode of Royal Crackers beat Succession, but MHA did much better than its 12 AM episode, which missed the Top 50:

 https://showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-sunday-4-2-2023-top-150-cable-originals-network-finals.html

MHA averaged 0.11 in Adults 18-49, which was good enough to beat the Crackerthon, averaging about 0.09. It also beat it in total viewers, as both episodes of MHA cracked 200K, and only one of the 3 Crackers episodes did.

I’ll bet the block also saw a bump from people tuning in expecting a prank. A lot of people don’t seem to grasp the timing on AS pranks. 
 

Adult Swim put a ton of stock into Royal Crackers, so I’ll bet there is some major disappointment in its mediocre start. They have its reruns peppered all over the schedule which will likely cause rapid fatigue in it. I enjoyed it for what it was, but AS seems to think it can be one of their new tentpoles.