2002 - Anime on TV in Review
by George Phillips, Beginning in 2001, anime exploded onto North American in volumes never seen before... and of course, this trend continued into 2002, with no fewer than 25 different anime series airing across the various TV stations and networks. Never before has anime been so easy to find in America. The days of watching Dragon Ball Z at 5 AM Sunday mornings are gone, and anime is now an integral part of most, if not all major networks' broadcasts.
Much like television itself, anime on TV can be easily divided into two parts: Network and Cable. Network broadcast stations reach significantly larger numbers of viewers; Cable "narrowcast" stations are free to specialize on certain types of video entertainment.
Networks, such as FOX and FOX KIDS block, and replaced it with the "Fox Box", a collection of other, equally bizarre series. Kinnikuman, Kirby, and Fighting Foodons all grace FOX's Saturday morning line-up. None of these shows truly stand out as unique or interesting for most anime fans, children recognize that they, much like Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh!, are other anime. These shows begin to reveal the wide range of anime genres, from slapstick comedy to high-paced action and beyond.
The Cable channels are the other side of anime on TV, and there are plenty of series that are noteworthy. The most noteworthy of all channels is certainly Adult Swim.
Some of the new anime shows that Toonami broadcast this year included G Gundam. Although the popularity of these three shows doesn't match the popularity of Toonami's flagship show, Dragon Ball Z, each contributed to the increasing diversity of anime on Cartoon Network. Hamtaro is a cute show about hamsters that have a secret clubhouse and go on adventures all around their town. Although billed as the successor to Pokémon (based on its success in Japan), the series produced an enormous burst of hype when it first aired. In fact, two Zoids series aired; one highlighting a war between two factions, and one about a battle tournament involving the giant mechanized Zoids.
The other major anime block on Cartoon Network was Adult Swim. Due to the Terrorist Attacks in 2001, several episodes of Cowboy Bebop were removed from the original broadcast lineup due to questionable content. A few months after the attacks, Cartoon Network granted permission for these “missing” broadcasts to air, with no significant cuts.
Beginning February 23rd, 2002, Cartoon Network expanded Adult Swim by adding Littl' Bits left the network in 1995.
Of course, the two biggest names in televised anime only appeared late in the year. Philadelphia. However, despite the less than grand launch, most fans remain hopeful that The Anime Network will grow and eventually be available to them. Therefore, despite its small beginnings, the potential remains.
Shortly after ADV Films announced The Anime Network, Tech TV announced does not hold the proper licenses to broadcast animation. Additionally, many lesser-populated areas do not get TechTV yet, so many fans are aware of but simply cannot get Anime Unleashed.
One other interesting development in television occurred on the "other side of the pond". In Japan, several television stations now include a scrolling warning at the start of anime, asking viewers not to copy the program to the Internet. Obviously, digisubs are continuing to thrive despite the warnings. It remains to be seen if similar warnings will appear on any American networks.
Overall, it was a good year for anime on television. Many of the shows that aired in America were new, never before seen on TV. In fact, some aired on TV before being released to DVD, such as Inu-Yasha. This year, Cartoon Network has already confirmed Peter Chung's Reign as well. The Anime Network will certainly roll out in additional cities this year, and depending on the success of TechTV's block, they may seek additional titles. The wildcards this year appear to be WB and FOX. WB has Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh!, but may seek new anime titles to Pokémon as it ages. While FOX has Kirby, the series is only 26 episodes.
Much like television itself, anime on TV can be easily divided into two parts: Network and Cable. Network broadcast stations reach significantly larger numbers of viewers; Cable "narrowcast" stations are free to specialize on certain types of video entertainment.
Networks, such as FOX and FOX KIDS block, and replaced it with the "Fox Box", a collection of other, equally bizarre series. Kinnikuman, Kirby, and Fighting Foodons all grace FOX's Saturday morning line-up. None of these shows truly stand out as unique or interesting for most anime fans, children recognize that they, much like Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh!, are other anime. These shows begin to reveal the wide range of anime genres, from slapstick comedy to high-paced action and beyond.
The Cable channels are the other side of anime on TV, and there are plenty of series that are noteworthy. The most noteworthy of all channels is certainly Adult Swim.
Some of the new anime shows that Toonami broadcast this year included G Gundam. Although the popularity of these three shows doesn't match the popularity of Toonami's flagship show, Dragon Ball Z, each contributed to the increasing diversity of anime on Cartoon Network. Hamtaro is a cute show about hamsters that have a secret clubhouse and go on adventures all around their town. Although billed as the successor to Pokémon (based on its success in Japan), the series produced an enormous burst of hype when it first aired. In fact, two Zoids series aired; one highlighting a war between two factions, and one about a battle tournament involving the giant mechanized Zoids.
The other major anime block on Cartoon Network was Adult Swim. Due to the Terrorist Attacks in 2001, several episodes of Cowboy Bebop were removed from the original broadcast lineup due to questionable content. A few months after the attacks, Cartoon Network granted permission for these “missing” broadcasts to air, with no significant cuts.
Beginning February 23rd, 2002, Cartoon Network expanded Adult Swim by adding Littl' Bits left the network in 1995.
Of course, the two biggest names in televised anime only appeared late in the year. Philadelphia. However, despite the less than grand launch, most fans remain hopeful that The Anime Network will grow and eventually be available to them. Therefore, despite its small beginnings, the potential remains.
Shortly after ADV Films announced The Anime Network, Tech TV announced does not hold the proper licenses to broadcast animation. Additionally, many lesser-populated areas do not get TechTV yet, so many fans are aware of but simply cannot get Anime Unleashed.
One other interesting development in television occurred on the "other side of the pond". In Japan, several television stations now include a scrolling warning at the start of anime, asking viewers not to copy the program to the Internet. Obviously, digisubs are continuing to thrive despite the warnings. It remains to be seen if similar warnings will appear on any American networks.
Overall, it was a good year for anime on television. Many of the shows that aired in America were new, never before seen on TV. In fact, some aired on TV before being released to DVD, such as Inu-Yasha. This year, Cartoon Network has already confirmed Peter Chung's Reign as well. The Anime Network will certainly roll out in additional cities this year, and depending on the success of TechTV's block, they may seek additional titles. The wildcards this year appear to be WB and FOX. WB has Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh!, but may seek new anime titles to Pokémon as it ages. While FOX has Kirby, the series is only 26 episodes.
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