Turner Broadcasting System Asia-Pacific has announced on Monday that the Pan-regional animation channel will be ending its operations on Saturday, March 31.
The network has released a statement on the animation channel’s Official Facebook page:
NOTICE: Please be advised that the Toonami channel in Southeast Asia will cease transmission at the end of March 2018. Thank you to all our fans for watching and all of your amazing support. For more great kids entertainment, check out Cartoon Network APAC and Boomerang 🙂
A representative of the network has told Anime Pilipinas that they are still deciding if Toonami programs would be aired on their sister channels, and they have not been finalized as of this time.
Prior to the channel’s launch, Toonami is originally a time block dedicated to airing Japanese anime and live-action shows on Cartoon Network, similar to the anime block with the same name in the United States.
The block aired anime shows like Shaman King, Crush Gear Turbo, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing and Mobile Suit Gundam Seed, as well as live-action shows like Masked Rider Blade, GranSazer and several Power Rangers shows.
Toonami Asia channel was launched on December 1, 2012, and was billed as “ultimate home of the superhero” and “destination for action enthusiasts”.
Unlike the anime block, the channel focused on airing “superhero” animation shows from Cartoon Network Studios and DC Comics franchise, including Ben 10, Teen Titans, Justice League and Batman, and some anime shows like Dragon Ball Z and Mix Master.
Toonami Asia launched in 2015 an all-anime block called “Anime Siege”, which aired anime shows like Beast Saga, Yokai Watch, and Inazuma Eleven.
Dragon Ball Super, which was the sequel to Dragon Ball Z anime series, premiered in January last year. The airing was the very first time in the world that the newest Dragon Ball anime series was heard in English dubbing.
