Formerly called Boomerang Motto Home of the Superheroes | Founded 2012 | |
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Launched 1 December 2012; 4 years ago (1 December 2012) Picture format 16:9 (576i, SDTV)
16:9 (1080i, HDTV) Slogan Home of the Superheroes Broadcast area Asia All Country Use For SD (China In Nationwide) and HD Use Cable Television Except Inner Mongolia And Heilongjiang And Xinjiang Sister channel(s) Cartoon Network Asia, Boomerang Owned by Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific | ||
Toonami is a television channel that launched in Asia on 1 December 2012. It is operated and distributed in Asia by Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc. which is a subsidiary of Time Warner. It is named after the programming block seen in the U.S, using the logo introduced in 2004 but with different branded promos.
Contents
- Toonamis on air content
- Social media
- Availability in Asia Pacific
- Launch campaign
- NAMIs Story
- Toonami games
- Programming
- References
Toonami's on-air content
Toonami is billed as the "ultimate home of the superhero" and "a dedicated destination for action enthusiasts". With content also available on its website, the brand promises a multi-platform experience. Featured action franchises include Young Justice, Dragon Ball Z, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold. The programming line-up also includes Cartoon Network original series such as Generator Rex and Ben 10: Alien Force. The channel is available in English, but with Mandarin Chinese and Thai options in Taiwan and Thailand, respectively.
Social media
Turner's Asia Pacific MD and Senior VP, Sunny Saha, claims the brand is created "for fans, by fans" and audiences are invited to connect with Toonami via Twitter, Facebook and YouTube where regular video content is shared with an online following. Toonami Asia's YouTube channel is divided into featured playlists. One month after the launch of Toonami, its Facebook page had more than 28,000 likes. Its Twitter feed has 250 subscribers since October 2012.
Availability in Asia Pacific
Toonami is available in markets including Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Maldives. Turner will be looking to expand the number of markets where Toonami will be on-air.
Confirmed cable operators are:
Launch campaign
A number of "teaser" videos were created to raise awareness during the launch period. They were filmed in Hong Kong, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur, and are still available on the Toonami Teasers playlist on YouTube. The majority of the videos are shot in a POV style featuring a mundane situation captured on an amateur video, which then pan out to reveal a spaceship, a robot, a superhero or alien.
To kick off Toonami’s launch in January 2013, fans are invited to play an active part in the channel’s origins which centres on NAMI, an artificial lifeform from the future. For an indefinite entry period, viewers must watch a short video and then submit their own ideas as to how to complete the background to NAMI’s story. Writers are advised to provide a submission through the Toonami website, on what they think the story should be. The winner with the best concept will be produced into an animated clip and a unique comic book.
To aid competition entrants, the following information about NAMI was placed on the contest website. "It is the year 2099 and the world is at the brink of destruction as dark forces spread throughout the planet. Led by an evil villain, the age of heroes is at its end. NAMI, an AI capable of interfacing with other machines is the planets last hope of survival. Her mission; alter the timeline and ensure that the future is not lost. Uploading her Central Processing Unit to a time capsule shaped in the form of a sphere, NAMI sets course to travel 86 years in the past – a milestone in the age of heroes."
To further assist, entrants were provided with some question to think about regarding NAMI's backstory:
Toonami kicked off its arrival in Singapore with an event called TOONAMI INCEPTION ’13 on Saturday, 23 February 2013 at *SCAPE. From 1–9 pm, in an all-day, all-play action-packed party, fans were invited to enter a world inhabited by superheroes via illusion art displays and an augmented reality booth. Visitors shot hoops with basketball team, the Singapore Slingers, and got branded with show logos at the Graffiti Zone. There was live hip-hop performances throughout the day, as well as B boys and girls, and music from DJ Adonis and DJ Gravity.
TOONAMI INCEPTION '13 then traveled to Manila in the Philippines on 24 March 2013 for a similar event at Eastwood City Central Plaza.
NAMI's Story
Videos containing the story of the character NAMI have been being released and as of now, 2 are out to the general public and another is on its way. And it has been confirmed that the main hosts of the original American Toonami, TOM and SARA, live in the same universe as NAMI. And that Glenn Bartlett, the man in charge at Toonami (Asia) has shared his interest of having their paths cross in the future.
Toonami games
There are currently 13 games available on the Toonami Asia website. They are listed under the following sections: Ben 10: Alien Force, Generator Rex, Deltora Quest, Hot Wheels Battle Force 5 and Justice League Unlimited. The Flash games are playable through the browser. Many of these are also available from the Cartoon Network Asia site.