The Click

March 18th-March 24th

Before we delve into this week's worth of televised madness, I'd just like to point out that yes, I'm well aware of the stark lack of premiere episodes this week. Especially for us Americans – with the once-mighty properties such as Fullmetal Alchemist and Samurai Champloo over and done with, and others such as Naruto being mired in Pre-Emption Land, that means it's all reruns, reruns, and even more reruns.Unfortunately, it'll likely remain much the same throughout the spring and into the summer, but fret not – this fall will inevitably see the sprouting of several big new series in the television landscape. I predict big titles like Bleach and Eureka 7 have all but the necessary ink dried to be beamed into the homes of good little anime fans everywhere, not to mention smaller or older titles that are bound to surprise us in every nook and cranny of content-desperate networks.

But for now, let's not worry about the future; let's worry about the present. Here's the listings for the last week of March, with the usual caveats of all listings being tentative as well as Eastern/Pacific times, et cetera.

Princess Mononoke
(Cartoon Network)
-Saturday March 25 7:30pm

There are two reasons I am spotlighting Princess Mononoke, and neither of them have much to do with it simply being a fantastic movie. First, this is such a gutsy move on the Cartoon Network's part, airing such a violent, dark, long, and complicated movie on a block of programming that occasionally gets away with some blood on Naruto, but little else. Second, the whole experience of watching Princess Mononoke's English dub on Toonami of all places will be such a wonderful albeit self-indulgent bit of my own personal anime fan-experience coming full circle. See, if one or the other hadn't been around during 1999, the fateful year that my 15 year-old self both began watching reruns of Sailor Moon and Robotech on Toonami as well as watching Princess Mononoke somewhere in the league of four times in the local arthouse theater, the thought that, yes, these oft-denigrated Japanese animated programs are exactly what I should be involved in with my life, would have never occurred in my mind. For both of them to appear side-by-side such as this is like seeing two good friends that have parted ways shake hands and let bygones be bygones. Except, there were never any parting of ways. In fact, that analogy sucked.

Let's move on!

OTHER PREMIERES:

Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo
(Cartoon Network)
-Saturday March 25 10:30pm - Episode 23 "Weddings, Wiggins and Water Torture"

Cartoon Network is expecting a “larger than normal” audience for the Hayao Miyazaki films they're playing, so over the four weeks they'll be spotlighting brand new episodes of Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo and later Zatch Bell in order to increase viewership for the two shows. One might think that goofy, scatological nose-hair fighters and Miyazaki's terse ecological epic would be diametrically opposed to one another, but just think of Bo-bobo as a sweet soda chaser to Mononoke's bitter Whiskey sour. And hey, the episode promises Water Torture – try and tell me about a time when Water Torture wasn't entertaining!

Chrono Crusade
(Showtime Beyond)
-Friday March 31 9:00pm - Episode 7 "Devil"

Rosette and Chrono try to stop the end of the world a la The Bible, but their old enemy Aion tries to put a stop to that plan. Later, Armageddon-obsessed conspiracy theorists write angry letters to Showtime networks pointing out all the niggling mistakes made in this episode regarding the Apocalypse.

Fullmetal Alchemist
(YTV)
-Friday March 31 10:00pm - Episode 5 "The Man With the Mechanical Arm" (Repeats Sat April 1st 1:00am)

Our stalwart limb-less and body-less pair board a train headed for Central, where they hope to pass the State Alchemist exam. The character of Hughes is introduced, the world is a little bit cooler because of this act.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG
(Cartoon Network)
-Sunday March 26 12:30am - Episode 17 "Red Data" (Repeats Sun Mar 26 3:30am)

Major Kusanagi runs afoul of the Taiwanese mafia while conducing an investigation on Kuze; meanwhile, she is forced to babysit a plucky young lad with aspirations to totally wail on those Mafioso bad guys. Hilarity ensues!

Inuyasha
(Cartoon Network)
-Wednesday March 29 12:30am - Episode 139 "The Great Duel at Shoun Falls" (Repeats Wed Mar 29 3:30am)

Kagome, as hostage, is forcibly rescued by Inuyasha, as heroic-type guy. High art this ain't, folks.

(YTV)
-Friday March 31 9:00pm - Episode 134 "The Woman Who Loved Sesshomaru, Part 2" (Repeats Sat April 1st 2:30am)

Last week I made a joke here about the title of this two-parter, involving how “Sesshomaru” was a generic twentysomething Otakon cosplayer/attendant and “The Woman Who Loved Sesshomaru” was the underage female con-goer that loved him. Was it a good joke? No sir. Am I sorry I made it? A little. Do I feel bad that it confused people? Not quite.
Anyway. The episode is actually about a woman who loves Sesshomaru, and goes so far as to try and capture Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga.

Naruto
(YTV)
-Friday March 31 8:00pm - Episode 30 "The Sharingan Revived: Dragon-Flame Jutsu" (Repeats Sat April 1st 2:00am)

Sasuke's vow to “destroy a certain someone” is revealed, while Anko, the 2nd Exam Proctor, discovers the dangerous secret identity of the snake-like ninja from the Village Hidden in the Grass. Thus far, the temptation to include a long and pointless “Real Ultimate Power” joke has been downright overwhelming – but I'm okay. I'm strong. I can resist. (But... for how long?)

Neon Genesis Evangelion
(Cartoon Network)
-Friday March 31 12:30am - Episode 24 "The Beginning and the End" (Repeats Fri Mar 31 3:30am)

Another episode that contains a single scene so memorably drawn out, once again fans are divided as to whether it's brilliantly poetic or insanely maddening. Find out for yourself, this week as Shinji discovers that both the “Fifth Child” and the final angel are more than they seem!

Pokemon
(KidsWB)
-Saturday March 25 10:00am - Episode 401 "Choose It or Lose It"
-Saturday March 25 10:30am - Episode 402 "At the End of the Fray"

This week, Ash battles Morrison and Tyson in the Hoenn league finals. I had no idea Van Morrison and Mike Tyson were down with Pokemon; I guess television can be educational once in a while.

Transformers Cybertron
(Cartoon Network)
-Saturday March 25 7:00pm - Episode 29 "Starscream"

Call me a traditionalist, but I honestly prefer my callow toy ads masquerading as children's entertainment/ Transformers series to not have lip flaps for the robots. Seeing their metal mouths flap up and down in a bad CGI manner is pure nightmare fuel.

If you can get past such aesthetics, though, here lies an episode where Starscream unleashes awesome power and grows really big.

(YTV)
-Friday March 31 7:00pm - Episode 37 "Titans" (Repeats Sat April 1st 3:00am, 1:30pm)

...And in this episode, according to my notes, Starscream grows even bigger! Planet-size, apparently, when he absorbs Primus' “spark energy.” Only Canadian viewers will be able to discover just how big, though. So watch it, and inform us.

Viewtiful Joe
(KidsWB)
-Saturday March 25 8:00am - Episode 21 "Bianco Billy Rides Again"

The Viewtiful Joe series has had its battles with bad animation before (battles which it has soundly lost), but this episode takes it to a whole new level of off-model, jerky motion. However if you're young enough or possibly enough of a totally wicked dude that might not bother you, in which case enjoy an episode where Joe and his buddies travel to the Ole' West.

Yu Yu Hakusho
(Cartoon Network)
-Saturday March 25 5:30am - Episode 111 "Closure"

In the penultimate Yu Yu Hakusho, the tournament closes out with a “bang” because, uh, Yuusuke is sure to use his “spirit gun” attack. Which goes “bang.” Also, an unexpected victor to the Demon World Tournament!

Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
(Cartoon Network)
-Tuesday March 28 5:00pm - Episode 44 "The Seventh Shadow Rider" (Repeats Wed Mar 29 4:30pm)
-Wednesday March 29 5:00pm - Episode 45 "Amnael's Endgame, Part 1" (Repeats Thu Mar 30 4:30pm)
-Thursday March 30 5:00pm - Episode 46 "Amnael's Endgame, Part 2" (Repeats Fri Mar 31 4:30pm)
-Friday March 31 5:00pm - Episode 47 "Chazz-anova"

A whole week's worth of Yu-Gi-Oh!'s less-successful spinoff. Prepare for more finger-pointing, card-attack-yelling, and needless exposition of which card is being played, what it does, why, as well as the cost and location of the nearest card store to purchase said card.

(YTV)
-Friday March 31 6:00pm - Episode 28 "Grave Risk, Part 2"

The episode description of this episode promises zombies, which might make this episode of Yu-Gi-Oh! GX the only episode I don't write nasty, pretentiously overbearing things about in the www.tv.com episode talkback message boards.

Zatch Bell
(YTV)
-Friday March 31 8:30pm - Episode 28 "Tia and Megumi's Excellent Adventure"

This episode features the totally original plotline where Megumi switches outfits with a stressed-out princess for a day, allowing one to live in luxury while the other enjoys a nice, quiet day in the average citizen's life. Things go awry for some reason when Megumi finds herself on the lamb from a political assassin! Sadly, Jack Bauer doesn't make a much-needed appearance.

Now clear your plate, because you need to get some more reruns in your diet.

REPEATS / STRIPS

.hack//Sign
(YTV)
-Mon Mar 27 11:35pm - Episode 22 "The Eve" (R Fri Mar 31 10:30pm)

Battle B-Daman
(Cartoon Network)
-Fri Mar 31 6:30am - Episode 13 "Hog Wild"

(YTV)
-Sat Mar 25 7:30am - Episode 7 "A Fistfull of B-DaBalls" (R Sat Mar 25 2:00pm)
-Mon Mar 27 3:30pm - Episode 48 "Everybody Wants to Rule the B-DaWorld"
-Tue Mar 28 3:30pm - Episode 49 "Into the Neo Shadow Den"
-Wed Mar 29 3:30pm - Episode 50 "The Longest B-DaBattle"
-Thu Mar 30 3:30pm - Episode 51 "B-DaStorm"
-Fri Mar 31 3:30pm - Episode 52 "In Search of Greatness"

Beyblade
(Toon Disney)
-Sat Mar 25 4:30pm - Episode 52 "Shot Down in Flames" (R Sat Mar 25 9:30pm)
-Sun Mar 26 4:30pm - Episode 53 "Search for Mr. X" (R Sun Mar 26 9:30pm)
-Mon Mar 27 6:30pm - Episode TBA (R Mon Mar 27 11:30pm)
-Tue Mar 28 6:30pm - Episode TBA (R Tue Mar 28 11:30pm)
-Wed Mar 29 6:30pm - Episode TBA (R Wed Mar 29 11:30pm)
-Thu Mar 30 6:30pm - Episode TBA (R Thu Mar 30 11:30pm)
-Fri Mar 31 6:30pm - Episode TBA (R Fri Mar 31 11:30pm)

(YTV)
-Sat Mar 25 5:30am - Episode 103 "New Kid in Town"
-Sat Mar 25 8:30am - Episode 3 "Take It to the Max!" (R Sat Mar 25 1:00pm)
-Tue Mar 28 5:30am - Episode 104 "A Team Divided"
-Wed Mar 29 5:30am - Episode 105 "Invitation to Battle"
-Thu Mar 30 5:30am - Episode 106 "We Were Once Bladebreakers"
-Fri Mar 31 5:30am - Episode 107 "A League of His Own"

Chrono Crusade
(Showtime Beyond)
-Mon Mar 27 12:00am - Episode 6 "Jewel Witch" (R Fri Mar 31 1:00am)
-Fri Mar 31 5:30am - Episode 5 "Militia"

Cowboy Bebop
(Cartoon Network)
-Sun Mar 26 1:30am - Episode 12 "Jupiter Jazz, Part 1" (R Sun Mar 26 4:30am)

D.I.C.E.
(YTV)
-Sat Mar 25 2:30pm - Episode 11 "D.I.C.E. vs. D.I.C.E."
-Fri Mar 31 6:30pm - Episode 1 "SOS From Planet Saffaron"

Digimon
(ABC Family)
-Sat Mar 25 7:00am - Episode 26 "Sora's Crest of Love"
-Sun Mar 26 7:00am - Episode 27 "The Gateway to Home"

(Toon Disney)
-Sat Mar 25 6:00pm - Episode 166 "A Hunka Hunka Burning Greymon" (R Sat Mar 25 11:00pm)
-Sun Mar 26 6:00pm - Episode 167 "Fear and Loathing in Los Arbol" (R Sun Mar 26 11:00pm)
-Tue Mar 28 4:30pm - Episode 90 "Stone Soup" (R Tue Mar 28 9:30pm)
-Tue Mar 28 7:00pm - Episode TBA (R Wed Mar 29 12:00am)
-Wed Mar 29 4:30pm - Episode 91 "Kyoto Dragon" (R Wed Mar 29 9:30pm)
-Wed Mar 29 7:00pm - Episode TBA (R Thu Mar 30 12:00am)
-Thu Mar 30 4:30pm - Episode 93 "Dramon Power" (R Thu Mar 30 9:30pm)
-Thu Mar 30 7:00pm - Episode TBA (R Fri Mar 31 12:00am)

Dragon Ball GT
(YTV)
-Sat Mar 18 3:30am - Episode 39 "Resurrection of Super Saiyan"

Dragon Ball Z
(Cartoon Network)
-Mon Mar 27 10:00pm - Episode 90 "Mighty Blast of Rage"
-Tue Mar 28 10:00pm - Episode 91 "Namek's Explosion: Goku's End?"
-Wed Mar 29 10:00pm - Episode 92 "Goku's Alive"
-Thu Mar 30 10:00pm - Episode 93 "The Heavens Tremble"

Fullmetal Alchemist
(Cartoon Network)
-Sun Mar 26 12:00am - Episode 1 "To Challenge the Sun" (R Sun Mar 26 3:00am)
-Tue Mar 28 12:30am - Episode 32 "Dante of the Deep Forest" (R Tue Mar 28 4:00am)

G.I. Joe Sigma Six
(4KidsTV)
-Sat Mar 25 10:30am - Episode 2 "Escape"

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(YTV)
-Sat Mar 25 12:00am - Episode 1 "Section 9" (R Thu Mar 30 11:30pm)

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG
(Cartoon Network)
-Thu Mar 30 12:30am - Episode 3 "Cash Eye" (R Thu Mar 30 3:30am)

Gundam SEED
(CN)
-Sat Mar 25 5:00am - Episode 38 "Decisive Fire"

(YTV)
-Tue Mar 28 11:30pm - Episode 17 "Cagalli Returns"
-Fri Mar 31 9:30pm - Episode "Flashing Blades"

Hamtaro
(YTV)
-Mon Mar 27 11:00am - Episode 84 "Roberto's Ally"
-Tue Mar 28 11:00am - Episode 85 "Super Hamster Robo-Joe"
-Wed Mar 29 11:00am - Episode 86 "Maria's Birthday Party"
-Thu Mar 30 11:00am - Episode 87 "Nin-Ham, the Ninja"
-Fri Mar 31 11:00am - Episode 88 "The Search for Spring"

Inuyasha
(CN)
-Sat Mar 25 11:00pm - Episode 127 "Don't Boil It! The Terrifying Dried-Up Demon" (R Sun Mar 26 2:00am)
-Sat Mar 25 11:30pm - Episode 128 "Battle Against the Dried-Up Demons at the Cultural Festival" (R Sun Mar 26 2:30am)

(YTV)
-Mon Mar 27 11:00pm - Episode 115 "Lured By the Black Light"
-Tue Mar 28 11:00pm - Episode 116 "The Exposed Face of Truth"
-Wed Mar 29 11:00pm - Episode 117 "Vanished Into a River of Flames"
-Thu Mar 30 11:00pm - Episode 118 "Into the Depths of Mt. Hakurei"

Magical DoReMi
(4KidsTV)
-Sat Mar 25 7:00am - Episode 4 "The Spit Curl Girl"
-Sat Mar 25 7:30am - Episode 1 "Dustin' the Old Rusty Broom"

Mew Mew Power
(YTV)
-Sun Mar 26 7:30am - Episode 24 "Diamonds Are a Girl's Worst Enemy" (R Sun Mar 26 1:30pm)

Naruto
(Cartoon Network)
-Sat Mar 25 12:00am - Episode 24 "Start Your Engines: The Chunin Exam Begins"

Neon Genesis Evangelion
(Cartoon Network)
-Sun Mar 26 1:00am - Episode 21 "He Was Aware That He Was Still a Child" (R Sun Mar 26 4:00am)

One Piece
(Cartoon Network)
-Mon Mar 27 4:00pm - Episode 58 "Doc Rock"
-Tue Mar 28 4:00pm - Episode 59 "Heading for Disaster"
-Wed Mar 29 4:00pm - Episode 60 "Face Off"
-Thu Mar 30 4:00pm - Episode 61 "Boogie Powder"
-Fri Mar 31 4:00pm - Episode 62 "Chasing Luffy"

(YTV)
-Fri Mar 31 7:30pm - Episode 13 "Good Pirates vs. Bad Pirates"

Pokemon
(YTV)
-Sat Mar 25 12:00pm - Episode 388 "Pacifidlog Jam"
-Tue Mar 28 5:00am - Episode 325 "Game Winning Assist"
-Wed Mar 29 5:00am - Episode 326 "Fight for the Meteorite"
-Thu Mar 30 5:00am - Episode 327 "Poetry in Commotion"
-Fri Mar 31 5:00am - Episode 328 "Going, Going, Yawn"

Pokemon Chronicles
(YTV)
-Sat Mar 25 5:00am - Episode 9 "The Blue Badge of Courage"

Samurai Champloo
(Cartoon Network)
-Tue Mar 28 1:00am - Episode 13 "Misguided Miscreants, Part 1" (R Tue Mar 28 4:30am)
-Wed Mar 29 1:00am - Episode 14 "Misguided Miscreants, Part 2" (R Wed Mar 29 4:30am)
-Thu Mar 30 1:00am - Episode 15 "Bogus Booty" (R Thu Mar 30 4:30am)
-Fri Mar 31 1:00am - Episode 16 "Lullabies of the Lost" (R Fri Mar 31 4:30am)

Shaman King
(YTV)
-Sat Mar 25 12:30pm - Episode 6 "The Kung-Fu Master"

Street Fighter II V
(Encore WAM!)
-Sat Mar 25 4:30pm - Episode TBA (R Sun Mar 26 1:30am, 6:30am)
-Sun Mar 26 4:30pm - Episode TBA (R Mon Mar 27 1:30am, 6:30am)
-Mon Mar 27 4:30pm - Episode TBA (R Tue Mar 28 1:30am, 6:30am)
-Tue Mar 28 4:30pm - Episode TBA (R Wed Mar 29 1:30am, 6:30am)
-Wed Mar 29 4:30pm - Episode TBA (R Thu Mar 30 1:30am, 6:30am)
-Thu Mar 30 4:30pm - Episode TBA (R Fri Mar 31 1:30am, 6:30am)
-Fri Mar 31 4:30pm - Episode TBA (R Sat Apr 1 1:30am, 6:30am)

Texhnolyze
(Encore Action)
-Sat Mar 25 12:20am - Episode 21 "Encephalopathy"
-Sat Mar 25 12:50am - Episode 22 "Myth"

Transformers Cybertron
(Cartoon Network)
-Mon Mar 27 6:30am - Episode 13 "Hero"
-Tue Mar 28 6:30am - Episode 14 "Race"
-Wed Mar 29 6:30am - Episode 15 "Detour"
-Thu Mar 30 6:30am - Episode 16 "Savage"

(YTV)
-Sat Mar 25 1:30pm - Episode 36 "Family"

Trigun
(Cartoon Network)
-Tue Mar 28 1:30am - Episode 13 "Vash the Stampede" (R Tue Mar 28 5:00am)
-Wed Mar 29 1:30am - Episode 14 "Little Arcadia" (R Wed Mar 29 5:00am)
-Thu Mar 30 1:30am - Episode 15 "Demon's Eye" (R Thu Mar 30 5:00am)
-Fri Mar 31 1:30am - Episode 16 "Fifth Moon" (R Fri Mar 31 5:00am)

Vandread
(Encore WAM!)
-Sat Mar 25 4:00pm - Episode TBA (R Sun Mar 26 1:00am, 6:00am)
-Sun Mar 26 4:00pm - Episode TBA (R Mon Mar 27 1:00am, 6:00am)
-Mon Mar 27 4:00pm - Episode TBA (R Tue Mar 28 1:00am, 6:00am)
-Tue Mar 28 4:00pm - Episode TBA (R Wed Mar 29 1:00am, 6:00am)
-Wed Mar 29 4:00pm - Episode TBA (R Thu Mar 30 1:00am, 6:00am)
-Thu Mar 30 4:00pm - Episode TBA (R Fri Mar 31 1:00am, 6:00am)
-Fri Mar 31 4:00pm - Episode TBA (R Sat April 1st 1:00am, 6:00am)

(Encore Action)
-Wed Mar 29 12:00am - Episode 1 "First Stage: Boy Meets Girl"
-Wed Mar 29 12:30am - Episode 2 "First Stage: And... I've Lost My Way"
-Wed Mar 29 1:00am - Episode 3 "First Stage: This Is the Path I Choose To Live"
-Wed Mar 29 1:30am - Episode 4 "First Stage: I Want to Know More About You"

Witch Hunter Robin
(YTV)
-Wed Mar 29 11:30pm - Episode 4 "Stubborn Aesthetics"

Yu-Gi-Oh!
(YTV)
-Sat Mar 25 4:30am - Episode 114 "Brothers in Arms, Part 1"
-Sat Mar 25 8:00am - Episode 205 "Birth of the Blue-Eyes"
-Tue Mar 28 4:30am - Episode 115 "Brothers in Arms, Part 2"
-Wed Mar 29 4:30am - Episode 116 "Brothers in Arms, Part 3"
-Thu Mar 30 4:30am - Episode 117 "Noah's Final Threat, Part 1"
-Fri Mar 31 4:30am - Episode 118 "Noah's Final Threat, Part 2"

Yu-Gi-Oh! GX:
(Cartoon Network)
-Mon Mar 27 4:30pm - Episode 41 "A Reason to Win"
-Mon Mar 27 5:00pm - Episode 42 "Duel Monsters Spirit Day"
-Tue Mar 28 4:30pm - Episode 43 "Hearts Are Wild"