Suzumiya Haruhi is 10 years old and other atrocities

[Razilin]

"Who are you? What do you want? Why are you here?"

Where are you going?

 

[Brovo]

Where are you going?

Do you have anything worth living for?

 

[Razilin]

Toonami (Moltar era) began in 1997
-Thundercats, DBZ, and Sailor Moon were probably the best in the lineup, especially since this was the time when we got the Sailor Moon Lost Episodes/Lunar Eclipse run (aka, the second half of Sailor Moon R getting an English dub)

Toonami (TOM 1 era) began in 1999
-Fsck yeah! Ronin Warriors and ReBoot join the line up!

Toonami (TOM 2 era) began in 2000
-Gundam Wing, a ton of Tenchi shows, and Batman and Superman the Animated Series join the line up!
-Outlaw Star got more love and The Big O got way more love
-The first of Toonami's "huh?" selections joins the line up --- Cardcaptor Sakura
-The second of Toonami's "huh?" selections joins in 2002--- Hamtaro

Toonami (TOM 3 era) began in 2003
-The total bore that were Dot Hack//SIGN and Neon Genesis Evangelion is mollified by the addition of Justice League and Rurouni fucking Kenshin to the regular block

Toonami (TOM 4 era) began in 2007 and ended in Toonami's cancellation in 2008


Fortunately, Toonami's back.



Watching Toonami is like watching a history of US anime (though it does obviously miss out on the critical 1980s/early 1990s era of US anime fandom, when we only got a handful of shitty dubs and maintained our fandom via usenet, BBS boards, AOL chat rooms, and ratty VHS tapes....)

Actually, a few years ago, there was a "History of Toonami" panel at Anime Central and it was amazing. The hosts actually downloaded whole gigabytes of Toonami clips (commercials, intros, outros, the TV spots dubbed by Peter Cullen/Optimus Prime, etc).

The hosts were cool enough to ask the audience, "Which one do you want us to play next?"

People were like, "DBZ!" "Gundam Wing!" "Sailor Moon!"

And I'm like, "HAMTARO!"

Everyone laughs...and then everyone pauses....

And then everyone shouts, "HAMTARO!"

So...yeah...we watched the Hamtaro Toonami intros and commercials. Because why the fsck not?

And for some reason, the hosts didn't have stuff for G Gundam. Cue disappointment.

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

My favourite TV Show of all time. Everything else gets compared to it and typically falls short in some way. (Albeit season 1 took a bit of time to find its voice.)

What makes me feel old remembering it is I remember my dad copying episodes via VHS recorder. (Apparently that acroymn is so old, my phone no longer has it in its spellcheck database either.) We didn't have the spare money to buy it so we had a few VHS cassettes we would just overwrite to keep things we wanted to see again. I remember him explaining things to me. Like why the "evil looking crab ship people" weren't /really/ evil, or why the "artificial suit wearing people who always spoke in riddles and double entendre" weren't /really/ good. He used the show to teach me how to view the world as shades of grey: Most people aren't evil, they're just trying to get by, and evil people manipulate scared people into doing bad things.

That's what makes me really feel old watching it. I remember the bloody VHS tapes, and thinking I was super special being able to watch an adult show with my dad.

"Who are you? What do you want? Why are you here?"

Asking as an outsider debating what shows to add to his 'to watch list', was what your Dad did some parenting trick that could have been used on a ton of shows? Or is there something more unique with Babylon 5 that allowed it to work really well in that aspect?

 

[Brovo]

Babylon 5 was unique. It was the first television show (anime notwithstanding) that managed to attempt and complete the Myth Arc: A story structure in use by TV shows like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead today. It's also one of the few TV shows to attempt (and often succeed) at showing races of individuals: You had good Minbari and bad Minbari. Good Narn, and bad Narn. Good Centauri, and bad Centauri. Every culture had its pros and cons. It's shining achievements, and miserable failures. There was no one particular race of "bad people." Just bad rulers.

It was a show that went out of its way to portray a universe of greys. Some shades were lighter than others, but everything done had consequences that had to be lived with.

It also made commentary about security vs freedom that was extremely well done. If you have the patience to put up with some hammy acting and special effects in the first season, I highly recommend watching it.

 

[Razilin]

Asking as an outsider debating what shows to add to his 'to watch list', was what your Dad did some parenting trick that could have been used on a ton of shows? Or is there something more unique with Babylon 5 that allowed it to work really well in that aspect?

it was something that was (then) unique to Babylon 5

in the early/mid 90s, sci fi space operas were largely dominated by the episodic, syndicated Star Trek TNG, DS9, and its derivatives

B5 was probably the first US production to go for a myth arc that spanned as long as it did; not two or three-parters, but a 5-year-long/5-season-long storyline with a distinct five-act structure

it was also one of the first shows, period, to actually treat "time abysses" and "eldritch abominations" as incomprehensible

a lot of the first and second seasons played up the fact that some of the truly ancient and alien species encountered (for the B5 fans, I'm specifically referring to Walkers of Sigma 957, Shadows, and Vorlons). no amount of writer's finesse, deus ex machina, or technobabble was ever going to conventionally put Humanity on a military level capable of hurting an actual Advanced Alien Species/Eldritch Abomination.

and because they were really fucking old, the so-called Good Guys and Bad Guys in those ancient races can't really be classified that way. so there's a lot of moral gray in how they act.

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

Ok, that definitely has my interest.

*Rushes to add it to list*

 

[Razilin]

@Brovo - another convert obtained.

also:

This VN is 12 years old.

The original Anime Adaptation is 10 years old.

...Rin would still be hot 10-12 years later.

...And legal.

<rapeface>

 

[Kagayours]

kuroshitsuji is also turning ten this year :D

Fuck, now I feel old. @_@

 

[Razilin]

Batman: The Animated Series, 1992: Arguably the greatest comic book cartoon ever made.

Gargoyles, 1994: Basically, the Babylon 5 of cartoons, and one of Greg Weisman's earliest productions (and one of the earliest so succumb to the Greg Weisman Curse!)

Superman: The Animated Series, 1994: Starring Tim Daly as Superman/Clark Kent, and one of the first productions to expand the Batman: TAS universe into the DC Animated Universe!

Justice League, 2001: The big expansion into the DCAU. With returning voices!

BTW, Superman Fans:

(Mr Kusakabe, voiced by Tim Daly, My Neighbor Totoro)

(Clark Kent, voiced by Tim Daly, Superman: The Animated Series)


COINCIDENCE????

I guess I'm a whole lot worried about Mei-chan in My Neighbor Totoro, since her dad is freaking Superman....

 

[redblood]

Batman: The Animated Series, 1992: Arguably the greatest comic book cartoon ever made.

Gargoyles, 1994: Basically, the Babylon 5 of cartoons, and one of Greg Weisman's earliest productions (and one of the earliest so succumb to the Greg Weisman Curse!)

Superman: The Animated Series, 1994: Starring Tim Daly as Superman/Clark Kent, and one of the first productions to expand the Batman: TAS universe into the DC Animated Universe!

Justice League, 2001: The big expansion into the DCAU. With returning voices!

BTW, Superman Fans:

(Mr Kusakabe, voiced by Tim Daly, My Neighbor Totoro)

(Clark Kent, voiced by Tim Daly, Superman: The Animated Series)


COINCIDENCE????

I guess I'm a whole lot worried about Mei-chan in My Neighbor Totoro, since her dad is freaking Superman....

AS LONG AS HE WEARS GLASSES, NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW. Best disguise ever!

 

[Razilin]

Let's talk mecha shows (and other atrocities)!

No, not this piece of bore and depression (incidentally, it came out in 1995, so its 20+ years old!).


Let's talk about REAL mecha shows! Hot blooded action! Manliness! SHOUTING OUT YOUR ATTACKS!

King of Braves Gao Gai Gar came out in 1997!

Robotech came out in 1985! (its component pieces, Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross, and Genesis Climber MOSPEADA came out in 1983, 1984, and 1984 respectively)

Mobile Suit Gundam Wing came out in 1995 -- on Toonami!

The Big O (aka Mecha Anime!Batman starring, left to right, Anime!Alfred Pennyworth, Anime!Bruce Wayne, and Robot!Batgirl/Robin mix who all live in Anime!Wayne Manor) came out in 1999

SHINING FINGER the Anime came out in 1994

Mazinger Z came out in 1972

 

[Razilin]

Voice Actors (and other atrocities!)


Keith David has been doing voice work for a while. Let's see how long.

GOLIATH (Gargoyles, 1994)

THE ARBITER (Halo 2, 2004)

VHAILOR (Planescape: Torment, 1999)

 

[Minerva]

Matthew Mercer and Johnny Yong Bosch (Kiritsugu and Uryu's English VAs) have been doing voice work for AGES!

The earliest work of Johnny was 1994 when he was the Black Ranger. I can't find Matthew's earliest voice work. I know they did work together on GitS: SAC and the 2001 AKIRA Dub as well as several other anime and video games. I just know that they've been doing it for a while.

Let's talk mecha shows (and other atrocities)!

No, not this piece of bore and depression (incidentally, it came out in 1995, so its 20+ years old!).


Let's talk about REAL mecha shows! Hot blooded action! Manliness! SHOUTING OUT YOUR ATTACKS!

King of Braves Gao Gai Gar came out in 1997!

Robotech came out in 1985! (its component pieces, Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross, and Genesis Climber MOSPEADA came out in 1983, 1984, and 1984 respectively)

Mobile Suit Gundam Wing came out in 1995 -- on Toonami!

The Big O (aka Mecha Anime!Batman starring, left to right, Anime!Alfred Pennyworth, Anime!Bruce Wayne, and Robot!Batgirl/Robin mix who all live in Anime!Wayne Manor) came out in 1999

SHINING FINGER the Anime came out in 1994

Mazinger Z came out in 1972

There is a significant lack of Voltron on this list.

 

[Ser K+]

I was the wonder brat of 2012

I'm almost an adult now.

You're old.

 

[MurderDeathKill]

My massive, intense patience for May 24th to finally arrive was built upon the bedrock that was THIS show:

 

[SacredWarrior]

I was born in 1995 so I grew up watching many shows on Cartoon Network, FoxBox/4Kids, Nick, and Disney Channel. Dragon Ball Z is my favorite anime of all time and it's 20 years old now :D

I'm glad that Teen Titans is over and finished. Teen Titans Go is a SPIN-OFF. Not a reboot so getting pissed off about it is stupid. I'd rather have TTG than to have Teen Titans end up like Spongebob Squarepants and Ben 10: a long-running show that loses its quality and novelty really quickly and gets old really fast.

 

[Brovo]

No, not this piece of bore and depression (incidentally, it came out in 1995, so its 20+ years old!).

I was about to go "psshhh it's got awesome fight scenes doe", but yeah nah it's pretty dull by mecha standards. Then again, it's not really a mecha anime. Most of the show's active narration time is spent outside of the mecha, and has to do with character interactions. The show's creator was dealing with suicidal depression at the time, so the entire show is a visual manifestation of his frail psyche, dwindling into utter chaotic madness. Not a really good "show" in a traditional sense but it's a great piece of art.

 

[Windsong]

it was something that was (then) unique to Babylon 5

in the early/mid 90s, sci fi space operas were largely dominated by the episodic, syndicated Star Trek TNG, DS9, and its derivatives

B5 was probably the first US production to go for a myth arc that spanned as long as it did; not two or three-parters, but a 5-year-long/5-season-long storyline with a distinct five-act structure

it was also one of the first shows, period, to actually treat "time abysses" and "eldritch abominations" as incomprehensible

a lot of the first and second seasons played up the fact that some of the truly ancient and alien species encountered (for the B5 fans, I'm specifically referring to Walkers of Sigma 957, Shadows, and Vorlons). no amount of writer's finesse, deus ex machina, or technobabble was ever going to conventionally put Humanity on a military level capable of hurting an actual Advanced Alien Species/Eldritch Abomination.

and because they were really fucking old, the so-called Good Guys and Bad Guys in those ancient races can't really be classified that way. so there's a lot of moral gray in how they act.

Welp, I'm sold.

Time to watch it.

 

[Brovo]

Welp, I'm sold.

Time to watch it.

Not really much of a spoiler (because it happens very early on just to establish that this is indeed a thing), but G'Kar summarizes it better than @Razilin or I could. Speaking of mysterious doe, Raz, those Technomages. So fucking good in every scene they're in.