Toonami is a programming block on Cartoon Network created by Sean Akins and Jason DeMarco that airs Western animated series in the genres of action, adventure, superheroes and to a large extent, Japanese anime during late night hours. Originally released in the United States in March 17, 1997, after 11 years it was cancelled in September 20, 2008, although in May 26, 2012, the block was reinstated by popular demand, this time by Williams Street for broadcast on Adult Swim. Toonami is currently produced by Williams Street, the production studio for Adult Swim. The block is named after a combination of the words "cartoon" and "tsunami" and is known for its space and sci-fi themed aesthetic and bumpers, anime music videos, ambient drum-and-bass-influenced soundtracks, and the robot host of the block, T.O.M. (standing for Toonami Operations Module).
The block is known for airing anime series such as Attack on Titan, Bleach, Cowboy Bebop, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Gurren Lagann, Inuyasha, Made in Abyss, Mob Psycho 100, Mobile Suit Gundam, My Hero Academia, Naruto, One Piece, One-Punch Man, Paranoia Agent, Sailor Moon, Samurai Champloo, Tokyo Ghoul, YuYu Hakusho, and many others. The network is also known for airing original programming such as Samurai Jack, Lazarus, Ninja Kamui, Uzumaki, FLCL, Invincible Fight Girl and Rick and Morty: The Anime. The Japanese dub of Rick and Morty: The Anime premiered on Toonami with English subtitles on August 17, 2024.