Only July 17th Toonami Jetstream goes live. Toonami Jetstream is an online network that delivers streaming episodes of anime and action cartoons. Viz Media teamed up with Cartoon Network on this project to bring dubbed episodes of Prince of Tennis, Hikaru no Go and MÄR to the masses. Since these series have not been aired on TV, this is the first chance anime fans will get to see these shows without having to purchase the DVDs. Rounding off the list of shows on Jetstream are Genndy Tartakovsky’s Samurai Jack and the ever popular orange ninja Naruto. New episodes will be online each week and old episodes will be stored in an archive for future viewing. After the initial launch Toonami Jetstream will add in IGPX, Mega Man NT Warrior and Zoids Genesis will premiere on the block. Let’s hope that Toonami Jetstream becomes an experimental online channel that will deliver fresh anime and new cartoons. Check below for previews of what’s on the block.
Naruto: Twelve years prior, an evil Nine-Tailed-Fox demon that terrorized The Hidden Leaf Village was sealed inside the body of a baby in order to end the decimation of the village. A rule that forbade anyone to tell him that he possessed the spirit of the Nine-Tailed-Fox left Naruto unaware of why the villagers shunned him. Now a teenager, he attempts to earn the villagers’ respect by training to become the village’s top ninja. As Naruto develops his skills, he must learn to control his special powers to become the respected master ninja. Through exciting adventures, the young ninja learns the importance of friendship, teamwork, loyalty, hard work, creativity, ingenuity and right versus wrong. Naruto, created by manga artist Masahi Kishimoto, made its U.S. debut in September 2005 and is among the top-rated series on Cartoon Network.
Samurai Jack: Samurai Jack, which won four Emmy Awards including the Emmy for Best Animated Series in 2003, tells the story of a warrior banished to the future by an evil shape-shifting wizard. Samurai Jack encounters an amazing array of cultures and civilizations as he travels the world seeking the portal to send him back to his own time. A man of few words, Jack relies on his mental and physical training as a warrior to help him fend off the evil wizard’s forces. Created by Genndy Tartakovsky at Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank, Ca., the influential series Samurai Jack has been lauded for its magnificent artistry, gripping action sequences, evocative score and cinematic scope.
Hikaru No Go: Written by Yumi Hotta and drawn by Takeshi Obata, Hikaru No Go tells the story of Hikaru Shindo, a young student who stumbles across a dusty old Go board while exploring his grandfather’s attic. Trapped inside is Fujiwara-no-Sai, the ghost of an ancient Go master that enters Hikaru’s consciousness, allowing him to communicate with the spirit. Sai, newly awakened, wishes for nothing more than to play Go again. Urged on by Sai, Hikaru reluctantly begins playing Go. As he begins to appreciate the complexities of the game, Hikaru makes it his quest to become the ultimate Go champion.
MÄR: Created by Nobuyuki Anzai, MÄR features Ginta, an average 14-year-old boy, until a mysterious portal suddenly transports him into the fairy tale realm he envisions in his dreams, the World of MÄR. In MÄR, Ginta acquires super human strength and Babbo– a talking magical weapon knows as an ARM. Together, Ginta and Babbo embark on a quest to save the World of MÄR from total domination by the evil chess pieces.
The Prince of Tennis: The exciting backdrop of middle school tennis serves as the setting for this sports drama and coming-of-age story. The Prince of Tennis, created by Takeshi Konomi, depicts the on-and off-the-court adventures of Ryoma Echizen, who joins the Seishun Academy tennis team, known for being one of the most competitive teams in Japan. With his undeniable talent (and sometimes shamelessly cocky attitude), Ryoma is ready to lead his team to victory.
Artwork: HIKARU NO GO © YUMI HOTTA, HMC, TAKESHI OBATA, NOEL/SHUEISHA, TV TOKYO, DENTSU, PIERROT
