As reported on the [as] schedule for this upcoming Saturday and confirmed by Toonami honcho Jason DeMarco, new shows Deadman Wonderland and Casshern Sins premiere on the new Toonami programming block at 12:30 AM and 1:00 AM (Eastern/Pacific) respectively.
The full Toonami lineup (12 AM - 3 AM, repeats 3 AM - 6 AM) will be:
- Bleach
- Deadman Wonderland
- Casshern Sins
- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
- Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex
- Cowboy Bebop
More info on the new shows and a few more words from JDM as compiled by Anime News Network after the break.
About Deadman Wonderland (12 episodes): Ganta Igarashi has been convicted of a crime that he hasn't
committed, and sent to a new, privately owned and operated prison, where
the inmates are the main attraction in a modern day twist to the
gladiatorial coliseums of ancient times. Throw in a healthy dose of
weird little girl, some new-found super powers, and a little conspiracy
theory, and you have Deadman Wonderland.
About Casshern Sins (24 episodes): After the murder of Luna, the robot society that rules the planet
starts to rust and decay. Death and despair spread through the land like
wildfire. The only one unaffected by the affliction that becomes known
as "The Ruin" is Luna's assassin, Casshern. Unable to remember if he
really triggered this capital sin against the entire mechanized
civilization, Casshern embarks on a journey to unravel the mystery that
connects him, Luna, and the plague.
DeMarco added that Toonami will not be showing Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, and similar titles since "the rights to those shows are owned by our competition or are out of our price range." He continued, "Something you should know about THIS Toonami:
We have very, very little $$. This experiment will need ratings success
to receive more funding for new shows, more [mascot character] Tom
animation, etc. I'm thankful for the $$ we've gotten, but it isn't a
lot."
DeMarco also clarified Adult Swim's May 16 press release, which said that the network is developing "new original anime programming" for Toonami's return. Toonami will not have original titles created specifically for the programming block, "just new acquisitions." DeMarco said that he personally "love[s] One Piece and would love to see it on CN again" along with Gundam Wing. Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt, Fairy Tail, and Inuyasha: The Final Act are some of the "many shows we've been looking at" or discussed.
DeMarco confirmed that Steven Blum
will reprise his role of Tom, which "will be an updated hi-res version
of Tom 3.0" aboard a slightly different but almost identical version of the spaceship Absolution. However, the character Sara will not appear for now ("costs too much to make"), and Peter Cullen will not be the voice of the block's promos due to his busy work schedule. The anime titles will keep their theme songs, and Toonami "will make our own 'pre' intros."
