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Attack on Titan has wrapped Japan in a huge movement that spans manga, anime, a live-action movie, and many collaborations. The series’ popularity has even spread widely overseas. After 2013, Attack on Titan became huge overseas, with many fans cosplaying as Attack on Titan characters at anime conventions everywhere. This summer, the anime will finally be broadcast on TV in the U.S. The development of a North American version of Attack on Titan was announced on Funimation’s news blog.
The anime will broadcast on Cartoon Network’s late night programming block Adult Swim which has up until now broadcast many popular Japanese anime. Though Adult Swim is geared toward young adults, it is broadcast on the kid-friendly Cartoon Network, making the channel highly popular with a large demographic of young people. Attack on Titan will broadcast Saturday nights on Adult Swim’s Toonami programming block. Beginning on May 3, two episodes will air weekly at 23:30 and 24:00.
Toonami is a programming block that focuses on Japanese anime. It airs every Saturday night from 23:30 to 6:00 the following morning, making it 6.5 hours long in total. Airing after Attack on Titan will be Space Dandy at 24:30 and One Piece at 25:00 followed by Black Lagoon and Fullmetal Alchemist. Though Toonami airs many programs, it is currently extremely difficult to air Japanese anime on major networks in the U.S. Only one or two titles are picked up each season. Attack on Titan is among this small number of works.
One reason for the decision to air Attack on Titan in the U.S. is due to the huge popularity the original work has shown. The online broadcasts of the show that are uploaded at the same time as the Japanese broadcasts have become huge hits. Also, the English translated version of the manga from Kodansha USA has also become a record-breaking hit, so much so that each volume is a best seller. Even still, that popularity is centered on those who like Japanese anime, manga, and pop culture. The TV broadcast will deliver the work to a different group of viewers than before. Because of this, there is a high possibility that it will attract even more fans. It seems likely that the spread to the U.S. will welcome in new possibilities for the series.
Source: animeanime