The Click

December 23rd - December 29th

Belated non-denominational holiday greetings, avid Click aficionados! As you bind yourselves in heavy winter gear to go a-wassailing among those leaves so green, I'm here to tell you that not only is it really cold outside, but there's all sorts of neat things on TV this week. Two big new shows? Both in the US and Canada? Tons and tons of movies? You bet. But before you set that yule log ablaze and kick your feet up with your new, comfy "Secret Santa" given slippers, remember that all dates and times are tentative, all times listed are Eastern, and that if you didn't get a Wii or a Playstation 3 for Christmas this year, it isn't because Santa doesn't love you - it's just that he was sixth in line after camping out all night outside Best Buy, and those bastards only got five of them in last Sunday.

FEATURED PROGRAM(S)

The Prince of Tennis
(Cartoon Network)
Saturday December 23 10:00pm - Episode 1 "The Prince Appears"

MAR
(Cartoon Network)
Saturday December 23 10:30pm - Episode 1 "Open! Door to Another World!"

Samurai Champloo
(Razer)
Wednesday December 27 8:00pm - Episode 1 "Tempestuous Temperaments"

Cowboy Bebop
(Razer)
Wednesday December 27 8:30pm - Episode 1 "Asteroid Blues"

Four new shows! Two different countries! One big, happy continent! Canada obviously wins with their superior selection - Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo are two of the best animated series created in the past decade, and their absence from Canadian television has been a puzzling one, especially Bebop, which has been airing on and off pretty consistently in the US since 2001. More's the pity that Razer, the broadcast conduit beaming these fine animated products into Canuckian eyeballs, is a pretty niche cable channel in the scheme of things.

Meanwhile, two stalwarts from Viz and Cartoon Network's grand online video venture make their official transition to Toonami proper. Of the Toonami Jetstream shows, I would've much preferred Hikaru no Go; nonetheless, the surprisingly engaging Prince of Tennis and the tongue-in-cheek fantasy parody MAR are certainly worth checking out. Prince of Tennis especially - here's hoping that this leads to the idea that sports anime can, in fact, be popular and profitable in America. Sports manga and anime have long been a staple in Japan, from the success of Ace wo Nerae! in the 70s and onward.

PREMIERES:

.hack//Roots
(Cartoon Network)
Saturday December 23 5:00am - Episode 7 "Intrigue"

This week on .hack//Roots: characters cope in their own very special way with the virus that threatens their game world, creatively known as "The World," and later spout MMORPG jargon at one another ad infinitum!

Bleach
(YTV)
Friday December 29 10:30pm - Episode TBA

A haiku:

YTV, please, why?
Why no episode titles?
You must not like them.

Daigunder
(Toon Disney)
Sunday December 24 10:30pm - Episode 29 "Dazed and Karnfused" (Repeats Mon Dec 25 3:00am)

With Daigunder receiving a second lease on life thanks to Toon Disney's "Jetix" block, will it garner the audience it maybe deserves yet utterly lost in its first run? A rhetorical question, I'm sure, but check it out I guess if you prefer to watch children's programming while in your pajamas and imbibing a bowl of Cap'n Crunch late on Sunday nights instead of Saturday mornings.

Eureka 7
(YTV)
Friday December 29 9:30pm - Episode 16 "Opposite View"

The Gekkostate seeks refuge in an eerie abandoned mine for some much-needed repairs, while the still-ailing Eureka lies comatose, causing much frustration for our put-upon protagonist, Renton.

Fullmetal Alchemist
(YTV)
Friday December 29 10:00pm - Episode 43 "The Stray Dog" (Repeats Sat Dec 30 1:00am)

Colonel Mustang and his cadre of State Alchemists are given marching orders to hunt down the on-the-lam Elric brothers as certifiable Enemies of the State. This causes kind of an awkward situation when Mustang corners the two boys in a river outside their hometown of Rizenbul.

Gad Guard
(G4TechTV Canada)
-Monday December 25 8:30pm - Episode 10 "Bundles of Bill in the Setting Sun"
-Tuesday December 26 8:30pm - Episode 11 "No Returning to Rainbow Town"
-Wednesday December 27 8:30pm - Episode 12 "Blue Bird"
-Thursday December 28 8:30pm - Episode 13 "Dwellers of the Dark"
-Friday December 29 8:30pm - Episode 14 "Seeking Lost Time"

Canadian TV gets all the love this week, I guess, when it comes to new shows. Not that I had much love to go around, but whatever. This week on Gad Guard: an exciting chase through the imaginatively named "Night Town," a full-fledged mafia war, Hajiki skips school, and much more!

Idaten Jump
(Cartoon Network)
-Thursday December 28 6:00am - Episode 7 "Challenge"
-Friday December 29 6:00am - Episode 8 "Palace"

Part of me wants to wake up early enough to actually watch this show, just to see what it's like. Another part of me wants to simply write to Hasbro to maybe get a hold of some screener DVDs, in order to avoid the early wake-up time. Given the early wake-up timeslot, though, another part of me doubts such promotional material exists for this show yet.

Naruto
(Cartoon Network)
Saturday December 23 9:00pm - Episode 67 "Late for the Show, But Ready to Go! The Ultimate Secret Technique Is Born"

After some extensive training with Kakashi, the newly reintroduced Sasuke has a few new tricks up his sleeve, including a particularly powerful new technique that seems to be able to cut right through the nigh-invincible Gaara's iron-clad defense.

(YTV)
Friday December 29 8:00pm - Episode TBA (Repeats Sat Dec 30 2:30am)

Another haiku:

YTV, come on.
Is it honestly that hard?
You make children cry.

Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
(Cartoon Network)
Saturday December 23 7:30pm - Episode 85 "Rah, Rah, Ra!"

The gentlemen of the Yu-Gi-Oh Duelist Academy encounter an uncouth ruffian with some dastardly card known as the "Winged Dragon of Ra." Such balderdashery!

Zatch Bell
(Cartoon Network)
Saturday December 23 9:30pm - Episode 76 "No Escape! The Wicked Zofis Returns"

These self-descriptive episode titles are great! I suppose I could superfluously add something like, "Zatch and Kiyo encounter the evil Zofis, the nasty villain they thought they defeated in previous adventures," but that'd be silly.

MOVIES/SPECIALS

Pokemon Heroes
(Cartoon Network)
Saturday December 23 5:00pm

Kicking off the veritable cornucopia of movies this week is this little Pokemon number, one which I have seen, and vaguely remember as being distinctly not terrible. Admittedly tepid and nonthreatening, but if you particularly enjoy watching those cute little Pokemon moppets cavort about, you could do far worse.

Inuyasha the Movie 4: Fire on the Mystic Island
(Cartoon Network)
Saturday December 23 11:00pm

Why are Bleach, Eureka 7, and Trinity Blood on hiatus this week? Due to the inherently low-ratedness of the Christmas holiday, Adult Swim is turning to full-on marathon mode, beginning with a parade of the last three Inuyasha feature film installments in reverse chronological order! Which, honestly, makes sense if you would like to view this final piece of Inuyasha animation possibly ever without staying up until an ungodly hour.

Inuyasha the Movie 3: Swords of an Honorable Ruler
(Cartoon Network)
Sunday December 24 1:15am

Inuyasha the Movie 2: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass
(Cartoon Network)
Sunday December 24 3:30am

For those of you who WOULD like to stay up until some ungodly hour, Adult Swim has you covered! I mean, if you like Inuyasha. If perhaps you instead shun with utmost vitriol those simplistically entertaining shows which the hoi polloi "mainstream" viewers have discovered, you may seek refuge elsewhere. Or if you sorta like Inuyasha, like me, and find yourself suffering from a combination of insomnia and ennui, then this is a treat. Especially the third movie, which attempts to add a bit of insight into the characters aside from the typical "anime TV series turned movie" plot of here's-a-new-bad-guy-let's-fight.

Howl's Moving Castle
(Starz Edge)
Monday December 25 6:50pm

Spirited Away
(Cartoon Network)
Monday December 25 7:00pm

Studio Ghibli on Christmas day! Neat! Once the family has settled down from the grand Christmas feast, you can switch on the hard-to-find Starz Edge channel or the much-less-harder-to-find Cartoon Network and spread the Holiday joy with some truly four-star family films.

Karas: The Prophecy
(Encore WAM)
Sunday December 24 10:00am

(Encore Action)
Thursday December 28 4:00am (Repeats Thu Dec 28 6:45pm)

Steamboy
(Encore Action)
Sunday December 24 12:40pm (Repeats Fri Dec 29 7:15am)

(Encore WAM)
Tuesday December 26 7:30pm

Gundress
(Encore Action)
Tuesday December 26 2:50am

On the flipside, Encore's offerings this week are the same moldy old repeats myself and countless others have hemmed and hawed about countless times before. Karas: The Prophecy still looks great, Steamboy still looks greater, and Gundress is still a terrible piece of crap.

I'll be back next week as The Click rings in the New Year! Below: stuff that is not new!

REPEATS/STRIPS

Beyblade
(Toon Disney)
-Sun Dec 24 9:30pm - Episode 116 "Picking Up the Pieces" (R Mon Dec 25 2:00am)

Chrono Crusade
(Showtime Beyond)
-Mon Dec 25 12:40am - Episode 21 "Mary Magdalene" (R Fri Dec 29 12:20am)
-Fri Dec 29 6:25pm - Episode 22 "Sayonara" (R Fri Dec 29 9:00pm)

Digimon
(Toon Disney)
-Sun Dec 24 11:30am - Episode 92 "A Very Digi Christmas"
-Sun Dec 24 9:00pm - Episode 141 "No Mon is an Island" (R Mon Dec 25 1:30am)
-Mon Dec 25 8:00am - Episode 148 "The Messenger" (R Tue Dec 26 2:30am)
-Mon Dec 25 10:30pm - Episode 170 "Beastie Girl" (R Tue Dec 26 3:00am)
-Tue Dec 26 8:00am - Episode 149 "The D-Reaper's Disguise" (R Wed Dec 27 2:30am)
-Tue Dec 26 10:30pm - Episode 171 "The Swiss Family Digimon" (R Wed Dec 27 3:00am)
-Wed Dec 27 8:00am - Episode 150 "When is a Mon Justimon?" (R Thu Dec 28 2:30am)
-Wed Dec 27 10:30pm - Episode 172 "Bizarre Bazaar" (R Thu Dec 28 3:00am)
-Thu Dec 28 8:00am - Episode 151 "His Kingdom for a Horse" (R Fri Dec 29 2:30am)
-Thu Dec 28 10:30pm - Episode 173 "Trailmon vs. Trailmon" (R Fri Dec 29 3:00am)
-Fri Dec 29 8:00am - Episode 152 "Shadow of the Beast King" (R Sat Dec 30 2:30am)
-Fri Dec 29 10:30pm - Episode 174 "You Want Fries With That?" (R Sat Dec 30 3:00am)

Dragon Ball Z
(Cartoon Network)
-Sat Dec 30 12:30am - Episode 127 "Borrowed Powers"

G.I. Joe Sigma 6
(4KidsTV)
-Sat Dec 23 10:00am - Episode "Duel"

Gokusen
(Encore WAM)
-Sat Dec 23 4:00pm - Episode 11 "Shin Drops Out of School" (R Sun Dec 24 8:00am)
-Sun Dec 24 4:00pm - Episode 12 "Shirokin High Closing" (R Mon Dec 25 2:00am, 8:00am)
-Mon Dec 25 4:00pm - Episode 13 "Yakumi's Final Act of Honor" (R Tue Dec 26 2:00am, 8:00am)
-Tue Dec 26 4:00pm - Episode 1 "Rookie Teacher With a Secret is Born!" (R Wed Dec 27 2:00am, 8:00am)
-Wed Dec 27 4:00pm - Episode 2 "Duel! Shin vs. Ojou?" (R Thu Dec 28 2:00am, 8:00am)
-Thu Dec 28 4:00pm - Episode 3 "Kuma's First Time" (R Fri Dec 29 2:00am, 8:00am)
-Fri Dec 29 4:00pm - Episode 4 "Oju Goes Blond! Whodunnit?"

Kirby: Right Back At Ya!
(4KidsTV)
-Sat Dec 23 8:00am - Episode 98 "The Thing About the Ring"

Mon Colle Knights
(Toon Disney)
-Sun Dec 24 11:00pm - Episode 16 "A Giant Pain in the Mondo" (R Mon Dec 25 3:30am)

Naruto
(Cartoon Network)
-Sat Dec 23 8:30pm - Episode 66 "Bushy Brow's Jutsu: Sasuke Style"

Oban Star-Racers
(Toon Disney)
-Sat Dec 23 8:30am - Episode 22 "Revelations"
-Sat Dec 23 10:00pm - Episode 23 "Cruel Like Kross" (R Sun Dec 24 2:30am)
-Sun Dec 24 8:30am - Episode 1 "A Fresh Start"
-Tue Dec 26 1:30am - Episode 6 "Playful Like Paradice" (R Fri Dec 29 9:00pm, Sat Dec 30 1:30am)

Peacemaker
(Showtime Beyond)
-Mon Dec 25 12:10am - Episode 6 "Warrior" (R Fri Dec 29 12:45am)
-Fri Dec 29 6:55pm - Episode 7 "Suzu" (R Fri Dec 29 9:30pm, Sat Dec 30 3:30am)

Pokemon
(Cartoon Network)
-Sat Dec 23 9:00am - Episode 452 "Battling the Enemy Within"
-Sat Dec 23 9:30am - Episode 453 "Slaking Kong"
-Sat Dec 23 7:00pm - Episode 426 "On Olden Pond"
-Mon Dec 25 5:00pm - Episode 375 "Solid as a Solrock"
-Tue Dec 26 5:00pm - Episode 376 "Vanity Affair"
-Wed Dec 27 5:00pm - Episode 377 "Where's Armaldo?"
-Thu Dec 28 5:00pm - Episode 378 "A Cacturne for the Worse"
-Fri Dec 29 5:00pm - Episode 379 "Claydol Big and Tall"

Pokemon Chronicles
(Cartoon Network)
-Sun Dec 24 9:00am - Episode 4 "Pikachu's Winter Vacation; Deliberd's Dilemma; Snorlax Snowman" (R Sun Dec 24 6:30pm)
-Mon Dec 25 5:30pm - Episode 11 "A Date With Delcatty!"
-Tue Dec 26 5:30pm - Episode 12 "Celebi and Joy!"
-Wed Dec 27 5:30pm - Episode 13 "Training Daze"
-Thu Dec 28 5:30pm - Episode 14 "Journey to the Starting Line"
-Fri Dec 29 5:30pm - Episode 15 "Putting the Air Back in Aerodactyl"

Samurai 7
(Independant Film Channel)
-Sat Dec 23 8:00am - Episode TBA
-Sat Dec 23 8:25am - Episode TBA

Samurai Deeper Kyo
(Encore Action)
-Sat Dec 23 12:00am - Episode 21 "The Demonic Mibu Castle" (R Sat Dec 23 12:00pm)
-Sat Dec 23 12:30am - Episode 22 "The Machine Made Dolls" (R Sat Dec 23 12:30pm)
-Tue Dec 26 12:00am - Episode 23 "Scorching Ecstacy" (R Tue Dec 26 12:00pm)
-Tue Dec 26 12:30am - Episode TBA (R Tue Dec 26 12:30pm)
-Wed Dec 27 12:00am - Episode 25 "The One That Surpasses Tach" (R Wed Dec 27 12:00pm)
-Wed Dec 27 12:30am - Episode 26 "The Ballad of the Samurai" (R Wed Dec 27 12:30pm)

(Encore WAM)
-Sat Dec 23 4:30pm - Episode TBA (R Sun Dec 24 8:30am)
-Sun Dec 24 4:30pm - Episode 25 "The One That Surpasses Tach" (R Mon Dec 25 2:30am, 8:30am)
-Mon Dec 25 4:30pm - Episode 26 "The Ballad of the Samurai" (R Tue Dec 26 2:30am, 8:30am)
-Tue Dec 26 4:30pm - Episode 1 "Road to Armageddon" (R Wed Dec 27 2:30am, 8:30am)
-Wed Dec 27 4:30pm - Episode 2 "Wanted Dead or Alive" (R Thu Dec 28 2:30am, 8:30am)
-Thu Dec 28 4:30pm - Episode 3 "Red Mirage" (R Fri Dec 29 2:30am, 8:30am)
-Fri Dec 29 4:30pm - Episode 4 "The Creeping Nightmare"

Shinzo
(Toon Disney)
-Sat Dec 23 4:00am - Episode 28 "Lanancuras Unbound"
-Sun Dec 24 10:00pm - Episode 16 "The Giant Robot" (R Mon Dec 25 2:30am)
-Tue Dec 26 4:00am - Episode 29 "Mushrambo Meets His Match"
-Wed Dec 27 4:00am - Episode 30 "Mushra's Mission"
-Thu Dec 28 4:00am - Episode 31 "Soul Survivor"
-Fri Dec 29 4:00am - Episode 32 "Long Live Yakumo"

Submarine 707 Revolution
(Encore Action)
-Thu Dec 28 12:00am - Episode 1 "Mission: 01" (R Thu Dec 28 5:20am, 12:00pm)
-Fri Dec 29 12:00am - Episode 2 "Mission: 02" (R Fri Dec 29 12:05pm)

Transformers Cybertron
(Cartoon Network)
-Tue Dec 26 6:00am - Episode 40 "Fury"
-Wed Dec 27 6:00am - Episode 41 "City"

Yu-Gi-Oh!
(4KidsTV)
-Sat Dec 23 9:30am - Episode 11 "The Dueling Monkey"