(Published Oct. 4, PDI-Entertainment)
By Oliver M. Pulumbarit
Cartoon channel Toonami’s “mascot,” a time-traveling heroine
code-named Nami, was created to represent its focus on animated action shows. A
contest intended to strengthen the design was launched months ago, but Toonami
has yet to find its Filipino winner.
“Nami was developed to have a fan component,” explained
Turner International Asia Pacific Limited’s creative director Glenn Bartlett in
an e-mail interview. “Earlier this year, we did a call-out for submissions
across the region to give more detail to her backstory. We received hundreds of
entries, a lot of which came from the Philippines .
It was no surprise that a Pinoy boy named Zachary won; his essay really helped
realize our vision.”
But the winner has yet to respond to Toonami’s
announcements.
“We started our search for Zachary on Facebook, to no avail.
But we’re not giving up that easily. Unless, of course, he’s just decided to go
the superhero route and stay in disguise,” Bartlett
said.
A 41-second clip of Nami in action was posted recently on
the channel’s official Facebook page (Facebook.com/ToonamiAsia).
“If Zachary does come forward, we’ll be able to incorporate
his words into the original animated clips to complement the story line. And
he’ll receive a unique comic book, illustrated with his full work,”
Launched at the end of 2012, Toonami was designed to give
viewers prime animated superhero content, according to Bartlett :
“Fans no longer have to channel-surf or wait until later in the day for their
favorite shows to go on air [because] Toonami has it all, all the time.”
The creation of an exclusive channel for superhero-centric
shows reflected the solid presence of the genre’s fans, he added. “When we
launched Toonami, we were well aware of Asian viewers’ love of content laced
with heavy doses of action and adventure. This passion extends beyond animation
and is reflected in the types of movies produced in the region, like kung fu
flicks and all those great action films from the 1990s. The Philippines
has had a very prolific local action-movie industry and continues to be a big
market for international superhero content.”
“Young Justice,” “Iron Man: Armored Adventures” “The
Avengers,” “Beyblade” and the original “Ben 10” series continue to be among the
channel’s most-watched shows. More heroes are expected to join the lineup in
the coming months through series like “Xiaolin Chronicles,” “Transformers Beast
Hunters” and “Beware the Batman.”
“I think what drives their success comes down to the strong
and relatable characters… Toonami’s audience has always been drawn to
recognizable, aspirational and larger-than-life superheroes,” Bartlett
concluded.
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