Zaslav allegedly wanted to cancel Lazarus before completion until Adult Swim stepped in

[Jman]

https://www.cbr.com/cowboy-bebop-lazarus-zaslav-canceled/
 

Interested to see how the public takes this one.

[PokeNirvash]

Why does everything I hear about this sorry excuse for a man make me want him even more dead than before?

[Sketch]

What’s this? CBR posted an article based on an interview I and Kuro did with Jason?

Ya’ll should really listen to the audio. It’s on the podcast feed, SoundCloud.com/ToonamiFaithfulPodcast and here’s a YouTube link.

 

[Toonamiguy321]

Lazarus is mid

”Zaslav wanted to cancel it”

Lazarus is the greatest anime ever created because I was told Zaslav was against it. 

That should about sum it up.

4 hours ago, Sketch said:

What’s this? CBR posted an article based on an interview I and Kuro did with Jason?

Ya’ll should really listen to the audio. It’s on the podcast feed, SoundCloud.com/ToonamiFaithfulPodcast and here’s a YouTube link.

 

I’m noticing Colt is not on the cast list, an intentional omission so no hard questions would be asked? 

[Mr. Idea Box]

2 hours ago, Toonamiguy321 said:

Lazarus is mid

”Zaslav wanted to cancel it”

Lazarus is the greatest anime ever created because I was told Zaslav was against it. 

That should about sum it up.

I’m noticing Colt is not on the cast list, an intentional omission so no hard questions would be asked? 

I was hoping the monotony would be broken up in this thread. Like, I get that Zaslav is your typical entertainment executive when it comes to fictional programming, but for Lazarus, the water has been muddied.

Now, the Megas XLR reboot that was pitched? That, I agree with the majority on.

[Sketch]

On 6/21/2025 at 12:02 PM, Toonamiguy321 said:

Lazarus is mid

”Zaslav wanted to cancel it”

Lazarus is the greatest anime ever created because I was told Zaslav was against it. 

That should about sum it up.

I’m noticing Colt is not on the cast list, an intentional omission so no hard questions would be asked? 

I need my co-hosts to respect the guests boundaries and Colt has not proven capable of that. His little fit on Twitter more than proves to me I made the right call.

[[classic swim]]

18 minutes ago, Sketch said:

I need my co-hosts to respect the guests boundaries and Colt has not proven capable of that. His little fit on Twitter more than proves to me I made the right call.

He actually spoke to me in private and said you’re gonna get your asscheeks clapped...

[Sketch]

2 minutes ago, [classic swim] said:

He actually spoke to me in private and said you’re gonna get your asscheeks clapped...

I’d like to see him try Fry man

[[classic swim]]

4 minutes ago, Sketch said:

I’d like to see him try Fry man

He’s coming. Watch your back.

[MasqueradeOverture]

17 hours ago, Sketch said:

I’d like to see him try Fry man

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAH LET THE FARTFUCKING COMMENCE

[Toonamiguy321]

20 hours ago, Sketch said:

I need my co-hosts to respect the guests boundaries and Colt has not proven capable of that. His little fit on Twitter more than proves to me I made the right call.

“I need my co hosts to commit to only ask meaningless softball questions that give little, if any insight on the inner workings of Toonami”

Like I get it, Demarco is a manchild who will turn tail and run if you don’t spend the entire interview jerking off his ego, but let’s call it what it is. 

[brianycpht]

23 hours ago, Sketch said:

I need my co-hosts to respect the guests boundaries and Colt has not proven capable of that. His little fit on Twitter more than proves to me I made the right call.

Do you think it’s the questions themselves or how they are asked? 
 

I do think Jason should be able to handle a tough question or 2 as long as it’s asked in a professional non hostile way. I got a few questions answered on a live stream that were uncomfortable topics, but it’s all in how you ask 
 

However, I’m not sure he’s the one anymore who can answer the type of questions he’d want to know about current block operations 

[Sketch]

On 6/23/2025 at 4:11 PM, Toonamiguy321 said:

“I need my co hosts to commit to only ask meaningless softball questions that give little, if any insight on the inner workings of Toonami”

Like I get it, Demarco is a manchild who will turn tail and run if you don’t spend the entire interview jerking off his ego, but let’s call it what it is. 

Kuro asked him about Uzumaki and he deflected immediately. I expect no real answers for anything he’s either been told not to talk about or chooses not to talk about. In this kind of interview he’s just not gonna answer. Get him to a bar and he’ll spill then swear you to secrecy.

Toonami isn’t really his job these days  anymore but what are these hard ball questions you want answered? Maybe I can corner Gill or Kim at San Diego Comic Con and ask them at knife point.

Edited June 24 by Sketch

[brianycpht]

10 hours ago, Sketch said:

Kuro asked him about Uzumaki and he deflected immediately. I expect no real answers for anything he’s either been told not to talk about or chooses not to talk about. In this kind of interview he’s just not gonna answer. Get him to a bar and he’ll spill then swear you to secrecy.

Toonami isn’t really his job these days  anymore but what are these hard ball questions you want answered? Maybe I can corner Gill or Kim at San Diego Comic Con and ask them at knife point.

Honestly it would be nice to get an interview with Kim or Gil, but I think they’d be even more of a closed book

 

[Toonamiguy321]

22 hours ago, Sketch said:

Kuro asked him about Uzumaki and he deflected immediately. I expect no real answers for anything he’s either been told not to talk about or chooses not to talk about. In this kind of interview he’s just not gonna answer. Get him to a bar and he’ll spill then swear you to secrecy.

Toonami isn’t really his job these days  anymore but what are these hard ball questions you want answered? Maybe I can corner Gill or Kim at San Diego Comic Con and ask them at knife point.

If you actually do want to throw one out they might answer, Demarco confirmed in this interview that Sentai is their go to dub studio for all their originals, so why do they not air shows out of the Sentai catalog as well? That seems like it should be easy synergy that they aren’t utilizing. 
 

And for a few they probably won’t answer. 
 

1. What is the status between Crunchyroll and Toonami? The block has not aired a new show from them since the start of 2021, and the last sequel from them was from 2023. Toei owned shows make it on, but nothing else. Does Crunchyroll no longer license shows to AS? 

If you need a follow up trump card to a non answer, point out that AXS was able to secure MHA. So Crunchyroll will license shows, but not to Toonami. 
 

2. Why was Toonami allowed to go nearly 6 straight months without any new acquired content in 2025? Should the audience expect further long stretches of stall schedules when first choice shows cannot be secured? 

[brianycpht]

51 minutes ago, Toonamiguy321 said:

If you actually do want to throw one out they might answer, Demarco confirmed in this interview that Sentai is their go to dub studio for all their originals, so why do they not air shows out of the Sentai catalog as well? That seems like it should be easy synergy that they aren’t utilizing. 
 

And for a few they probably won’t answer. 
 

1. What is the status between Crunchyroll and Toonami? The block has not aired a new show from them since the start of 2021, and the last sequel from them was from 2023. Toei owned shows make it on, but nothing else. Does Crunchyroll no longer license shows to AS? 

If you need a follow up trump card to a non answer, point out that AXS was able to secure MHA. So Crunchyroll will license shows, but not to Toonami. 
 

2. Why was Toonami allowed to go nearly 6 straight months without any new acquired content in 2025? Should the audience expect further long stretches of stall schedules when first choice shows cannot be secured? 

The SENTAI thing is really curious because they seem to be the company most willing to help the block. He even said that they give them a good deal on the dubbing. Is just nothing of interest to them?

I think the stall schedules are a result of them assuming certain things would work out and they didn’t. I am curious if the budget is timed to reset differently now 

 

[SwimOdin]

It’s amazing that I find Zazlav more despicable than Roger Goodell.

[Top Gun]

From what I've seen there's not a whole lot of recent stuff in Sentai's catalog that would really fit the block. There are definitely some things that are a bit older, thought. Princess Principal would kick serious ass. Or go retro and correct an old wrong by getting Rahxephon.

[PokeNirvash]

Remember that one time Elfie wanted them to air a GAINAX show, I suggested Medaka Box 'cause it fit the bill just enough, and he was all, "NO, ANYTHING BUT THAT!"?

Dude, you asked for a GAINAX anime, and I gave you a GAINAX anime. Even if it is a show you hate, don't fuckin' complain when I gave ya what ya asked for.

[MasqueradeOverture]

2 hours ago, PokeNirvash said:

Remember that one time Elfie wanted them to air a GAINAX show, I suggested Medaka Box 'cause it fit the bill just enough, and he was all, "NO, ANYTHING BUT THAT!"?

Dude, you asked for a GAINAX anime, and I gave you a GAINAX anime. Even if it is a show you hate, don't fuckin' complain when I gave ya what ya asked for.

Still waiting on the hentai sequel Medaka's Box.

[Toonamiguy321]

3 hours ago, Top Gun said:

From what I've seen there's not a whole lot of recent stuff in Sentai's catalog that would really fit the block. There are definitely some things that are a bit older, thought. Princess Principal would kick serious ass. Or go retro and correct an old wrong by getting Rahxephon.

The criteria for fits Toonami is “has action”, and even then, they break this rule any time it’s convenient like they did with Common Side Effects. Sentai has plenty of that, every season. So that’s not a good excuse. 
 

Plus, I’m sure the audience would have preferred ANYTHING over what we had to suffer through Jan-mid May. 
 

4 hours ago, brianycpht said:

I think the stall schedules are a result of them assuming certain things would work out and they didn’t. I am curious if the budget is timed to reset differently now 

We heard it right from Demarco, they just sit around and ask for Bleach over and over again till they get it. If they aren’t getting those shows, they just don’t bother. 

[brianycpht]

2 hours ago, Toonamiguy321 said:

7 hours ago, brianycpht said:

 

We heard it right from Demarco, they just sit around and ask for Bleach over and over again till they get it. If they aren’t getting those shows, they just don’t bother. 

Seems about right 

the drought was them probably being told Daima and possibly Bleach or MHA were a maybe and they just left blank spots on the schedule and had no back up plan 

What gets me about what he said was that if there’s an opportunity to grab a show, it has to line up with an opening occurring right at that moment. We have so many droughts during the year, why not grab a show and hold it for when a future slot? Are they really turning shows down just because the block is full? They are going to have to spend to fill a spot at some point anyway- why not take care of it early?

[Toonamiguy321]

55 minutes ago, brianycpht said:

Seems about right 

the drought was them probably being told Daima and possibly Bleach or MHA were a maybe and they just left blank spots on the schedule and had no back up plan 

What gets me about what he said was that if there’s an opportunity to grab a show, it has to line up with an opening occurring right at that moment. We have so many droughts during the year, why not grab a show and hold it for when a future slot? Are they really turning shows down just because the block is full? They are going to have to spend to fill a spot at some point anyway- why not take care of it early?

Yea that doesn’t make much sense. If it’s not a simuldub, there should be no reason they can’t have a show in their pocket for a month or two. Not to mention when the block has reruns, it’s not full. A rerun should be able to be dropped at a moments notice for a new show. 
 

Of course, he says this immediately after dropping everything to get Daima on the schedule ASAP. They will make room, if it’s for one of their favorites. 

[Mr. Idea Box]

"All pickups are created equal, but some are more equal than others."

-Demarco, probably

[Sketch]

Yeah they will make room for a favorite even when they will end up taking it off two weeks after only airing 3 weeks…

I will rationalize they save money to get certain shows and wait till past the breaking point to add something else. Even with that being the case they tend to save a little bit of budget for a cheaper show maybe once a year so I agree they should get one at the beginning of the year and hold it for an opening.

[brianycpht]

27 minutes ago, Sketch said:

Yeah they will make room for a favorite even when they will end up taking it off two weeks after only airing 3 weeks…

I will rationalize they save money to get certain shows and wait till past the breaking point to add something else. Even with that being the case they tend to save a little bit of budget for a cheaper show maybe once a year so I agree they should get one at the beginning of the year and hold it for an opening.

This is such a far cry from the days of Adult Swim announcing most of their anime pickups at the upfronts- even ones airing much later that year 

Going way back- Toonami announcing Gundam Wing and Tenchi Muyo in the fall of 99 when the later didn’t air until the following summer!

[Toonamiguy321]

1 hour ago, Sketch said:

Yeah they will make room for a favorite even when they will end up taking it off two weeks after only airing 3 weeks…

Seeing how things are playing out, you really have to wonder what their logic was here. I really don’t see why Daima couldn’t have waited and just been the replacement for Lazarus. 

If the issue was One Piece, they easily could have just put Naruto or SM on double duty for these 3 weeks. 
 

1 hour ago, Sketch said:

I will rationalize they save money to get certain shows and wait till past the breaking point to add something else. Even with that being the case they tend to save a little bit of budget for a cheaper show maybe once a year so I agree they should get one at the beginning of the year and hold it for an opening.

That’s not a sustainable way to run the block. They need to accept most of the big names they want are off limits for good. I fear their success with Bleach might send the wrong message, that if they just pester forever eventually they will get a show. 

[KageRageX]

Yeah.....they need to do better with the management of the block.....