5 Damn Years

[The Landstander]

It would appear that 5 years to this very day, Adult Swim premiered. It would sweep a few people off their feet. For years it existed in the "if a tree falls in the woods and no one's around does it make a sound" kind of way, but then they got Futurama and Family Guy and a lot of people started watching those two shows.

Consisting of such shows as Home Movies, The Brak Show, Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law, Sealab 2021, Space Ghost: Coast to Coast, Cowboy Bebop, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, The Bob Clampett Show, Baby Blues, Mission Hill, Inuyasha, The Gary Coleman Show, Outlaw Star, Yu Yu Hakusho, Mobile Suit Gundam, Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket, Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory, Tenchi Muyo, Pilot Candidate, The Ripping Friends, The Oblongs, Futurama, Lupin the 3rd, Reign, Trigun, Family Guy, Big O, FLCL, Blue Gender, Kikaider, Witch Huner Robin, Wolf's Rain, The Popeye Show, Case Closed, Fullmetal Alchemist, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Perfect Hair Forever, The Venture Brothers, Super Milk Chan, Tom Goes to the Mayor, The Super Globetrotters, American Dad, 12 Oz. Mouse, The Boondocks, Samurai Champloo, Paranoia Agent, Robot Chicken, Cartoon Planet, s-CRY-ed, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Moral Orel, Squidbillies, Stroker & Hoop, Mister T, Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos, Gigantor, Minoriteam, Eureka Seven, Pee-Wee's Playhouse, Metalocalypse, Shin-Chan, some specials I don't feel like looking up and probably something else, I've forgotten the original point of this sentence. Also that list was supposed to be airing order but I got bored doing that. Nonetheless, I still believe it's fairly close. All of these shows were perfect in every way and made television great again. Looking towards the future, Adult Swim is expected to make and show more television shows that are usually animated.

Adult Swim has also been a boom to the internet economy of thought. AS currently accounts for 11% of all internet related discussion and 7% of all internet related complaining.

I remember I started watching AS sometime in early 02 because (I'm not kidding on this) I heard some random people in some crappy AIM chat room discussing a talking milkshake on TV. Looking to confirm this, I rather enjoyed the odd humor, and connected it to Space Ghost: Coast to Coast, which I had been a fan of but hadn't kept track of the past few years, and wasn't suprised when that played later. I gradually got into the WS shows, then into Home Movies, and (after some initial resistance) the anime portions. Then I found this forum and I've been following the block since.

Use this thread to regail us with thoughts and commentary on this momentous occasion.

And in honor, I present this forum's first AS review thread: http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=5987

[William C. Maune]

29 anime series!

[The Myst]

A-d-u-l-t S-w-i-m!

Adult Swim!

ADULT SWIM!

It's really, really adult,
But not always!
It's got anime, comedy,
And sometimes live-action!

There's lots of arguments over quality!
But we all love it anyway!
Except Saved By The Bell!

I hope it's not too obvious,
I'm really just improvising!
I'd love to keep this up,
But I'm running out of things to say!

Adult Swim is great!

[Badass guitar solo]

ADULT SWIM! FIVE ****ING YEARS! YEAH! WE LOVE YOU! GOODNIGHT DETROIT!!!

[SirLemming]

Yep. It was 5 years ago that I read about Adult Swim in some article. Soon afterward, 9/11 happened, and the least significant effect of that was my family getting satellite TV in November 2001. Naturally, I checked out Adult Swim on the first night it aired in my home (which I believe was Thanksgiving; the Thursday night reruns). I saw Cowboy Bebop's "Hard Luck Woman" and "The Real Folk Blues Part I", and then on Sunday they aired RFB parts 1 & 2, which basically spoiled the ending of the greatest animated series ever for me but at this point that doesn't matter, because I loved it anyway. I also watched Space Ghost and stuff that night too -- "Sweet for Brak", I believe, which was not exactly the most family-friendly episode to introduce into the household, but we already respected the show from previous encounters.

Back to Cowboy Bebop, I found the "Jazz Messengers" fan site (jazzmess.com) which linked me to Toon Zone, and the rest is history. (History no one will ever read about.)

[Conan-san]

And to think it took FOUR of those FIVE years for the Brittish aproximation to show up.

[Gobias]

I started watching three years ago when Futurama first aired, though I started watching Space Ghost in 1994, when I was three or four with my dad. I loved Futurama, and still do, but due to FOX's shoddy scheduling, and the DVDs not being fully out then, I had missed plenty of episodes, and wanted to see them for the first time.

Back then, I didn't know much about Adult Swim, and I actually thought it was a gimmick by Cartoon Network to make shows aimed at "big kids" (tweens), but call it Adult Swim, to make it seem more serious. Boy, was I wrong! At first, I was too cautious to let my guard down, and actually watch that Squiggle-Vision show (That's strange too, because I loved, and still do love, Dr. Katz), or Brak's mysterious spin-off. But soon, I gave in. First, I started watching Home Movies, and I quickly got a new favorite show. Then I started watching Sealab 2021, and The Brak Show. Finally, Aqua Teen Hunger Force. I loved them all, and though some of Adult Swim's recent ventures have been a bit odd, I still love the network, and the majority of shows that air, I can with pride say that I'm a fan of.

This is a revolutionary network. No matter what you think of the quality of the shows, it is. The amount of communication between Adult Swim as an enity and the community is outstanding. It's truely 21st Century TV.

[Taylor Karras]

Too bad this network is quickly loosing originally, With shows like Assy McGee and That Crok'd Sip. Who would watch?

[Gobias]

Too bad this network is quickly loosing originally, With shows like Assy McGee and That Crok'd Sip. Who would watch?

That Crok'd Slip looks good! Assy McGee though... at least it has Jon Benjamin in it. That'll be its only saving grace.

[Karl Olson]

Yeah, Crook'd Sip has potential. I mean, Old Dixie vs. Dirty South? That has some potential, atleast in terms of soundtrack if nothing else.

Edit: PS AS Happy Birthday.

[DragonPup]

I've been watching since the beginning. :D

[mojokingbee1]

Happy Happy Birthday, [AS].

[Jin]

Happy birthday, [adult swim]! Now stop creating crappy shows like Assy McGee and quit it with your retarded bumps and cards.

I mean, what in God's name is "Do not always pirate"? This way of showing random messages is not funny at all. The guys at Williams St. think they're witty and humorous, but really, they're just morons screwing around.

The greatest moment was the night of February 23, 2002, when they premiered Adult Swim Action. Yu Yu Hakusho, Cowboy Bebop, Pilot Candidate (which sucks), Gundam 0083, Outlaw Star and Tenchi Muyo all in one night. What more could you ask for?

Now we've got new stuff, like Fullmetal Alchemist and Bleach, but it's surrounded by garbage like Tom Goes to the Mayor and Squidbillies.

[anime_guru]

Happy birthday, [adult swim]! Now stop creating crappy shows like Assy McGee and quit it with your retarded bumps and cards.

I mean, what in God's name is "Do not always pirate"? This way of showing random messages is not funny at all. The guys at Williams St. think they're witty and humorous, but really, they're just morons screwing around.

The greatest moment was the night of February 23, 2002, when they premiered Adult Swim Action. Yu Yu Hakusho, Cowboy Bebop, Pilot Candidate (which sucks), Gundam 0083, Outlaw Star and Tenchi Muyo all in one night. What more could you ask for?

Now we've got new stuff, like Fullmetal Alchemist and Bleach, but it's surrounded by garbage like Tom Goes to the Mayor and Squidbillies.

wow I remember the first time I saw adult swim, it was a day before high school started for me. My junior year of high school...man what good memories. This was a good block with nice and original programming. At least in the beginning. I still say best thing ever was seeing phuuz's lupin the third, and the return of the big o. I think I was probably the most excited to see those titles on AS. I have to say though, it was a love affair AS and I had-as sometimes I would watch...
anime unleashed
instead of adult swim...but I still come back for it

[Speedy Boris]

Y'know, even though we've all done our share of complaining about Adult Swim, IMO it's the best thing to ever happen to CN. I still remember the first night, 9/2/01- that was something special. I got to see a show I missed in its original UPN run, three new shows, and a round of offbeat bumpers that I still remember to this day. I couldn't stop talking about it at school the next day, and Sunday nights became a weekly appointment.

[K-S-O]

I started watching Adult Swim when I wanted to check out Yu Yu Hakusho and Cowboy Bebop. I enjoyed them plenty much and some time later, I decided to check out the comedy portions. I got a kick out of Sealab and the Brack Show and found some amusement with Home Movies. Heck, back then I actually enjoyed the comedy more than the anime. (though the anime block didn't have much going for it since it was mostly old Toonami shows)

Today, well I don't watch as much as I used to since much of their newer stuff is not as good. What I do watch (Venture Brothers, Shin-Chan, the occasional reruns) is just as enjoyable as it was back then.

And another note, I shall check out Bleach and Trinity Blood when they premiere next week.

[Sparticus]

I too have been watching since the begining.

Or maybe before the begining because I was one of the few 11 year olds to find Space Ghost: Coast to Coast so terribly amusing...

Happy Birthday ADULT SWIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Emcee]

I remember that do too, I was 11 and had just came home from some concert and I saw cowboy bebop for the first time, that night my life changed forever, I watched adult swim every sunday and thursday :D.

[Czar Gato]

I'm proud to say that I've been a fan from the very beginning. I came for Cowboy Bebop, but everthing else grew on me, so I kept watching- and the rest is history.

[Lutochris]

I think people sometimes take Adult Swim for granted. Like when they go and air something like Saved by the Bell, Pee-Wee, or Milk-Chan. They love to bash it and say it's going down the drain, etc etc. But think about it, where else in the history of Television have we EVER had a network run by a bunch of fanboys, who will throw something on TV, completely disregarding any concern for ratings, just because it's so ridiculous that it'd kind of be funny to actually show it? I mean, before Adult Swim, was it even humanly possible to pitch a show like Aqua Teen without a bunch of executives laughing you out of their office?

AS really is something special. Sure they're not perfect, and they've made their share of mistakes. But they also revolutionized cartoons, comedy, and really television in general.

Oh and 12 Oz. Mouse is the greatest show ever made.

[HG Revolution]

To celebrate, I'll repost the link to my AS fan-made promo on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrRfRclNss0

(I'll have a new video ready for Toonami's 10th anniversary, as well as maybe a Paranoia Agent AMV up in the next few months)

[The Landstander]

Hey crappy flaming posts were deleted so as not to ruin this thread! Hey Jin good job being The Fullmetal see ya later!

Anyway back to 5 years Adult Swim w00t
Or maybe before the begining because I was one of the few 11 year olds to find Space Ghost: Coast to Coast so terribly amusing...I watched it in 94 when I was like 7 and I doubt I even understood it but I still thought it was awesome.

[Mugen]

Alright, for me it started back in 2001. I had saw an advertisment for AS in EW which highlighted some shows. One of which was Cowboy Bebop. Seeing as how it was an anime, I decided to check it out. I remember sneaking out of my room one night and watched episode 3 of Bebop. I remember being shocked when I heard Faye say "damn." Of course I was in the 8th grade and stuff like this was "cool" to me. So, I decided to try to watch Bebop as much as I could. Then I stopped, seeing as I would wake up late the next day, almost missing school.

Fast forward to February 2002 when Saturday was AS Action. Since it was Saturday, I could stay up almost all night. It was a magical time. YYH, Bebop, Gundam 0083, Outlaw Star, Inuyasha, Tenchi Muyo. I didn't care that most of the shows had aired on Toonami or were edited for Toonami, I still watched.

Once AS Saturday was gone and AS moved to weeknights, it was harder for me to watch. With school the next day, I was forced to pre-record lots of shows. It didn't matter, as I still tryed to watch the comedy and action shows.
Even though I don't like all the shows on AS, it's still great that experiment every know and then. Otherwise, half the shows on AS would have never been made(even VB).

I can't believe it's already been five years. While AS has had it's ups and downs, I still continue to watch as it's the only network(technically;)) that continues to amaze me somehow.

[Sparticus]

I watched it in 94 when I was like 7 and I doubt I even understood it but I still thought it was awesome.

Cool! XD Yeah, it was the odd old days wasn't it? I was the only one in my school who watched SG:C2C, MST3K, Freakazoid...

You know, I could see how SG and MST3K didn't appeal to my friends but Freakazoid just boggled the mind.

[ZZenigundam]

I remember the first time I watched Adult Swim- it was in july 2002, my first week on summer break from school, and I was up late in my room and watching TMR when I caught the Adult Swim commercial for the anime. I turned on the tv that saturday and saw five or six yu yu hakusho episodes in a row and I was hooked. The next night I got hooked on the comedy with Mission Hill, Home Movies and Baby Blues. So I kept watching saturdays and sundays, Saturday AS was my favorite, cause of the cool hellish silhouettes and the robot voice. I used to imitate the robot's "all kids out of theh poowel-adult swim" after the opening to adult swim. then it was a while later that the regular programming came on. Yu Yu was my fav. show it reminded me a lot of DBZ one of my fav. Toonami shows. I could never get into Cowboy Bebop, it's taken a few years but I saw it in it's entirety last year and I loved it. Gundam 0083 was another one of my favorite shows, I love war and fighting, it had to be my fav. gundam next to G Gundam. Mobile Suit Gundam I tried to get into but it was hard, I caught the "Coming Home" episode where Amuro meets his mother on Earth but I had seen most of it on Toonami anyway. Same with Outlaw Star.

Then in late summer I was getting anxious for yu yu hakusho to get new episodes and the commercial for inuyasha hooked me. It instantly became my favorite show and I kind of forgot about the rest of AS. later that year, I got hooked up with Gundam 0080, I even liked it better than 0083, it took on a very bleak, dark mood.

At this point I was really hooked, finally I saw a commercial on CN for Char's Counterattack, it was the same day that Zoids was going to have the final four on Super Saturday so I kept CN on all day long and watched both of them. I really enjoyed both- Zoids was another favorite on Toonami, I used to watch it before school at 6:30 along with Freakazoid before it was on Toonami. Char's Counterattack is the best anime movie I've seen. The ending brought me to tears. The only other CN movie that I've enjoyed so much would be Bardock DBZ movie. Something peculiar though- during the movie I saw an ad for Lupin saying it would be on weeknight Adult Swim. This really frightened me, new animes are supposed to be on Saturdays.

The next Saturday I checked in and everything I had grown to love was gone! In those 6 months I had grown to like Adult Swim almost as much as Toonami! And that's saying a lot because Toonami was in it's golden age to me. The best Dragonball saga (imo)- Red Ribbon Army saga, in premieres, G Gundam!, Hamtaro in premieres, DBZ Buu Saga. I was pretty much devastated but I put it in the back of my mind, I had bigger things to worry about.

A few months passed, I'm getting for high school, there's a lot of pressure on me to go to the school that would present the best oppportunity to me- preferably a prep school (that never happened, I go to a public HS, almost finished). And I was really bugged out. So during spring break in March of that year, I laid back and caught Adult Swim on late weeknights (which I couldn't do cause my father set a weeknight sleep time of 10pm for me. I stayed with my mother on weekends, I had no sleep limits over there which was how I was able to watch great things when I was younger like Toonami The Midnight Run, Space Ghost Coast 2 coast, O Canada, and of course Adult Swim.) Well anyway it was different. Same Logo, new bumpers, no more japanese intros, new adult swim opening. So I caught a Few Lupin and a Few Trigun eps and that was it.

Times were bad then. CN had lost my attention, ever since I was a little kid it had always held my attention in some form. The hanna barbera cartoons I had been watching since I was a kindergartener was disappearing. I taped the butchered Yu Yu on Toonami and it depressed me. I couldn't catch the new Dragonball King Piccolo eps on Toonami (my fav. Toonami show), and sometimes I wouldn't even make it home to catch Rurouni Kenshin because of my father's commute. It had never been like this. I had always been able to watch Toonami. Well I guess I'm a brat in that sense. I lost all hope. CN started running these green and white commercials with He-Man and Transformers to re-launch Saturdays. It was really bad. The only thing I watched was .hack//sign on late night saturdays. just was not the same. I immediately wrote a really nasty letter at CartoonNetwork.com's Feedback Section demanding that Adult Swim be returned to Saturday with new Yu Yu episodes and not the kiddy toonami version. (Reeeally bad letter, something you'd expect from a p*ssed off 14 yr old kid, with a lot of cursing). Of course I never got a response and I didn't expect one. It was at this mentally weak stage that the thought crossed my mind "what am I doing watching CN anyway? AS was clearly not intended for my age group, it's a treat that I could watch it, but I'm underage, I have no write to complain about it". So that cut me off from watching any CN for a year, hateful mentality toward any cartoons.

Having not watched any CN for about a year, I was flipping channels, and with my luck I caught a commercial for "Read or Die", I tuned in and fell asleep it was the most boring thing ever. I love plots, but this was beyond me. I had no clue that I was even watching Adult Swim. It looked completely different.

Well another year passes, high school's a little rocky for me and summer comes. (2005) I stay up late one night in a fantasy baseball league and I got bored so I started flipping channels and... something familiar popped up. It was an Inuyasha episode on [adult swim]! I rushed to my computer and dug up all I could on Inu. (I used to go to epguides.com to keep up with Inuyasha during the original AS Saturday). Well I found the official Adult Swim website and I found a schedule. I checked up on ALL the anime- I got right into it and watched s-CRY-ed, Samurai Champloo, Cowboy Bebop, Lupin. It still wasn't the same.

Then I decided to try and get back into regular CN and Toonami. I went to CN.com (a place I hadn't been to in a few years) and was surprised to find that weekday Toonami was gone! It had been replaced by "Miguzi" after going through the Miguzi page a little and seeing shows like Totally Spies, I thought "Wow, this is gay. I feel so lost". It was a little while later that I caught a naruto commercial on CN and stuck in for the hour long premiere on Toonami. Slowly, I started re-watching Toonami (the last thing I saw on it was DBGT- may have been regular CN), and I've gotten myself onto IGPX, Pokemon Chronicles and One Piece.

Ok so I caught all the movies last year- Escaflowne, bebop movie, inuyasha 1+2 during christmas- still not as good as Char's Counterattack in my mind. And I watched DBZ Uncut at 10:30 on CN- The Saiyan Saga as it was meant to be :p - right before my bedtime (I make my own bedtime now on weekdays). Ok so I'm waiting for Toonami to get the Frieza Saga uncut :shrug: .

Now I reminisis about everything and what could have been. I'm disappointed with Adult Swim, I feel like WS has done everything in it's power to put up boundaries between AS and Toonami and it really hurts. It could have been SO much more if they hadn't cancelled Saturdays in the first place. I'm sure I would have remained diehard and not grown to resent it like I have recently. The Toonami feel is what made me love it in the first place and they've been tearing at that. I'm happy to say that it's all cleared up now. I only watch AS on Saturday for anime premieres, and I am definately back to being a full Toonami fan :sweat:

Sorry for the book, I just thought it was appropriate to share my long, very confusing AS memories on the day of it's anniversary. When I think about it, I've only really watched Adult Swim for 2 out of it's 5 years but it's been such a wild ride with everything going on in my young life. These memories will always be fresh in my mind because they remind me of why I used to love and grew to hate CN and why I'm hooked again. still... I wish I could have watched AS grow into what it has grown into. It'd probably be a lot easier to let the past die hard if that were so:sad:

[TheMecca]

I've been watching since Day 1 (yes, mathematicians, a couple of days before I started 4th grade).
Happy birthday AS!

[Space Chief]

I can remember the first time I saw AS-it was if God himself had tore open the clouds, pointed at the TV, and said "Let there be awesomeness!", creating Cowboy Bebop on the spot. This was long before I discovered Toonzone, and AS (especially the first ASA) was so edgy and mysterious that it transcended ordinary TV and became an experience. Times have changed, I've grown, and AS has too. A lot of shows have come and gone, some good, some bad. I wish AS a happy birthday, a happy 5 more years, and the hope that they don't get too full of themselves.

[Ikou]

Ah man! It's already been have 5 years since Adult Swim started... I feel a little old. Anyway I was 13 years old when it Adult Swim started and remeber how I .... whats the best word for this.... " Interested" after seeing commercial of old people in a pool with clip of cartoons mix in. I also got interested after seeing the commercial for CowBoy Bebop, now before Bebop I only saw anime from Toonami and wasnt a big fan of it but after Bebop I became in love of cartoons from the island nation called Japan. ( But I will always love Cartoons from here ) Even after all of these years I still Have CowBoy Bebop as my number one anime of all time. Adult Swim originals like ATHF, Brak Show, Venture Brothers and their other show had made me laugh for the last five years. Sure Adult Swim had it's downs but I stilll tune in since it still have some of the best stuff on TV. HAPPY 5 YEARS ADULT SWIM!!

[The Myst]

I think I saw Space Ghost for the first time in 1995 or 1996. I thought it was the greatest thing ever created. I first saw Adult Swim somewhere near the beginning because they were advertising "Ol' Drippy" as an all new episode of ATHF while airing "Balloonenstein" and "Mayhem Of The Mooninites". I first learned of AS from a friend of mine at school that was talking about how great ATHF was. I had never even heard of it before then so I put it on that Sunday night.

[purplehairedwonder]

Ah, AS... I first started watching when Inuyasha went into reruns just after "Kagome, Kidnapped by Koga the Wolf Demon" after having seen a commercial and thinking it looked awesome. I still watch, but I do know better :p

Cowboy Bebop, Inuyasha, Futurama, Trigun, Big O, Blue Gender, Kikaider, Witch Huner Robin, Wolf's Rain, Case Closed, Fullmetal Alchemist, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Samurai Champloo, s-CRY-ed, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Eureka Seven
The ones I actually watched :anime:

AS also gave me my first glimpse of YYH, which I fully got into with Toonami and is now my favorite show.

[FireStarterLE]

wow 5 years? I think I have Adult Swim to thank for adding alot of anime series i've seen on there to my personal collection such as: Outlaw Star, Cowboy Bebop, Yu Yu Hakusho, Inuyasha, Gundam 0080, Gundam 0083, Trigun, Blue Gender (but now it's gone from my collection), FMA and Samurai Champloo. Here's to many more years of money taking!!

"The following programs are intended for mature audiences over the age of 18. The programs may contain intense violence, sexual situations, coarse language and suggestive dialogue"

What I cant believe was when they first showed Ep 1 of Inuyasha I really could not sit through the entire episode, and now I consider Inuyasha a favorite of mine ....

[Sketch]

Well no wonder AS likes to watch Pee Wee's playhoused... they're only 5 years old. XD

That said...

It's been a good 5 years AS. Keep up the good work and stop being such jackasses. Here's to 5 more and beyond.

[Opaque]

I remember the first night adult swim aired and myself and a friend talked on aim the entire time about how awesome it was.

I've been watching ever since.

[Kitschensyngk]

12 oz. Mouse.
American Dad.
Aqua Teen Hunger Force.
Baby Blues.
The Big O.
Bleach.
Blue Gender.
The Boondocks.
The Brak Show.
Case Closed.
Cowboy Bebop.
Eureka Seven.
Family Guy.
FLCL.
Fullmetal Alchemist.
Futurama.
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.
Gundam 0080.
Gundam 0083.
Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law.
Home Movies.
Inuyasha.
Kikaider.
Lupin the Third.
Metalocalypse.
Minoriteam.
Mission Hill.
Mobile Suit Gundam.
Moral Orel.
Neon Genesis Evangelion.
The Oblongs.
Outlaw Star.
Paranoia Agent.
Pee-wee's Playhouse.
Perfect Hair Forever.
Pilot Candidate.
Reign: The Conqueror.
The Ripping Friends.
Robot Chicken.
Samurai Champloo.
sCRYed.
Sealab 2021.
Space Ghost Coast to Coast.
Squidbillies.
Stroker and Hoop.
Super Milk-Chan.
Tenchi Muyo.
Tom Goes to the Mayor.
Trigun.
Trinity Blood.
The Venture Brothers.
Witch Hunter Robin.
Wolf's Rain.
Yu Yu Hakusho.

From this list, I bet you could name one or two of your all-time favorites, a few shows you didn't like at first but now watch frequently, and about five or six you hate with a passion.

2001 - [adult swim] - 2006
Here's to five years of hit-or-miss television.

[The Myst]

From this list, I bet you could name one or two of your all-time favorites, a few shows you didn't like at first but now watch frequently, and about five or six you hate with a passion.
All-Time Favorites
Aqua Teen Hunger Force.
Cowboy Bebop
The Brak Show.
Family Guy.
Futurama.
Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law.
Home Movies.
Lupin the Third.
Metalocalypse.
Paranoia Agent.
Pee-wee's Playhouse.
Perfect Hair Forever.
Sealab 2021.
Space Ghost Coast to Coast.
Stroker and Hoop.
Tenchi Muyo.
The Venture Brothers.

Didn't Like At First, Now Like
12 oz. Mouse.
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.
Lupin the Third.
Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Paranoia Agent.
Perfect Hair Forever.
Samurai Champloo.
Stroker and Hoop.
The Venture Brothers.
Witch Hunter Robin.
Wolf's Rain.

Hate
Eureka Seven.
Minoriteam.
Moral Orel.
sCRYed.
Super Milk-Chan.
Tom Goes to the Mayor..

[Zero Kagayaki]

Happy birthday, [adult swim]!

[EightOh]

I'm glad I've been around to see it grow from week, uh, two.

[Zyzzybalubah]

Been there since the beginning I'll likely continue to be there for a long time, Happy Birthday AS!

Thank you for Space Ghost, Tom, Brak, Aqua Teens, Moral Orel, Sealab, Yu Yu Hakusho, Paranoia Agent, Lupin, and many many more great shows!

[Kagetsu]

29 anime series!
Best darned idea ever.

For some time I'd been looking at the tv guide and thinking "why were they running reruns of childrens shows in the middle of the night?"

I really didn't know what anime was, but wanted to see some. I think I'd been hitting around the edges with shows like HomeMovies and was beginning to search the net for cartoons and animated movies. I kept coming across people saying Cowboy Bebop was the best ever. Took a little while to piece the idea that maybe "Cowboy" listed for the middle of the night might be Bebop and tape it on the off chance.

I've seen the good the bad and the truly a waste of time, but it's my favorite animation block ever.

[Zorak Masaki]

I was there from day 1. Didnt like home movies (it wasnt until 2002-3 when i got into it), thought brak show was funny, LOVED Harvey Birdman, thought Space Ghost was funny (though i had already seen it, specifically piledriver which also aired that night) and proclaimed that cowboy bebop was the greatest anime just from those 2 eps aired on AS's first night.

[tb4000]

I still remember when it first started coming on and those bumpers with the old folks in the swimming pool.

[Tenku]

I still remember the stealth airing...

5 years though? That's a long time. Though, I do miss SGC2C and the old people bumps.

[Kitschensyngk]

The greatest moment was the night of February 23, 2002, when they premiered Adult Swim Action. Yu Yu Hakusho, Cowboy Bebop, Pilot Candidate (which sucks), Gundam 0083, Outlaw Star and Tenchi Muyo all in one night. What more could you ask for?
The debut of [adult swim] action made it a particularly happy birthday for me that year.

[adult swim] was my introduction to truly adult Japanese animation, beyond what was airing on Toonami. It started with Cowboy Bebop on day one and went on from there. FLCL, Read or Die, and yes, even Witch Hunter Robin are now among my list of favorites.

[Captain Highwind]

I was there from day 1.

I was too. Laughed at the Birdman pilot, then kind of lost track of the show for a while. Watched Bebop pretty faithfully, and YYH and Tenchi every now and then. Wondered what ever became of Welcome to Eltingville.

[Neo Ultra Mike]

Ah I remember the first adult swim well. A few months ago I had read an article in the TV Guide about the block first coming out. What grabbed me most was the fact that there were going to be new Space Ghost Coast to episodes, and that Brak, a very fun goofy character I always wanted to see more of, got his own show. I was very excited for that and couldn't wait to see it and other possibly interesting shows (though I had no clue on how well Aqua Teen and Hom Moives would turn out, and Sealab and Birdman sounded better then they kind of ended up being). So I eagerly stayed tuned to Sunday night and enjoyed my first AS....

In truth the most I had heard about Home Movies was the article and the TV Guide later giving the premise of "Director's Cut" away. It was on okay show (though the squiggling did kind of bother me and the most entertainment I got out of it were the last act ending lines) but then came the reason I started staying with the block: Two great episodes of the Brak show, back when Brak had center stage and didn't need anyone but Zorak to help him pull his weight. Sealab and Birdman both had decent episodes (though at the time I found there to be boring spots in both episodes) and Space Ghost had a great new premiere ep and a rerun of the always fun "Piledriver". Though I should note that I didn't actually watch Cowboy Bebop on it's first run, and only first heard about the series when talking to one of my friends about the first AS day and then catching a few episodes at the end of the series. (Like when the first aired "Real Folk Blues Part One" end). But what I did see make me want to see more of the shows and made me start getting hooked on them.

And here we are five years later, with CB ending May 2002 (with the heldover "Cowboy Funk" ep) Brak only lasting two years, HM only lasting three, Sealab survivng four, Space Ghost future undetermined, and only Birdman for sure having more new episodes (though we still don't know if there will be anymore after the 39th though). But it's been a fun run that's introduced me to a ton of good shows, action and comedy, and a few bad ones. But it also showed Adult animation as a lasting place on cartoon nework and on TV in general besides just primetime and South Park, and hopefully will continue exisiting for as long as cartoons do. So till then let's just enjoy AS for what it is, knowing there's still some goodness coming down/on the pique and enjoying it for what it is.

[Deadman]

i have been watching adult swim since the day it premiered and im still watching today.

[Lightwave]

Man, I remember watching the first run. Me and my brother were somewhat odd at the time - we woke up at 10AM to see it. Don't even ask why.

I'm kind of dissapointed, though. I think it'd be cool if, for an anniversary thing, they aired the first lineup and bumps for one night. >_>

"All kids out of the pool", anyone?

[Conekiller]

Ahhh, Adult Swim, before it became the pretentious [AS]. The catchy stock music, the old people in the lens flared bumpers. Originals were still funny, and still felt creative.

Gotta admit, ATHF didn't do much for me at first, but midway thru the first season it grabbed me. Of course more Space Ghost, with a more adult edge, was always welcome (and still is!) Finally a chance to watch Baby Blues, Mission Hill and, most importantly, Cowboy Bebop.

The crowning acheivement came with Futurama and Family Guy being picked up and giving me a reasont o stay up late to watch TV. And hey, that really proved FOX wrong, which always makes me feel good. Plus we got those cool "saftey card" bumpers which I still love more than the obnoxous B/W cards.

Overall, there have been more stinkers and "...well it was ok"'s But [AS] still holds a place in my heart as a place to turn to for total stupidity and the random interesting show. Hey, the gave me FLCL, I can't complain too much ^_^

[Dr. OneWay]

I just started watching [adult swim] this summer. *GASP* My main shows are Futurama, Family Guy, Shin Chan, Pee-Wee's Playhouse. I like it a lot. Too bad I just realized it existed :sad:

[Vermunium]

I've been watching it since the first night. I was always tuning in to see the Toonami Midnight run, then I noticed this running on Sunday nights. I was hooked from then on.

[herbkir]

I joined the AS family in Feb. 2002 when the Saturday Adult Swim action block began. I credit AS with rekindling a dormant love of anime. And in a way, it was thanks to Adult Swim that I discovered the whole universe of online anime fandom. I was oblivious to the online fandom prior to February 2003 when Inuyasha disappeared from AS without explanation, at a literal cliff-hanger. I was totally upset and determined to find out what had happened, so I turned to the Internet and in the process discovered places like Toon Zone.

So Happy Birthday, Adult Swim. You changed my life forever. And I know I'm not the only one. (^_*)F

[RD!]

C'mon. 4th grade?

[HomeMoviesFan]

I'm one of the few from Day Numero Uno.

Gosh...it was so long ago. I was in the seventh grade and it was Labor Day. Watched it because I had the next day off while playing computer games and it would've probably never happened if I didn't turn on Cartoon Network at the specific moment the credits were running for some show and the promo went on. My reaction? Uh...okay...it's kind of funny. That first show was weird. The Brak Show was hilarious. So was Harvey Birdman. I guess I'll watch again next time.

So, I watch on 9/9/01, and start liking Home Movies, and I was REALLY into the Brak Show. Then 9/11 happened...but I was like, 13, and it didn't seem to affect me, but then some real crappy stuff happened that mattered to me like ten times more than the big event of the time... (remember, I was 13, lived in Las Vegas and knew no one in NY) ...so, it helped me survive that crap and of course the big 'scare' era itself. I thank AS for that.

More memories occur around 2002, when Home Movies became my favorite show and the acquired shows made rounds, like Baby Blues and Mission Hill. This, may I mention, was an era I absolutely detest: middle school. No friends, my social life was basically my best friend and Thanksgiving, and I soon afterward almost lost my best friend to a new family for a good long year...AS quickly became a favorite of mine. Especially when Futurama rolled in 2003 and it became a nightly thing. Then it was all about FOX Sundays and AS, quite literally, in my life. (and before you point and laugh, may I rudely tell you to keep reading, jerk)

About summer 2003 was the last time I started watching AS religiously, because I got into high school, in which I made friends and ditched the television obsession. Home Movies and Family Guy made AS a watch until the first show was unfortunately cancelled in April 2004. Intrestingly, about March/April 2004, my new life really hit off and because of, Adult Swim quickly dropped off my radar.

Nowadays, I barely, I mean I barely watch it anymore. The last time I watched was a few nights last summer merely to catch episodes of "Pee-Wee's Playhouse" to my curosity. And that's pretty much the end of that. But, happy five years, and a happy two and a half of watching!...

(BTW: If you've actually read my life story, thanks for sticking through it!)

[Kitschensyngk]

Day one viewer right here.

It didn't take long for me to become a Home Movies fan. I also quickly warmed up to Aqua Teen and Brak. The Sunday-Thursday lineup became something to look forward to during the week, and even provided much needed escapism after 9/11.

Then Adult Swim Action started. (see above) I was sad to see Saturdays go the first time, when they shifted to weeknights to accomodate Futurama. But I was starting to get tired of all the Gundam series anyway.

A lot has happened since then. Family Guy came on, which I initially wasn't too thrilled over. I started visiting the website more often. Numerous anime series have come and gone. Big O moved in from Toonami, uncut and with new episodes. Saturday nights returned, with the Animatrix, Read or Die, and several Inuyasha movies. Neon Genesis Evangelion, a series I had been afraid to watch, premiered. The Boondocks debuted. Saved by the Bell aired, much to my chagrin, and later the less sucky Pee-wee's Playhouse.

Five years, abd the Swim never ceases to amaze me.

[Temple Fugate]

Who knew, that in five years AS would be responsible or partly responsible for new seasons of Big O, Family Guy and Futurama? And who knew that the same crew that gave us Space Ghost Coast to Coast was also capable of the horror that was Squidbillies? I feel ashamed of myself for forgetting about AS's birthday, especially since I'm among those of us who have been watching since night one. (Admittedly watching less now, but that's the summer for ya. Too much to do, not enough time to watch AS.)

And jeez, Toonami's 10th is coming up...we're getting old. :eek: Or we are already old. Or we're almost old. Depending on which TZ poster is reading this.

[TheMecca]

C'mon. 4th grade?
Mom: OH NO ITS CALLED ADULT SWIM I DON'T KNOW WATCH NICK AT NITE OR SOMETHING AGHHHGGHGHGHGH
Me: has cable in his room