Is Adult Swim Getting Squeezed Out Of The Anime Industry?
Before streaming services had us hooked, Adult Swim brought us exclusive anime content. The nighttime cable TV channel shared space with Cartoon Network and slowly became very popular for its experimental, improvised, & surrealist programs. As Netflix and Crunchyroll continue to aggressively market anime content, Adult Swim might have fallen off its ranks. On top of that, the latest merger between its parent company Warner Bros and Discovery might have made things worse.
Adult Swim Lets Go Of Three Anime Originals
As per Comicbook, Adult Swim will be letting go of two big names from its anime roster, Lazor Wulf and Tigtone. However, this isn’t all, Toonami’s co-creator, Jason DeMarco, recently confirmed that some big anime originals will no longer be available on Adult Swim or HBO Max.
[Source: YouTube]
These Adult Swim originals include:
- Blade Runner: Black Lotus
- Shenmue The Animation
- Fena: Pirate Princess
Earlier this month, Adult Swim announced several anime originals. The horror anime series Housing Complex C would be the first in line which is slated to premiere on October 2, 2022. Not just that, the comedy-drama anime series FL CL will also return to the channel with two fresh seasons.
[Source: YouTube]
Given that Adult Swim recently confirmed the premiere date for Housing Complex C, it is unlikely that it will be delisted. However, fans are wondering if there are any future projects that won’t make the cut.
Shenmue The Animation Is Canceled Despite Good Reception
Another anime currently in production is another spooky anime adaptation of Uzumaki by Junji Ito. The series is currently delayed to allow for better quality during the post-production phase.
On his official Twitter account, DeMarco confirmed that the anime series will be available to stream on Crunchyroll once it premieres. He also revealed that fans will be able to download the series in a digital format.
Sorry guys. This happened. You can still watch all of the anime on Crunchyroll and it will still be available as digital downloads. And yes, it’s looking like no S2 of Shenmue, even though sadly- it did well enough that we were gearing up for S2. Maybe one day… https://t.co/WpM3O6NcSC
— SPIRAL CURSE DEMARCO (@Clarknova1) September 28, 2022
He shared some bad news as well. Shenmue The Animation will not return for another season. He shared a list of the shows being removed from Adult Swim’s website and wrote:
“Sorry guys. This happened. You can still watch all of the anime on Crunchyroll and it will still be available as digital downloads. And yes, it’s looking like no S2 of Shenmue, even though sadly-it did well enough that we were gearing up for S2. Maybe one day…”
Harley Quinn Animated Series Renewed For Another Season
Now that Warner Bros and Discovery have partnered several, HBO Max saw several popular series being taken down from the streaming service. This includes titles like OK K.O.! Let’s be Heroes, Summer Camp Island, Infinity Train, and several others. However, Harley Quinn has been renewed for Season 4. It is one of few shows being renewed following the merger.
[Source: YouTube]
What do you think of this Discovery and Warner Bros merger? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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