In Checkerboard Confusion, I made the suggestion that SVES should become Toonami. Some people thought that was a good idea while others figured that only Toonamitakus would be so stupid enough to think of branding the "CCF of action" after an obsolete block that skewers little kids. SVES basically is a perceived success because they have more familiar brands than Toonami, even though both are aimed towards the same demographics. In other words, Toonami isn't aimed exclusively towards younger viewers, and the Saturday block isn't aimed exclusively towards older viewers. They're a shade of the same color, and to be honest, they're very interchangable. You could use elements of one to build the other and vice-versa. The fact that people with no sense fail to realize is that demographically-wise, the Saturday block and Toonami are BOTH aimed to the SAME age groups using the SAME transitions from show to show (and inbetween) and using the SAME programs. The only real differences between Saturday and Toonami is that Toonami is exclusively anime while Saturday is more American-focused and Saturday airs original openings and 4Kids shows.

That's it!

The spirit of what Toonami was is very present on the Saturday block. The perceived idea of what Toonami is supposed to currently be has been skewed because of what has been in placed before. Perhaps the heads of Toonami and the network programmers behind the Saturday block should come together to try to rebuild both action franchises using elements from both brands.

1. The name of the new and improved action franchise should be Toonami. It's the only name suitable for the action franchise, and it not only gives the afternoon block a renewed interest, but it also brings a little more attention to the Saturday lineup by giving it a familiar name that is very marketable.

2. Toonami should air the original openings to the shows. As Saturday has shown, showing the original opens didn't cause the world to implode nor turned viewers into acidic ooze. The in-house-made opens are what Toonami was famous (or infamous) for, but for a new and improved Toonami, perhaps the original openings should go the way of the dodo.

3. Cartoon Network should embrace the Toonami brand in this country. I'm in no way suggesting that they should create a Toonami network. However, I'm saying that with one major action brand utilizing elements from both the weekday block and the Saturday block. Think of the reignition of the Toonami brand as something that is very necessary. Eradicate the notions that Toonami is "just another faddish anime block" that doesn't want to air openings. With a stronger brand recognition, advertisers will be more than willing to sell ads for a well-organized and very focused action franchise, one that's not muddled in brand confusion. In other words, if it's general-audience action, it's Toonami.

It's not rocket science, and it's not pointless whining from a Toonamitaku calling for the cancellation of Saturday to satisfy their hunger for more Toonami. It's just that if Cartoon Network wants to create a solid action brand, they can't do it with similar lineups with two different brands. I mean, what if there were two different adult-oriented blocks on Cartoon Network? One would be the Adult Swim we all know and love. The second would be a Friday late-night/overnight block called FNB that airs mature comedies and action shows that were once on Adult Swim like Home Movies, Mission Hill, or Lupin III, and action movies that won't be seen on Adult Swim? FNB would be completely in the network's hands with idents created by the folks behind Adult Swim and advertised heavily on Adult Swim, even though it's a completely different brand? Maybe Adult Swim's success might prompt Cartoon Network to get separate acquisitions to launch a second franchise, FNB, even though there's nothing wrong with the first brand.

I'm not saying that's going to happen, I'm just trying to illustrate how similar blocks on one network with different brand names. Brand recognition is very important in this image-conscious world of ours, and I feel that Cartoon Network needs only one general-audience action-brand on the network, and Toonami should be the only brand. I know that some folks don't get why so many people care, and chances are they probably will never get it. In all honesty, if there were no blocks at all on Cartoon Network (i.e. no Toonami, no Saturday, no Adult Swim, no Cartoon Network Fridays, no Boomerang, no Cartoon Theater, no Last Bell), I think that all of this "rivalry" would be eliminated.

Afterall, shouldn't the animation matter more than how they're presented?