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Adult Swim Revamps; Removes Most Anime

E. Megas writes "According to a Collegiate Presswire story, Cartoon Network (Probably due to its recent acquisition of Futurama) is expanding its Adult Swim schedule to Monday through Thursday starting January 12th. The "Comedy" block on Sundays will stay, but except for Inu-Yasha and Cowboy Bebop (Which will replace the Toonami Midnight Run block on the weekday slots) the Saturday "Action" block will be gone. This means that the legendary series Mobile Suit Gundam will not be aired in full for the second time in a row on CN. Future airings of Yuu Yuu Hakusho and Outlaw Star-And the planned re-airing of Gundam 0080: War In the Pocket-Are thrown into doubt by this decision as well. More schedule details in the article. (Anyone else as frustrated by this as I am?)"

30 of 542 comments (clear)

  1. tastes good to me by zephc · · Score: 5, Funny

    Same delicious Cartoon Network, now with no MSG!

    --
    "I would say that 99 per cent of what my father has written about his own life is false." - L. Ron Hubbard Jr.
  2. Death to dubs by slothbait · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I would care if any of the stuff on CN wasn't dubed/edited to death

    1. Re:Death to dubs by ProfessorPuke · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Hear hear. The name "Adult Swim" (kids out of the pool) never really fit, since besides Cowboy Bebop all the listed shows are for children.

      (Maybe they're marginally more mature than the programming American kids get, but not by much. Gundam is still an extra-long toy ad)

  3. not too pissed off. by droid_rage · · Score: 5, Informative

    First of all, CN modifies many anime horribly for content. Entire storylines are sometimes cut out of longer series.

    Secondly, if you're already into anime, you can probably find most of the titles they show at the local blockbuster.

    Anime has already gone fairly main stream. It's doubtful whether Adult Swim brings in very many new viewers, so I'm not too upset over them, either.

  4. Legendary ? by silverbolt · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Exactly how is "Mobile Suit Gundam" legendary ? Let us not cheapen words. Its like the newspaper headlines which say that "this is an historic moment for America", for even the most commonplace events.

    1. Re:Legendary ? by rgmoore · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Gundam is probably as close to legendary as any anime series can be. It radically altered the whole climate for SF anime. Perhaps it would be better to call it seminal or groundbreaking, but it was certainly very important in the development of the genre.

      --

      There's no point in questioning authority if you aren't going to listen to the answers.

  5. "Anyone else as frustrated by this as I am?" by 3-State+Bit · · Score: 5, Funny

    No.

    1. Re:"Anyone else as frustrated by this as I am?" by Otter · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I was unfamiliar with anime, and jumped at the oportunity to use Adult Swim as a starting point. Taped and watched it for a month or so.

      And -- it sucks! Why do people love this stuff? With the exception of Cowboy Bebop, which has a nice style and tone, I can't for the life of me see the appeal of it.

      And a couple of nights ago, DragonballZ turned up on Cartoon Network. And that's even worse!

      I'm a Japanophile, taught English there for a while, still love Godzilla, Ultraman and Shonen Knife and still cook Japanese food. But anime? Just not for me, I guess.

      Maybe some network will pick up Nelton Club or Gilgamesh...

    2. Re:"Anyone else as frustrated by this as I am?" by Coulson · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Please don't judge anime by what gets shown on Cartoon Network! While I enjoy watching DBZ for comic relief, it's not quality anything.

      For good anime watch Cowboy Bebop (space/western/music), Trigun (space/western), Kenshin (samurai/swordfighting), Macross Plus (space/music), Slayers (fantasy/humor), Love Hina (romance), Spirited Away (in theaters now!), or others advocated on /. and AnimeFu.

      Also, watch shows that are subtitled. I'm no purest (I already said that I watch DBZ!), but (a) it sounds like you already know Japanese, and (b) american voice acting sounds fake. Maybe Japanese voices sound fake to Japanese audiences, but the emotions conveyed by the original voice actors are infinitely more believable than their low-cost dubbing counterparts.

      Finally, be willing to accept a little weirdness. Anime has a rich visual lexicon, and it takes a while to get used to the conventions (especially the tendency switch between high- and low-quality drawing styles).

      Also, and I say this in all seriousness, a lot of anime contains suggestive humor or situations. Be prepared for panty flashes and that sort of thing, and don't let it ruin the show for you. It sort of goes with the territory. ^_^;

  6. Well... by HaloZero · · Score: 5, Insightful

    To be honest, I'd take Futurama over Anime any day of the week. Openly, and readily. Without question. Yes.

    I've learned recently that Anime rather annoys me. It's all too cliched these days, what with seeing it every which way you look in some way shape or form.

    And then you have the people who know the names of every character from every series and can link every relationship in every way shape or form. And... yeah, that's migrane-inducing after about 10 minutes.

    --
    Informatus Technologicus
  7. Cartoon Network Anime by signine · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Cartoon Network may be one of the only places where you can get your anime fix on cable, but their overediting and bad dub jobs are notorious among hardcore fans. I'd much rather watch Futurama than that terrible edited version of Outlaw Star they air, or god forbid, more photoshopped Tenchi.

    Maybe they could add a Saturday Action block that was subtitled. Adults can read, right?

    --
    If there is a God, you are an authorized representative. - Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
    1. Re:Cartoon Network Anime by Bobulusman · · Score: 4, Informative

      I've watched the DVDs of Outlaw Star and besides from a little blood, a few swear words and an episode (which I haven't seen yet, BTW - just got to the third disk), it didn't seem like they cut much at all.

      I'd be interested in hearing a little more detail about what it bothering you. I mean, I know there in a certain scene that there is blood there. Just because on CN you can't see the blood doesn't bother me too much.

      --
      Cogito ergo sum in Slashdot.
    2. Re:Cartoon Network Anime by signine · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Well, much of it comes down to a simple dub-sub debate which would really be totally off topic. It seems to be the tendency of the companies that cartoon network either contracts or purchases their anime from to dumb down the translations ridiculously (not that Outlaw Star is particularly thought-provoking).

      Secondly, I'm annoyed when I don't get to see the artists original intent, irregardless of how small a modification that might be. It doesn't hurt that naked anime girls are part of the original intent, admittedly, but it's amazing how a few subtle (and not so subtle) edits and translations can completely change the meaning of any given work of art.

      Case in point: Sailor Moon. Not originally the kids show it is here.

      --
      If there is a God, you are an authorized representative. - Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
    3. Re:Cartoon Network Anime by fenix+down · · Score: 4, Informative

      I didn't have much of a problem with anything they did, but I can see why some people had problems with it. If you saw the original first, it probably made the changes more noticable. The fuck->blast damn->blast shit->blast thing gets a little old. I kept waiting for a "Damn it! Blast them!" that could be hilariously edited. Turning kill to destroy was just bad until they got rid of it.

      Editing out all the sex kinda hurt the playa thing Gene's supposed to have, but they have enough hints to get the point across. Like Gene wandering off in the middle of the night with a wad of cash to have fun followed by coming home at 5AM. You should be able to read between the lines there. I was surprised they left in the rich guy being gay, but that was already implied. They did make it a little less obvious, but at least they didn't try and totally cut it.

      The episode thing's a little funny.
      This is kinda SPOILERISH, I guess, but not really that bad, really.
      The episode in question is near the end, taking place on the hot springs planet, where the freakish naked bear thing customs officials steal your clothes. Yeah. Guess why they didn't show it. The problem is, this is where Gene gets the special caster shells that get really important in the last couple episodes, along with an explaination of where the shells come from. So, on TV, you miss out on major exposition, and Gene suddenly has bullets that create black holes.

      Heh. Those customs officials are hilarious. And disturbing. Deeply, deeply disturbing.

  8. Darn, but... by Bobulusman · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It's probably for the best. This will encourage me to actually go out and buy the DVDs for the shows I like, rather than just tape them off of CN. (And no cutting that way, too)

    Plus, Futurama will find a new home. It is a very underappreciated show, and I'm glad it can be shown somewhere were it will won't be constantly preempted by sports. :P

    --
    Cogito ergo sum in Slashdot.
  9. Anime was always underground by SexyKellyOsbourne · · Score: 4, Insightful

    True anime may have showed up here and there in the mainstream, but it lacks the appeal of American we-want-to-sell-toys cartoons, save for a few lousy watered down anime-based shows such as Pokemon, etc.

    It's no huge surprise that Cartoon Network is cancelling those shows, as the fanbase in mainstream America simply isn't large enough to support such a small group of Anime fans, as obsessive as they are.

  10. CNX by FrostedWheat · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I don't know much about Cartoon Network over in the states, but here in the UK things are actually improving. We now have an extra channel 'CNX' which shows a lot of anime stuff, some live-action movies (lot of hong-kong action movies) and the more adult cartoons that they wouldn't put on the regular channels.

    As far as I know, Cowboy Bebop has never been shown in the UK before this channel.

  11. Home Movies by jeffehobbs · · Score: 4, Informative

    Who cares, as long as they keep "Home Movies" -- it's the funniest and most enjoyable show on television, hands down. Along with the Daily Show, it's one of the last two reasons I keep cable.

    ~jeff

  12. The reason Saturday night is going... by molrak · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The reason the action block is being removed is that Cartoon Network found that a large number of kids were watching the block. The purpose of 'Adult Swim' was to have animated programming on the air that was aimed at adults. The ratings they were getting said that a lot larger block of kids were watching the Saturday night programming, thus the change to the 'school night' lineup. Granted, they have those unnecessarily long warning, but they have to show this because otherwise stupid parents would complain (and probably did anyway), and because Cartoon Network is still filed under a kids programming station.

    The purpose of Adult Swim is to help Cartoon Network transition from kid's programming to an over-all entertainment network. The expansion of the Adult Swim franchise should be seen as a good thing, especially seeing that Futurama will be added to the weekly block. I think there's a lot more of us that will appreciate Futurama having a regular home than those who cared about the animes listed above.

    I know I'll sure enjoy seeing Futurama every weeknight, and as long as the Sunday block is left alone, I'll be alright. The real issue with the new schedule that I have is whether Space Ghost is still on the Sunday block or not.

    --
    You're only as smart as your brain.
  13. Contact email? by starX · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Can anyone find an email address to contact these people at? I can't seem to find one on their web site.

    Not that I'm deluded enough to think that they'll actually care about what I have to say, but the anime geeks at my college were the ones largely responsible for having the campus subscribe to CN, and I have a funny feeling that then the next channel survey comes up, I'm guessing they're going to be rated rather lowly.

    And yeah, American cartoons are so much better: Filled with ego-maniacs, stuttering pigs, slurring cats, gender-ambiguous birds, etc., etc. I'm really not a wannabe asian, and saying that anime is a gateway to pedophilia is a little like saying drinking mountain dew is a gateway to cocaine; I do however appreciate a good story ark, and producing shows that are more than degenerate collections of insipid one-liners is something that Americans absolutely suck at.

    So anyway, does anyone actually have a contact email address for these guys?

    1. Re:Contact email? by aardvarkjoe · · Score: 4, Funny

      I do however appreciate a good story ark...

      ...So I guess you reread Genesis 6-8 a lot, right?

      --

      How can we continue to believe in a just universe and freedom to eat crackers if we have no ale?
  14. Why should this frustrate anyone? by still_sick · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Does it effect the hardcore? No, they've probably got the DVDs, videos, or DiVX copies.

    Does it effect the casual fan? No, if you're a casual fan and they stop showing them then it just fades away in your memory. If you really miss it, buy the DVDs or whatever, otherwise just forget it.

    The only people I can see this really effecting is the average non-fan whom the anime geeks of the world wish would get wise to anime. The only "frustrating" thing is that anime is no longer as extensively offered to those who don't care for it enough to seek it out. ... Why should that be frustrating?

    Just because you LOVE anime, and think anyone with any sense whatsoever SHOULD LOVE anime doesn't mean it's Cartoon Network's duty to expose it to them, and frankly a large segment of western culture will never get into anime, and would much rather watch the Oblongs, Futurama, Undergrads, or whatever. All I'm saying is - Let them.

    --
    ...Also, I didn't know Buggalo could fly.
  15. Cheapening words by i_want_you_to_throw_ · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Like calling every woman entertainer a "diva". No, Britney Spears is not a "diva".

  16. Well... by i0chondriac · · Score: 5, Funny

    So, is the unedited fight between Goku and Freiza 6 seasons long?

  17. As much as some would like to think ... by emkman · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Adult swim isnt just anime. Shows like harvey birdman: attorney at law, and Sealab 2021 are hilarious shows with many adult only jokes, and many jokes that only adults would get.

    --
    Moderation Totals: Flamebait=2, Troll=1, Redundant=1, Insightful=6, Overrated=1, Underrated=1, Total=12. (not mine)
  18. if you couldn't get to the article... by reflector · · Score: 4, Funny

    then here's what it says:

    Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC Drivers error '80004005'

    [Microsoft][ODBC Microsoft Access 97 Driver] Too many client tasks. //global.asa, line 33

  19. What? Anime on Adult Swim? by TheLocustNMI · · Score: 5, Funny

    Oh, that's right -- I'm not at home watching TV on Saturday nights! :)

  20. Re:Well by ProfessorPuke · · Score: 5, Insightful

    (You forgot to mention transgenderism!)

    Sailor Moon will always be a kid's show. The uncensored version had some occasional bits that conventional American families found objectionable- their loss.

    Nudity and sexuality aren't evil, twisting choice pieces of a religion into entertainment is commonplace, and large scale violence (99% consequence free!) is an accepted staple of Saturday morning cartoons. Adult fans like to cling to those elements as proof that they're not really watching 24 minutes of commericals for pink plastic jewlery, but they're in denial.

    The only part of Sailor Moon that I would hesitate to show to American youngsters is something you didn't mention- because of drastically different firearms ownership laws in Japan and the US, portrayl of kids playing with a real-looking toy gun might be a safety-hazard in America. (Or an invitation for a lawsuit)

  21. They Need to Refine What they were showing. by Deathlizard · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Although I'm sad to see the Anime go from adult swim, I believe it's going for a reason.

    The big problem that I saw with it was that CN appeared to take the easiest and safest way out when it came to the shows they selected. They looked for shows that were pretty much dubbed already and threw them into a sat. night block. MGS has been translated (badly) for years now. Yu Yu Hakusho, although translated pretty well, is nowhere near as harsh as the actual show Was.

    I would like to see Trigun, Bezerk, Slayers, Lodoss War or Hellsing here, but I know it would never happen and what would happen to it if it did. For Example Trigun has too many guns so you risk some kid blowing his head off cause he thinks he's Vash (Or as I like to refer to it, SKS - Stupid Kid Syndrome). Hellsing Would make the Christian Coailation go Insane, Would be edited to death because of all the Violence, blood and raw gore, and again back to SKS.

    Like Cowboy Bebop? Good. There's a boatload of anime that is similar to it. maybe not with the same amount of charm or style, but identical when it comes to the action, gunfighting and the like. The American Viewer Seems to like the "Gunfighting, Die-Hard/Dirty Harry like, action packed, one man killing Spree" genre so give it to them instead of stuff the're not interested in at this time.

    Oh. And finally, I know that almost all Recent anime anymore is either a CardCaptor Anime, (YuGiOh, Fighting Foodons, Cardcaptors, ETC) or a Pocket Monster Anime (Transformers Armada, Pokemon, Digimon, ETC). Unfortunatly this stuff is coming over here because it puts SKS to a good use when it comes to getting the Kid To spend their Parents money. Don't Judge anime based on these. There is a Lot of stuff out there that will appeal to just about anyone. You just have to go looking for it.

  22. Re:ratings? by Cpt_Kirks · · Score: 4, Insightful

    glut of content

    Cartoon Network needs to spin the anime to a new Anime Network. They could run pokecrap and hamstertron and such during the day, then more action and adult type stuff later at night.