Toonami is an American late-night television programming block that primarily broadcasts Japanese and occasionally American action animation. It was created by Sean Akins and Jason DeMarco and produced by Williams Street, a division of Warner Bros. Television Studios, which is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery Networks itself a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. The name is a portmanteau of the words "cartoon" and "tsunami". It currently broadcasts every Saturday night from 12 a.m. to 4 a.m. ET/PT. Toonami initially ran as a weekday afternoon block on Cartoon Network from 1997 until 2004, when it transitioned into a Saturday evening format until its closure four years later. Cartoon Network's block was primarily aimed at children and teens aged 9–15. In its original run from 1997 to 2008, the partnership was known for showcasing action-oriented animation, with a heavy focus on Japanese animation, which became widely popular with American audiences. Toonami is recognized for its distinctive space-themed backdrop, anime music videos, drum, and bass-flavored soundtrack, and its robot host, T.O.M. (short for Toonami Operations Module). On May 26, 2012, Toonami was relaunched as a late-night block on Adult Swim. The current incarnation is a rebrand of Adult Swim's Saturday night action block (itself inherited from Toonami's Midnight Run block), which primarily aired anime that was deemed too mature for the daytime hours.
In the hyper-policed, sterile metropolis of Vector City, a totalitarian regime known as the Vector United Authority (VUA) rules with an iron fist. Led by the charismatic but corrupt Director Gordon Vane, the "rotten adults" of the city are systematically siphoning the city's underground Ley Line energy, draining the vibrant culture, memories, and very souls out of historic neighborhoods and transforming them into lifeless, grey corporate blocks. Zack Ridge, a normal 16-year-old high school kid just trying to survive his classes and get home to his loving parents. Zack's life is completely shattered when Director Vane personally frames him for a brutal assault he didn't commit, using the VUA's absolute media gaslighting networks to broadcast his face citywide as a dangerous delinquent. On the run from the hyper-aggressive Paranormal Police and automated H.O.U.N.D. Drones, Zack is rescued by Professor Sprocket Locke, an old-school, eccentric mechanic who runs a neighborhood parcel shop called Sprocket Express as a secret front for an underground rebellion. Recognizing the fire and defiance in the kia, Sprocket clamps a blocky, industrial prototype onto Zack's arm: The Spectral Gauntlet. Powered by Zack's internal fury, the gauntlet taps into the city's supernatural currents, supercharging his Vector-Drive Inline Skates with physics-defying speed and kinetic energy. Joined by his fast-talking, comic-relief best friend Felix "Flea" Greene and a cool, mysterious Japanese transfer student named Haruka "Haru" Sakamori, they officially form The Ground-Line Riot. Operating right under the noses of the corrupt adults, the crew takes on high-stakes, high-velocity delivery runs for Sprocket Express to smuggle vital data and rebel tech. By mastering supersonic rail-grinds, wall-rides off skyscrapers, and momentum-fueled kinetic strikes, these rebellious kids are determined to shatter the VUA's monochrome illusions, restore the vibrant color to their streets, and put an end to Director Vane's oppressive machine once and for all!
