#7 - Sailor Moon S Debuts
The initial run of Sailor Moon in the United States left us hanging for more. It wasn't until 1998 when viewers saw the final half of the Sailor Moon R, which was, until then, a Canadian exclusive for years. The series ended with the pretty soldiers looking back at how much their lives have changed when they learned they were protectors of the Moon Kingdom and Serena learning of her lineage as the Moon Princess. The last moments showed a pair of warriors in silhouette as well as a nightmare Rei keeps on having that predicted what's to come. Naturally, this was a teaser for the Sailor Moon S season. However, production had stopped on Sailor Moon years before the dubbed episode premiered in the US, so Sailor Moon S was lost in the annals of space. Well, nobody licensed them here in the states.
Cloverway, Toei Animation's former US-based subsidary before they officially opened an American office in Los Angeles, produced the new season in Canada and premiered it in the summer of 2000.
The end result was one of the best produced season of Sailor Moon ever. Sailor Moon S proved what that the longtime fans of Sailor Moon had been trying to tell everyone. Sailor Moon is actually a great show! This season had it all. Action, comedy, drama, romance, and a plot that guys and gals could enjoy. Like Gundam Wing, which premiered on Toonami the same year, it was one of those shows that brought in both of the sexes. Sailor Moon S stood out as one of the crowning moments in Toonami history.
#6 - TMR: Special Edition
Adult Swim was on the horizon at Cartoon Network. The Midnight Run had been rather blah after Gundam Wing Uncut left the block. So, what do you do?
The folks at Williams Street put the spotlight on one of the things that made Toonami stand out as a popular block, namely the music. For one night only on August 31, 2001, Toonami Midnight Run aired a special edition episode featuring an hour of music, including music videos from Daft Punk and Gorillaz, the biggest virtual band in the land.
The night also showcased the music of Joe Boyd Vigil, who created the signature sound of Toonami for a number of years. He's the man who crafted the theme songs for the block as well as the music used in the custom opens until 2002. They played a number of his signature songs, including Prayer (the theme song that introduced TOM), Mad Rhetoric, and Pardon Our Dust, alongside Daft Punk and Gorillaz.
Although Toonami reran this for the final installment of Toonami Midnight Run, they never duplicated this again, which is a shame because animated videos have gotten more prominent over the years with all sorts of artists producing them. Regardless, Toonami Midnight Run: Special Edition, remains one of those milestones that fans consider as one of the greatest moments of the block.
#5 - IGPX
In 2002, Williams Street wanted to try something different for Toonami. They have always aired acquired shows on Toonami, but they never produced an original show for the block. Production I.G., known for Ghost in the Shell and numerous other projects through Production I.G. and their Xebec television unit, partnered up with Williams Street to produce a pilot for Cartoon Network. This pilot, dubbed IGPX, was the beginning of a beautiful friendship between Williams Street and Production I.G. that continues to this day.
The pilot involved Team Satomi, a team of rookie mech pilots who were chosen to be contenders in the new season of the IGPX. The IGPX was an international team battle competition that had many representatives from all over the globe. Team Satomi, who were pretty green on the battlefield, became impressive to all that witnessed them in battle, and by the end of the pilot, an interested backer was ready to bankroll the team full-time.
The pilot was broken down into five parts and transformed into a Total Immersion Event in September 2003 where the microseries received rave reviews and the game was moderately successful.
Nothing was heard about IGPX for two years.
In 2005, Cartoon Network announced that a retooled IGPX, which became a battle/race hybrid series, was going to air on Cartoon Network Japan in the summer of 2005 and premiere in the US in November 2005 on the Toonami lineup.
IGPX employed an all-star voice crew, including veteran voice artists Tom Kenny, Steve Blum, and Mark Hamill, veteran actor Lance Hendriksen, Academy Award nominee Haley Joel Osmont, and Hollywood bad girl Michelle Rodriguez, soundtrack music from Ninja Tunes, and the talented creators at Production I.G.
Although not quite a ratings buster (then again, aside from Naruto, shows on Cartoon Network barely register a blip), IGPX was indeed a great series and perhaps the most mature series to ever set foot on Toonami breaking taboos gathering a small, yet significant fan following. It was the first truly original series to be a part of Toonami, and one of the top five greatest moments in the block's history.
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