Toonami, Cartoon Network’s late night Anime TV block, that worked its way back onto the air mostly through social media and long term fan support, is creating a new weekly mini series that fits in between airing Anime episodes and commercial breaks coming in 2015.

This is the sequel to the original mini series that aired in 2000, “The Intruder”, that was part of a unique yearly event called the “Total Immersion Event” where T.O.M. and Sara, the robot hosts of Toonami, fought an unknown alien intruder that came aboard their spaceship. The event later let fans help redesign the then damaged ship by using an 800 number or voting on the Toonami website where they could also enter to win a free trip to Japan.

The new mini series seems similar to the one that came before it but there is a bit of a twist this time. Toonami is asking viewers this weekend to use Twitter, Facebook and any social media platform they have available to them to post about the event, or Toonami in general with the hashtag #intruder2, most likely to try and get more funding for the project.

SPECIAL TOONAMI ANNOUNCEMENT! On September 8th, 2000, TOM encountered a creature that changed the face of Toonami. In 2015 (date tbd), TOM and Sara will face that creature again. Toonami is happy to announce THE INTRUDER: PART 2! Why are we telling you about this so early? Simple! WE NEED YOUR HELP. This weekend, we need every Toonami faithful to Tweet, FB post, Instagram, etc the hashtag, “#intruder2.” The level of interest you guys show will determine how BIG the story we get to tell is. This adventure is in YOUR HANDS. Let us know if you’re excited for THE INTRUDER: PART 2 by posting about it, talking about it, and making your excitement known to the world! TOM and Sara are about to have their greatest adventure yet… and we promise, Toonami will not be the same. DUN DUNNNNNN Love, The Toonami Crew.

This at first seemed like a self promotion gimmick, but with the recent history behind Toonami’s TV renewal this most likely is not the case.

If I had to take a guess as to the current state of Toonami, it’s likely that the C.N./Adult Swim, executives are a little confused as to why an Anime block from the 90’s that reentered TV mostly by showing reruns and recycled 3D animations is doing so well in a 11:00 pm. time slot. This must be a little odd for them to say the least… I’m willing to bet this is their way of testing the waters and seeing just how much money they’re willing to invest in future projects involving Toonami over the next year or so.

With that said, I’ve never been more excited to see a Toonami event in my life, and like most childhood fans of the programming block I’ve seen most of them! It should be interesting to see just what they come up with this time now that the Toonami has more of an “Adult” focus, as opposed to its more child friendly roots.

Original Intruder (2000)

Gax- Toonami faithful, and apparently sometimes Toonami historian… my job is weird.