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1* AlasPoorScrappy: The same fans who spent the last two years of the block's original run referring to TOM 4 as "[[WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends TOM-ass the Toonami Engine]]" cried when he left. It was because a simple word ([[Anime/CowboyBebop "Bang..."]]) reminded the older audience -- the ones who had watched Toonami through all eleven years -- that they weren't forgotten. Sure, we thought they had when they started [[AdoredByTheNetwork milking]] ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' for all it was worth, (practically) changed hosts, and got rid of all the credible shows and original series. But what TOM said -- what Creator/SteveBlum said -- just meant so much more. The fact that Website/FourChan practically broke down during the last hour or so of the final run, overwhelmed with nostalgia and [[TearJerker begging each other to do something to stop Toonami from shutting down]], simply adds to the heartbreak. In short, Toonami with a crappy looking host is still better than no Toonami at all. As of ''WesternAnimation/TheIntruderII'', [[spoiler:he became the subject of an [[KilledOffscreen off-screen]] BusCrash, as the Intruder gloats about killing TOM 4, and WordOfGod would confirm that his fellow crewmembers Flash and D weren't spared after the events of the tie-in comic. Poor guy. Even ''worse'' was that he and his friends were stranded on the moon at the time, all they wanted was to get home. TOM 4 instead spent the last 36 hours of his life running from the Intruder, and just when things finally looked up... [[ShootTheShaggyDog it's revealed it survived TOM 4's attack]].]]
2* AnimationAgeGhetto: The Creator/AdultSwim version of Toonami attempted to avert this by airing Creator/CartoonNetwork shows such as ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats2011'', ''WesternAnimation/SymBionicTitan'', and ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'', all of which were considered much more mature fare than Cartoon Network's other shows at the time. Unfortunately, such attempts were often met with derision and cries of NetworkDecay from fans, mostly those who think that Toonami is an anime block and that such shows are made exclusively for kids. Of course, if Toonami getting to premiere a brand new season of ''Samurai Jack'' and later airing ''WebAnimation/GenLock'' and ''WesternAnimation/Primal2019'' is any indication, they're ''still'' trying to avert this.
3* AudienceAlienatingEra:
4** The TOM 4.0 era was hated by a lot of fans for TOM's [[YouDontLookLikeYou redesign]], and for things like the ''[[CoolSpaceship Absolution]]'' and [[SpaceshipGirl SARA]] being [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome dropped without any indication of a reason]]. The general [[ScrewedByTheNetwork screwing]] of multiple shows reducing the block to nothing but reruns and ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' led many to suspect ExecutiveMeddling, especially given that this happened in 2007, after the [[WesternAnimation/AquaTeenHungerForce Mooninite]] [[UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom bomb scare]] and the resulting management shake-ups at Creator/CartoonNetwork, eventually leading to the channel's NetworkDecay. Then the block [[ScrewedByTheNetwork was taken]] [[{{Cancellation}} off]], and [[AlasPoorScrappy people mourned its passing]], no matter what they'd thought about the {{retool}}... But when Toonami [[{{Uncancelled}} came]] [[NetworkToTheRescue back]], [[CanonDiscontinuity it was with an updated version of the previous, well-liked TOM 3, with the Absolution back in space, and with no mention of the last few years of the original run]]. Until a ShoutOut was made to TOM 4 that insinuated there were multiple TOMS running around.
5** For the UK version, the astonishingly bad idea to reinvent the channel with '90s American live-action sitcoms like ''Parker Lewis Can't Lose'' taking up most of the after-school block. Though this only lasted a month or two due to overwhelming backlash, it permanently tanked viewer faith in CN as a whole, and the channel was quietly absorbed into the previously younger aimed CN Too less than a year later.
6* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic:
7** The techno music used to introduce each show was so awesome, they eventually put out several soundtracks.
8** Toonami borrows top-notch tracks from a handful of records labels and artists. (Ninja Tune, Ghostly, Music/ElP, etc.)
9** The Creator/KidsWB Toonami had that catchy piano riff.
10* BestKnownForTheFanservice: For the block itself, joked about by [adult swim]'s "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIB7qocaxgQ Saturday]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFDH9dDoYw8 Fanservice]]" bumpers, with a list of shows that air that night during regular [adult swim] and Toonami, and a "{{Fanservice}} Level" meter that instantly fills when the bumper highlights ''Anime/KillLaKill'' and ''[[Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann Gurren Lagann]]''.
11* BrokenBase: [[BrokenBase/{{Toonami}} Has its own page]].
12* CompleteMonster: TOM and SARA have faced numerous villains during their time hosting the block. These are the worst of the bunch:
13** ''WesternAnimation/TheIntruder'' & ''WesternAnimation/TheIntruderII'': [[TheAssimilator The Intruder]], once a mindless, indestructible BlobMonster, became something far worse after consuming TOM 1. Gaining sapience after absorbing TOM 1, the Intruder plotted revenge on TOM for defeating him. Having become proud of the thousands of lives it previously absorbed, the Intruder found TOM 4's signal and gleefully absorbed him and his cohosts Flash and D. Finding the ''Absolution Mk. III'', the Intruder sets out to make TOM suffer before killing him by assimilating SARA and bragging about it to TOM, before trying to kill TOM with the Absolution's canons.
14** ''[[https://toonami.fandom.com/wiki/Toonami:_Endgame Endgame]]'' online comic: [[BigBad Orcelot Rex]] is a nasty SpacePirate who plans to become the galaxy's first emperor. Kidnapping SARA to use her abilities to harness the energy of multiple suns and gain more power, Rex destroys the GPS ''Absolution'' and later TOM once he tries to save SARA. Having also enslaved the Dronomeks after taking over their ship, Rex, after SARA continues to avoid assisting him, Rex threatens her with the destruction of Earth and every planet with lifeforms on it should she not comply.
15** ''WesternAnimation/TheForge'': [[BigBad The Commander of the Forge]], "[[AliensAreBastards Booger]]", is a battle-hardened alien who seeks [[GalacticConqueror galactic domination]]. Creating yellow, sapient TOM units to serve as [[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil disposable labor]] for him and his species, Booger destroys every Clyde unit and captures TOM, SARA, and the ''Vindication'', planning to release the Vindication's true destructive power on the galaxy. Murdering TOM 5 after he starts a rebellion, Booger orders his men to destroy every TOM unit who rebelled, telling the new TOM 6 that he'll die a forgotten failure.
16** ''Anime/CosmoSamurai'': [[BigBad Jaaku]] is a being of darkness responsible for the Cosmo Samurai's backstories. Leader of the Akutou SpacePirates, allowing them to [[RapePillageAndBurn pillage and murder]] everything in their path, Jaaku, upon the Akutou's defeat, dismisses his men as pawns and kills his pet to threaten the Cosmo Samurai. Stealing TOM's body, Jaaku opens a space-time portal and heads to Edo Japan, where he kills the country’s shogun and instigates a war between the country and his shadow ninjas, which leaves three survivors.
17* CreatorWorship: Jason [=DeMarco=] and Creator/SteveBlum, TOM's voice actor, get a lot of this from Toonami's fandom, since the block's return.
18 * CriticalDissonance: TOM gave ''VideoGame/SpiderManPS4'' an 8 solely for complaining that he disliked the Peter Parker segments and would rather be playing as Spider-Man. Notably, he was more negative about ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2'' after saying some aspects of the game weren't needed and not thought out, but still gave it a 9.
19* EnsembleDarkhorse: Toonami itself was this to Cartoon Network and nowadays to Adult Swim, thanks to its shows sticking out from the rest, its surprisingly complex hosts, its beautiful CGI and the fact that its original run [[NewbieBoom introduced so many American kids to anime]] guaranteed it to be listed here.
20* FanonDiscontinuity: TOM 4 ''never'' happened. ''Ever''. It waned a bit after the reveal that [[spoiler:TOM 3 and 4 are separate beings]], and even more when [[spoiler:TOM 4 was killed offscreen during ''Intruder II"]].
21* FandomRivalry:
22** A number of Toonami fans have expressed dislike for the FOX reruns on Adult Swim following the block's lost hours, citing poorer ratings as a result to suggest for the restoration of the block's previous length. A less noticeable but still there issue between Toonami fans and ''[[WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks Boondocks]]'' reruns also surfaces on occasion, with Toonami fans seeing the show as a herald of bad Toonami rating periods when it is the last program between Adult Swim and Toonami programming. ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' eventually became the biggest target, since it usually served as Toonami's lead-in and the fanbases for the show and the block rarely overlapped, along with the general growing distaste for ''Family Guy'' as the show has gone on.
23** Jason [=DeMarco=] revealing that Toonami often has to compete for broadcasting rights with Creator/{{Hulu}} and Creator/{{Netflix}} has also predictably lead to this, a rivalry spurred on by [=DeMarco=] stating in interviews that he dislikes the concept of streaming and binge-watching, preferring the idea of Toonami being AppointmentTelevision. Fans of streaming services counter that such a way of thinking is outdated and that services like Hulu and Netflix have done more for anime's mainstream popularity in recent years than Toonami could ever hope to accomplish airing weekly late Saturday/early Sunday, as well as pointing out that streaming services can air material completely unedited while Toonami is still ultimately beholden to network Standards and Practices.
24* FriendlyFandoms:
25** Many Toonami fans adore the early Adult Swim shows[[note]]''WesternAnimation/SpaceGhostCoastToCoast'', ''WesternAnimation/AquaTeenHungerForce'', ''WesternAnimation/TheBrakShow'', ''WesternAnimation/HarveyBirdmanAttorneyAtLaw'', ''WesternAnimation/Sealab2021'', ''WesternAnimation/HomeMovies'', ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks''[[/note]] as they grew up with those shows during the block's infancy.
26** ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' gets a lot love from the Toonami fanbase, as the former show has a lot of anime references and the block has aired multiple ''R&M'' shorts done by Japanese directors. It's been noted that the block's ratings as a whole tends to increase when this show acts as a lead-in rather than ''Family Guy''. In 2022, [adult swim] would even go on to order a 10-episode ''Rick and Morty'' anime directed by ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod''[='s=] Takashi Sano, who handled two of the previous anime shorts.
27** Many people were baffled that ''WesternAnimation/FinalSpace'', a show seemingly tailor made for the Toonami block, never aired before it was cancelled, especially in 2020 when the block was struggling to acquire shows and resorted to airing other Adult Swim shows as late block filler.
28** While the various Creator/SethMacFarlane animated comedies are loathed by much of the Toonami fanbase, that loathing notably does ''not'' extend to all of the animated Creator/{{Fox}} comedies. Most notably, the non-[=MacFarlane=] series ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' are beloved by Toonami fans, and both shows returning to the block in late 2021 was met with just as much approval as non-Toonami fans.
29* GatewaySeries:
30** Entire generations of fans learned about anime in general from the network. Without it, [[NewbieBoom the anime boom of the early 2000s]] would likely have never happened. It's no surprise because of this that quite a few fans say that the original cancellation of Toonami [[EndOfAnAge marked the end of that anime boom]], and the block's revival [[HopeSpringsEternal is proof that we are in the middle of another one]].
31** Musically, the block was responsible for introducing many kids (and adults) to artists like Music/DaftPunk, Music/TheWhiteStripes, Amon Tobin, Music/RunTheJewels, and many, many others.
32* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: Toonami was almost singlehandedly responsible for popularizing franchises such as ''Franchise/SailorMoon'', ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'', ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'', ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', and [[CashCowFranchise above all]] ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' in the U.S. Shows that bombed in Japan like ''Anime/TheBigO'', ''Anime/OutlawStar'', and ''Manga/DeadmanWonderland'' made it big in America on the block.
33* GrowingTheBeard:
34** Toonami's beard first emerged with the acquisition of its two killer app anime; ''Anime/SailorMoon'' and ''Anime/DragonBallZ''.
35** For the FramingDevice itself, it was ''WesternAnimation/TheIntruder'' miniseries for establishing ''everything'' that makes Toonami unique.
36** Toonami's relaunch grew its beard when they fully expanded to six hours in length. The beard thickened considerably when it gained ''Manga/OnePiece'' to complete the ''Manga/{{Naruto}}[=-=]Manga/{{Bleach}}[=-=]One Piece'' trinity.
37* HarsherInHindsight:
38** TOM 4.0's speech "[[LongRunner Eleven years and counting!]] Raise your hand if you were alive during Toonami's launch" wasn't as celebratory when it eventually turned out to be the final year of the original Toonami's existence.
39** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acxY3fbesdU "Till the sun rises on a world without Toonami"]] was rather cringeworthy during the period of Toonami's cancellation when the sun actually rose on a world without Toonami.
40* HeartwarmingInHindsight:
41** When "Raise your hand if you were alive during Toonami's launch!" was uttered by TOM 4.0, it was uttered during the last year of Toonami's existence... Then it got revived! Looks like we're still counting.
42* HilariousInHindsight:
43** At the end of each ''[[Anime/TenchiMuyo Tenchi]]'' promo, you hear the narrator say, "love stinks", keep in mind that [[Creator/PeterCullen that narrator]] was the voice of [[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers the original Optimus Prime]]! Mr. "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings"! A character who is known for being serious and almost entirely lacking in a sense of humor (at least in later ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' [[WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime shows]] and [[Film/TransformersFilmSeries movies]])!
44** Back at the height of the 2000s anime boom, some ads mistakenly labeled ''Anime/CowboyBebop'' as part of the Toonami block. It took a while, but it did finally happen in 2012.
45** There was once a obscure Creator/AdultSwim bump in the past, making fun of the fact that Toonami claimed to be cooler than Adult Swim, and had a pretty comical in-house rivalry (both being run by Williams Street). Cut to 2012, where Toonami has been {{Uncancelled}} and now runs on Adult Swim hours.
46** One of D's quotes, ''"Glad to see you stayed with us. Toonami loves you"'', could easily describe the revival.
47** In 2002, the Toonami review of ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind'' had SARA praise it while TOM act completely dismissive towards it. ("...if you care.") Flash forward 10 years later, where TOM looks at ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'' and not only showers it with praise, but gives it a [[BrokeTheRatingScale rating of 100/10]] (''Dawnguard'' got an 8/10.)
48** For April Fools Day 2014, the fan site [[http://toonamifaithful.com/ ToonamiFaithful.com]] wrote an [[http://toonamifaithful.com/exclusive-dragonball-z-is-returning-to-toonami/ article]] stating that the original ''Dragon Ball Z'' would be returning to Toonami. Fans went absolutely berserk, as despite being written in a very conspicuous manner (including fake quotes and a very nonsensical fake lineup), the article managed to fool a lot of people into thinking that ''Dragon Ball Z'' really was returning to the block. One month later, on May 24th (which was coincidentally the same night that Toonami aired ''[[Anime/DragonBallZCoolersRevenge Cooler's Revenge]]''), Toonami confirmed at Momocon 2014 and on their Website/{{Tumblr}} that the show really would be returning to the block in the form of ''Anime/DragonBallZKai''.
49** Back in 2011, one of the first shows that [=NeoToonami=] (which was essentially [[FanSequel a fan-made Toonami streamed on the internet]]) aired was ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann''. A couple years later, ''Gurren Lagann'' started airing on the official Toonami.
50** In 2013, around when the first season of ''Literature/SwordArtOnline'' was announced to air, there were detractors claiming that airing the show would lead to ''the death of Toonami''. Fast forward to the time of this edit. [[note]]May 2022.[[/note]] Not only is Toonami still around, but the second ''and'' third seasons, ''Sword Art Online II'' and ''SAO: Alicization'', have also aired in full.
51** Back in the TOM 2.0 era, there was a review for ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine'', during which TOM comments on the large amount of coins. ("I'm seein' coins in my sleep...") If he thinks that game has a lot of coins, let's wait until he plays [[VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros2 a more recent Mario game]]...
52** TOM himself is a tough male character in blue without any eyes; cue the ''WebAnimation/{{Eddsworld}}'' jokes.
53** When ''Anime/{{FLCL}}'' first aired on Creator/AdultSwim in 2003 and did gangbusters for the block, [adult swim] pushed several times for a second season. [[https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1577197059237802&substory_index=0&id=1440408039583372 13 years later,]] [[Anime/FLCLProgressiveAndAlternative they finally got their wish]]. If that wasn't enough, [as] ordered two more seasons of ''FLCL'' (''Grunge'' and ''Shoegaze'') in 2022 [[MilestoneCelebration to celebrate the original series' 25th anniversary]].
54** It seems that whenever [[http://toonamifaithful.com/ ToonamiFaithful.com]] makes an AprilFoolsDay joke, said joke eventually becomes a reality. Case and point is this [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOUxS9eqxuA fake promo]] for ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'', made for April Fools' Day 2015. About a year later, it was [[http://toonamifaithful.com/toonami-will-air-jojos-bizarre-adventure-in-october/ announced]] that the show ''really would'' be airing on Toonami. Especially now that ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders Stardust Crusaders]]'' (the season shown in the fake bump, which is actually Season 2) has aired as well!
55** Another ''[=JoJo's=]''-related funny coincidence: The episode of ''Manga/PopTeamEpic'' that aired right before [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureDiamondIsUnbreakable Okuyasu's]] introductory episode had a reference to Okuyasu in it ([[Creator/WataruTakagi his voice actor]] in the Japanese dub of ''Diamond is Unbreakable'' played Part B Pipimi in ''PTE''[='s=] Japanese dub of that episode, so Kamikaze Douga snuck in the signature sound effect of Okuyasu's [[FightingSpirit Stand]], [[ThePowerOfTheVoid The Hand]], when Pipimi got mad in the "Pop Team Cooking" segment).
56** The old ''DBZ'' movies Adult Swim Toonami aired before ''Kai'' were the first [[Anime/DragonBallZCoolersRevenge Cooler]] and [[Anime/DragonBallZBrolyTheLegendarySuperSaiyan Broly]] films. Toonami would later gain ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'', a series with its own versions of an "other Frieza" and "Legendary Super Saiyan" in the Universe 6 and Universal Survival Tournament arcs, respectively.
57** While reviewing ''VideoGame/AlienHominid'', Tom references other games like ''VideoGame/{{Contra}}'' and ''VideoGame/MetalSlug''. Creator/SteveBlum, the voice of Tom, would later go on to voice Master Contra, the BigBad of ''Neo Contra''. And finally, come 2024, Steve Blum would go on to voice Bill Rizer himself in ''VideoGame/ContraOperationGaluga''!
58* IKnewIt:
59** When Creator/CartoonNetwork announced the return of WesternAnimation/CartoonPlanet, some fans speculated that this would lead to Toonami returning as part of the network returning to its roots for its 20th anniversary. Of course just a day after Cartoon Planet premiered, on the night of March 31-April 1, 2012...
60** Around May 2019, the Toonami staff hinted that another non-action title would air on the block following the success of ''Manga/PopTeamEpic''. Many fans speculated that it would either be ''Manga/FoodWars'' or ''Anime/OsomatsuSan'' since both were the most requested non-action anime titles. The former was later confirmed to air on Toonami in July 2019.
61* MemeticMutation:
62** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONtEYSrLZkMof TOM Talking Smack.]]
63** "If ya leave now, you'll be sad, you'll be all cryin' ''WHY DID I LEAVE?''"
64** Hot Pockets became one [[RepeatingAd/CartoonNetwork due to how much the commercials aired during the November 16, 2019 showing]].
65** "This month's fan-art features some real [[{{Pun}} heavy]] hitters!"[[labelnote:Explanation]]While the circumstances behind the incident and the aftermath are arguably tragic, the most notable thing about the stolen fanart in the 1/8/23 bumper that made it the final one was that it was a fetish drawing to the varying levels of surprise of many viewers, not only using reuploads of the bumper as a [[FetishesAreWeird shock video]], but also making TOM's beginning line a pun regarding [[BalloonBelly the fetish]] in [[BigBeautifulWoman question]].[[/labelnote]]
66* MisBlamed:
67** Some fans believe that ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' was responsible for Toonami's original demise, since it was going through a notoriously lengthy filler arc at the time, when it was in fact Creator/CartoonNetwork's fault for refusing to make or acquire more action cartoons and anime for the block. A lot of it had to do with the NetworkDecay Cartoon Network was undergoing at the time as they were heavily pushing a retool of the network with live action shows instead of cartoons to compete with Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} and Creator/DisneyChannel, which evidently did worse for the network than whatever ''Naruto'' did. Plus, if ''Naruto'' did prove to be a block killer, it would not have been a part of the block's revival, much less be one of the headlining shows.
68** A lot of viewers don't like that the intros and outros of shows get trimmed down or cut entirely and will usually blame Toonami for that. However, it's actually the distributors themselves who do that, due to TV time constraints. They even addressed this on an on air Q&A session.
69** Marathons. Ever since the start of 2015, Toonami has continually ran marathons during weekends with major holidays [[note]]Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day[[/note]] due to television ratings be traditionally low. Fans get upset with producers despite them being rather transparent about the limited budget they are working with.
70** Ratings. [[WordOfGod Jason DeMarco]] attributed part of the reason ''One Piece'' was suddenly removed from the block in 2017 was due to its low ratings. This led to a sudden rash of fear that low ratings will kill any of the show's placement on the block.[[note]][=DeMarco=] later rectified that it was low ratings ''in addition to'' Creator/{{Toei|Animation}} increasing the broadcasting fees that led to ''One Piece'''s removal.[[/note]]
71* {{Moe}}:
72** It should noted that the block itself almost never airs any anime that has Moe art style or aesthetic, mainly because many of the Moe anime usually aren't action anime.[[note]]The staff consistently said that Toonami is an action block, not an anime block.[[/note]] That being said, several individual series such as ''Literature/SwordArtOnline'' and ''Manga/AkameGaKill'' have characters that fit into this bill, as well as when ''Anime/{{Hamtaro}}'' aired in 2002. ''Manga/MadeInAbyss'' is the most obvious exception, as it's [[ArtStyleDissonance cute aesthetics intentionally lure in the audience before gripping them with a strong narrative that doesn't pull any punches]].
73* MoralEventHorizon: In ''WesternAnimation/TheIntruderII'', the Intruder [[spoiler:ripping out out SARA's core, [[DisneyDeath seemingly killing]] her. To make things worse, he gloats about [[KilledOffscreen killing]] [[BusCrash TOM]] [[AlasPoorScrappy 4]]]].
74* MorePopularSpinoff: Of ''WesternAnimation/SpaceGhostCoastToCoast''. ''Coast to Coast'' is widely considered a CultClassic and the beginning of the surreal humor that would come to define the Creator/AdultSwim lineup, but it didn't fundamentally change how an entire medium was viewed in the same way Toonami did.
75* OlderThanTheyThink: In the United States, Toonami was repurposed as an adult-oriented block in 2012 when it returned to Cartoon Network (thus becoming part of [adult swim]), but the first instance ''ever'' of Toonami being a programming block for adults happened in March 2006 in Latin America to contrast the adult-oriented western animation broadcasted via [adult swim] (as no anime was aired in that block, hence the decision). When Toonami returned in 2020 to that region as an adult-oriented anime block, it merely brought back an idea that was born there.
76* PeripheryDemographic: TOM's final farewell closed with [[ShoutOut a reference]] (and ActorAllusion) to ''Anime/CowboyBebop'' -- a series that had appeared on Creator/AdultSwim, but never Toonami (until the relaunch). The relaunch itself can also fit into this bill. Even though the relaunched Toonami is geared towards a more adult and teenage male audience, that doesn't stop the block having female fans or even fans that are younger than their intended audience, especially kids who sneak downstairs and try to watch Adult Swim. Basically, the block has fans of all ages.
77* ReplacementScrappy:
78** TOM for Moltar, although this died down as TOM was able to develop his own personality in bumpers and specials like ''WesternAnimation/TheIntruder''.
79** TOM 4 for TOM 3. When the block was revived, it was done with TOM 3.5, ignoring TOM 4 before moving on to TOM 5.
80* RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap:
81** The Toonami faithful eased up on the D and Flash hatred since the return of the block. D even got some love for his seemingly prophetic quote (see HeartwarmingInHindsight above).
82** The decision to revive Toonami did this for CN executive Mike Lazzo, who was previously reviled by anime and cartoon fans for [[Creator/AdultSwim his department's]] implementation of [[UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom what would become the]] [[WesternAnimation/AquaTeenHungerForce Boston Bomb Scare]] and [[http://www.cartoonbrew.com/old-brew/the-reason-adult-swim-is-unwatchable.html kicking off the increase of]] [[NetworkDecay live-action shows on the network]].
83** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8CNClh_bMek The daylight savings easter egg]] actually made fans happy and excited about seeing [[TheScrappy TOM 4]] again.
84* SacredCow: The block as a whole for a lot of anime (and action cartoon) fans, especially in UsefulNotes/TheNewTens, and TOM and SARA, the hosts, as well.
85* TheyChangedItNowItSucks:
86** Most of the revamps got this, but the 4.0 revamp was the worst, no doubt thanks to the block being cut down to two hours a week (Toonami started out with ''fifteen''), [[ReplacementScrappy TOM 4]], [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome SARA's disappearance]], and (finally) the cancellation of the block.
87** The 2012 revival caused a BrokenBase. Opposers complained about the DarkerAndEdgier elements, the later time slot, the poor launch lineup, and the fact it was near indistinguishable from Creator/AdultSwim's normal anime block. Supporters were just happy that Creator/AdultSwim was (showing interest of) returning to its roots after the whole NetworkDecay fiasco that ravaged Creator/CartoonNetwork during the late 2000's, and pointed out that it'd likely get better shows and an expanded timeslot if it received support. Whether or not its lineup of shows improved is debatable, but it did get an expanded timeslot after a few months (and there's ''still'' support to get the timeslot to expand even further).
88** The Midnight Run from the early 2000s going from five hours long on Saturday evening-Sunday morning to one hour long on weeknights. It not only reduced the amount of viewers who were able to stay up and watch it, but by the end of its run, it became rather repetitive (''Anime/DragonBallZ'' and another show, a ''Gundam'' show and some other show, etc.). Plus its abrupt suspension due to the creation of Creator/AdultSwim...
89* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: While most people loved ''WesternAnimation/TheForge'', many lamented that all the spare TOM units used the same body mold of TOM 5, rather than having a nice little nod by having them be models of TOM 1 and TOM 2. (Then again, given [[GalacticConqueror Booger's plans for galactic domination]], it wouldn't make much sense for his army to use older TOM models when higher-tech, sleeker ones were available. Plus, using TOM 5 {{Palette Swap}}s [[WatsonianVersusDoylist was probably the cheaper route for the event]].)
90* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: The ''Cartoon Network Presents'' ComicBookAdaptation of the block was published by Creator/DCComics, but limited to the Hanna-Barbera action lineup from ''Cartoon Roulette'' due to presumed rights issues. One could only wonder how DC writers at the time like Creator/DanSlott (who wrote a few short stories for the Toonami-themed issues) would have handled writing stories about ''Anime/DragonBallZ'', ''Anime/RoninWarriors'', or other anime before the medium gained mainstream popularity.
91* TookTheBadFilmSeriously: While ''Anime/{{Hamtaro}}'' is not actually a bad series, it was completely out of place in the Toonami block. So when ExecutiveMeddling gave them the series, the team decided to go for broke with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CicpFu7MLbg the promos]], using a [[LargeHamAnnouncer Peter Cullen voiceover]] in a completely serious tone over heroic hamster antics in a valiant attempt to make lemonade out of the lemon they'd been given. The effect was actually pretty awesome... [[NeverTrustATrailer for the promos]].
92* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: Toonami as a whole has inadvertently become a time-capsule of the changing trends in anime. During the block's heyday, [[LongRunners long-running]], MerchandiseDriven {{Shonen|Demographic}} series were often the mainstays and anchors of the block. Since the revival, the block has favored more [[TwelveEpisodeAnime shorter]] {{Seinen}} and darker-shonen series... Only to go back to long-running shonen around 2019. At one point in Fall 2020, ''every single anime on the block except one'' were ''Magazine/ShonenJump'' properties, and [[Manga/FireForce the one anime]] [[Magazine/ShonenMagazine that wasn't]] was still shonen.
93* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome:
94** If there's one thing Toonami has a reputation for outside of stellar programming and a kickass host, it's the [[AllCGICartoon CG effects]]. Ever since the early days with [[WesternAnimation/SpaceGhostCoastToCoast Moltar]] and TOM 1.0, Toonami has been provided with some of the best-looking CG this side of Creator/{{Pixar}}, with the CG work [[ArtEvolution getting better and better]] with each successive retool. The TOM 4 era used Pixar's Renderman software, which at the time was usually too expensive for a TV budget!
95** Special mentions for the animation on [[BlobMonster the Intruder]] in [[WesternAnimation/TheIntruder the original event]], and the Hyperspace vortex bumps seen in the TOM 2 era and the ''WesternAnimation/TrappedInHyperspace'' event.
96* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotPolitical: While it was written by Gill Austin and didn't name names, the "Sometimes the Bad Guys Win" speech was interpreted by some as being Jason [=DeMarco=]'s opinion on UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump's presidency, especially since he's openly stated his distaste for Trump on Website/{{Twitter}}.
97* WinBackTheCrowd: The decision to revive Toonami is one of the many things Cartoon Network as a whole has done to win back viewers after the whole [[NetworkDecay CN Real fiasco]].
98----
99-->[[Creator/{{Toonami}} ONLY Toonami.]]\
100[[TheStinger Kids Love It!]]

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